I see Johnson is beginning to realise that the British public don’t want to be guinea pigs in his experiment. He makes Donald Trump look competent.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/uk-to-ban-mass-gatherings-in-coronavirus-u-turn?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Wonder if the emergency laws against mass gatherings will apply to Her Majesty’s Government…

Mass gathering looks likely to be set at 500+

There are 650 MPs… https://t.co/LAL43kFk7V

— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) March 13, 2020

Something something Scotland leads…

TwoDogs, this is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in on the Where’s the coronavirus we’re all going to die conspiracy threat, and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes…

You make jivehoney look sane..

Most secondary schools have far more than 500 in attendance.

Most secondary schools have far more than 500 in attendance.

Most secondary schools don’t have a police presence.

Most secondary schools have far more than 500 in attendance.

Most secondary schools don’t have a police presence.

Ah, sorry I missed that reason for the ban.

You make jivehoney look sane..

You haven’t noticed his resurgence then? I’d ban him again if it weren’t for the fact that this is literally a conspiracy theory thread. All other criticisms aside I can’t complain that he’s off-topic.

Covered in this thread wasn’t it…

HSBC pulling out of British Cycling?

Wrong mountain Cougar 😉

Has Johnson made this U-turn due to public pressure or are things moving quicker than they’d hoped?

Seems legit, surprised the general populace hasn’t been begging for such sensible measures all along to be honest:

Emergency laws Johnson wants to tackle #coronavirus

1. Schools to be forced to remain open/closed
2. Police allowed to detain anyone believed to be infected
3. Care standards for the elderly to be lowered
4. Any vehicle, train, vessel or aircraft can be halted

For two years https://t.co/H1MdOEJWno

— Ian Fraser (@Ian_Fraser) March 13, 2020

I think they have realised that, even if their policy is correct, they are beginning to look stupid as more and more organisations take the decisions for them. It is important that the public has confidence in the decisions being made so it doesn’t really leave them with much option.

Twodogs
Subscriber
For the love of dog, can one of the mods please ban me for a bit? I can’t break my morbid fascination with the utter **** and tinfoil hat brigade on here

What stunning insight do you have on the situation? Or are you just going to snipe from the sidelines like a petulant child?

I see the emergency powers stay in effect for 2 years?

Could come in handy.

This is quite interesting…

https://www.lavozdealmeria.com/noticia/3/provincia/188736/megafonia-para-pedir-responsabilidad-e-informar-casa-por-casa

What stunning insight do you have on the situation?

Why should he have to leap a higher bar than anyone else? Frankly, the days of insight on any STW political thread are long gone, sadly in many ways. Nowadays it is just a load of people shouting out of their windows in response to Howard Beale.

the days of insight on any STW political thread

If only you’d had the insight to realise it’s not a political thread. Jeez, the dimness around here…

BBC News – Coronavirus: Why is the UK not shutting schools like other countries?

Remember when the BBC had journalists? Questioning ones? That’s just blind parroting of the line from number 10. Let’s see what went into these “computer models”… garbage in…

Wonder if the emergency laws against mass gatherings will apply to Her Majesty’s Government…

The government is only a few hundred strong*, and the whole of Parliament very rarely sits at the same time. Pairings could easily be arranged if need be.

[* a quick Google suggests 141 members in May’s last government]

It’s really not, this is almost like a dress rehearsal for when we get a really nasty infection, and we as *the human race are failing spectacularly.

If only you’d had the insight to realise it’s not a political thread. Jeez, the dimness around here…

It needn’t be, but it is.

EDIT: But to be honest it doesn’t bother me either way, life has always been too short to worry about STW and it may be shorter than we ever envisaged, sadly for all.

Government is coordinating a national fight against an adversary that is likely to kill many.

Some at the top of this fight have spent a few years slinging mud at the political class (though being part of it themselves) and painting government and experts as being opposed to the peoples best interests.

I think it’s hugely naive to think the government can now count on unanimous support in this thread or elsewhere.

Seeds sown don’t always grow the way you wish them too.

If only we were all wise enough to agree with whatever mefty says 😉

As for not shutting schools, covid mortality rate in kids is virtually 0, are they planning to build up herd immunity numbers there?

Thnig about the herd immunity plan is that it has to be more or less ubiquitous across UK, otherwise pockets will experience flare ups

Wife & I had tickets to go clubbing next weekend in London (our first time in 3 years – desperate attempt to reclaim our youth) club night was still on according to their Facebook page today, but they’ve limited numbers to 1000 (I think based on france & others capping at 1000?)

We’d booked it all ages ago

Luckily I’d opted to pay extra for cancellation insurance on hotel, but club say there will be no refunds

Anyway, I’m off to watch World War Z. Bloody great film from a time when pandemics were largely a fantasy scenario for fiction.😁

Tweet below explains where Johnson takes his Coronavirus advice from, I’ve only had quick browse through but it seems pretty scientific to me

How does mathematical modelling analysis feed into UK government COVID-19 policy? You've probably heard of Cobra, chaired by the PM, but there are two other steps worth knowing about… 1/

— Adam Kucharski (@AdamJKucharski) March 13, 2020

Will trump say thanks for this help from China?
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/487535-chinese-billionaire-to-send-us-500000-coronavirus-test-kits-1-million-face

Thanks Somafunk, I read that earlier, it’s about epidemic modelling in general, not about the models that the government have used for current decisions (about delaying distancing measures to prevent fatigue in the public towards them) that appear to be at odds with WHO statements and actions of other governments worldwide to act early to restrict and delay spread.

If only we were all wise enough to agree with whatever mefty says

I haven’t really said anything. I posted up some links to background information, pointed out a bloke was a woman and unlikely to be on the inside and said it is was a bit rich having a go at someone who wasn’t adding greatly to the font of human knowledge. I’ve been semi detached from this site for yonks – came to the conclusion it is a waste of my life. Still read it to see how weird the world is but not interested in engaging.

Anyway, I’m off to watch World War Z. Bloody great film

I know some nonsense has been said already but this is just taking the piss somewhat. Have a word with yourself then read the book.

Lol, funny you should say that. I’ve just ordered it after watching the film.

CNN reporting that France has 800 new infections in a day.

Anyway, I’m off to watch World War Z. Bloody great film from a time when pandemics were largely a fantasy scenario for fiction.😁

What’s the correct watch order?

World War Z
Contagion
The Road?

Has Johnson made this U-turn due to public pressure or are things moving quicker than they’d hoped?

I’d go with moving quicker than they’d hoped. The Government/Matt Hancock last week suggested locking down/quarantine measures are an option for large urban areas so pretty much nothing is off the cards. If that’s the case It looks like a question of when to do it, and when should it happen and with how much notice to stem the flow of those trying to beat the restrictions.

From Independent.

It is well known in behavioural psychology circles that people are far more likely to keep to rules they have set for themselves than those that are imposed on them from the top down, so deploying Johnson to instil the required levels of blind panic by telling everyone there’s no need to panic is truly a stroke of genius.

@Drac that would seem to be about the size of it. Based on it doesn’t seem to have been covered in the media. Surprised there doesn’t seem to be any collation of information of where the outbreaks of self isolation are. Or even if there is a large isolation cluster if a few sample tests are being done.

What’s the correct watch order?

World War Z
Contagion
The Road?

And read Station Eleven
https://g.co/kgs/CcBqoE
Or perhaps not.

What’s the correct watch order?

World War Z
Contagion
The Road?

And read Station Eleven
https://g.co/kgs/CcBqoE
Or perhaps not.

Snowpiercer – just for the social niceties

The Dark Knight Rises

Keeping it on conspiracy topic, Cumms loves a media reference and is basing his whole response based on watching this film.

Some at the top of this fight have spent a few years slinging mud at the political class (though being part of it themselves) and painting government and experts as being opposed to the peoples best interests.

I think it’s hugely naive to think the government can now count on unanimous support in this thread or elsewhere.

Seeds sown don’t always grow the way you wish them too.

A million times this.

People opposed to Joris and his rabble know he is a liar and despise him for it. And they don’t trust him.

Many people who support Joris and his rabble know he is a liar and like him for his “bending the rules to get things done” bullshit. They like him. They don’t trust him.

Along comes something that requires many things, but probably the main one is trust. If anyone is seriously surprised that public trust is already shown to be lacking then they are naive.

You cannot undermine trust, lie and disseminate fake news to get where you are then expect people to trust you when the shit hits the fan.

This is going to be a long haul, but when things get back on an even keel (which they will), then I sincerely hope there is a day of reckoning for the likes of Joris, Trump et al.