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Amongst all the memes and tired jokes about banana bread or dry January, it’s important to remember why the UK is now having its third lockdown - GOVERNMENT FAILURE
FAILURE to prepare:
over the past 2 decades the UK has reduced the capacity of its infection based laboratories. Like much of the already struggling pre-pandemic NHS, government cuts to public services had drained them.
over the past 2 decades the UK has reduced the capacity of its infection based laboratories. Like much of the already struggling pre-pandemic NHS, government cuts to public services had drained them.
FAILURE to provide PPE:
When the virus hit, PPE contracts were given to government chums & inept companies with no prior experience in the field. In some cases the wrong PPE was bought, and in some cases for FAR higher prices than should’ve been, yet they still made BILLIONS.
When the virus hit, PPE contracts were given to government chums & inept companies with no prior experience in the field. In some cases the wrong PPE was bought, and in some cases for FAR higher prices than should’ve been, yet they still made BILLIONS.
FAILURE to lockdown:
Epidemiological estimates say we could have saved 20,000 lives if we’d locked down earlier back in March 2020. And with every surge since, we have locked down too late again, with Boris dithering and even ignoring his own science advisors.
Epidemiological estimates say we could have saved 20,000 lives if we’d locked down earlier back in March 2020. And with every surge since, we have locked down too late again, with Boris dithering and even ignoring his own science advisors.
This has had terrible consequences for both public health and our ability to plan AND LIVE our lives.
No, Darren, I am not “pro-lockdown”, who in their right mind is?! (apart from maybe toilet roll manufacturers and Jeff Bezos)
No, Darren, I am not “pro-lockdown”, who in their right mind is?! (apart from maybe toilet roll manufacturers and Jeff Bezos)
But the surges in the virus are caused, in large part, by the catastrophic failure of our test & trace system.
We most probably would not have needed such dramatic lockdowns if our test & trace system worked to any worthwhile degree. But it doesn’t...
We most probably would not have needed such dramatic lockdowns if our test & trace system worked to any worthwhile degree. But it doesn’t...
FAILURE to test & trace:
The government once again handed the effort to unqualified chums- to inexperienced consultants and executives, instead of qualified public servants.
To date, £22bn in our tax money has been spent, and we still have nothing effective to show for it.
The government once again handed the effort to unqualified chums- to inexperienced consultants and executives, instead of qualified public servants.
To date, £22bn in our tax money has been spent, and we still have nothing effective to show for it.
It was said to be “world-beating” at the same time that patients were being sent to nonexistent testing centres, or to the other end of the country. Whilst test results were lost. Whilst even NHS staff were unable to work because they couldn’t get tests or the results of tests.
FAILURE to shut schools:
The Covid infection rate for teachers has just been found to be 333% greater than the rest of the community
The Conservative education secretary Gavin Williamson was warned yet still threatened schools in high covid zones with legal action if they closed
The Covid infection rate for teachers has just been found to be 333% greater than the rest of the community
The Conservative education secretary Gavin Williamson was warned yet still threatened schools in high covid zones with legal action if they closed
FAILURE to address pseudo-science & conspiracy twats:
There‘s been no strong strategy to educate and properly communicate the issues around covid-19, and therefore we’ve seen the spread of an equally dangerous virus - disinformation.
Anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, & Covid-deniers.
There‘s been no strong strategy to educate and properly communicate the issues around covid-19, and therefore we’ve seen the spread of an equally dangerous virus - disinformation.
Anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, & Covid-deniers.
The anti-expert rhetoric of recent times has of course helped damage public trust in expertise.
This is in no small part thanks to Michael “I think the people of this country have had enough of experts” Gove, and other prominent Tories.
This is in no small part thanks to Michael “I think the people of this country have had enough of experts” Gove, and other prominent Tories.
The amount of tax payer money guffed away during this pandemic is obscene
Boris’ dithering, Cronyism, and corruption have all cost lives.
And no, you cannot rule out other countries’ better handling simply cos of their differing geography, the UK should have NOT done THIS badly
Boris’ dithering, Cronyism, and corruption have all cost lives.
And no, you cannot rule out other countries’ better handling simply cos of their differing geography, the UK should have NOT done THIS badly
Once again, my unending gratitude to anyone working in the NHS or in care.
You are angels.
You deserve so so so so so much better than this government. We all do.
You are angels.
You deserve so so so so so much better than this government. We all do.
Laboratories -
BBC Radio 4 Inside Science podcast 15 October 2020 “test and trace”
Government corruption and cronyism -
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/17/world/europe/britain-covid-contracts.html
20,000 lives could have been saved -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52995064
£22 billion spent on test & trace -
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/uks-test-and-trace-repeatedly-failed-to-hit-goals-despite-22bn-cost
BBC Radio 4 Inside Science podcast 15 October 2020 “test and trace”
Government corruption and cronyism -
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/17/world/europe/britain-covid-contracts.html
20,000 lives could have been saved -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52995064
£22 billion spent on test & trace -
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/uks-test-and-trace-repeatedly-failed-to-hit-goals-despite-22bn-cost
Test & trace failure -
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/21/government-covid-contracts-britain-nhs-corporate-executives-test-and-trace
333% larger infection rate for teachers -
https://www.tes.com/news/exclusive-teacher-covid-rates-333-above-average
Government launching legal action against schools wanting to close to combat infections -
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/15/greenwich-backs-down-over-plans-to-close-schools-in-face-of-legal-action
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/14/sadiq-khan-urges-pm-to-let-london-schools-close-early-to-combat-covid
+ school risk data
https://twitter.com/adamhamdy/status/1346357071013416960
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/21/government-covid-contracts-britain-nhs-corporate-executives-test-and-trace
333% larger infection rate for teachers -
https://www.tes.com/news/exclusive-teacher-covid-rates-333-above-average
Government launching legal action against schools wanting to close to combat infections -
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/15/greenwich-backs-down-over-plans-to-close-schools-in-face-of-legal-action
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/14/sadiq-khan-urges-pm-to-let-london-schools-close-early-to-combat-covid
+ school risk data
https://twitter.com/adamhamdy/status/1346357071013416960
