Current Affairs

[Onelife]

Yes he's done well but personally I think it's all getting out of hand.

Right, I've said my piece now I'm off for a walk round the garden to check on my

I understand where you are coming from Stephen and if I am being honest I have thought along the same lines as you at certain points of this journey, however, if you can forgive him the long-serving part of the award then few can deny he hasn’t made a significant “contribution” which is what this honour is awarded for.

I personally think you should get one also for your contribution in keeping your neighbours in beetroot theses past few months

[Stephen]

Beetroot ......roses dear chap.

[Onelife]

Beetroot ......roses dear chap.

There you go, now you’ve gone and done it, we will now have to have a debate as to whether your emoji looks more like a rose or a beetroot?

[Stephen]

I would say you've got too much time on your hands, but then haven't we all.

[Manoverboard]

There you go, now you’ve gone and done it, we will now have to have a debate as to whether your emoji looks more like a rose or a beetroot?

Oh, and there's me thinking it was a pretty boy type golf tee

[Stephen]

You seem well informed Moby

[Manoverboard]

You seem well informed Moby

It was just a lucky guess given that I know s*d all about Roses or Beetroots

[Mervyn and Trish]

Perhaps I’m old fashioned, but I expect the leader of a country to be visible at a time of crisis. Like Churchill during the war, Thatcher during the Falklands and Brown during the banking crisis. I don’t recall them disappearing while all that was going on ( although, I don’t personally recall Churchill during the war.).

But yes, let’s move on - I will just remain quietly surprised at what people expect from a leader!

I don't recall World War 2 either. But i do remember the Falklands very clearly because I was working for the BBC at the time. . The daily briefings oin that occasion weren't even done by a Minister. They were done by a senior civil servant called Ian McDonald. Mrs T appeared at significant moments just like Boris is doing. I think it is right that various ministers appear when it is their department in the spotlight.

[Onelife]

You seem well informed Moby

It was just a lucky guess given that I know s*d all about Roses or Beetroots

I think you know more about gardening than you are letting on...just saying

[screwy]

That was my recollection to Merv. Maggie appeared when she had to, surely that’s what ministers are there for.

[Stephen]

That's why when your the boss you have underlings.

[towny44]

I think that perhaps Boris should take some guidance from watching the Soprano's, as to how he should get reporters to accept his authority.

[Onelife]

Now that it’s been established our much-vaunted, ill thought out trace and track system doesn’t work, my next prediction is that unless the human contact tracing system is “enforced and policed rigorously” then neither will this work.

[Gill W]

Now that it’s been established our much-vaunted, ill thought out trace and track system doesn’t work, my next prediction is that unless the human contact tracing system is “enforced and policed rigorously” then neither will this work.

It might be a bit previous to say that the trace and trace system doesn’t work as it hasn’t been officially launched yet.

However, Johnson has promised us a world beating track and trace system in time for 1st June when the schools go back. As the 24000 new recruits undergo chaotic training by Zoom, for launch in 11 days time, what could possibly go wrong

This ties in with why I think they’re going to quietly drop talking about the R. When the German lockdown began to be loosened, the R went up, and they got it back under control by effective track and trace. Unfortunately, I think once the schools go back and people go back to work, the R will increase, and our track and trace won’t be effective enough. Instead of putting us back under lockdown, they’ll just brush the R under the carpet, and even worse, will lie about it ever being a priority.

Happy to be proved wrong in a few months time but this government has form for doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, and subsequently lying about it.

[Kendhni]

Other countries have track and trace - Thailand has pretty much been doing it from day 1.
Why can we not just adopt one of theirs? Why is our government taking so long to get it up and running?

[david63]

Now that it’s been established our much-vaunted, ill thought out trace and track system doesn’t work

Where has that been reported?

Thailand has pretty much been doing it from day 1.
Why can we not just adopt one of theirs?

Because most other countries would not accept their level of control and regulation. not saying that it is wrong, but in the UK there are many that cannot/will not accept the controls we have now.

Why is our government taking so long to get it up and running?

I would make a guess that the number of new infections has to be at a manageable level

[Mervyn and Trish]

However, Johnson has promised us a world beating track and trace system in time for 1st June when the schools go back. As the 24000 new recruits undergo chaotic training by Zoom, for launch in 11 days time, what could possibly go wrong

How do you know that? Have you volunteered and attended the training?

Why is our government taking so long to get it up and running?

I would make a guess that the number of new infections has to be at a manageable level

I'm not sure you even have to guess. I'm pretty sure they said that!

[Onelife]

Other countries have track and trace - Thailand has pretty much been doing it from day 1.
Why can we not just adopt one of theirs? Why is our government taking so long to get it up and running?

Hi Ken,

My feeling is that unlike other countries where the population are more authoritarian/socially conscious, we in this country have a very blasé attitude to life in general (it won’t happen to me kind of attitude) which is why I think any form of track and trace will struggle with its uptake…this isn’t to say it has no value but a lot of cards are going to have to fall into place for it to be of any use.
I certainly think the human contact track and trace has a better chance than the app version but, in my opinion, it would/could have worked better had we held out for another three weeks of lockdown whereby reducing numbers to a more manageable level.

[Onelife]

Onelife wrote: ↑21 May 2020 08:35
Now that it’s been established our much-vaunted, ill thought out trace and track system doesn’t work.

David wrote

Where has that been reported?

I reported it three weeks ago ....and reading between the lines and the fact that they are now moving in favour of the human track and trace system one must surely presume the T&T app has been thwart with problems.

[Kendhni]

Why is our government taking so long to get it up and running?

I would make a guess that the number of new infections has to be at a manageable level

Ah that old chestnut

[david63]

I reported it three weeks ago ....and reading between the lines and the fact that they are now moving in favour of the human track and trace system one must surely presume the T&T app has been thwart with problems.

Not sure how you could have reported it three weeks ago as it only started testing around that time - although I cannot recall any updates recently.

As for the "human" track and trace this is in addition to/extension of the app.

Nobody has said that the T&T app will not have problems - it was created in a matter of a couple of weeks when under normal circumstances it would take several months - and even then it would not be perfect.

[Onelife]

I reported it three weeks ago ....and reading between the lines and the fact that they are now moving in favour of the human track and trace system one must surely presume the T&T app has been thwart with problems.

Not sure how you could have reported it three weeks ago as it only started testing around that time - although I cannot recall any updates recently.

As for the "human" track and trace this is in addition to/extension of the app.

Nobody has said that the T&T app will not have problems - it was created in a matter of a couple of weeks when under normal circumstances it would take several months - and even then it would not be perfect.

As the Government are moving to another version of T&T one can safely say the original version will not be used in that which was used in the IOW trial.
As for how I knew it wouldn’t work, I refer you to the post to Ken…or as you imply, it could be that the software wasn’t up to scratch… or it could be that I have yet undiscovered physic powers….btw..I can’t quite see if that is tea of coffee you have in front of you?

David…. there is enough evidence out them to draw one’s own conclusion as to the success or not of our version of the App.

[Gill W]

However, Johnson has promised us a world beating track and trace system in time for 1st June when the schools go back. As the 24000 new recruits undergo chaotic training by Zoom, for launch in 11 days time, what could possibly go wrong

How do you know that? Have you volunteered and attended the training?

I saw a person interviewed on the news last night who is undergoing the training - I think it was BBC News,

I also saw a piece on the Sky News website.

I realise these sources will be dismissed, but , nevertheless, that's where I obtained the information.

Time will tell the how accurate it was

[Gill W]

Other countries have track and trace - Thailand has pretty much been doing it from day 1.
Why can we not just adopt one of theirs? Why is our government taking so long to get it up and running?

Hi Ken,

My feeling is that unlike other countries where the population are more authoritarian/socially conscious, we in this country have a very blasé attitude to life in general (it won’t happen to me kind of attitude) which is why I think any form of track and trace will struggle with its uptake…this isn’t to say it has no value but a lot of cards are going to have to fall into place for it to be of any use.
I certainly think the human contact track and trace has a better chance than the app version but, in my opinion, it would/could have worked better had we held out for another three weeks of lockdown whereby reducing numbers to a more manageable level.

I read that the newly recruited 24000 track and tracers could handle 10000 cases a week.

The government figures currently say that around 2500 per day new infections are being found from testing. So call it 17500 new cases per week. There's already a shortfall in cases that can be covered.

It gets worse - ONS say there's currently about 61000 new cases per week (That's just in England) At these levels of infection, I agree that lockdown should have gone on for 3 more weeks, (even if it was a wishy washy lockdown)

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... in-england

As I said a few days ago, it's like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

[Mervyn and Trish]

You should have paid more attention. The figure is 10,000 per day.