When will this shit end?

[DeanoL]

 

17 hours ago, DirtyLurker said:

So as the name suggests I'm a lurker - this thread has kept me informed/entertained/crying (delete as appropriate!) over the last 12 months.

Johnson's latest has basically tipped me over the edge; I have now been without work for exactly (to the day) 12 months, I'm a Freelance limited company chef, no work = no money & I've had zero government help - sorry, I was all that, now I'm a person about to loss their mind. Plus limited co prob going to have to be dissolved with April tax changes, so soon I'll have no work & no company.

Genuine question: are you not able to furlough yourself as an employee of your limited company?

[steviewevie]

4 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Sweden and the USA provide the control group you’re looking for. It’s pie in the sky nonsense to think that the lockdown prevented 130,000+ more deaths 

Not similar enough in terms of population densities etc. Plus, didn't some states or cities in US have varying degrees of lockdown?

[efcfanwirral]

 

2 hours ago, JoeyT said:

It's difficult for physical versions though isn't it? In terms of being able to fake etc?

The QR code idea is what would make the most sense - similar to a gig ticket. Maybe even a glastonbury ticket with picture on

2 hours ago, aj6658 said:

The way most people think: I don't have the expertise in this field so I will rely on someone who does.

Anti-Vaxxers: I found one FB that proves my bias to the vaccine hence everything else wrong. Im very smart. Im not sheep. Im very smart. 

Literally just ask yourself what would happen if 99% of scientists said that chemical x was harmful and 1% said it would cure you. Who are you going too listen to?

 

1 hour ago, aj6658 said:

hahaha! Ive asked a few people who are trying to defend people not taking the vaccine as a "difference of opinion" and yet to hear a response. Strange that 

None of that logic is proportionate to essentially making it mandatory 

[DeanoL]

9 hours ago, Barry Fish said:

I wonder how long venues will even bother with this if the uptake of the vaccine is high ?  There is going to be a cost to testing and it only increases the more the people take up the vaccine and the less people need the test.  The costs will be passed onto the ticket buyer - and there is clearly a point where its too expensive for all involved.

I don't testing as a long term solution - its a short term fix while we get everyone covered.

It's theatre. It's taking your shoes off at the airport. It's there to make people feel safer, rather than make them safer. Note that this is eFests, a festivals forum for people who love festivals, and there are people here saying "I'm not sure I'm confident enough to go to a festival in July". 

Now think about people who only do festivals maybe once every 2-3 years, if they really like the line-up, or as a bucket list thing. And people who only go to one or two gigs a year, for their favourite artists. Those people make up the vast majority of people at most gigs and festivals. They may be desperate to get back to normality, but them that's the pub, or the gym or whatever. They've not really noticed the drop from one gig a year to zero gigs a year. It'll take effort to get those people feeling comfortable again.

What does worry me about any vaccine passport is the overhead that introduces in tracking who has had it. How good are our records on that currently? Do they check IDs at the vaccination centres? It does feel like it could massively slow things down, especially once it's open to everyone, and it should just be "book in online at your nearest centre".

[Avalon_Fields]

1 minute ago, DeanoL said:

 

What does worry me about any vaccine passport is the overhead that introduces in tracking who has had it. How good are our records on that currently? Do they check IDs at the vaccination centres? It does feel like it could massively slow things down, especially once it's open to everyone, and it should just be "book in online at your nearest centre".

Every vaccinated person is recorded via their NHS number. The ID is checked by confirmation of their date of birth and address. Yes, I'm sure it's possible to find out these details and pretend to be someone else but I think it is going to be accurate enough to be viable.

[fraybentos1]

4 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

It's theatre. It's taking your shoes off at the airport. It's there to make people feel safer, rather than make them safer. Note that this is eFests, a festivals forum for people who love festivals, and there are people here saying "I'm not sure I'm confident enough to go to a festival in July". 

Now think about people who only do festivals maybe once every 2-3 years, if they really like the line-up, or as a bucket list thing. And people who only go to one or two gigs a year, for their favourite artists. Those people make up the vast majority of people at most gigs and festivals. They may be desperate to get back to normality, but them that's the pub, or the gym or whatever. They've not really noticed the drop from one gig a year to zero gigs a year. It'll take effort to get those people feeling comfortable again.

What does worry me about any vaccine passport is the overhead that introduces in tracking who has had it. How good are our records on that currently? Do they check IDs at the vaccination centres? It does feel like it could massively slow things down, especially once it's open to everyone, and it should just be "book in online at your nearest centre".

It also has an older average population compared to most festivals I would say (Glasto maybe the exception). Vast majority of people I know my age are absolutely choking to get out - you just have to look at the reaction to the positive social media posts from certain fests yday to see that.

[steviewevie]

17 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Sweden and the USA provide the control group you’re looking for. It’s pie in the sky nonsense to think that the lockdown prevented 130,000+ more deaths 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113834/cumulative-coronavirus-deaths-in-the-nordics/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state_and_local_government_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic

[DeanoL]

Just now, fraybentos1 said:

It also has an older average population compared to most festivals I would say (Glasto maybe the exception). Vast majority of people I know my age are absolutely choking to get out - you just have to look at the reaction to the positive social media posts from certain fests yday to see that.

Yeah, but they want to go out to the places they used to go out to regularly. For most young people, that's actually not gigs/theatre/sport. It's pub/clubs. 

Just because someone is happy going to the pub twice a week again doesn't mean they won't draw their own personal line at "mass gatherings" like big gigs and festivals - indeed avoiding these things (which they did go to pre-pandemic, but not that often) is actually reassuring - you can tell yourself you're actually taking less risks that you used to.

[zahidf]

 

[fraybentos1]

2 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Yeah, but they want to go out to the places they used to go out to regularly. For most young people, that's actually not gigs/theatre/sport. It's pub/clubs. 

Just because someone is happy going to the pub twice a week again doesn't mean they won't draw their own personal line at "mass gatherings" like big gigs and festivals - indeed avoiding these things (which they did go to pre-pandemic, but not that often) is actually reassuring - you can tell yourself you're actually taking less risks that you used to.

Can only speak for myself and people I know but most/all are desperate to get back to festivals/ gigs as well as pubs/ clubs 

[steviewevie]

6 minutes ago, zahidf said:

 

might not happen then...Gove was against this in the past...

[Euphoricape]

[zahidf]

 

[WestCountryGirl]

Argh one of my colleagues has just shared the most dense anti-vax meme on instagram. I want to respond, as respectably as possible, and explain the sheer idiocy of the logic to her but my boss has asked me not to for the sake of the harmony of the office 😤🤬

But JESUS CHRIST it is stupid.

 

[DeanoL]

11 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

Can only speak for myself and people I know but most/all are desperate to get back to festivals/ gigs as well as pubs/ clubs 

Yeah, that's my point, this is a festival forum, people are quite into music and festivals on here! And yet some people even here are still unsure.

At any given gig (except very small acts) the majority of the audience will be people who only go to one or two gigs a year. Gigs are something they do, but they're not really part of their lives, they've not really missed them. But we need these people going back to gigs again to make them viable.

Like, have you ever been to a musical? Or opera? Or ballet? I'd guess probably, at some point. Are you desperate to get back to them? Or have you not even really thought about them?

[steviewevie]

1 minute ago, WestCountryGirl said:

Argh one of my colleagues has just shared the most dense anti-vax meme on instagram. I want to respond, as respectably as possible, and explain the sheer idiocy of the logic to her but my boss has asked me not to for the sake of the harmony of the office 😤🤬

But JESUS CHRIST it is stupid.

 

I hope your boss if going to say something to her...

[JoeyT]

Our firm is in the process of sending out subtle pro-vaccine information as well as having our Mental Health First Aiders involved in positive discussion regarding getting vaccinated.

Hopefully other workplaces will be doing similar.

[fraybentos1]

4 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Yeah, that's my point, this is a festival forum, people are quite into music and festivals on here! And yet some people even here are still unsure.

At any given gig (except very small acts) the majority of the audience will be people who only go to one or two gigs a year. Gigs are something they do, but they're not really part of their lives, they've not really missed them. But we need these people going back to gigs again to make them viable.

Like, have you ever been to a musical? Or opera? Or ballet? I'd guess probably, at some point. Are you desperate to get back to them? Or have you not even really thought about them?

We are still in the midst of an almost year-long lockdown though. If what they say about June is correct and then an easing from now on, then we will very quickly get back to our old way of life imo. I understand people have different views about how long it'll take people to get back to normal but I think it will be fairly quick if deaths etc plummet and we are much more free to do as we please.

[steviewevie]

1 minute ago, DeanoL said:

Yeah, that's my point, this is a festival forum, people are quite into music and festivals on here! And yet some people even here are still unsure.

At any given gig (except very small acts) the majority of the audience will be people who only go to one or two gigs a year. Gigs are something they do, but they're not really part of their lives, they've not really missed them. But we need these people going back to gigs again to make them viable.

Like, have you ever been to a musical? Or opera? Or ballet? I'd guess probably, at some point. Are you desperate to get back to them? Or have you not even really thought about them?

I'm sure there will be some who will be reluctant and will be worried about being in crowds of people again....but maybe these people will feel safer once they've had the vaccine and seeing on the news that the vaccines work. Will take a while to adjust for some though I guess. Must admit, will feel weird to go into a crowded building with no mask or social distancing again, but I reckon most will get used to it pretty quickly.

[WestCountryGirl]

8 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

I hope your boss if going to say something to her...

Nope. She's explained her (positive) stance on it to the anti-vax colleague and they each have to respect each other's position, as do the rest of us apparently. We're still working from home for the forseeable, so it's not a matter of safety for the office yet either. 

Two members of the team have already had theirs and there has been lots of positive chat about it on Teams. I just can't wait to be able to loudly and proudly extol the virtues of it when I get mine. She's been an anti-lockdown/covid is a hoax person the whole way through it. Whenever the topic comes up in our weekly meetings (which has been, every week) she just sits there silently. Seems like she is only 'in the know' and smart about these things within her hivemind instagram/facebook bubble.

Edited February 23, 2021 by WestCountryGirl

[stuie]

13 minutes ago, Euphoricape said:

I imagine most Peston followers are intolerable negative fuckwits so this is no surprise. 

[JoeyT]

 

[phimill]

1 minute ago, JoeyT said:

 

I havent followed the Zoe data that closely - but with this showing approx 10k/day are we now actually picking up nearly 100% of the cases in general circulation (via testing)? 

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

 

uptick?!

[efcfanwirral]

 

8 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

 

5,000 is a pretty significant difference. Glad they've found that