Downing St, Conference

[Sqad]

By and large, the right decision to continue with the road map of lifting restrictions.
Tricky.....very tricky.
Not enough is known of the properties surrounding the new variant at the moment.
Let us reconvene on AB in 10 days time.

[Bobbisox1]

Optimism is the keyword here !

[rockyracoon]

I’m fuming about this. Stupid government gave a few days warning about closing the door on India, hundreds flew back and brought that variant with them, obviously didn’t isolate either. Why is the door not closed immediately. Now the wheels will be well and truly off our June sense of freedom.

I really hope I’m wrong.


Aarghhhhh

[douglas9401]

Addled, inept Honey Monster lookalike has no clue about anything past womanising and grog.

Read all abaht it!

[Bobbisox1]

If not Rocky I can see widespread protests but I hope I’m right and they get on top of it

[Jackdaw33]

It will have to be something very serious to delay June 21st or Boris will be on a hiding to nothing.

[Prudie]

Whatever I think it's unfair and potentially dangerous to assign variants to actual geographical places. We were well peed when EU blamed stuff on the British variant or Kent variant. There is no evidence this came from an Indian flying back and even if it did it's not helpful.
I understand we are not allowed to call the flu pandemic of the early 20C as Spanish anymore so why is this acceptable?

[wolf63]

I believe that the Deputy Prime Minister is about to make a statement.
https://postimg.cc/5YRhq3Cb

[Atheist]

Johnsomn seems to be doing his usual...turns up late because he's been stuck in the back room with the scientists, then announces that things are prob gonna be OK so he won't change the rules, but the public must use their common sense and if they don't then it's not his fault.
We'll fight them on the beaches! but only if the public uses its common sense!

[Atheist]

Not really inspiring.

[mushroom25]

// There is no evidence this came from an Indian flying back //

the "Indian Variant" is called that because India is where that variant was first recognised and isolated. just as the "Kent Variant" was first isolated in Kent, etc. it's got nothing to do with who may, or may not, have brought it here - although given the variants' known provenance, it's a pretty fair bet.

[Prudie]

Mushroom that's exactly my point but that's not what many of the population think, it assigns the problem to a nation or part of a nation. They will think the Indian variant is the fault of an Indian and nothing else. If I were a knucklehead who has my pub opening cancelled I might well want to go and thump the nearest Indian.

[douglas9401]

Aye, that's why every inch of Kent was burned then levelled and salted.

Or was it?

[New Judge]

//I understand we are not allowed to call the flu pandemic of the early 20C as Spanish anymore....//

That's principally because it had nothing in particular to do with Spain, Prudie.

[237SJ]

There's always going to be a variant from somewhere - if it's not India, SA, Brasil etc it will be from some other densely populated area (Mexico city for eg?) What do we do - stop the world? We just have to trust that the vaccination works and carry on. There will be no economy left otherwise.

[Sqad]

NJ.....that was Prudie's point.

[Peter Pedant]

// Whatever I think it's unfair and potentially dangerous to assign variants to actual geographical places.//

they tried not to after Trump and Chinese Flu

but it stuck - kent and India - Bra-heel

Historically it used to be person - Pasteurella, Escherichia, and it then was after places - Vibrio El-Tor - - El tor was the god forsaken fly blown place that type of cholera occurred

[Peter Pedant]

oops and my point was that the idea didnt demonise the discoverer - in fact the change from person ( Ehrlich, Pasteur) to place was to limit the cult of person (!)

1967 Hong Kong Flo - no one said oh lets us go and stone a few chippies

[Prudie]

People weren't stopped from doing what they wanted in any previous historical outbreaks though (to a large extent) that's the difference. We have been fettered for months now and frustration and anger can build up, especially when a dangled carrot is removed.

[10ClarionSt]

What we do know is that a lockdown won't stop it. Lockdown didn't stop the UK from having the highest infection rates in the world in the past 12 months. SD; face masks; HFS. Twas all a waste of time.

[gulliver1]

Well if you allow Cowboys to run the country , you expect to have Indians about.