"If you stay indoors, the virus wins"
"If you stay indoors, the virus wins"
I nominate Bam (first nomination).
I like the causing commotion and seeing how the dust settles act as much as the next man but this is suspicious.
Welcome to the Federation.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/pol...04-p54pkt.htmlThey are expected to discuss a mooted "trans-tasman bubble" that would allow Kiwis and Australians to freely travel between countries.
Bam is amazing. Every time you think he has to have said the most stupid thing he'll ever say, he does something like announce someone will be safe from a deadly virus because they used to be in the army.
Page 153 made my porridge so much more enjoyable.
I'm glad I woke up to this.![]()
For what it's worth from an outsiders perspective, the opinions that I've read from here generally lean towards the thinking that both the US and UK have mishandled this thing. There is a large UK expat population here, most of whom have been worried about their families on that side of the world.
I can only speak to my experience, but we closed the borders 19th March, and have been in lock down since 23rd March. Presumably made those decisions based on all the same information that the rest of the world had. Today was the first day we had zero new reported cases. So it has taken 43 days of lock-down and 47 days of border closure for us to (hopefully) stomp this thing out. A decision hasn't been announced yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if we go back to a "new-normal" next week.
The idea is that we stomp the virus out in full before we get to normal life, so we can avoid any potential second wave. This will mean the borders will remain shut, other than a potential "tran-Tasman" bubble with Australia, pending both countries successfully beating the virus.
Is getting rid of it in full an actual realistic target though? Sounds unlikely unless people are willing to live in full lockdown for the best part of 18 months. In conclusion, given NHS capacity wasn't breached, UK are fine in their approach and outcomes.
We also locked down on 23 March, so we can conclude two things:
a) we had it earlier and in larger quantities than NZ;
b) it spreads a hell of a lot easier with 65 million people on an island than with 5 million people on two islands.
That said, I'm not convinced you can actually stamp this out unless you want to adopt something akin to the isolationist policies of early Imperial Japan, or become a larger version of North Sentinel Island.
Comparisons with us and New Zealand aren't fair, for the reasons Jim's mentioned.
In theory we could have eradicated it had we locked down earlier and actually closed borders, but whether that would actually ever work in practice, I'm not sure.
Everyone is still giving Ms Ardern the swollen dick treatment nonetheless. I can't think of an easier world leader job than being PM of New Zealand. Maybe PM of Norway marginally easier as they also have oil bounty as well as everything else.
Virus arguments
I still reckon it's herd immunity with a wig on and they'll blame the public for causing it to spiral when the dust settles.
I think most people would struggle to find criticisms to the governments policies around the virus to date. The current opposition leader is currently giving it a good go by opposing everything the governments doing. He's not winning many friends at the moment. At this rate the current government is going to stroll to victory in the upcoming September elections. With how popular she is at the moment, the only serious concern is if Ardern eventually gets tired of the job and chucks it all in.
There are growing thoughts that the update on Thursday/Sunday could see schools return in some capacity at the start of June. The reaction will be mixed, to say the least.
Broad question but what would people recommend as the best books to read on [mostly UK] politics? Apart from Lewis' book, of course.
Don't worry, I'm sure they'll arrange a weekly round of applause for you all.
We've had ours, mate. Where were you?
Social distancing is done then, I guess? Cos its nigh on impossible to stay 2m apart in schools, even if they just let one year-group back.
And theres zero point in half-arsing it; you either do it all the time or not bother.
I'm a twit
We will all give up on social distancing after a while, because it's just not viable for the continuation of human society.
Less than 100 in ICU in Scotland and 4 (?) deaths in the last 24 hours reported. Scottish schools won’t open from June either.
Nor will ours, it's just kite-flying, which is the only way government policy is being conducted at the moment.
I know a few nurses who are saying their work load has never been easier. Everybody not bothering going to hospital through fear I guess.
Big announcement tonight lads.
I thought that had already happened.
Why is a draft report that's been leaked being commented upon as if it were a final copy?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52533375
What in the fuck are the BBC doing?
I have some sympathy for the TUC (unusually) but I am also growing tired of people talking about 'the economy' as if it's some cabal of distant industrialists wanking each other off in a penthouse jaccuzzi, and can be put off until the virus is dead and buried. Without 'the economy', children will starve to death, theirs first.
Our office is ideal for distancing, but we're still getting a few people refusing to come back 'until it's completely safe'. I think that could become an issue, and it's hard to see a way round it other than letting you sack them.
The thing people keep overlooking for this is the amount of potential infection starting vectors - simply, that Chinese people (pre-testing, and asymptomatic carriers of the virus) go to France/Spain/Italy/UK/US loads more than other places, hence why those places got mauled more. Far fewer go on holiday to Germany, so the initial infection starting point is lower.
Remember when farmers were banging on the other week about needing to import workers from eastern Europe to pick fruit and veg or we'd end up with fields of it rotting?
Can't we send all the teens who aren't at school off to do it?
I wouldn't have minded that at that age. Would've been better than shitty customer service jobs and having to deal with the public.
Sending off a bunch of teenagers to some fruit-picking gulag? Can't believe GS has hacked your account.
They're off anyway, plenty of them would probably like a summer job for money, they're at lesser risk and social distancing can probably be observed fine in a field and we don't have to bring people into the country to possibly spread the virus more.
I don't see any downsides.
How young are you talking Boyd? My nephew and niece are 10 and 8 respectively and have a fair bit of free time on their hands.
Not that young, that's a bit harsh.
Like 14 and up. 14 and 15 year olds could do two or three days a week and 16+ could do a full week if they wanted.
It will be the furlough dickheads who are being paid to do fuck all who complain the loudest.
I'm not sure child slave labour is the answer. There's enough adults that have done fuck all but sit at home on benefits foremost of their lives. They can earn their keep.
Fruit picking, I've heard, is a young persons game and brutally challenging.