Guess the national lockdown date...

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by Ruffy

Is it just me or are have the stories about NHS being/becoming overwhelmed noticeably absent?

I think it's an illusion that this virus can be contained or controlled: The only thing I'm sure about is that it will propogate eventually so we just need to be able to deal with those who will be seriously affected (a small minority). So why aren't we trying to get on with it as quickly as possible?

Lockdown is overkill whilst there is adequate treatment capacity. Obsession about Covid-19 is also disproportionate when you consider the downsides for other illnesses e.g. cancer deaths are reportedly significantly higher.

Why is there no longer a clearly visible presentation of the forecast projection for when we will hit breaking point? What's the heathcare system status? Are we going to need all those new hospital facilities and equipment that were put together in March/April?

Frankly I've had enough of the weakly justified restrictions on my discretionary life choices (i.e. fun) whilst there is no concession on the systematic work chores demanded of us. Mentally, I'm already imprisoned and lockdown is already in place.

Maybe I'd feel different if I'd had the summer off on furlough instead of dealing with an increase in workload (WFH instead of office/site base) managing the constant monitoring demands, adjustments to plans, risk mitigation updates and re-forecasting that the unpredicatability of the situation brings. In a project delivery world it's taken contingency activity to a whole new level but the truth is it's all built on guesswork really!

Maybe I'd feel different if my two sons' jobs had been properly protected by the system, instead of them being lost with low prospects of replacement, leaving my sons to transfer to the inadequacies of the Universal Credit system, subsidised by my available parental support (also inadequate).

In the beginning, most of the management proposals made sense to me. There appeared to be some clear science involved and communicated, so I was willing to accept them. Now it just feels like fear-based political manipulation, protecting a system biased to the elite and I'm becoming more dismissive and rebellious as a result. I'm much more cynical and I imagine there are many others like me.

{/rant off}

Agree, it is becoming more apparent that the lockdown was to protect the NHS, not the population, and by 'flattening the curve' the lockdown has just 'prolonged the curve' and lengthened the period when virus will be around. Sweden did not have a lockdown and their cases no higher than ours per 100,000...

Interesting article - behind a paywall but you can get the message from the title and the first paragraph.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...ly-cost-lives/

[Craig380]

There's no doubt that the lockdown did cost lives - and will continue to do so, as Covid gets priority over cancer treatments, heart surgery etc. Just one stat illustrates this: on average, 450 people die of cancer every single day in the UK. No peaks, no troughs, just a remorseless tally of deaths day in and day out, year in and year out.

Back in March, when we knew a lot less about Covid-19, I can understand the need to lockdown to avoid the NHS getting overwhelmed, because no-one could be sure how many hospitalisations there would be, or what care those who were hospitalised would need.

But now that we know so much more about Covid, different options are available - but enacting those options requires actually having a functional testing system that can get results back in 12 hours, and a functioning track and trace system too. And of course, we don't have either.

Not to mention the significant reduction in NHS beds and capacity over the past decade.

[Chris_SVS]

Soft ish one for us for now

The new social Restrictions extended to all homes in Northern Ireland from 6pm tomorrow evening include:

No mixing of different households in homes and no indoor visits (exemptions include medical & caring visits, child minding & essential maintenance)

Single person households can bubble with one other household

A maximum of six from two households can meet outside (children under 12 are not included in this number)

[Seeker]

The new rules (for England):
https://twitter.com/Darren_Dutton/st...86110777282562

[Craig380]

Those make as much sense as the genuine rules, to be honest.

[svenrico]

Originally Posted by Seeker

I cannot believe that this is legal under current rules:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...t-b503028.html

(tldr: 120+ people meet up for a stag hunt on Exmoor)

Damn it all , can't a man hunt a stag now ?!

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by svenrico

Damn it all , can't a man hunt a stag now ?!

Maybe Stags do not carry the virus....