Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[madwullie]

22 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

That seems like a sensible way to reintroduce pupils. Hopefully it works and we can at least go back to the levels system from March 1st

Youngest in P1 goes back, eldest stays at home in P4 for more home learning.  

TBF, looking at it purely from an educational standpoint, I think that's fair enough - the wee man has definitely suffered, socially and academically missing out on so much of p1. I know you shouldn't compare weans but our eldest was reading like a champ by 6 and the wee man is nowhere near that level - and considering he's on the hardest differentiated work from the teacher I'd say it looks like that's reflected across his whole class, and I'd imagine the whole Scottish year group.

Nothing that can't be caught up on imo, but I can understand why some people are starting to talk about holding their kids back a year. 

[renton]

3 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

8 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

I highly doubt they do but I also doubt the differences in counting are enough to explain the additional 7,900 deaths we have over these countries. 

Just asking the question. Comparisons are largely useless if there 101 different measurements.

Look at excess death by countries. Still not a perfect comparison but gets a lot closer.

[EdinburghPar1975]

18 minutes ago, Karpaty Lviv said:

Don’t have the press conference on but does “senior pupils” just mean those at high school? What about p4-p7 children? 

All I’ve read is p1-3 will return full time and “senior pupils”  part time. 

Half good news for us - the one in P3 will go back but the P6 one still home, not sure how thats any safer 

Also, being in Edinburgh it means the P3 one will have a week of home learning after half term before heading back. Hopefully it'll happen but i'll believe it when i see it

[RH33]

Shoulda deferred the monster.

[Ron Aldo]

Possibly - or perhaps the criteria for each level might change.  
I could handle level 3 for a good few weeks - being able to go to the gym and go out for lunch/early dinner would be a pleasant change - but that's from a purely selfish point of view.   

I'm of the same thinking. Could be doing with a haircut as well right enough.

Being from deepest darkest Lanarkshire, tier 3 is as much freedom as we've had in months.

[super_carson]

Just now, Ron Aldo said:

I'm of the same thinking. Could be doing with a haircut as well right enough.

Advantages of losing my hair in my mid-twenties, I guess.  

[superbigal]

10 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

15 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

I highly doubt they do but I also doubt the differences in counting are enough to explain the additional 7,900 deaths we have over these countries. 

Just asking the question. Comparisons are largely useless if there 101 different measurements.

Belgium still ranked the worst major country in the world for deaths per million.

However in the 1st 6 months when care home deaths were huge,  they were actually counting "every" death as a Covid related stat.

Most countries were trying to dodge adding deaths to their metrics.

 

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

To be fair to NS, she did say "until we are in a position to lift travel restrictions" which suggests they are not indefinite.

I'm not too concerned about travel restrictions at the minute. I'll hold my concern for if the tune is the same as we approach summer against a back drop of increased vaccination and decreasing cases, hospitalisations, deaths, and restrictions elsewhere.

I agree that a plan is required, though.

I don't know, I got the impression that She was looking at "zero covid" / fully eradicated before permitting foreign travel.

She quoted that opening up in July last year was a major mistake that could not be repeated this year.

All very concerning and I honestly think it's a major mistake (certainly politically) to pursue a pie in the sky policy of worldwide eradication before allowing people a foreign holiday.

[renton]

If they keep up at 35k a day, they will have done 1.03 million by 15th of February. That is 18% of the population. So daily figure needs to get up a wee bit more to hit their prescribed target.

Nevertheless they have stepped up the numbers into the right range.

[Burnieman]

Just now, superbigal said:

Belgium still ranked the worst major country in the world for deaths per million.

However in the 1st 6 months when care home deaths were huge,  they were actually counting "every" death as a Covid related stat.

Most countries were trying to dodge adding deaths to their metrics.

 

I wonder what our stats would be if they reduced the 28 day measure to 14.

[The Golden God]

Personally i'd prefer they binned the curfew nonsense for hospitality. If it's ok to go out for a meal, then it's ok to A go at dinner time, and B have wine / beer with your food.
Pubs operating as pubs, can be in a lower tier if need be, but the time limit nonsense was ridiculous really.

Agree. Don’t think it’s fair that you could spend all day in a cafe but can’t have a few pints. Not everybody is going to get absolutely steaming every time they drink.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Belgium still ranked the worst major country in the world for deaths per million.
However in the 1st 6 months when care home deaths were huge,  they were actually counting "every" death as a Covid related stat.
Most countries were trying to dodge adding deaths to their metrics.
 

Belgium were by far the most honest - too honest one could say.

[G51]

Janssen have further delayed the EU's vaccine programme by shipping vaccine doses that the EU bought to the States instead.

Got to be honest, after all the EU's shite last week threatening to do exactly the same thing to other countries, it's hard to feel much sympathy.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

I wonder what our stats would be if they reduced the 28 day measure to 14.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/16/across-the-world-figures-reveal-horrific-covid-19-toll-of-care-home-deaths

 

[Burnieman]

1 minute ago, WATTOO said:

I don't know, I got the impression that She was looking at "zero covid" / fully eradicated before permitting foreign travel.

She quoted that opening up in July last year was a major mistake that could not be repeated this year.

All very concerning and I honestly think it's a major mistake (certainly politically) to pursue a pie in the sky policy of worldwide eradication before allowing people a foreign holiday.

So when we find ourselves in the position where England has opened to some foreign travel in say June/July, but Scotland is still pursuing quarantine and no travel, what happens next, we all head to Newcastle/Manchester/Birmingham airports?

As much as I want see Independence, we're not Independent yet and this is a situation IMO where the UK decision needs to hold sway given they control the borders. It needs a unified approach.

[Billy Jean King]

If The Weans aren’t back by 1 March I swear I’ll do time.

VT will look after them for a bit, give you a bit of respite.

[Billy Jean King]

Countries across Europe are already making moves that allow vaccinated individuals to travel without quarantine requirements.

I'd be pretty surprised and a tad disappointed if we didn't have at least dates for ending hotel quarantine by May. My first "roll over" holiday booking is July but I've pretty much resigned myself to rolling it forward nearer to Christmas.

[lithgierose]

Heard Morgan this morning rattling on about trump and twitter. If the governments shut down twitter, fb and the rest. Would there be a pandemic

[Todd_is_God]

7 minutes ago, WATTOO said:

I don't know, I got the impression that She was looking at "zero covid" / fully eradicated before permitting foreign travel.

She quoted that opening up in July last year was a major mistake that could not be repeated this year.

All very concerning and I honestly think it's a major mistake (certainly politically) to pursue a pie in the sky policy of worldwide eradication before allowing people a foreign holiday.

 

2 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

So when we find ourselves in the position where England has opened to some foreign travel in say June/July, but Scotland is still pursuing quarantine and no travel, what happens next, we all head to Newcastle/Manchester/Birmingham airports?

As much as I want see Independence, we're not Independent yet and this is a situation IMO where the UK decision needs to hold sway given they control the borders. It needs a unified approach.

My thoughts too tbh. The telling part was where she said she couldn't put the same restrictions on people coming in from other parts of the UK. 

I don't think NS is dense. It's an attempt to pressure the UK Gov into a decision and / or provide support for avoiding the total collapse of the travel sector in Scotland. And I think she'll struggle if England is opening up. The UK Gov are (rightfully) not interested in #ZeroCovid.

[Billy Jean King]

I don't know, I got the impression that She was looking at "zero covid" / fully eradicated before permitting foreign travel.
She quoted that opening up in July last year was a major mistake that could not be repeated this year.
All very concerning and I honestly think it's a major mistake (certainly politically) to pursue a pie in the sky policy of worldwide eradication before allowing people a foreign holiday.

I suspect the world will look a lot different come May. Be difficult to pursue that if the rest of Europe has decided to open up.