Coronavirus, ? stronger measures to be announced

[medsec222]

Just waiting for an announcement by the PM at 4 p.m. Sky news is on. Already Sky is talking about an almighty row, Boris doing another U turn, he's going to cancel Christmas blah, blah. I have come to the conclusion that Boris Johnson is dammed if he does and dammed if he doesn't. I for one do not consider it a U turn if the virus mutates and the pandemic gets worse. U turn or not, if Christmas is cancelled, so be it. If lives are saved by a change a plan, that is a good thing isn't it? Sky news always likes puts its worst foot forward.

[saundra]

Problem is how many will take any notice of what the government or Boris says

[victor]

Well here (Gosport) we are going from 3 into 4.
So1/2 mile up the road stays in tier 2,reason given for this is that we come under QA hosp. in Portsmouth while up the road come under Southampton hosp.

However what does that mean for our bus which starts in Gosport (t4) and ends in Southampton ( t2 ) and back

[Kaz]

For once I do feel sorry for Boris As you say, Medsec, he's damned whichever way it goes!

So it's no travel either into or out of the SE - so B's plans to go to her dad's are off, and Chris will have to stay home alone

[saundra]

It's not what anybody wants
But you have to face facts don't you
But of a bleak Xmas for us all

[Kaz]

You do Saundra, there's nothing else to be done xxx

[cromwell]

The media like to sit beack and sneer "Aren't you stupid?" at everyone. If Boris locks down, he's destroying businesses. If he doesn't lock down, he's "got blood on his hands". Whatever they decide to do, you can say they should be doing the opposite.
MrsC has just pointed out that the people making these decisions are all men. A woman would immediately think of all the food bought that is now going to be wadted, the cancelled journeys, the disrupted plans, the lack of family time at this most family time of year.
I hold my hands up - I loathe and detest these monomaniacal scientists who only consider "the science", Not least because the science is a constant source of dispute.

I have gone off this government for one reason. They are hiding behind "the science". Their real reason for panicked lockdowns is imo entirely political.
They are absolutely terrified of pictures of people dying on trolleies in hospital corridors.
Why? Because it would be politically damaging for them. Labour would have a field day. Why, they might even lose the next election because of it.

So to avoid this they are willing to sacrifice everything else. The economy, people's mental health, their jobs, their businesses, the education of children, patients waiting for operations who have seen the waiting list suddenly expand, undiagnosed cancers, untreated heart attacks - everything.

It is cowardly to hide behind the slogan of "we must save the NHS!".
Why must we save it? Because the NHS's capacity to treat a pandemic has been reduced by political decisions over last 30 years.
NHS beds in the late 80's - 299,000.
NHS beds now - 141,000.
In this area we used to have Snapethorpe hospital, Ackton hospital, Castleford hospital, Clayton hospital - all closed.
Pinderfields and Pontefract hospitals were rebuilt - with fewer beds than the old hospitals they replaced!

Yes, we must "defend the NHS" because otherwise people might start questioning why it can't cope!

I would happily tell Whitty, Van Tam, Ferguson and every other one of the scientists that they were getting made redundant next week because of necessary public service cuts.
But it won't be them, will it?
They make me sick; and the cowardice of this government makes me sick too.

[saundra]

So true crommers
No mention of nightingale hospital ?

[TheOstrich]

I hear you, Crommers, and I understand where you're coming from, but at the end of the day, this virus is rife - and it kills.

Like MedSec, I don't really consider this latest batch of restrictions to particularly be a U-Turn because this mutant strain has suddenly become dominant in London and the SE. Johnson would have been very foolish if he had ignored what's actually happening out on the street now. Where I believe he has been foolish is in releasing the various lockdowns too quickly and promising everyone a Christmas he couldn't either guarantee or deliver. The Government needs to be judged on its actions over throughout the whole crisis, not just over the current Christmas fiasco.

I know there is a huge argument over "save the elderly and vulnerable" versus "save the economy". But at the end of the day, economies can be rebuilt, not lost lives.

Saundra, I think the big problem with the Nightingales is that they simply can't staff them properly. Sad to say, I think they will ultimately be hospices, not hospitals.

[jenniren]

I agree with Medsec, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

On a personal level, although we could see it coming, we're absolutely gutted that Z,M and the boys can't now visit us on Sunday 27th. It will be the first Christmas we won't see the boys since 16yr old Zachery whose the eldest was born. I had actually just finished wrapping their presents when the news conference began. We're all in tier 4.

As Saundra says it's not what anybody wants, but we do have to face facts. Yes we won't get the Christmas we hoped for, but thank goodness we have video messaging. At least we now have a vaccine so there is a lot of hope for the future.