Current Affairs

[oldbluefox]

Not forgetting to cut the purse strings to them.

Indeed, there would be no more Barnett formula. They'd have to stand on their own two feet.

[Mervyn and Trish]

As a democrat, I believe that Scotland and NI and Wales should all be allowed a referendum on whether they wish to remain as part of the U.K..

The union with Scotland only came about because the Queen didn’t have a natural heir and James of Scotland was in line, so technically, England joined them.
Surely they have the legitimate right to decide, hundreds of years on.
Personally, I’d waive any leaving fee to give them a fair crack at it.
In my opinion, Ireland should be United as one independent nation, assuming it’s democratically voted on.
Anyone who currently resides there but is against would be most welcome to relocate to England with government help.
People’s happiness is most important.

I would accept their democratic vote and wouldn't charge an exit fee. But I would expect them to take with them their share of the UK national debt which they have had a share in running up.

[Onelife]

"Schools are safe"...well some are now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55511169

[towny44]

"Schools are safe"...well some are now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55511169

Give it a rest OL, schools have about as much impact on the virus as your chickens.

[Onelife]

But if you listened to the news today, that's just,not true, is it?

[towny44]

But if you listened to the news today, that's just,not true, is it?

The major problem is with people mixing in households, especially those with multi generational family members.
While the children are in school they only mix with their grandparents for a few hours in the evening, but when the children are not at school they mix for the full day. And since most of these families are the poorer ones in society their parents need to work so they are unable to help with daytime childcare.
This means that the grandparents are having to do the child care and they are being condemned to almost certainly catching the virus if their grandchild has it.
The news normally only reports what union officials say, and since they hate Boris they are desperate for him to fail, so their views are invalid.

[Kendhni]

"Schools are safe"...well some are now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55511169

I have no idea if it is good or bad to send kids back to school, but it has been said that putting the children back in school raises the R number by 0.2 - 0.4 (the lower number being cited based on the original virus, the higher one has now been mentioned in relation to the mutated strain).

What I do think is that it is unfair to put teachers (or any employee) in a situation of risk - until they get the vaccine.

Why is it other countries can use remote schooling to great effect but we seem to be struggiing?

[Onelife]

But if you listened to the news today, that's just,not true, is it?

The major problem is with people mixing in households, especially those with multi generational family members.
While the children are in school they only mix with their grandparents for a few hours in the evening, but when the children are not at school they mix for the full day. And since most of these families are the poorer ones in society their parents need to work so they are unable to help with daytime childcare.
This means that the grandparents are having to do the child care and they are being condemned to almost certainly catching the virus if their grandchild has it.
The news normally only reports what union officials say, and since they hate Boris they are desperate for him to fail, so their views are invalid.

I respect your view but I think you are a month out of date (and I think the scientist interviewed yesterday would disagree with your jumbled-up response)

[towny44]

"Schools are safe"...well some are now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55511169

I have no idea if it is good or bad to send kids back to school, but it has been said that putting the children back in school raises the R number by 0.2 - 0.4 (the lower number being cited based on the original virus, the higher one has now been mentioned in relation to the mutated strain).

What I do think is that it is unfair to put teachers (or any employee) in a situation of risk - until they get the vaccine.

Why is it other countries can use remote schooling to great effect but we seem to be struggiing?

Could it have anything to do with the attitude of the left wing teachers unions, who seem to love nothing better than disagreeing with the Govt?

[Gill W]

But if you listened to the news today, that's just,not true, is it?

The major problem is with people mixing in households, especially those with multi generational family members.
While the children are in school they only mix with their grandparents for a few hours in the evening, but when the children are not at school they mix for the full day. And since most of these families are the poorer ones in society their parents need to work so they are unable to help with daytime childcare.
This means that the grandparents are having to do the child care and they are being condemned to almost certainly catching the virus if their grandchild has it.
The news normally only reports what union officials say, and since they hate Boris they are desperate for him to fail, so their views are invalid.

I respect your view but I think you are a month out of date (and I think the scientist interviewed yesterday would disagree with your jumbled-up response)

At the end of the term, school attendance was down to 53% in my area. Things were going along ok until mid November, until the virus variant took hold, then after that it was carnage. So many children have had their education interrupted due to either catching the virus or needing to self isolate, and the teachers are stretched to the limit due to staff absences for the same reason.

The virus has changed, so government policy has to change as well to reflect this. The virus isn’t going away anytime soon. The kids have already had one year of disrupted learning. If the the government doesn’t get its backside into gear, the children are going the have another year of the same.

[Kendhni]

"Schools are safe"...well some are now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55511169

I have no idea if it is good or bad to send kids back to school, but it has been said that putting the children back in school raises the R number by 0.2 - 0.4 (the lower number being cited based on the original virus, the higher one has now been mentioned in relation to the mutated strain).

What I do think is that it is unfair to put teachers (or any employee) in a situation of risk - until they get the vaccine.

Why is it other countries can use remote schooling to great effect but we seem to be struggiing?

Could it have anything to do with the attitude of the left wing teachers unions, who seem to love nothing better than disagreeing with the Govt?

Even if true (which I doubt) that probably has nothing to do with it.

[oldbluefox]

I think we miss the point if we are concentrating on schools and whether children should be in school or not. There are pros and cons to both arguments although if it is passed on through the schools we should be seeing a fall in infections as schools have been closed for the past fortnight.
The main point though is that the virus is spread by close contact with others and the main area of spread, according to the doctors, is in the household. Yet again we had consultants and virologists on TV this morning, not extolling the dangers of schools opening but stressing those basics of care which we are all acutely aware of. They also say the majority of cases now are in the 20-30 year old age bracket.
If the experiences of the police over New Year are anything to go by is it any wonder this new strain is travelling as quickly as it is? If people did as they are supposed to do perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess.

[screwy]

The young only do as they’re told when they’re at School age, after that some believe they have a Devine right to do as they please, no one or anything will prevent them having a good time.....Consequences.?

[david63]

From my perspective teachers are the worst transgressors of all - admittedly not all.

In our cul-de-sac lives, in one household, a couple of retired teachers (in their late 70s/early 80s). Their daughter is also a teacher and almost every day since the pandemic began, including today, she has been round at their house for several hours, most times with her own teenage daughter.

Also to some extent schoolchildren, especially secondary school age children, have brought much of this upon themselves as they do not practise social distancing/mask wearing when on their way to/from school.

But of course this is all the Government's fault - can't expect anyone to take responsibility for their own actions.

[Bensham33]

Shut the schools until the kids, teachers and other staff have been vaccinated. Shouldn't take long if it's organised properly.

[david63]

Most school age kids are not currently planned to have the vaccine

[Bensham33]

Change the plans thus government are good at that.

[Gill W]

On the subject of vaccinations, what does everyone think about getting the second jab three months after the first one, instead of three weeks?

Plus the first one might be Pfizer and the second one AstraZeneca.

To be honest it makes me rather uneasy that they are tinkering with this.

[david63]

Plus the first one might be Pfizer and the second one AstraZeneca.

I thought that it had been stated quite categorically that you need to have two jabs of the same vaccine.

what does everyone think about getting the second jab three months after the first one, instead of three weeks?

Not particularly bothered one way or the other. The "boffins" say it is the OK and giving more people some immunity sooner should be to everyone's advantage.

To be honest it makes me rather uneasy that they are tinkering with this.

There is no "tinkering" as whatever procedures are being done have to be with the approval of the appropriate regulatory bodies - and I suspect that they have far more information about all of this than we do.

With something of this nature it will constantly be being modified/adapted as more data becomes available.

[towny44]

Shut the schools until the kids, teachers and other staff have been vaccinated. Shouldn't take long if it's organised properly.

But the children are not due to be vaccinated, only 18 yrs or over, and most teachers will be low risk under 50s. So vaccinating them will have no impact at all on the pressure on the NHS, or the death rate.

[Gill W]

Plus the first one might be Pfizer and the second one AstraZeneca.

I thought that it had been stated quite categorically that you need to have two jabs of the same vaccine.

what does everyone think about getting the second jab three months after the first one, instead of three weeks?

Not particularly bothered one way or the other. The "boffins" say it is the OK and giving more people some immunity sooner should be to everyone's advantage.

To be honest it makes me rather uneasy that they are tinkering with this.

There is no "tinkering" as whatever procedures are being done have to be with the approval of the appropriate regulatory bodies - and I suspect that they have far more information about all of this than we do.

With something of this nature it will constantly be being modified/adapted as more data becomes available.

There is certainly a suggestion that the second dose may be a different vaccine to the first

Not sure where the additional data has come from in such a short time. Pfizer doesn't seem to happy about this latest development.

[Gill W]

Shut the schools until the kids, teachers and other staff have been vaccinated. Shouldn't take long if it's organised properly.

But the children are not due to be vaccinated, only 18 yrs or over, and most teachers will be low risk under 50s. So vaccinating them will have no impact at all on the pressure on the NHS, or the death rate.

Loads of teachers are over 50.

In any event, you seem to have created a myth that under 50's are low risk of any illness at all, Even if a person is under 50, if they can be ill enough to have two or three weeks off work. Even if they are not very ill at all, they still have to isolate. If too many staff are off sick or isolating at the same time whether it's schools or anywhere else, it all starts to fall apart

[david63]

There is certainly a suggestion that the second does may be a different vaccine to the first

From what I have read the "suggestion" is something that is being looked at, not something that is going to happen tomorrow!

Not sure where the additional data has come from in such a short time.

I never said that more data had become available - I said when more data becomes available.

Pfizer doesn't seem to happy about this latest development.

Cannot see why not - there is a suggestion, which I believe is being tested, that using two vaccines may give greater protection, which surely must be a good thing.

[david63]

Even if a person is under 50, if they can be ill enough to have two or three weeks off work.

That may be true but statistically not as may under 50s die from Covid-19 as those over 50. nor are there as many taking up vital hospital resources.

[towny44]

Shut the schools until the kids, teachers and other staff have been vaccinated. Shouldn't take long if it's organised properly.

But the children are not due to be vaccinated, only 18 yrs or over, and most teachers will be low risk under 50s. So vaccinating them will have no impact at all on the pressure on the NHS, or the death rate.

Loads of teachers are over 50.

In any event, you seem to have created a myth that under 50's are low risk of any illness at all, Even if a person is under 50, if they can be ill enough to have two or three weeks off work. Even if they are not very ill at all, they still have to isolate. If too many staff are off sick or isolating at the same time whether it's schools or anywhere else, it all starts to fall apart

Gill, I am only quoting the information being given by all the experts that covid does not normally cause problems for under 50s.
As for teachers I would guess that the average age is well below 50, especially if you include primary schools where 30% are under 30.
The intention is now to do routine testing so self isolating will not be required unless they test positive.