Coronavirus

[Goodfellers]

And so it goes on:- https://twitter.com/BlueleafCare/sta...88508423180289

Better Together. All in this together. Pooling and Sharing. Except when it's a matter of life and death in which case all you Celts can get to the back of the queue.

Just read the tweet "

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21 Mar
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[COLOR=rgba(20, 23, 26, 1)]Stocks of fluid-repellent surgical face masks have been released from the Public Health England pandemic influenza stockpile for Care Providers in England only."

This is a public health England stockpile. Why would PHE release their stockpile to Scottish providers when Jeanne Freeman made it clear that PHE do not buy or distribute on behalf of Scotland. Scotland has it's own suppliers and distribution system.

It looks like some people in Scotland want to make problems where they don't exist.
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[Goodfellers]

Copying the tweet seems to have messed up my settings, but you can just about make sense of it.

[Corky Smeek]

Yes, but Scotland is getting the PPE from elsewhere and the Scottish Government don't seem to be that concerned now?

I'm not so sure that is true. Jeanne Freeman said this yesterday:-

"We are responding to legitimate concerns by a responsible organisation representing majority of care homes in Scotland.".

This issue has not fully played out yet.

[Goodfellers]

This story in the P & J is more upsetting. Able to drive 700 miles risking emergency services lives, just because he is wealthy and doesn't accept the law applies to him. He should have a chat with Catherine Calderwood........................

A north community has reacted with anger after a Russian holiday home owner arrived with his family to stay for two weeks.Highland communities have been striving to keep holiday home owners and tourists away to avoid them spreading coronavirus to areas already struggling for medical resources.Entrepreneur Nikolay Gurianov, founder of Kent-based artificial intelligence company Braintree, says he has a very good personal reason for moving his family to the house near Helmsdale, and he has shared this with police.The police say they visited his property on Monday and ‘advice was offered to the residents regarding the importance of following the current guidelines relating to social distancing.’Mr Gurianov said: “We do understand lockdown and we definitely have a reason to be here.“It is not for a holiday.“We did not want to upset the local community, and are not connecting with them as we have brought everything necessary with us for the first two weeks.

“We are quite remote with no neighbours, but anyone who wants to speak to me about it is welcome to come and talk, staying 2m distant of course.”Mr Gurianov added that he felt singled out for criticism.“There are plenty of other holiday home owners here,” he said.Furious local councillor Deirdre Mackay said it was unacceptable in a ward where people have been very respectful and mindful of government advice.​She said: “On my daily walk I see the rainbows put up by little children who are confined to their houses.“We have relatives in our care homes who are quarantined to their rooms.“We’re seeing our front line workers setting off every morning to do their best to keep us safe.“Respect for the guidelines is paramount despite the discomfort it’s causing people.“So when they see others moving in, demonstrating a flagrant abuse of the regulations, it’s naturally upsetting.“The rules do not seem to be applied fairly across the piece.”Local MP Jamie Stone said he took a dim view of rich people endangering the life of his constituents, who were all observing lock-down rules.He said: “Any movement that might risk spreading the virus is most unwelcome.“I intend to find out how this happened and make sure they totally self-isolate for the maximum recommended period.”

[pat]

One rule for the rich.

How on earth did they manage to drive?? that far - Central Scotland they are stopping many vehicles travelling, and asking if they are from one household in car and why they are travelling ad not letting up until they get a proper clear reason.

[Goodfellers]

One rule for the rich.

How on earth did they manage to drive?? that far - Central Scotland they are stopping many vehicles travelling, and asking if they are from one household in car and why they are travelling ad not letting up until they get a proper clear reason.

Probably had his private jet fly him to Inverness, then the Bentley the rest of the way

[Corky Smeek]

This story in the P & J is more upsetting.

It really isn't you know! The P & J story is about potential harm. The PPE story is about actual harm happening in Scottish and Welsh communities right now.

[Goodfellers]

It really isn't you know! The P & J story is about potential harm. The PPE story is about actual harm happening in Scottish and Welsh communities right now.

Maybe you should be diverting your anger at

Health Protection Scotland and ask them why they were not better prepared, as they had as much warning as anyone else this was coming.

It seems that every country has acted in its own interest, only today it emerged that France and Germany placed restrictions on exports of PPE...even trying to 'hi-jack' several million pieces destined for the UK!

Every country will learn from this pandemic. I don't think trying to 'political point score' will achieve anything. The Scottish government don't seem as concerned as you, nor any of the major news outlets.

BBC News 'Live' this morning ……

10:20

EU offers grieving Italy'heartfelt apology'

The president of theEuropean Commission has offered a "heartfelt apology" for lettingItaly down at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Yes it is true thatno one was really ready for this," Ursula von der Leyen told the EuropeanParliament on Thursday morning. "It is also true that too many were notthere on time when Italy needed a helping hand at the very beginning. And yesfor that, it is right that Europe as a whole offers a heartfelt apology."

More than 21,000 peoplewith the virus have died in Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University - thehighest death toll in Europe.

As Italy struggled tocontain the outbreak in early March, both France and Germany placedrestrictions on the export of face masks - despite warnings from the EUCommission that such actions could undermine the collective response to thevirus.

[Corky Smeek]

Maybe you should be diverting your anger at Health Protection Scotland

Or, how about directing some anger towards whoever authorised this:- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/w...y-test-uk.html

[Goodfellers]

Or, how about directing some anger towards whoever authorised this:- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/w...y-test-uk.html

I think that's called a diversionary tactic.

Ps Article is behind a pay wall. I tend to copy and paste when this is the case. Not all of us are wealthy enough to subscribe to every online newspaper!

Edit: Just had a quick 'google' and it seems lots of countries purchased these test kits and are unhappy with the results. If the MSM is to be believed, these kits were approved by the EU health chiefs!!! It seems your damned if you try and do something and dammed if you don't. Who would want to be in government.

[Corky Smeek]

I think that's called a diversionary tactic.

That is HMG's entire raison d'être at the moment. If as much effort had been put into preparing, planning and executing a coherent policy on Covid19 as is now being put into diverting attention away from the huge and ever-increasing list of almighty cock-ups we might not be in this catastrophic position. I refer you once more to this timeline of inaction, missed opportunity, misplaced arrogance and general incompetence on the part of HMG. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...302012418.html

Time Magazine have had a long, hard look HMG's response - https://time.com/5823382/britain-cor.../?xid=tcoshare

The simple fact is that HMG has demonstrated its quite breathtaking incompetence over this matter and is now trying to hide from the fact that it has caused many, many more deaths as a result. Even now allegations are circulating widely that doctors are being discouraged from putting coronavirus as the cause (even as a contributory cause) of death where patients had other underlying health issues. And, of course there are the attempts to disguise the true number of deaths in England by not including those who have died in care homes. Oh, and don't forget the alleged attempts to put the English care system at the head of the queue for PPE.

It is all utterly scandalous and to make matters worse we are having to rely on foreign newspapers and social media to tell us the facts that HMG wants to hide. We certainly can't rely upon the UK MSM who are utterly complicit in these diversionary tactics. Rather than do some proper investigative journalism they ignore the realities and feed us a diet of manufactured patriotic nonsense designed to divert our thoughts and "keep our spirits up" when all we really need is the truth.

[Fulmar]

Personally, I think that there will come a time in the future for forensic analysis and criticism of all that has undoubtedly gone wrong, whether in terms of what has been done or not done or not been done quickly enough or whatever. But the middle of the crisis is not the time to be doing it and that is why I applaud what Nicola Sturgeon said on the Today programme yesterday morning and posted about on the Politics section. I agree with you Goodfellers when you said that few if any countries anywhere in the world are going to come out of this particularly well and without criticism, even South Korea and certainly not China.
For me also, well lets make sure that we never ever rely on other countries again for the import of stuff like PPE gowns which are now running short and orders not coming in as they should be. Plus some imported stuff has been found to be sub standard. Also, from my source on the front line, stuff is being filched within hospitals- don't know how widespread that problem is but it is and has happened.

[Corky Smeek]

But the middle of the crisis is not the time to be doing it

Governments and other bodies with things to hide always support this view. It buys time and allows them the opportunity to bury stuff even deeper. Then, when the crisis is over, the promised "forensic analysis" of what went wrong is dismissed as ancient history. No point in raking up the past; let's move on; what's important now is the future; let's get the economy back on track, etc, etc.

Now is the time.

[Fulmar]

I disagree. I would far rather at the moment to question, question and question again and scrutinise what is to come so that whatever plan is formulated to come out of this mess is the best and most informed that it can be, has the widest possible agreement and has some chance of success. I do realise that it is a continuum though, obviously, but I see little point at present in endless wranglings about things that are definitely past and cannot be changed.

[Corky Smeek]

...but I see little point at present in endless wranglings about things that are definitely past and cannot be changed.

And that is the main excuse that will be used to kick the whole issue into the long grass. Any enquiry that does take place will be a PR stunt.

Maybe I have just lived too long and become a cynical old git but I have seen this sort of situation too many times to have any faith in a post-catastrophe enquiry; especially one set up to examine state incompetence.

[Fulmar]

But I would say we have never before been in a pandemic before and I do believe that there is more chance- but then perhaps too optimistic. I would rather attempt to have some optimism on all levels though as things are so bad as it is.

[Corky Smeek]

It is generally recognised that HMG's response to the pandemic has been, shall we say, sub-optimal. I suspect that the reasons for this are many and varied but have involved decision making at the highest levels in both Westminster and Whitehall. For that reason it doesn't matter when, or indeed if, an enquiry is ever held, the people responsible will escape public censure. Anything else would embarrass the State to such an extent that it could not be tolerated. Look forward to those responsible, in about 9-18 months, resigning from their current posts having suddenly discovered that they wish to spend more time with their families and/or asserting that a seat in the HoL is a great honour from where they can still serve their country. In the meantime a few, far less guilty, middle ranking people will be thrown to the wolves to satisfy the blood lust of the press.

[Fulmar]

I am just posting this. I hope it means something:
''Senior UK minister Michael Gove has conceded that the government made mistakes in its handling of the coronavirus.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr: "All governments make mistakes, including our own. We seek to learn and to improve every day.
"It is the case, I'm sure, at some point in the future, that there will be an opportunity for us to look back, to reflect and to learn some profound lessons."
His comments come following accusations that the UK government was slow to act in preparing for the health crisis''.

[Corky Smeek]

I am just posting this. I hope it means something:
''Senior UK minister Michael Gove has conceded that the government made mistakes in its handling of the coronavirus.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr: "All governments make mistakes, including our own. We seek to learn and to improve every day.
"It is the case, I'm sure, at some point in the future, that there will be an opportunity for us to look back, to reflect and to learn some profound lessons."
His comments come following accusations that the UK government was slow to act in preparing for the health crisis''.

I have to admire your optimism and faith in the promises of politicians. I'm afraid I don't share it. They all say stuff like this when they know they have to. Then, with the passage of time and when the raw emotions of the event have subsided somewhat, the message will change subtly and become one where the agenda is focussed on moving forward and not dwelling on past mistakes. The opportunity to learn will be squandered as the various apparatuses of party and state seek to avoid blame being placed at their door.

I sincerely hope I am wrong but past experience does not fill me with much optimism that this time will be any different.

[Shabbychic]

I am just posting this. I hope it means something:
''Senior UK minister Michael Gove has conceded that the government made mistakes in its handling of the coronavirus.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr: "All governments make mistakes, including our own. We seek to learn and to improve every day.
"It is the case, I'm sure, at some point in the future, that there will be an opportunity for us to look back, to reflect and to learn some profound lessons."
His comments come following accusations that the UK government was slow to act in preparing for the health crisis''.

Don't think he did this out of guilt, or wishing to tell the truth for once, but because he didn't have much choice after that damning report in The Times today.