Coronavirus

[johnb]

More paranoia ? We really should be very, very worried about where we are being dragged.

https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiVmh0dHBzOi8vaW5ld3MuY28udWsvbmV3cy9wb2xpdGljcy9kYWlseS1tb29uc2hvdC10ZXN0cy1jb3ZpZC1uaHMtcGFpZC1ieS1wdWJsaWMtNjU1MDg50gFaaHR0cHM6Ly9pbmV3cy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3BvbGl0aWNzL2RhaWx5LW1vb25zaG90LXRlc3RzLWNvdmlkLW5ocy1wYWlkLWJ5LXB1YmxpYy02NTUwODkvYW1w?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen

Oh yes, from next week, we have to scan a QR code for track and test if we want to participare in our little monday night running group. Five of is, ourdoors, distanced.

Madness. Absolute madness.

With all the cock-ups and previous aborted Covid-19 projects I'm not sure how seriously one can take any of these "plans". It would be nice if Dido Harding (aka Mrs John Penrose MP) could just do her job and get the damned Test and Trace working.

[Bryn]

From a friend's FB reposting:

We as humans do not learn from history and are therefore doomed to repeat it. The Spanish flu lasted for 2 years. The second wave killed far more people than the first, and in total there were 4 waves.
It killed somewhere between 20 million to 50 million people. Citizens were ordered to wear masks, and everywhere shut down and boarded up schools, movie theatres, and business. Mail distribution stopped, as did garbage collection.
Many people had to dig graves for their own family members.
Here we are 100 years later, and what have we learned? Half the people do not want to wear masks because they think it is a hoax/it is not that bad/the government is lying/insert insane right-wing conspiracy theory rhetoric here.
People want to prioritize their own narcissistic desires and privileges over other human beings’ lives.
What did they have in 1918? No TV. No internet, not a lot of food supply.
What do we have? TV, internet, movies that can be watched from home, UberEATS...you name it. And yet we are a world full of entitled and selfish people who lack human empathy and act oppressed when given any minute sense of responsibility.
Travel is not a necessity. Movie theatres are not a necessity. Throwing parties is not a necessity.
Being a decent human being should not be a revolutionary act....it should be common sense.

The friend concerned is a Steinway-trained piano technician. He also plays salon piano music at the Theatre Royal, Windsor., so has had to make work sacrifices himself.

[LMcD]

With all the cock-ups and previous aborted Covid-19 projects I'm not sure how seriously one can take any of these "plans". It would be nice if Dido Harding (aka Mrs John Penrose MP) could just do her job and get the damned Test and Trace working.

Perhaps we need a Covid Cock-Up Tsar(ina) to oversee the current omnishambles, seeing as the PM either can't or won't.

[oddoneout]

With all the cock-ups and previous aborted Covid-19 projects I'm not sure how seriously one can take any of these "plans". It would be nice if Dido Harding (aka Mrs John Penrose MP) could just do her job and get the damned Test and Trace working.

There is a school of thought that says she is doing her job, bearing in mind who her husband is and the Tory stance on privatising the NHS...

[cloughie]

With all the cock-ups and previous aborted Covid-19 projects I'm not sure how seriously one can take any of these "plans". It would be nice if Dido Harding (aka Mrs John Penrose MP) could just do her job and get the damned Test and Trace working.

So JP could be aka Aenaes Harding?

[oddoneout]

The issue is that many people are very frightened, unreasonably so in many cases, I suggest. (And just to be clear, caution at this time is certainly important).
Plus there is now a completely illogical rule of six which when you have a family of five is kind of inconvenient.

I haven't bothered to find out if there is any real reason for 6 being the magic number but whatever number was decided on would cause problems for someone. 'Blended' families (permutations of yours, mine,ours on the children front), and those from certain ethnic groups (multi-generation living/extended family) will face plenty of logistical hurdles on top of those which will come from having to prove they are entitled to be out as a big group together.

[oddoneout]

Perhaps we need a Covid Cock-Up Tsar(ina) to oversee the current omnishambles, seeing as the PM either can't or won't.

The modern favouring of 'oversight' rather than 'overview' would seem to be particularly apposite in that context...

[LMcD]

There is a school of thought that says she is doing her job, bearing in mind who her husband is and the Tory stance on privatising the NHS...

It's OK, Wikipedia says that think-tank 1828 is independent - you had me worried for a moment!

'The NHS is safe in our hands'

[teamsaint]

I haven't bothered to find out if there is any real reason for 6 being the magic number but whatever number was decided on would cause problems for someone. 'Blended' families (permutations of yours, mine,ours on the children front), and those from certain ethnic groups (multi-generation living/extended family) will face plenty of logistical hurdles on top of those which will come from having to prove they are entitled to be out as a big group together.

The government certainly gave the message that the rule of six was used because it is easy to remember. Unlike the philosophical puzzle ( logic section) that was the "two households" rule, which at least made some kind of sense.
Anyway, I'm prepared to follow logical safeguards, and ignore illogical ones.

So I won't be submitting my QR code at our 5 person ( maximum, outdoors) running group. Another blow for freedom........
And actually, I won't be bothered about following the rule of six too closely either, though no doubt the semi professional snoopers and finger pointers out in the world would disagree.

[oddoneout]

It's OK, Wikipedia says that think-tank 1828 is independent - you had me worried for a moment!

'The NHS is safe in our hands'

At particularly bitter twisted moments I think that phrase is directed more to vested interest* than the public...

*And have come up with my own hybrid term - Tory 'cronors'

[LMcD]

The government certainly gave the message that the rule of six was used because it is easy to remember. Unlike the philosophical puzzle ( logic section) that was the "two households" rule, which at least made some kind of sense.
Anyway, I'm prepared to follow logical safeguards, and ignore illogical ones.

So I won't be submitting my QR code at our 5 person ( maximum, outdoors) running group. Another blow for freedom........
And actually, I won't be bothered about following the rule of six too closely either, though no doubt the semi professional snoopers and finger pointers will disagree.

I believe there is a requirement that a written list be kept of people who won't submit a QR code or, as in my case, can't because they haven't got a smartphone. I would be quite happy to provide a name and address, possibly my own.

[oddoneout]

The government certainly gave the message that the rule of six was used because it is easy to remember. Unlike the philosophical puzzle ( logic section) that was the "two households" rule, which at least made some kind of sense.
Anyway, I'm prepared to follow logical safeguards, and ignore illogical ones.

So I won't be submitting my QR code at our 5 person ( maximum, outdoors) running group. Another blow for freedom........
And actually, I won't be bothered about following the rule of six too closely either, though no doubt the semi professional snoopers and finger pointers will disagree.

Out of interest will you notify the group if you contract the virus?

[teamsaint]

I believe there is a requirement that a written list be kept of people who won't submit a QR code or, as in my case, can't because they haven't got a smartphone. I would be quite happy to provide a name and address, possibly my own.

Whatever. I really don't care, L. It is absolute madness, a distraction, and doubtless of no use other than to keep us all frightened ( of each other) and getting used to being tracked all the time for every activity.
I'm really not happy to provide my name and address under these conditions.

[teamsaint]

Out of interest will you notify the group if you contract the virus?

Out of interest, why do you feel the need to ask that ? Do you doubt that I would ?

[oddoneout]

I believe there is a requirement that a written list be kept of people who won't submit a QR code or, as in my case, can't because they haven't got a smartphone. I would be quite happy to provide a name and address, possibly my own.

Which is another factor that makes the worldbeating(ly bad) T&T even less useful as when use is made of such lists there tend to be some non-valid/unusable details, some of which may be unintentional...
At work, if visitors' details are not already logged during the booking process(happens with 'groups' ) they have to complete a paper slip, using a single use pencil( no sharing of pens), which they put in a box to be dealt with later. I don't know where the council is with the QR route, but even if that were in place, as you say not all have the necessary tech( I don't) so an alternative has to be available.