Covid-19 and Politics

[Cheetah]

Our lockdown was extended last night to end of April. Same rules basically apply as before. Some restrictions might be eased later.


The President also announced that he, the Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will each take a one-third cut in their salaries for the next three months and donate it to the Solidarity Response Fund. Some other members of government are following suit.

[Pixel42]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

Our lockdown was extended last night to end of April. Same rules basically apply as before. Some restrictions might be eased later.


The President also announced that he, the Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will each take a one-third cut in their salaries for the next three months and donate it to the Solidarity Response Fund. Some other members of government are following suit.

As you haven't bothered to fill in your location in your profile, I hint as to what country you're talking about would be nice.

[Cheetah]

Sorry, I have mentioned it multiple times before and assumed people knew.

South Africa.

[Pixel42]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

Sorry, I have mentioned it multiple times before and assumed people knew.

South Africa.

Thanks.

There are still enough regular posters here that keeping track of where everyone lives from memory is difficult, at least to those of us whose memory is not what it was (and I can barely remember what mine once was).

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

Our lockdown was extended last night to end of April. Same rules basically apply as before. Some restrictions might be eased later.


The President also announced that he, the Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will each take a one-third cut in their salaries for the next three months and donate it to the Solidarity Response Fund. Some other members of government are following suit.

Apparently UK MPs are unable to take pay cuts and indeed, they need additional funding for the supposed extra expense of working from home.

I would have thought working from home would save money, what with no travel expenses or eating out.

[Blue Mountain]

(I'm cross-posting this from the COVID-19 Numbers, Canada vs. US thread, because in my opinion it relates directly to the different responses in the two countries.)

Here's a rather scary thought. At the rate deaths in the US are increasing, likely by the end of next week there will be more deaths from COVID-19 in the US than there are infections in Canada.

And this is not dependent on the relative size of the population, because the two growth curves could well be similar even if the two countries had the same population. Not completely, of course: no Canadian city, which is where most of the infections and deaths are occurring, has the population density of New York City.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Nessie

Apparently UK MPs are unable to take pay cuts and indeed, they need additional funding for the supposed extra expense of working from home.

I would have thought working from home would save money, what with no travel expenses or eating out.

That isn’t true. What has happened is that they have been told if they have additional expenses due to the lockdown, for example having to buy laptops for their staff that can no longer use the office computers they can spend up to an additional £10,000. They have not been given £10000.

[The Atheist]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

The President also announced that he, the Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will each take a one-third cut in their salaries for the next three months and donate it to the Solidarity Response Fund. Some other members of government are following suit.

Bravo!

I had my doubts about Ramaphosa, but they're disappearing fast. Bloody good show all round by him on Covid.

[ceptimus]

Originally Posted by Planigale

Probably the biggest need is cleaning.

Is actual cleaning needed, or just killing the virus? Half-an-hour at 60C (140 F) is supposed to kill the virus, so smaller items like masks, gloves, goggles, could be disinfected by spending half-an-hour or so in a very low oven, and even larger items such as face masks, wheelchairs, trolleys could be disinfected by spending sufficient time in a special "hot room."

Larger items such as trolleys would take time to warm up when placed in a room heated to 60C - so they would likely need a couple of hours in the room. Probably not practical, even if such rooms were available.

But the low oven for disinfecting used masks seems practical? Throw used masks into paper or plastic bags and then place the bags containing the masks in a low oven. Give them an hour and the masks (and containing bags) should then be free of live virus and safe to handle?

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by Darat

That isn’t true. What has happened is that they have been told if they have additional expenses due to the lockdown, for example having to buy laptops for their staff that can no longer use the office computers they can spend up to an additional £10,000. They have not been given £10000.

I did not say they had been given £10K. I said they had been given additional expenses for working from home.

It is typical of our MPs that they make sure they do not lose out. They are not prepared to make any financial sacrifices, whilst demanding so many others do.

[Captain_Swoop]

Originally Posted by Pixel42

I bought a bottle of Pimm's during my last essential shop. The police would have had to prise that from my cold dead hands.

Off licenses are essential businesses, you are OK.

[steenkh]

In the US, gun and ammunition is regarded as essential goods ...

[wobs]

Originally Posted by Darat

Only meant to be shopping for essentials, but some stores don’t only sell food suspect it will be people shopping for non essentials. I felt a little bit guilty when I did a Tesco shop and picked up a container of plant food, even though I was food shopping for 2 at high risk people and myself!

Another issue is that you may go into a shop looking for essentials, but find they've sold out, so not wanting to waste the journey, you buy other things.

I'm tempted to try B&M or Home Bargains for some things, but if they've sold out certain things, I'll probably end up doing just that.

[Nessie]

The regulation causing most of the problems is;

"During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.

...a reasonable excuse includes the need—

"to obtain basic necessities, including food and medical supplies for those in the same household (including any pets or animals in the household) or for vulnerable persons and supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household, or the household of a vulnerable person, or to obtain money, including from any business listed in Part 3 of Schedule 2"

[Nessie]

NI, population 1.882 million, cases 1339. One case per 1,405 people.
Scotland, population 5.438 million, cases 4565. One case per 1,191 people.
England, population 55.977 million, cases 55,100. One case per 1,015 people.
Wales, population 3.138 million, cases 4073. One case per 770 people.

Wales in being hit twice as hard as NI.

[Planigale]

Originally Posted by Nessie

NI, population 1.882 million, cases 1339. One case per 1,405 people.
Scotland, population 5.438 million, cases 4565. One case per 1,191 people.
England, population 55.977 million, cases 55,100. One case per 1,015 people.
Wales, population 3.138 million, cases 4073. One case per 770 people.

Wales in being hit twice as hard as NI.

Sheep?

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by Planigale

Sheep?

I knew ewe would say that.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Planigale

Sheep?

Despair?

[Arcade22]

Originally Posted by Nessie

NI, population 1.882 million, cases 1339. One case per 1,405 people.
Scotland, population 5.438 million, cases 4565. One case per 1,191 people.
England, population 55.977 million, cases 55,100. One case per 1,015 people.
Wales, population 3.138 million, cases 4073. One case per 770 people.

Wales in being hit twice as hard as NI.

Dare i be so bold as to state that this is the effect of the continuing suffering inflicted by the English yoke of cruelty? Because i just did.

[Pixel42]

Wasn't there a big sporting fixture in Wales just before the lockdown that most sensible people thought should have been called off, and which duly became a hotspot?

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Pixel42

Wasn't there a big sporting fixture in Wales just before the lockdown that most sensible people thought should have been called off, and which duly became a hotspot?

Yes there was but the early cases in Wales were all traced back to people who had been to areas in Italy where Coronavirus was rife. This BBC article on the subject doesn't mention the Italy-Wales game. Instead they suggest that it may be a combination of more testing, demographics and having the Royal Gwent in Newport as a centre of infection.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52093126

[Pixel42]

Thanks, a typically informative BBC article.

Newport is my late mother's home town, I have cousins there.

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley has said his force will now strengthen the enforcement of coronavirus regulations.
People in the county could now face fines or a criminal record.
According to the police chief, a small number of people had been flouting the regulations with officers being "baited" by members of the public.
They may have to resort to more extreme measures such as road blocks and searching shopping trolleys should people continue to break the rules.


Searching shopping trolleys?
Are they now the food police too?

An acquaintance of mine in London was fined 70 pounds the other day when she was found to have only snacks and drinks in her car, deemed non-essential.

[Captain_Swoop]

Who fined her? Tell her to fight it. official from govt, you can buy anything that is for sale in any shop that is open. It's not for the police to decide what is essential.

[Captain_Swoop]

Health secretary says there isn't a shortage of protective gear in the hospitals. it's the staff misusing it and using too much of it that is the problem.

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by Marcus

An acquaintance of mine in London was fined 70 pounds the other day when she was found to have only snacks and drinks in her car, deemed non-essential.

It should be £60, halved to £30 if paid sooner. I would not pay and wait to see if they want to take me to trial. I doubt any prosecutor will risk court for that.

[Planigale]

Originally Posted by Marcus

An acquaintance of mine in London was fined 70 pounds the other day when she was found to have only snacks and drinks in her car, deemed non-essential.

The correct response in this situation is to say that you are taking them to the local hospital for the hard working nurses and doctors.

I am increasingly concerned by the unhealthy diet of crisps (chips for our US readers) cakes (OK quite a lot home baked - some by offspring), chocolate and pot noodles my colleagues are surviving on. One local farmer did however leave several sacks of potatoes in A&E - they disappeared surprisingly quickly. On a positive side I buy apples and bananas on my way in and they do seem to be eaten, so I feel I am doing my bit for the health of the health care staff.

[Trebuchet]

As my cousin in Kansas is near death, Republicans are playing politics with safety. **** them.

[Twoflower]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Health secretary says there isn't a shortage of protective gear in the hospitals. it's the staff misusing it and using too much of it that is the problem.

And we all believe that as it is obvious that they misuse their equipment all the time!

[Planigale]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Health secretary says there isn't a shortage of protective gear in the hospitals. it's the staff misusing it and using too much of it that is the problem.

There was some truth to this. Early on we did quite a bit of work in persuading people not to overdress for low risk work. Not to throw away non-disposable kit, not to change PPE after every patient contact. So if you would normally wash hands between patient contacts (which you should be doing) you change gloves, but you don't change gown, mask and visor. You change PPE between known infected and unknown or non-infected to prevent transmission but not between infected patients.

One of the things that we have worked on is that it is acceptable for people to point out when you are breaching PPE without being offended. I specialise in telling off (alerting in a non-confrontational manner) people for touching their face (a habit that needs to be broken), or mask.

ETA
And really no eating on the ward!

[Marcus]

"It should be £60, halved to £30 if paid sooner. I would not pay and wait to see if they want to take me to trial. I doubt any prosecutor will risk court for that."
Yes must have been 60, probably remembered it wrong. I'm not sure of the details but I got the impression a cop stopped her and gave her a ticket.

[Captain_Swoop]

Priti Patel announces even more deaths than I was expecting
"Three hundred thousand, thirty four, nine hundred and seventy four thousand"
That's almost twelvty ten squidillion.

[The Atheist]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Who fined her? Tell her to fight it. official from govt, you can buy anything that is for sale in any shop that is open. It's not for the police to decide what is essential.

I'm betting a lot of those kind of charges are for public consumption and will be dropped.

When I was buying petrol the other day, an elderly couple - 70-ish - had walked to the petrol station to buy an ice cream each.

[Captain_Swoop]

News coming in that Priti Patel will not be holding tomorrow's press briefing as she got lost on her way to nomber 10, she misread it as hundred thousand and thirty fifty ten.

[Samson]

Sophia Yan visits Wuhan.

By far the most prevalent theory is that the Americans brought the virus. One man says the severity of infections is evidence the virus emerged in the US.

"It's so bad there," he said. "Do you think this is still the Wuhan flu?"

Very informative article not behind paywall

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/new...ectid=12324247

[Captain_Swoop]

Situation tonight. Home Secretary not taking responsibility. Health Secretary blaming NHS staff. First Secretary out of his depth. Prime minister in hospital.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Situation tonight. Home Secretary not taking responsibility. Health Secretary blaming NHS staff. First Secretary out of his depth. Prime minister in hospital.

Sounds about right

Wait till the effects of a hard Brexit hit

[The Don]

Also a great non-apology from the home secretary - "I'm sorry if people are so stupid as to be offended by key workers not having PPE

[a_unique_person]

Boris thanks NHS staff for saving his life.

[Trebuchet]

Originally Posted by a_unique_person

Boris thanks NHS staff for saving his life.

Did he thank himself for their needing to?