Found it. It wasn't Whitty. It was Valance and Powis:
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...d-now-11978609
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Found it. It wasn't Whitty. It was Valance and Powis:
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...d-now-11978609
For those who still want to see things in party political terms, I'll say that the figures in Wales are dreadful (six out of the top ten worst districts for rate of infection according to this
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...cases-near-you
and getting worse it would appear when compared to other areas of the country). Therefore, like many left leaning contributors on here, I have no problem with being critical of Welsh Labour, because, while there is evidence in those figures that the danger is easing in the other countries in the UK, it looks like Wales is stuck and so it would be stupid to slavishly defend the Welsh Government.
However, I do have some sympathy with Drakeford and co because we are not truly independent. If we were, it would be a different matter, but, in some respects, the Welsh Government is having to tackle the virus with one hand tied behind its back because it is still beholding to the UK Government. That's why, if we are playing the blame game, I still hold the UK Government more responsible for the high figures in this country.
Also, as pointed out earlier in this thread, the Ferguson modelling was a projection of what would have happened if there had been no intervention from Government (in essence, if we had relied on herd immunity and just allowed the virus to have run its course). Its relevance stemmed from the fact it seems to be the one single thing that persuaded the UK Government to ignore advice advocating a herd immunity approach, but, once that decision was taken, it became irrelevant straight away because it referred to a set of circumstances that no longer applied.
I agree the figures in Wales are terrible, but don't agree that we can blame the UK Government in part. Health is devolved and Wales seemed determined to do its own thing, as did Scotland and N Ireland. From the start we lagged behind in testing and are still way off the 5,000 a day promised in the early days.
Drakeford rightly announced that industrial South Wales was at particular risk, but then did nothing about it. Now he has the cheek to say Tracking and Tracing is up and running but not just yet because the IT is not quite right.
Our 5 colour zone plan on easing seems sensible but we are all over the place with it so it no longer makes any sense at all.
The latest easing guidance is confusing especially the 5 mile rule. There are clear hot spots in Wales..RCT, NE Wales, Cardiff...so we can meet up more, but because of the travel restrictions if we live in a hot spot we can only meet in the hot spot. A recipe for escalation.
On TV news last night I saw the frustration of car showroom owners who can't understand why they remain shut, fearing they will lose business to England. Car showrooms are not like supermarkets crowded with shoppers, and the owners say it's not difficult to ensure customers are kept safe.
I think the people of Wales have been generally great at compliance with the guidance. All along we have been hindered by a Senedd that is out of its depth, and a public health system that has been slow off the mark and not fit for purpose.
Really? I'm amazed.....
The assertion that the UK government doesn't share the blame for the Covid-19 situation in Wales is so mind-numbingly stupid it doesn't warrant a proper response. It's almost on a par with the rubbish you wrote about your proposed shopping trip to Brecon, but not quite.
If something is devolved it means...and Im sure you know this... that the responsibility has been passed on...ie to the Senedd
If the Senedd chooses to be led by England then it does not take away the fact that the Senedd holds total responsibility for our healthcare. Nothing to do with England or the rest of the UK
So I think it may not be me that is mind numbingly stupid. Don't let our Welsh politicians fob you off by thinking that Westminster is somehow to share the blame for the mess it has got us in.
One consequence of those additional 445 deaths is that there is every chance that the rolling seven day average figure on the graph they show every day will rise and, no matter how people try to spin it, that is not a good look - especially in a country that is supposed to be coming out of lockdown. As it is, the rolling average had more or less become a straight line anyway. Although the daily new cases figure is declining and this should be reflected in the death figures in the next week or two, it is doing so very slowly - that's why any attempts to talk up the UK's response to the virus in the daily briefings looks pathetic and insulting to the population as far I'm concerned.
Crumbs off the table.
i think these daily updates have been the boris bullshit channel
Westminster were responsible for the ridiculous delays in announcing the lockdown, which is one the biggest causes in the spread of Covid-19 and leading to so many avoidable deaths.
They hold all of the blame on that account, I'm sure you'll agr... Nope, what am I thinking. You wouldn't dare hold them responsible for that.
Wales could have, should have, made their own decisions on lockdown. Small European countries went ahead. It doesn't sit easy but we have our own Public Health system, our own Medical officers and Scientific advisors, and our own parliament. if overall they decided to wait for England to declare lockdown or go with a UK position before acting then that's the Senedd's decision and their responsibility.
Nothing at all to do with England, Scotland or Northern Ireland
Wales locking down without England locking down would have been incredibly ineffective in my opinion. Firstly, we would have the cases of people crossing the border for work purposes. People would still be arriving in large numbers from England to Welsh beauty spots. Also, there would have been no furlough scheme - the result being that retailers would be able to continue trading in their English branches, but not the Welsh. That could, arguably, have led to shops being closed, and people being made redundant in large numbers.
The act covered lots of day to day things, like retired doctors re-registering etc, but the Senedd was free to do whatever in strategic healthcare issues, including its own lockdown. Whether it would have been practical, I don’t know. Buts let’s stop blaming Westminster for the Senedd decisions, or lack of.
How were Wales supposed to enter lockdown before the UK Govt. introduced the job retention scheme and also the means for businesses and the self-employed to apply for help so that they could be financially secure during said lockdown? Seriously lisvaneblue, you seem to have an answer for everything - so I'm sure you've got something for us regarding this question.
I don't know how they were supposed to. The money side of it, which is so very important, is from UK Government.
I'm sure the Senedd would have discussed the options and come up with what they thought best for Wales
All I've been saying all along is that healthcare is devolved and bugger all to do with the other three nations. But some on this board seem hell bent on pulling Boris et al into it as if it's his fault, because they can't see any further than he's a Tory.
All healthcare for Wales decisions are the responsibility of the Senedd, end of. Personally I don't think they have done a good job so far, but the game isn't over yet.
And there it is, the point where your argument about how blame is apportioned between Welsh and UK Governments completely falls down. In one of your replies, you talked of small European nations who had gone it alone in taking on the virus, but, assuming your intention was to show the Welsh Government in a bad light in comparison to them, you're indulging in the same sort of comparing apples with oranges argument that UK Government apologists apply to anyone who makes direct comparisons between UK statistics and those of other European countries.
The devolution we have is not on a par with those countries you seek to compare us to - Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are in a kind of halfway house, they have some freedom to do what they wish, but not complete freedom. As I said in a post I did about this time yesterday in this thread, it would be a different matter if Wales had full devolution, but it doesn't and so allowances have to be made for that.
I don't understand why anyone would be trying so hard to absolve the government of all blame.
At the end of the day the Senedd is 100% responsible for healthcare in Wales. Westminster has no responsibility for it at all.
Decisions or lack of, following or working with the other home nations, going it alone are down to the Senedd. I’m not defending Boris, just saying that in Wales it,s our governments responsibility not his