Coronavirus update - NO MORE RESTRICTIONS

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Are you sure this is true. Exactly 2 weeks ago my wife had a test outside our lockdown area and was told that this is allowed.

Due to the Government website only calculating distances to testing stations as the crow flies, people in North Somerset are offered Cardiff as their nearest Covid-testing station. My friend in WSM went for the 'next nearest' station in Taunton last Friday.

[Hilts]

It's a political move and little to do with protecting us. I had a look at the paper which Prof Drakeford quotes as the evidence and the conclusion is.... the easing of the lockdown rules in July/ August has corresponded with an increase in cases with data suggesting that increases in Wales may be driven by imports from other parts of the UK and wider world
And how do you police this? The Severn Bridge has 30,000 vehicles cross into Wales each day. That will continue.

In North Wales 36,000 workers move out of their areas to work each day, and 23,000 come in to these areas...

In South East Wales the figures are 57,000 out, 32,000 in

This is not to say they they commute to England but they move in and out of their localities and there must be some traffic to England

Trying to stop tourists from high risk areas is not viable when there is such a large amount of daily traffic anyhow, and probably not worth the immense effort required to police it properly.

AS I said earlier our FM seemingly can't help trying to score points

Utter rubbish

I cant travel 7 miles to do some shopping because of a lockdown.

Drakeford is doing the right thing to stop people from an area like Liverpool with a high infection rate travelling into Wales.

Its not political its the right thing to do.

[lisvaneblue]

Utter rubbish

I cant travel 7 miles to do some shopping because of a lockdown.

Drakeford is doing the right thing to stop people from an area like Liverpool with a high infection rate travelling into Wales.

Its not political its the right thing to do.

Its not rubbish, this is official data. The movement of people from one are to another is because they travel to and from work, and that's a reasonable excuse apparently!!

[Hilts]

I know the number of tests being carried out has dropped dramatically, and that was ordered by the government 2 weeks ago. As an example Abercynon in that period hasn't seen 1 person from outside Wales or indeed from outside RCT. Which makes me ask 'Why are they not doing the other 600 odd tests a day they could be?'. What I said this is a fact. And who can book where is controlled by the government, not the test centres. There must be a reason.

Abercynon is in my lockdown area. My wife was sent to Merthyr outside.

The Merthyr one is slightly closer.

[xsnaggle]

Abercynon is in my lockdown area. My wife was sent to Merthyr outside.

The Merthyr one is slightly closer.

I don't doubt it. The test centre in Merthyr is run from either Abercynon or Ebbw Vale.
On another point, the new laboratory which opened in Newport on Monday is now sending tests to ther places because it cannot cope with the numbers being sent there. As all the tests were being analysed before monday there must be space somewhere. Seems silly to me.

[Hilts]

I don't doubt it. The test centre in Merthyr is run from either Abercynon or Ebbw Vale.
On another point, the new laboratory which opened in Newport on Monday is now sending tests to ther places because it cannot cope with the numbers being sent there. As all the tests were being analysed before monday there must be space somewhere. Seems silly to me.

My family have had 2 tests in the last 6 weeks.

The response , ease of booking , speed of result ( 1 under 24 hours 1 slightly over) were excellent. Both negative so cant comment on Contact Tracing)

Centres were Cwm and Merthyr.

[xsnaggle]

My family have had 2 tests in the last 6 weeks.

The response , ease of booking , speed of result ( 1 under 24 hours 1 slightly over) were excellent. Both negative so cant comment on Contact Tracing)

Centres were Cwm and Merthyr.

Yes, what happens is the main centres have mobile units, and when ordered they go out to other places and set up testing stations. The samples go back to the main unit at night to be sent to a lab. It seems to work OK as you discovered.

[the other bob wilson]

Ending Coronavirus wth herd immunity is a "dangerous fallacy" - I've never understood some people's faith in it when we cannot know yet whether you're immune or not.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...gerous-fallacy

[Vindec]

Ending Coronavirus wth herd immunity is a "dangerous fallacy" - I've never understood some people's faith in it when we cannot know yet whether you're immune or not.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...gerous-fallacy

Herd immunity is a very dangerous concept and any policy to do that would certainly overwhelm the hospitals.

[the other bob wilson]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...prime-minister

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...vid-travel-ban

[Rjk]

https://twitter.com/AnnelieseDodds/s...156577792?s=19

[Rjk]

https://twitter.com/AnnelieseDodds/s...156577792?s=19

to add insult to injury...

https://twitter.com/marcvjones/statu...378703874?s=19

[life on mars]

Its not rubbish, this is official data. The movement of people from one are to another is because they travel to and from work, and that's a reasonable excuse apparently!!

Certainly happens in North Wales , Drakeford has been asked to publish his reason by data , before stopping people earning money to work and feed their families and further damage the already weakened Welsh Economy ,these are very worrying times.

[lisvaneblue]

Certainly happens in North Wales , Drakeford has been asked to publish his reason by data , before stopping people earning money to work and feed their families and further damage the already weakened Welsh Economy ,these are very worrying times.

Yes they are worrying times and whilst Drakeford claims he is doing the best for Wales the data shows otherwise. Cardiff will have been in lockdown for 3 weeks come Sunday and the numbers with Covid keep rising. Caerphilly around 5 weeks and cases are still high. North Wales can't seem to control it, plus RCT, and I could go on.
England has hot spots in the North and London but much of the country is relatively good. In Wales most of the country has increasing cases and everyday its getting worse more or less across the board. Over 2/3 of us are in lockdown.

His data for banning the English concluded that visitors from UK and other parts of the world MAY have impacted on things in July/ August, but it's not conclusive. To take the action he is on that data shows scant regard for his people and their livelihoods.

With Drakeford in Wales and Burham in Manchester we are seeing party politics being played at the highest level with the lives of the UK population.

[goats]

Yes they are worrying times and whilst Drakeford claims he is doing the best for Wales the data shows otherwise. Cardiff will have been in lockdown for 3 weeks come Sunday and the numbers with Covid keep rising. Caerphilly around 5 weeks and cases are still high. North Wales can't seem to control it, plus RCT, and I could go on.
England has hot spots in the North and London but much of the country is relatively good. In Wales most of the country has increasing cases and everyday its getting worse more or less across the board. Over 2/3 of us are in lockdown.

His data for banning the English concluded that visitors from UK and other parts of the world MAY have impacted on things in July/ August, but it's not conclusive. To take the action he is on that data shows scant regard for his people and their livelihoods.

With Drakeford in Wales and Burham in Manchester we are seeing party politics being played at the highest level with the lives of the UK population.

I think the arrival of 35000 students in Cardiff might be a lot to do with it. That’s a lot of young people from all over the world.
I’ll go for a two weeker but no more. What’s the point as it will just creep back up again when people start to move about.
Like mentioned above the average age of death is 82, surely those that need protecting can do just that even though amazingly, they haven’t been told to shield again yet.

[xsnaggle]

I think the arrival of 35000 students in Cardiff might be a lot to do with it. That’s a lot of young people from all over the world.
I’ll go for a two weeker but no more. What’s the point as it will just creep back up again when people start to move about.
Like mentioned above the average age of death is 82, surely those that need protecting can do just that even though amazingly, they haven’t been told to shield again yet.

Well they can't stay at home and protect their lives if no one has told them to. You can't expect that. They're adults, they have to be told what to do.

[Dorcus]

Certainly happens in North Wales , Drakeford has been asked to publish his reason by data , before stopping people earning money to work and feed their families and further damage the already weakened Welsh Economy ,these are very worrying times.

I thought it was intended to stop infected people killing others; not much to ask in my opinion.

[life on mars]

Yes they are worrying times and whilst Drakeford claims he is doing the best for Wales the data shows otherwise. Cardiff will have been in lockdown for 3 weeks come Sunday and the numbers with Covid keep rising. Caerphilly around 5 weeks and cases are still high. North Wales can't seem to control it, plus RCT, and I could go on.
England has hot spots in the North and London but much of the country is relatively good. In Wales most of the country has increasing cases and everyday its getting worse more or less across the board. Over 2/3 of us are in lockdown.

His data for banning the English concluded that visitors from UK and other parts of the world MAY have impacted on things in July/ August, but it's not conclusive. To take the action he is on that data shows scant regard for his people and their livelihoods.

With Drakeford in Wales and Burham in Manchester we are seeing party politics being played at the highest level with the lives of the population.

Sadly it is becoming that way all very well coordinated as well started with Sir Kier's circuit breaker , what I don't understand Sir Kier wants to shut down the whole country, Burnham doesn't want tier 3 as it will hurt Manchester, Wales could lock down now, in as much Boris is accused of confusion so does the opposition ,just depends on their vote base .

Yep its now become party politics sadly .

Lives are at stake as they are every winter , average Covid deaths are at 82 age , non Covid 81, which is extremely sad , it does seem it highjacked the elderly and very vulnerable, perhaps we double down on protecting them and allow young people to work and move about in a responsible way , sadly responsible behaviour is badly lacking in our society.

[jon1959]

Sadly it is becoming that way all very well coordinated as well started with Sir Kier's circuit breaker , what I don't understand Sir Kier wants to shut down the whole country, Burnham doesn't want tier 3 as it will hurt Manchester, Wales could lock down now, in as much Boris is accused of confusion so does the opposition ,just depends on their vote base .

Yep its now become party politics sadly .

Lives are at stake as they are every winter , average Covid deaths are at 82 age , non Covid 81, which is extremely sad , it does seem it highjacked the elderly and very vulnerable, perhaps we double down on protecting them and allow young people to work and move about in a responsible way , sadly responsible behaviour is badly lacking in our society.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...our-and-tories

Looks like Labour and Tory council leaders and MPs in Greater Manchester are singing from the same song sheet.

[Jordi Culé]

Sadly it is becoming that way all very well coordinated as well started with Sir Kier's circuit breaker , what I don't understand Sir Kier wants to shut down the whole country, Burnham doesn't want tier 3 as it will hurt Manchester, Wales could lock down now, in as much Boris is accused of confusion so does the opposition ,just depends on their vote base .

Yep its now become party politics sadly .

Lives are at stake as they are every winter , average Covid deaths are at 82 age , non Covid 81, which is extremely sad , it does seem it highjacked the elderly and very vulnerable, perhaps we double down on protecting them and allow young people to work and move about in a responsible way , sadly responsible behaviour is badly lacking in our society.

Wasn’t the initial responses to Covid19 influenced by ‘party politics’, ongoing political policies e.g. Brexit and BoJo’s own libertarian view on things?

Sadly, the lack of any common sense and responsibility shown by the UK government has led where we are today.

[lardy]

Wasn’t the initial responses to Covid19 influenced by ‘party politics’, ongoing political policies e.g. Brexit and BoJo’s own libertarian view on things?

Sadly, the lack of any common sense and responsibility shown by the UK government has led where we are today.

One of the worst phrases of recent years is 'playing party politics'. It's the easiest way to try to shut down someone that you don't agree with. Just say they're playing politics. It's meaningless enough that you don't have to justify it.

[lisvaneblue]

One of the worst phrases of recent years is 'playing party politics'. It's the easiest way to try to shut down someone that you don't agree with. Just say they're playing politics. It's meaningless enough that you don't have to justify it.

Professor Jeremy Farrar of the Welcome Trust, and a SAGE member has just said 'playing party politics' and a North/South divide is very damaging to public health.

It sickens me that we have major UK cities with populations bigger than Wales with very very high numbers of Covid patients, struggling hospitals and a escalating death rate, whilst our leaders are bickering, businesses failing, and many of our young adults refusing to take responsibility for their behaviour.

God knows what sort of a winter lies ahead!

[the other bob wilson]

One of the worst phrases of recent years is 'playing party politics'. It's the easiest way to try to shut down someone that you don't agree with. Just say they're playing politics. It's meaningless enough that you don't have to justify it.

I listened to an interview with Matt Hancock on Radio 5 Live last night, where he accused Andy Burnham of playing party politics five times while continuously saying that we should all join together in the national interest the same amount of times. Presumably, his take on the "national interest" is that everyone should fall into line with the UK Government's view on things, so isn't he just playing party politics as well?

Hancock's repetitive interview was an example of the woeful standard of political debating on both sides of this argument - continuously repeating yourself does not prove you're right.

[lisvaneblue]

I listened to an interview with Matt Hancock on Radio 5 Live last night, where he accused Andy Burnham of playing party politics five times while continuously saying that we should all join together in the national interest the same amount of times. Presumably, his take on the "national interest" is that everyone should fall into line with the UK Government's view on things, so isn't he just playing party politics as well?

Hancock's repetitive interview was an example of the woeful standard of political debating on both sides of this argument - continuously repeating yourself does not prove you're right.

At the end of the day our democratically elected government is responsible. By all means listen to everyone views, the government then needs to decide what action should be taken. Otherwise we are moving towards anarchy.

[life on mars]

Great to see the Government ramping up Vitamin D consumption , every little helps , helped my immune issues over the last few years after some great doctors advise .