When will this shit end?

[steviewevie]

The race to save the NHS

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/08/the-worst-by-a-cataclysmic-margin-the-race-to-save-the-nhs-from-covid

[Crazyfool01]

For those homeschooling at the moment ... 

[Chawk]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

And why "spot checks"? Why not check every passenger? I was checked 3 times on arrival in Spain and every single person was checked. In addition, every single person had their passenger locater form checked, whilst in the UK I have never had to show it.

I think it’s spot checks at the border in addition to the airlines checking everyone on check in and boarding before flying.  

[xxialac]

4 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

He’s a useless oaf and that’s putting it nicely. 

A vain, out-of-his-depth-but-doesn't-realise-it twit. His staged background says it all.

Favours PR and presentation over actually doing something to improve matters.

[xxialac]

2 minutes ago, Chawk said:

I think it’s spot checks at the border in addition to the airlines checking everyone on check in and boarding before flying.  

So the government are passing responsibility for checking crucial paperwork onto third parties. Are check-in staff trained to be able to check what constitutes a genuine test or will it be a split second glance at a small phone?

As far as I'm aware no other country does this. They check at the point they check passports or in the part when you come through the baggage control area. You are a completely captive audience.

[kalifire]

Shapps always gives me the impression he’s in politics only so he’ll get the occasional invite onto Have I Got News... 

[Losing my hair]

11 minutes ago, xxialac said:

A vain, out-of-his-depth-but-doesn't-realise-it twit. His staged background says it all.

Favours PR and presentation over actually doing something to improve matters.

That's the job spec for any member of this cabinet. 

[SamJ]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

International travellers will need to show a negative Covid-19 test before being allowed into the UK, the government has announced, in a significant toughening of border controls to try to stem the spread of new coronavirus variants. The new rules will take effect next week and apply to returning UK nationals as well as foreign citizens. Passengers will need to produce a test result taken less than 72 hours before boarding planes, boats or trains to the UK, and could be fined £500 in border spot checks without a negative result.

Hopelessly late.

And why "spot checks"? Why not check every passenger? I was checked 3 times on arrival in Spain and every single person was checked. In addition, every single person had their passenger locater form checked, whilst in the UK I have never had to show it.

Massive numbers at the uk border go through e-gates (including most EU nationals after Brexit I think?) so don’t see a border force officer at all in normal circumstances.  I’d imagine that group would get spot checks.

[xxialac]

Having talked about it all week, it apparently comes into force next Thursday. 

Designed supposedly to stop the spread of the deadly South Africa variant but, hey, no rush guys!

[Ozanne]

19 minutes ago, xxialac said:

A vain, out-of-his-depth-but-doesn't-realise-it twit. His staged background says it all.

Favours PR and presentation over actually doing something to improve matters.

What’s that flag behind him?

[xxialac]

2 minutes ago, SamJ said:

Massive numbers at the uk border go through e-gates (including most EU nationals after Brexit I think?) so don’t see a border force officer at all in normal circumstances.  I’d imagine that group would get spot checks.

"Spot checks" was the phrase used to describe making sure people had filled out their locater form so that there could be a follow up to make sure they were quarantining. My experience was:

7 flights - 0 UK spot checks.

Whereas where I was flying: 

7 flights - 7 overseas checks

 

[xxialac]

3 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

What’s that flag behind him?

Think he got that as a prize for being 'Manager of the Month' in his last job as manager of the Slough branch of Wernham-Hogg.

[eFestivals]

25 minutes ago, xxialac said:

A vain, out-of-his-depth-but-doesn't-realise-it twit. His staged background says it all.

Favours PR and presentation over actually doing something to improve matters.

Snapps is useless, but I've heard that Michael Green is worse.

Both of them are vying for Grayling's title.

[RobertProsineckisLighter]

10 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

For those homeschooling at the moment ... 

I have to say the home schooling is going really well in our house. The school had obviously put some things in place after the first lockdown in case it happened again. 

His school wasn't open on Monday anyway, but by lunch time Monday we had been sent instructions on what was going to happen from Wednesday and an explanation as to why it was starting from Wednesday not Tuesday (this was because the teachers needed time to adapt in person lessons to online lessons). 

He has three one hour lessons on MS Teams a day 09:30, 11:30 and 13:30. Following each lesson they have some sheets to work on, they can either work though this digitally or in a text book (we were requested to collect a pack from school Tuesday, pen, pencil, exercise book, time table etc...) When complete the work needs to be submitted by some app (seesaw I think it's called) and the teacher feeds back through the app. 

The original plan was that each of his years teachers were going to do a week of being the homeschool teacher and a week of being the in school teacher. They have quickly changed this to be alternate days because they have found the teaching via Teams pretty intense. 

Its been really nice to hear the kids actually having chance to chat on teams while working / in between lessons etc... As they can still see their friends. This has died down a bit as the novelty has warn off. They have actually been finding ways to organise playing games (Roblox, Among us Fortnight etc...) With each other in the evenings by setting times to play the games. 

Its a far better education experience and far less impactful on our day than the original school closures. As we haven't had to become teachers sure we have been asked questions and asked for help but that's a lot less intense than having to try and teach. The lessons are being recorded too so if for whatever reason a child is unable to attend or complete the work at the specified time they can catch up. 

The boy is much more engaged and says it's not as good as school but it's better than the first time - because his schools teachers are better teachers than me and his mum and don't get frustrated. His exact words. He likes that he also gets to speak to his friends every day as he really missed them first time round. 

Its not quite a full day and he is bright so tends to finish all the tasks quicker than the alloted time so he has plenty of 'free time' too. 

He is once again 'loving lockdown life' 

Picking up some of the earlier points around showing videos on TV scaring people they will give in to Grandma, I don't think this is a sensible idea younger people will see them irrespective of the watershed and it was hard enough to get him to go places we were allowed after lockdown 1.0 without making him think he's going to kill grandma. The children are very well drilled in the rules at his school and he will not break them. 

 

[zahidf]

Pfizer vaccine protects against new UK and South African strains – research

New research suggests that Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa, AP reports.

[xxialac]

5 minutes ago, RobertProsineckisLighter said:

Picking up some of the earlier points around showing videos on TV scaring people they will give in to Grandma, I don't think this is a sensible idea younger people will see them irrespective of the watershed and it was hard enough to get him to go places we were allowed after lockdown 1.0 without making him think he's going to kill grandma. The children are very well drilled in the rules at his school and he will not break them. 

 

We all watched drink driving videos with people's heads going through glass when we were young and I don't think it scared us from getting in cars.

Young adults are vectors and there are too many not taking it seriously enough. The sky high case numbers are proof of this.

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by xxialac

[phimill]

@Toilet Duck Quick (possibly stupid) questions about the 90% efficiency and changing from 2 doses to 1 doses. Is the % down to the particular vaccine dose not being effective or the person receiving the vaccine not being able to produce the anti-bodies?

If it is the former - surely the likelihood of having the "ineffective batch" again is very low so the second dose would give the immunity? thus changing the dosing strategy is much bigger risk for the overall population during the additional 9weeks

If it is the later - the change to one dose is better for the overall population, as the second dose wouldn't help the people who do not produce the antibodies from the vaccine.

Finally, in due course obviously would it be possible for the vaccinated to get tests to confirm if the vaccine has been effective for them? If it hasn't, would they be able to take a dose of another vaccine type?

[Ozanne]

7 minutes ago, xxialac said:

We all watched drink driving videos with people's heads going through glass when we were young and I don't think it scared us from getting in cars.

Young adults are vectors and there are too many not taking it seriously enough. The sky high case numbers are proof of this.

 

The effects on cigarettes are shown in packaging and on adverts too. No one seems to worry about the children then. I think it would be a decent idea to put the effects of COVID out there like being suggested, which might then force some people to think twice about their actions.

They could do videos focussing on someone in their 30s that gets long COVID too. 

[xxialac]

1 minute ago, Ozanne said:

The effects on cigarettes are shown in packaging and on adverts too. No one seems to worry about the children then. I think it would be a decent idea to put the effects of COVID out there like being suggested, which might then force some people to think twice about their actions.

They could do videos focussing on someone in their 30s that gets long COVID too. 

Yeah, that latter idea a good one.

Have to do something as the current comms are evidently not effective.

[waltere]

33 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

What’s that flag behind him?

I'd guess the RAF Ensign

EDIT

Actually it appears to be the Civil Air Ensign

Edited January 8, 2021 by waltere
Found a more likely candidate

[xxialac]

Speaking of narcissists, Stanley Johnson seems to think he deserves a spot on GMB this morning.

The man who broke lockdown rules and refused to wear a mask in shops proudly telling us how he got his second vaccination (long before many NHS staff working with Covid patients get their first).

 

[steviewevie]

23 minutes ago, RobertProsineckisLighter said:

I have to say the home schooling is going really well in our house. The school had obviously put some things in place after the first lockdown in case it happened again. 

His school wasn't open on Monday anyway, but by lunch time Monday we had been sent instructions on what was going to happen from Wednesday and an explanation as to why it was starting from Wednesday not Tuesday (this was because the teachers needed time to adapt in person lessons to online lessons). 

He has three one hour lessons on MS Teams a day 09:30, 11:30 and 13:30. Following each lesson they have some sheets to work on, they can either work though this digitally or in a text book (we were requested to collect a pack from school Tuesday, pen, pencil, exercise book, time table etc...) When complete the work needs to be submitted by some app (seesaw I think it's called) and the teacher feeds back through the app. 

The original plan was that each of his years teachers were going to do a week of being the homeschool teacher and a week of being the in school teacher. They have quickly changed this to be alternate days because they have found the teaching via Teams pretty intense. 

Its been really nice to hear the kids actually having chance to chat on teams while working / in between lessons etc... As they can still see their friends. This has died down a bit as the novelty has warn off. They have actually been finding ways to organise playing games (Roblox, Among us Fortnight etc...) With each other in the evenings by setting times to play the games. 

Its a far better education experience and far less impactful on our day than the original school closures. As we haven't had to become teachers sure we have been asked questions and asked for help but that's a lot less intense than having to try and teach. The lessons are being recorded too so if for whatever reason a child is unable to attend or complete the work at the specified time they can catch up. 

The boy is much more engaged and says it's not as good as school but it's better than the first time - because his schools teachers are better teachers than me and his mum and don't get frustrated. His exact words. He likes that he also gets to speak to his friends every day as he really missed them first time round. 

Its not quite a full day and he is bright so tends to finish all the tasks quicker than the alloted time so he has plenty of 'free time' too. 

He is once again 'loving lockdown life' 

Picking up some of the earlier points around showing videos on TV scaring people they will give in to Grandma, I don't think this is a sensible idea younger people will see them irrespective of the watershed and it was hard enough to get him to go places we were allowed after lockdown 1.0 without making him think he's going to kill grandma. The children are very well drilled in the rules at his school and he will not break them. 

 

Sounds good.

My kid is year 11, so all very different, but also very similar. She is in GCSE year, but obviously GCSEs now gone, and for her this is a great relief. I expect she'd do well, especially in maths and science, but the looming GCSEs were really getting her anxiety up..and now with that worry gone she is more relaxed and just knows she has to get on with it and do any set work given. They also use MS teams which mostly works ok. She wants to get back to the school though, she wants to see her friends. It is no way to spend your teenage years, at home all the time with your parents. I have to say, my kid has really been through it with her mental health during her teenage years...ocd, anorexia, self harm, and it's been at times a total nightmare, especially when she was 12/13, but she has been improving the last year or so and she's been mostly ok through this pandemic and lockdown.

[priest17]

38 minutes ago, xxialac said:

We all watched drink driving videos with people's heads going through glass when we were young and I don't think it scared us from getting in cars.

Young adults are vectors and there are too many not taking it seriously enough. The sky high case numbers are proof of this.

 

I was introduced to the Northern Ireland drink driving adverts when I was 19 and I'm still traumatised, nearly ruined Man of The World for me.

[dondo]

56 minutes ago, RobertProsineckisLighter said:

I have to say the home schooling is going really well in our house. The school had obviously put some things in place after the first lockdown in case it happened again. 

His school wasn't open on Monday anyway, but by lunch time Monday we had been sent instructions on what was going to happen from Wednesday and an explanation as to why it was starting from Wednesday not Tuesday (this was because the teachers needed time to adapt in person lessons to online lessons). 

He has three one hour lessons on MS Teams a day 09:30, 11:30 and 13:30. Following each lesson they have some sheets to work on, they can either work though this digitally or in a text book (we were requested to collect a pack from school Tuesday, pen, pencil, exercise book, time table etc...) When complete the work needs to be submitted by some app (seesaw I think it's called) and the teacher feeds back through the app. 

The original plan was that each of his years teachers were going to do a week of being the homeschool teacher and a week of being the in school teacher. They have quickly changed this to be alternate days because they have found the teaching via Teams pretty intense. 

Its been really nice to hear the kids actually having chance to chat on teams while working / in between lessons etc... As they can still see their friends. This has died down a bit as the novelty has warn off. They have actually been finding ways to organise playing games (Roblox, Among us Fortnight etc...) With each other in the evenings by setting times to play the games. 

Its a far better education experience and far less impactful on our day than the original school closures. As we haven't had to become teachers sure we have been asked questions and asked for help but that's a lot less intense than having to try and teach. The lessons are being recorded too so if for whatever reason a child is unable to attend or complete the work at the specified time they can catch up. 

The boy is much more engaged and says it's not as good as school but it's better than the first time - because his schools teachers are better teachers than me and his mum and don't get frustrated. His exact words. He likes that he also gets to speak to his friends every day as he really missed them first time round. 

Its not quite a full day and he is bright so tends to finish all the tasks quicker than the alloted time so he has plenty of 'free time' too. 

He is once again 'loving lockdown life' 

Picking up some of the earlier points around showing videos on TV scaring people they will give in to Grandma, I don't think this is a sensible idea younger people will see them irrespective of the watershed and it was hard enough to get him to go places we were allowed after lockdown 1.0 without making him think he's going to kill grandma. The children are very well drilled in the rules at his school and he will not break them. 

 

Our 2 (years 7 and 9) have adapted better than I thought and are generally self sufficient when it comes to learning. They are following the timetable as if they were in school via MS Teams and generally classes are going well. They obviously miss their mates but chat to them / game with them which helps.  Not sure what it will be like come the 6th week of the arrangements. My daughter who is in year 9 is finding it tough though in regards to trying to make decisions on what GCSEs to take when she has missed so much proper school. 

[Copperface]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

So the government are passing responsibility for checking crucial paperwork onto third parties. Are check-in staff trained to be able to check what constitutes a genuine test or will it be a split second glance at a small phone?

As far as I'm aware no other country does this. They check at the point they check passports or in the part when you come through the baggage control area. You are a completely captive audience.

In the UK check in staff acting on  behalf of the airlines are actually already responsible for checking that relevant travel documents and visas etc are correct before outbound travel. If they get it wrong and a person is denied entry the other end and removed,  then the airline/handling agents are liable for the costs of that removal. There are no regular outbound departure control checks in person from the UK. The electronic system checks other stuff.

So would not be a great stretch to require that they also request test certificates or evidence before travel. Trouble  is, there is internationally defined standard or proof of test as far as I know. 

People at Charles de Gaulle were selling fake test certificates last summer so it will happen.