COVID-19

They could have held their parties on the M25 and the bobbies wouldn't have batted an eyelid...

 

JVT has resigned. No real reason given but one might think the shitshow around him might be part of the reason.

A family member of Boris has tested positive for Covid, so Boris has been removed from his public visit and more importantly seeing the press. Great timing for him to lie low for a while because he knows if a microphone is put infront of him his apology from yesterday would be torn to pieces.

 

Lockdown restrictions are parliamentary regulations, which are laws.

 

Yes, very convenient timing for Boris to have a family member test positive

 

Javid is giving providing a Covid 19 statement in Parliment.

He says anti virals are available for those at higher risk on top of testing and the vaccination.

I'm suprised they have reduced the Isolation period to 5 days, as Boris is using this to lay low for a while. I thought that might have been put back a week.

 

interesting little speech especially the bit about 91% of over 50 being boosted. Also interesting that Rees-Mogg was today acknowledging that in hindsight restrictions might have been overly draconian.

Hopefully this is all pointing to the lifting of all restrictions on the 26th.

 

Absolutely crazy number of cases around the world this week.

Over 1.3m on a day in the USA, 360k in France, 150k in Australia, 200k in Italy. It's basically uncontrollable!

 

I agree. As this stage anyone putting faith in a mask or a covid passport might aswell believe in lucky heather from a gypsy.

The only major change to the UK from this year to last is the vaccine and if it was estimated that 4.3m cases were present in the UK just last week but the numbers in hospital are just 18k and we know that they are over stated by about 40% on the basis of with and of.

Remove all restrictions and you will see very little difference in those figures, the booster works.

 

Yup. I've now switched completely from cloth masks to using FFP3 masks. They are now widely available (eg on Amazon) and much cheaper than they used to be.

There are also studies showing that they're reusable. Although sold for one-off use, this assumes you've worn them for a full day's shift in a clinical setting. If I'm popping into the Co-op for five minutes to pick up some milk and then don't go into a shop or suchlike for another couple of days then I can reuse the mask numerous times before it's in any danger of becoming ineffective. I appreciate that this won't work for those having to wear them all day at work but for many people they've become a viable option now.

 

I must have missed where we mandated FFP3 masks. It was my understanding that a poundshop cloth mask was ok.

 

With an discussion about mask - especially mask mandates - surely you have to separate out the very effective, high quality masks which are worn and fitted by medical professionals from the basic, badly fitted, constantly removed bits of cloth that are used in the real world to very varying degrees of effectiveness?

Covering your mouth with anything will probably have some effect but looking at worldwide cases there is basically no difference between countries regardless of their stance on masks.

 

Lets look at France.

As of January 3rd, the following rules apply to everyone over the age of 6-years-old:

National rules

The nationwide rule on masks is that they must be worn on all public transport and all indoor public spaces.

This also includes indoor venues where visitors must show a health pass to enter, like bars, restaurants, leisure centres and cinemas.

For venues like bars and restaurants the previous mask rules have been reinstated – a mask is required while moving through a venue but not when seated and eating or drinking.

French mask rules have no exemptions and not wearing a mask when required to do so can net you a €135 fine.

Town and city centres

From January 3rd, you must wear a mask outside in all town and city centres in France. Such a measure was already in place in places like Paris and Lyon.

Schools

All primary school pupils and teachers returned to wearing masks in class on November 15th, after the rule had been lifted in some areas with low case numbers. Mask rules have been in place for secondary and high schools since 2020.


UPDATE - France recorded 370k cases yesterday.

 

Exactly, it's like saying seatbelts save lives and then allowing seatbelts to be made from cotton wool. Seatbelts save lives because there is a minimum safety level they have to be made to.

 

Spot on.

 

The rates in France are at 370k in a day, the have kids in primary school masked up all day long.

I am basing the rules as they stand today, with removing them altogether and I still stand by the fact that if all rules were removed that the the difference in the rates would be non existant.

Anyone wearing a FFP3 mask would probably continue to do so anyhow regardless of the rules, those who would dump the masks are either not wearing them or just wearing poor quality masks to be within the rules.

 

How can you possibly know this? You have no idea how many more cases there might be if masks were not mandated.

 

Because the masks worn by millions are absolutely pointless and are just done so to comply with the rules. They are cheap unwashed cloth masks kept in pockets and handbags.

Those who go to the length of wearing proper masks, are those who would wear them without the rules being in place.

My "mask" is nothing of the sort. It's a snood that I lift above my mouth if I don't want to get bother in a shop, and there is very little protection there at all.

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I'll add, as for like for like data comparisions. The rates per 100k of cases in England the only unmasked nation v Wales and Scotland was constantly favourable between July to November when the rules were different in those countries.