Stolen from a friend:This week in UK Covid-Land:1. The govt reduced the UK-wide coronavirus alert level on the advice of the “Joint Biosecurity Centre".2. Matt Hancock revealed the “Joint Biosecurity Centre” doesn’t exist yet.3. Boris Johnson said he was “very proud” of the UK’s response.4. After previously telling us facemasks were essential, then not essential, then essential, then not essential, then essential, then not essential (6 U-turns) the govt said facemasks were, actually, essential.5. But not until 15th June. 2 weeks more of them being not-essential.6. And then NHS leaders revealed they hadn’t been consulted on any of this, but they all had to wear them.7. The govt announced dentists were returning to work the following day.8. And then dentists said they also hadn’t been consulted about this, or even warned it was happening.9. The govt announced it was relaxing the lockdown nationally, because it said the R level (infectivity rate) had fallen as low as 0.7.10. Within 2 days the R level had risen back above 1 in much of Northern England, but the govt has not reintroduced local lockdowns.11. The gov justified relaxing the lockdown because we would have a “world-beating Test and Trace” in place by 1st June.12. And then the next day, the head of the Test and Trace programme revealed it would not be operational until Sept.13. The following day it was revealed an "urgent Test and Trace programme" was recommended by experts in February, but not acted upon until May.14. Boris Johnson announced he is personally taking charge of the coronavirus response, a mere 138 days since the first UK case.15. The head of Outbreak Modelling at Imperial College said he was shocked that Covid-19 was still “spilling out of hospitals and care homes”.16. It was revealed advice was given to the govt on 24 Feb that there should be “no discharges to care or residential homes”.17. The Italian Health Minister has reported that Boris Johnson had told him UK govt policy was Herd Immunity.18. The govt and Boris Johnson continue to deny the policy has ever been Herd Immunity, even though Boris Johnson went on TV and advocated it.20. The most comprehensive World Health Organisation study to date found the risk of Covid infection doubles if the 2-metre rule is reduced.21. Then Boris Johnson went on TV to say he wants to reduce the 2-metre distancing rule as soon as possible.22. Matt Hancock tweeted that he was proud we reached a 200,000 test capacity.23. The next day he said he was proud of a lower 171,000 tests.24. If you get a nasal, throat and antibody test, that counts as 3 tests, even if it’s 1 person.25. So 171,000 tests = 57,000 people.26. At that rate it will take 1,175 days to test the whole UK. That’s 3 years and 3 months.27. And almost 75,000 tests had to be redone because of problems in UK labs.28. Boris Johnson repeated he was “very proud” of the UK government's response.29. The govt said it would not open playgrounds, because children from different families meet there.30. The govt said it would reopen schools where - yes - where children from different families meet.31. 44% of England’s schools did not trust the govt advice enough to re-open.31. The govt announced people could now meet in socially distanced groups in gardens, but under no circumstances could anybody enter the houses of friends and family.32. The govt said homeless people should “move in with friends and family”.33. Parliament stopped digital voting, leading to a 1.3 km long queue of MPs, right down the road and into a local park, waiting 90 minutes to do one vote.34. MP’s often vote 8 times per day. Under the new system, this means they will do nothing at all except stand in queues.35. No provisions had been made for extra security, or to protect those vulnerable to Covid-19.36. Within 24 hours a cabinet minister was ill and needed to be tested. He said he tested negative.37. It was later reported around 1/3 of tests produce false-negative results.38. Only 12% of Britons say Parliament needs to physical voting, and there have been absolutely zero instances of voting irregularities under the digital.39. The House Of Lords continues to vote using the digital system.40. The Minister for Mental Health objected to Pier Morgan's criticisms, and tweeted "could you please avoid wherever possible calling people 'completely mad”.41. And then it was revealed some time earlier, she had called people on Twitter “window-lickers”.42. A Tory MP breached guidelines by going to a barbeque during the lockdown, attended by the deputy chairman of Spectator, the Brexit Party chairman, and journalist Isabel Oakeshott.43. All three of these defended Dominic Cummings, who is, incidentally, still not sacked.44. The govt criticised Chinese food standards and lack of transparency, which it said first caused, and then exacerbated coronavirus.45. And then the govt voted to lower UK food standards, and refused to publish a report on excess coronavirus deaths.46. In Jan the Environment Secretary said “we will not be importing chlorinated chicken, we will not be importing hormone-treated beef” as part of any future trade deal.47. The govt said it would import chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef as part of a US trade deal.48. In a single day the UK had 359 Covid-19 deaths, which was 45 more than the other 27 EU countries *combined*.49. Boris Johnson, joint-leader of the Brexit campaign, announced he would start a “charm offensive” to get EU workers to return to the UK, after earlier saying they were just taking advantage of the UK when they were here.50. Sir Paul Nurse, former President of the Royal Society, described talking to ministers about coronavirus as “like talking to a blancmange”.51. Boris Johnson said for a 4th time he was “very proud” of the UK govt's response.52. Thousands are now gathering on beaches, in IKEA queues, in protests (but at least here mostly in masks), in parks, at BBQs or people just doing their own Cummings (hard to blame them now).53. We still have 24 hours of the week to go.Aren’t we all proud of Boris Johnson et Co?
Peter Chadburn ● 1783d