Government Admits it’s been Double Counting Tests
Embarrassing story in the Guardian today. The Government has quietly wiped 1.3 million COVID-19 swabs off the official testing count. This was disclosed on the Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) website on Wednesday. Under a section entitled “Adjustments to the historical ‘tests made available’ data” it said:
An adjustment of -1,308,071 has been made to the historic data for the ‘tests made available’ metric.
The adjustments have been made as a result of more accurate data collection and reporting processes recently being adopted within pillar 2 and a subsequent recalibration of the data we reported between 29 March 2020 and 11 August 2020.
These new data processed identified tests that had previously not been readily identifiable at the labs processing stage, and tests that had been sent out by a testing channel on behalf of another channel.
This resulted in a double-counting of test kits that had been dispatched and which had not been removed from the labs processed data.
In identifying this data pillar 2 established that fewer in-person tests had been conducted than originally reported, and more tests had been sent to NHS trusts and care homes than originally reported.
The Guardian has rung up a few of the Government’s criticisms, including a shadow health spokesman, and assembled a choice collection of quotes. Here’s what Allyson Pollock, a Clinical Professor of Public Health at Newcastle University, said: “The government needs to make clear what they mean by an adjustment and why the change has taken place.”
The MailOnLine has done a follow-up story and asked Carl Heneghan what he thinks caused the error.
He said the issue appears to have come from when the Department of Heath split testing into pillars one and two.
Pillar one refers to tests done in hospitals and medical facilities while pillar two is members of the public who are tested in drive-through, walk-in or home tests.
Professor Heneghan told MailOnline: ‘There is seemingly a problem when you start to introduce pillar one and pillar two tests – they seemed to be double-counting tests.
‘Somebody would have a pillar two test and then gone into hospital and had a pillar one test, and they thought it was two people.’
He said it was unsurprising that data errors were creeping and that some allowances should be made because of a difficult situation, but that it is ‘vital’ that numbers are correct.
Professor Heneghan said: ‘If the number of cases is wrong, the case fatality rate and everything gets skewed.
‘It is vital they’re correct but, to be honest, it doesn’t surprise me there have been areas where you’ve had discrepancies that need to be corrected.’
He added: ‘It does concern me and I think it’s important that data and epidemiology is transparent and it’s clear that [decisions] actually are based on up to date info.
‘What we’re interested in is understanding trends, and information has to be correct for that.’
If Professor Heneghan is right and the double counting has involved counting a person who tests positive in a pillar two test and then tests positive in a pillar one test after they’re admitted to hospital as two people, that means the DHSC has been over-counting the number of positives.
Fewer Dead Souls
The author of “Dead Souls“, an essay I published a couple of weeks ago comparing the compilers of the Government’s Covid mortality statistics to Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, the anti-hero of Gogol’s Dead Souls, has written an update called “Fewer Dead Souls” that I’ve published today. It’s a response to PHE removing over 5,000 souls from the total number of Covid deaths in England earlier in the week.
In a previous essay, I speculated that somewhere in the bowels of Public Health England (PHE) there was someone who had worked out, like Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, a method of making use of dead souls. At the time, I wondered if these dead, reported daily on the Government’s Covid dashboard, were being created literally out of nothing, as there was no trace of them in the detailed death tabulations produced by the ONS. As it turns out, that part of my speculation was incorrect.
The Chichikov in question was a Professor Newton (John, not Isaac) who had decided at an early stage of the epidemic to define death-by-Covid in such a way that he could borrow genuine deaths that were properly registered as being from other causes and claim them, for the indefinite future, provided the deceased had tested positive at some point for COVID-19. He feared, it seems, that without this resource, PHE might have been “underestimating deaths caused by the virus in the early stages”. This is a very strange explanation, as one thing that was absolutely not achieved was to avoid underestimation in the early stages. You may recall a chart (originated by Carl Heneghan and reproduced in my earlier essay) that showed clearly that PHE had underestimated Covid-related deaths during the peak of the epidemic, but had been making up ground to an ever increasing degree, more or less ever since. Under the special definition adopted, PHE was able to continue combing through registered deaths and matching them up retrospectively with the NHS England numbers of people who had, at some some time in the past, tested positive.
Worth reading in full.
Postcard From New Zealand
A reader has sent me a depressing “Postcard From New Zealand” that I’ve published today. Saint Jacinda becomes ever more powerful and – bafflingly – ever more popular. Her most recent act has been to decree that anyone testing positive for the virus, as well as all members of the same household, will be interned in “self isolation facilities” – prisons in all but name.
Legally, there is little we can do to challenge this. New Zealand does not have a constitution. Our rights as citizens are described in our Bill of Rights Act, but this is not supreme law and does not override other laws. There is nothing preventing a law that breaches the Bill of Rights Act being passed, even by a simple majority in parliament. The courts are no help, as they usually choose to interpret breaches of the Bill of Rights in other laws according to their perception of Parliament’s intention. That is, an unintentional breach of the Bill of Rights Act may be successfully challenged in the courts, but an intentional one, as shown by the proceedings of parliament, cannot be successfully challenged because Parliament is sovereign and has the power to enact almost any law. In addition, there is only a single chamber of Parliament, so new laws have a relatively low hurdle to get over.
An example of government overreach can be seen in the recently passed COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. This law provides a ridiculous amount of power to the Government. Under this Act, the Government can order any group of people to do almost anything including compelling people to stay at any location (apart from an actual prison) and undergo “medical testing” of “any kind”. (Isn’t that a breach of medical ethics?) The police have far-reaching powers of enforcement, including the power to enter people’s homes without warrants if they suspect an illegal gathering is taking place.
Worth reading in full.
French Quarantine is Using a Sledgehammer to Crack a Nut
I have written an op ed for today’s Telegraph criticising the Government’s decision to add France to the quarantine list.
On July 25, the French Government changed the rules on testing. Hitherto, the only way to avoid paying for a standard PCR test, in which your nose and throat are swabbed, was to get a prescription from your doctor.
But after the rule change, anyone could get a test free of charge. Not surprisingly, the number of people getting tested jumped – more than 600,000 people in the past week – and case numbers duly increased.
We’ve seen exactly the same pattern in parts of the UK: community testing increases and there’s a corresponding rise in recorded infections.
A half-way competent government would look at the testing data and contextualise it. You don’t need a degree in maths to compare the rise in the number of cases with the rise in the number of tests. Is the percentage in both cases the same? If so, you probably don’t have much to worry about.
Unfortunately, the geniuses at the head of our Government seem unable to do this. Instead, they apparently look at the raw case data and fly into a blind panic.
According to ministerial statements, at least, that appears to be what’s behind the last-minute decision to remove France from the “Green List” of countries you’re allowed to visit without having to quarantine on return.
There’s precious little evidence that France is currently in the midst of a “second wave”. On the contrary, if you look at Covid-19 hospitalisations, the number has remained largely stable for the past month.
In the comments beneath the piece, which are generally favourable, some have questioned whether the Government really is failing to contextualise the data. Isn’t it looking at the number of infected people per 100,000 in different countries and basing its decision on that? The answer is yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s contextualising the data.
Take the data for France from Our World in Data. It has a population: 66.9 million. In the week ending August 7th, there were 539,102 tests of which 9.060 were positive. This gives a positivity rate of 1.7% (539,102 divided by 9,060) and a cases per 100,000 of 13.5 (calculated by dividing 66.9 million by 9,060).
For the week ending August 14th, the number of tests is so far unknown but 13,732 were positive. So the positivity rate is unknown and the cases per 100,000 is 20.5. That’s the number the Government is basing the decision to remove France from the “Green List” on, not the positivity rate. Indeed, if the number of tests last week increased by a greater percentage than the number of positives, the positivity rate will be the same; if the percentage increase in testing was higher, the positivity rate will have declined, indicating a decline in the prevalence of the virus rather than a rise. To assume the number of cases per 100,000 has increased based on positive test results and nothing else is to fail to contextualise the data.
Worth reading in full, obviously, if you can get past the paywall.
Why is Basel Airport on the Quarantine List?
A reader has flagged up the latest bit of lunacy from the Government.
Last night at 23:16, the UK Government advised that effective from today, i.e. 44 minutes warning, anyone arriving from Switzerland’s Basel EuroAirport will have to self-isolate, because “you will transit France and therefore will be required to self-isolate on your return to the UK”.
Clearly, some idiot has just looked at Google Maps and concluded that the airport is physically located in France, which is correct. However, access to the airport terminal from Basel, which in exclusively in Switzerland, is via a fenced-off road corridor, providing Swiss access to the airport without having to enter France.
So when my partner lands here and comes to stay with me, she and I will have to lock ourselves away for two weeks, regardless that I was exposed to the virus in March and still had borderline but significant antibodies in early and late June.
This is good example of what I call the “collapsing skyscraper” syndrome. You’re falling through a collapsing skyscraper and every time you think you’ve finally reached solid ground, the floor gives way again and you start falling again. The Government’s incompetence is bottomless.
Sutton Noo
A reader tells me about an unsatisfactory day trip to Sutton Hoo. Sounds like one to avoid.
I had wanted to go for ages, and did so last weekend with the family while on a pilgrimage to the Adnams brewery. Turned up at the Hoo three minutes after it opened at 10am. Not a soul in sight except for a pair at the gate to the car park in high vizzers. It turned out that it was necessary to prebook to go in, but high-viz-man was helpful and suggested we return at three-ish, ‘because most people book to go in early because they want a full day at it’. I was peeved, but my son is interested in archaeology. So we had a walk and went to the excellent White Lion at Lower Ufford to kill some time before returning.
High Viz man was there again and said we could go in. But I had to switch the car engine off so that he could deliver five minutes on the Covid protocols. Eventually we parked up and got in. NONE OF THE INDOOR EXHIBITIONS ARE OPEN! So you are expected to prebook your entirely outdoor walk around some hummocks, with no glimpse of the artefacts. There were high vizzers every few hundred yards. Each gate had hand sanitiser attached to it. My son asked: “Why are we looking at dirt?” We lasted about 20 minutes.
I cancelled the National Trust membership – I should have done so ages ago.
RIB-Tickling Fun in St David’s? Not Really
Another reader had a disappointing travel experience, this time in St David’s in Pembrokeshire.
On the way there we popped into a petrol station, just over the Welsh border, and it was a relief to see no-one wearing face masks, none required.
In St David’s itself the one supermarket was mask-free and the deli had moved its produce onto tables outdoor so no need to go inside. It was starting to feel like a holiday!
The weather was looking good so I went to book us a boat trip on one of the RIBs that takes visitors around the rocks and offshore islands. Had to wait an age as only one person allowed into the booking office at once, but I finally got in and decided on an evening trip out to Bishop Rock where you get to see shearwaters and puffins skimming the water as they fly home. We’ve done the trip before and I remembered the pod of porpoises we’d seen that time and was feeling pretty excited at going again. I gave my card details and was told to check in the morning of the trip to make sure the weather was ok and it was still going ahead. Bring warm things and waterproofs, they said, it’s always windy on a RIB and there will probably be sea spray. I thanked them and was heading for the door when they called out, Oh, and bring face masks! What? Yes, you have to wear one on the boat. What, on an open inflatable travelling at speed out at sea? Yes. What, for the whole duration of the trip? Yes, you see the boat is classed as public transport. Ah, yes, of course it is. In that case please cancel my booking. It was disappointing. No, actually it was infuriating! Popping up in this most magical of places was the illogical, irrational covid madness I thought we’d escaped from. Still, we went sea-kayaking instead and had a brilliant time paddling under the cliffs and around the rocky coves. Paddle your own boat. It’s the only way through this!
New Resuscitation Guidance – Call Ambulance Then Suffocate With Towel
If you’re feeling faint, try not to keel over in front of a member of St John Ambulance, particularly if they’re carrying a towel.
Round-Up
- ‘We’re paying for an epidemic of stupidity‘ – Excellent piece in the Australian about how the innumeracy of journalists has contributed to this mess
- ‘This lapdog cabinet is the weakest in a century‘ – Max Hastings with a hard-hitting piece in the Times
- ‘Why was £108m of public money paid to Crisp Websites Limited?‘ – CrowdFunder launched by the Good Law Project
- ‘Why local spikes are unlikely to lead to more coronavirus deaths‘ – Another good piece by Sarah Knapton, Science Editor of the Telegraph
- ‘Coronavirus cases stable across most of England‘ – Even the BBC has been forced to admit the epidemic is over
- ‘This A-level fiasco is just the start of lockdown’s betrayal of the young‘ – Fraser Nelson’s column in the Telegraph is a must-read
Theme Tunes Suggested by Readers
Two today: “Mask of Lies” by MindMaze and and “Nappy Heads” by the Fugees.
Small Businesses That Have Re-Opened
A couple of months ago, Lockdown Sceptics launched a searchable directory of open businesses across the UK. The idea is to celebrate those retail and hospitality businesses that have re-opened, as well as help people find out what has opened in their area. But we need your help to build it, so we’ve created a form you can fill out to tell us about those businesses that have opened near you.
Now that non-essential shops have re-opened – or most of them, anyway – we’re now focusing on pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as other social venues. As of July 4th, many of them have re-opened too, but not all (and some of them are at risk of having to close again). Please visit the page and let us know about those brave folk who are doing their bit to get our country back on its feet – particularly if they’re not insisting on face masks! Don’t worry if your entries don’t show up immediately – we need to approve them once you’ve entered the data.
Love in the Time of Covid
We have created some Lockdown Sceptics Forums that are now open, including a dating forum called “Love in a Covid Climate” that has attracted a bit of publicity. We have a team of moderators in place to remove spam and deal with the trolls, but sometimes it takes a little while so please bear with us. You have to register to use the Forums, but that should just be a one-time thing. Any problems, email the Lockdown Sceptics webmaster Ian Rons here.
“Mask Exempt” Lanyards
I’ve created a permanent slot down here for people who want to buy (or make) a “Mask Exempt” lanyard/card. You can print out and laminate a fairly standard one for free here and it has the advantage of not explicitly claiming you have a disability. But if you have no qualms about that (or you are disabled), you can buy a lanyard from Amazon saying you do have a disability/medical exemption here (now showing it will arrive between Sept 3rd to Sept 12th). The Government has instructions on how to download an official “Mask Exempt” notice to put on your phone here. You can get a “Hidden Disability” tag from ebay here and an “exempt” card or just £2.79 from Etsy here.
Don’t forget to sign the petition on the UK Government’s petitions website calling for an end to mandatory face nappies in shops here (now over 28,750). The Government responded to this petition today. Usual balls. You can read the response here.
A reader has started a website that contains some useful guidance about how you can claim legal exemption.
And here’s a round-up of the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of mask (threadbare at best).
Stop Press: Vancouver has made masks mandatory on public transport, although getting hold of a “mask exempt” lanyard turns out to be quite easy. A Canadian reader has the story.
Vancouver is finally making masks mandatory on transit starting on August 24th, though no reason was stated why it’s now happening other than making people feel safer on transit. My guess would be that September typically sees a surge in transit with schools and universities returning and people coming back from vacation so they are worrying about that
The transit authority also said they will be issuing exemption cards, though only at two offices in the entire lower mainland (Metro Vancouver area).
As I happen to work near one of those offices and my commute is 45mins on a bus I decided to go and see what was involved in getting an exemption…
Walked into the office and asked the receptionist: “Is this the place for exemption cards?” to which she answered “yes” and then just handed me one from a pile on the desk and that was it. I now have my exemption card – no forms, no proof, not even a record of issuing me one.
Might also note she wasn’t wearing a mask (but did have a screen on the desk) and wasn’t wearing gloves when she handed me the card, maybe I should complain about their covid standards…
Shameless Begging Bit
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And Finally…
Discussion
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsl_9dQLn0Y
Dublin yesterday. The bedwetters are calling for an investigation 🙁 Personally, I believe that the participants should be congratulated for holding the restrictions in contempt.
Personally I shall not ever be bothering to visit the place. B’fhear liom a bheith a ól sa chuineas.
PHE may get wound up (they wind me up) but this is meaningless, everyone just TUPEES over to the new entity & it all continues with the same people.
Latest Update now available —–>>>>>
TEST, TRACE, DETAIN
This is the policy which is in UK law right now and Matt Hancock is surely itching to reach for the second we get a handful more cases. It seems schools are the real danger on how widespread and ridiculous it could get. What they keep going on about, starter, unions, even half the conservatives, is an “effective track and trace system” for schools. But what they fail to say is that this is so disruptive you may as well stay in lockdown. A child coughs? All kids within several metres in the class told they must go home and get tested, and their families also must isolate for 14 days and get tested. And if you refuse, they have the power to “use reasonable force” if you decide you don’t wish to isolate in a “specified place” by a constable or other enforcement officer. Truly scary stuff. Following in St Jacinda’s footsteps I expect.
http://www.laworfiction.com/2020/08/test-trace-and-detain/
This is a good time to loose ALL your friends and start living an totally independent life.
The kids will not be sent home they will be taken to the testing and detainment facility directly that is how they will get the parents there.
The kids will be in permanent rolling 14-day isolation as far as I can see. Coughs and colds are more or less permanent in primary schools over the winter. No meaningful education can take place under those conditions. And haven’t they threatened to close a school completely if more than 2 kids test positive?
Retail Report
Mrs Doubting has just nipped into Waitrose, possibly 30% of customers not masked, this is the highest number of people without masks since 24th July implementation day. She also said most people now completely ignoring the in store one way system.
However the store are still cleaning baskets & trolleys before use, but no door discriminator.
Given people’s hand washing habits ( usually nonexistent) cleaning handles of trolleys and baskets is sensible even when we don’t have Covid around. Hand washing is the one recommendation that makes sense.
It was the first and was already proving effective before they introduced the draconian nonsense guaranteed to weaken our immune systems!
This morning I watched the video of the German lawyers who are gathering evidence against the German government’s actions over Lockdown. They were discussing the PCR tests and a virologist was giving evidence.
I’m definitely not a scientist-always hated the subject at school-but throughout all of this, I have tried to get my head around what these tests show. Forgive me if this information has been posted before.
The virologist said that there are probably at least 300 varieties of this test being used by various laboratories, hence the different cut-off points for the number of cycles needed to show a positive result. (Not sure if this figure of 300 is world wide or just in Germany)
Any lab can easily create these tests, they are the bread and butter work for them and not just regarding this virus. So basically any post grad scientist will be familiar with them.
It struck me that governments worldwide have place so much faith in these tests that they have destroyed their own countries as a result.
On a side note, where is Angela Merkel hiding? Haven’t heard anything from her for ages. Has she retired?
Brace yourselves. We are told that kind and “caring” people wear a mask, and that those who don’t (those who “follow the science”, if I dare use that abused phrase) are inconsiderate, selfish and uncaring. Last night, I heard a horror story which brought tears to the eyes of my close relative who told me this. He had been in the company of a 95 year old (yes, 95) blind woman, who is the full-time carer for her disabled elderly son. She had been verbally abused on several occasions for not wearing a mask when she goes to the shops. She told my relative that she wants to die, as life like this is not worth living. And these are supposedly “caring” people who are abusing this 95 year old blind carer and driving her to consider suicide.
Those who choose to enforce the laws of fascist tyrants are evil not caring. They are the problem. Without such people the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Boris and co could not have caused anything like the harm that they have and will do. They deserve to be treated with contempt.
But we mustn’t call them ‘bedwetters’. Or ‘sheeple’.
They are publicly abusing a 95 year old blind woman. But we mustn’t call them nasty names.
Let me just help you out, there, JohnB. “Yer a bunch of fucking cowardly, sick twats”. There you go, mate, I said that, not you.
In one comment thread I saw may name mentioned dbaout fixed penalty notices.
Here is the relevant quote from the gov.uk page on cautions, fixed penalty notices etc:
“Yes, here is the bit from there relevant page on gov.uk:
Penalty notices for disorderPenalty notices for disorder are given for offences like:
shoplifting possessing cannabis being drunk and disorderly in public You can only get a penalty notice if you’re 18 or over.
You’ll be asked to sign the penalty notice ticket. You won’t get a criminal conviction if you pay the penalty.
You can ask for a trial if you disagree with the penalty notice. You’ll get a bigger fine if you don’t ask for a trial but don’t pay the fine.”
If offered a FPN do not accept a this is an admission of guilt and then not paying means increasing fines.
Refuse to accept it and take your chances in going to court if it ever gets that far.
A while ago I read somewhere a report that basically said the chances of a contested FPN getting to court is very low as it’s not worth the cost and time to deal with. Depends on the “political… Read more »
Everybody could just say they nearly drowned when they were younger and now anything covering their nose and mouth causes them severe distress. I honestly don’t see how anybody who’s looked at the legislation and didn’t wanna wear a mask could ever get a fine.
“If offered a FPN do not accept a this is an admission of guilt and then not paying means increasing fines.“
This is where I tend to question your otherwise fine points, but I’m unsure of the situation.
As I understand it, there is no admission unless you tick the “admit and pay fine box”. Taking the ticket in itself doesn’t constitute any admission, otherwise, though possibly you would then be pursuable for non-payment if you didn’t notify them of an intention to contest it, not sure about that. All it does is save the authorities from having to arrest you and charge you in the normal way, surely?
I’d want formal advice from a criminal lawyer on this, I think.
My intention anyway atm, is to take the notice and tick the box saying the alleged offence is contested and wait to see if they choose to test it in the magistrate’s court.
Yep, you’re right.
As long as you do NOT tick the box which says you admit you did it you’re refusing the FPN. Same thing whether you take it or don’t, you’ve still refused it.
By taking it even to send it back means you’ve given your details and all FPNs issued go to a central database and then sorted out there depending on whether you pay within the time limit or don’t pay on time an get a bigger fine and so on.
This is mentioned on the guidance from the Police College to their members a month or so ago.
https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/understanding-the-law/Documents/COVID-19-Face-coverings-080820.pdf – even gives the central e-mail address they go to for processing.
There are only a few times that you MUST show identification to a Police Officer in the UK. These are driving offences (you must be able to prove you are qualified to drive the vehicle you are driving), shotguns and firearms (you must be able to prove you have a relevant certificate to own the weapon you have in your possession), selling alcohol (you must be able to prove you have the relevant licence to sell alcohol). There a couple of others but… Read more »
“his advice – get in first that they called you a homosexual – hate crime, trumps all “
Yes, this is now routine, especially for any racial minority member who is involved in a dispute with someone white. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes, and it’s also routine in court. The most egregious cases are when killers claim it as supposed mitigation when the victim is not around to defend himself, such as this egregious case:
“The court heard Gill punched Mr Young after the victim allegedly made a racist remark. “
Good stuff, except that magistrates courts do not set precedents.
Then I hope you would bring it to the attention of this site and I have no doubt that we would all be happy to pitch in to get you a QC defence lawyer.
Our Government is being advised how to influence our behaviour by a leading member of The Communist Party of Britain.
Is this leading member of The Communist Party of Britain also using her expertise to influence how we are governed?
Which rather confirms the general political leanings of the “Conservative” Party hierarchy. They find the attitudes and beliefs of a communist pretty familiar and unobjectionable – generally pc and woke, collectivist, cynical about patriotism and religion, supportive of big government and centralised authority etc
Is there some kind of moderator here? I’ve been posting for weeks without trouble. Two or three days ago (the days blurr, as you all know, amidst this shit) I tried to add a graphic to my post. I had read that to do that you need to be logged in. I tried that. I assumed I would need to subscribe or have an account. When I tried that I was told I need a paasword. I set that up, but then was told that my username was already in use (yes, by me!). Failed to set up an account. Now my every post is “Awaiting for approval” for a good while. Any advice?
I’m always trying to find reasons to be optimistic. Here’s my latest attempt. It seems to me that the government will be hoist by its own petard (whatever a petard is). Well, we know it will be ultimately. That’s just a matter of time and how much damage has to occur before. But, in the short term, it seems it is going to have to put out two contradictory messages: Message 1: Schoolchildren are safe. There is no danger from the virus; Message 2: We are all in danger, so put your masks on and, if you are in certain towns, do not mix with others.
So, which is it? The line of “children are safe, adults are in danger” is hard to hold. I sense that the government is desperate to get the children back to school (they’ve launched a campaign today), so they may have to start a campaign telling us we are not in as much danger as we were.
Lets hope so, it can’t come soon enough. They should start unwinding the fear immediately. FFS
I really do hope so as the reasons are not trivial – the longer the heightened fear goes on the longer people will suffer. The recent articles in the press about care home residents being in an almost prison like situation. So called locked in for their own good. Sadly folks living in care homes are coming to the end of their lives so to deprive them of their family is so inhumane.
Next stage coming in Tennessee in nice flowery language:
https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2020/6/18/tennessee-department-of-education-announces-covid-19-child-wellbeing-task-force.html
Mentions a few times this phrase “conducting child wellbeing checks” .
Sounds ominously like door-to-door checks and taking the children if you don’t agree with what they say.
You’ve got to laugh at the utter bilge some people write:
The department’s strategic plan, Best for All, prioritizes the whole child as one of three priority areas.
The “whole child”. What, as opposed to just his foot or something?
Essentially, the entire article was industrial strength hogwash.
Yep and worded so that it means whatever they want it to mean and as it is from the Tennessee State Government it’s not an article but official policy.
Under this someone can turn up unannounced at your house to perform a “child wellbeing check”, claim the child’s wellbeing is not up to standard as they are hungry/fat/not doing schoolwork/whatever is trumped up and then off goes the child without the parents being able to do anything about it.
Knowing people from Tennessee I’ve worked with over the years I don’t think it will be long before one of the door knockers gets shot then they will come escorted by armed police and it escalates.
Hope I’m wrong though.
Scotland has a similar law as they have each child assigned to a government “named person” who is supposed to check the children under them welfare, education and so on and which uses the phrase “detention in secure accommodation”.
And without a trial as well, just on the say so of the “named person” who has listed it as necessary under the child’s plan – a “targeted intervention” as it’s called.
There’s a trick to reading what things mean as opposed… Read more »
Dear Boris,
You can not hide from reality for ever.
The Boris Johnson legacy will be, by far, the most damning of any British prime minister ever in history.
The ‘Boris Johnson’ name will forever be associated with; catastrophe, failure, cowardice and incompetence.
The direct opposite of how Winston Churchill is remembered.
Sad but true – I think that is a just judgment. I say that as someone who was strongly supportive of Boris in the past.
Well I’ve always voted Conservative, and have always wanted out of the EU – but I never wanted Boris
He puts himself above everything/one else including his country – he is a dangerous mistake
He’ll be remembered as a fucking useless waste of space.
Wow.You should be awarded the VC.What a hero.
North West Note:
Posted the other day about Wethy’s insisting on T&T details as condition of entry, which had “Come from Head Office”. That was Middleton, in the Dominion of Burnham.
Visited the Todmorden one yesterday, no hassle at all, nobody on door, plenty in. So it does seem to be a Greater Manchester thing, no doubt in fear of Burnham’s hit squads, even though it goes against Gov (non statutory) advice. Having said that, Calderdale are also on the naughty step, so I would have expected similar behaviour, but maybe they don’t have a twat like Happy Andy.
Final proof will be next time I visit my local Wethy’s, which falls under Grossen Manchswitz.
Are the Manchester spoons asking for proof of ID? If not we can still lie. I don’t know anyone who is putting their real details on the T and T forms and these people include nurses and doctors!!! I am sure this must be so nation wide but it is not reported in the media!
For those too thick to think of using false id, the media aren’t exactly going to enlighten them.
Excellent video here. Lengthy, but lots of links to other sources of information.
Denmark Says ‘No Benefit’ To Masks…
https://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/denmark-says-no-benefit-masks-lockdowns-dont-work-covid-tracking-israeli-us-foreign-policy/
Yeah, well Denmark’s just mandated masks on public transport …
The legal challenge to the lockdown and related measures is progressing but still looking for donations if you are willing & able:
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/lockdownlegalchallenge/
Currently seems like the best chance we have to hold the government to account.
Apparently Coronavirus could travel five metres through air, study finds
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/15/coronavirus-could-travel-five-metres-air-study-finds/
…. The scientists were able to isolate infectious particles of the virus at a distance of up to 4.8 metres from patients being treated at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.
This is significantly further than the advised two metre social distancing rule, which the researchers say provides a “false sense of security” and could lead to many more people being exposed.
…. Given the virus could still be isolated in the air samples, the scientists believe this means the risk of transmitting the virus indoors is far higher than previously thought.
The study concludes: “With the current surges of cases, to help stem the Covid-19 pandemic, clear guidance on control measures against SARS-CoV-2 aerosols are needed.”
Well that should stop them going back to school!
And Hazmat suits in and outside your home!
So, those of us that breathe are all dead then. And have been since about January. Bugger me, I missed that.
Absolutely this!!! I would guess these are bits of virus with no potential to infect anyone.
It’s behind a paywall so let me just say that it says that it is unclear if what is found would in fact infect anyone.
But it adds to the fear factor agenda. I know of someone who is ironing their newspaper after delivery to ensure no virus!!!!!! Another person who won’t touch anything another person has touched for fear of infection. FFS when will is stop!!!
It’s astonishing how it has worked, isn’t it Wendy? “I will die if I get it” is firmly fixed in their heads. And yet they are probably smokers, drink drivers or habitual speeders, whatever. That’s what we are up against. It will take a lot to shift their mindset.
The government won’t bother about a detail like that. They’re obviously desperate to maintain the fear factor and this is another excuse.
It’s no good sitting on the toilet seat,
The crabs in here jump 3 feet
But if you think that’s bloody high
Go next door where the buggers fly!
School Toilet Door, c. 1973
Have just read the Lord Sumption article someone has posted below.
”In February, at the outset of the current crisis, the government was warned in clear terms by its scientific advisors that aggressive isolation policies would merely ‘push all transmission to the period after they are lifted, giving a delay but no substantial reduction in either peak incidence or overall attack rate’
I must admit that I had forgotten this in all the noise.
What it says to me is that:
a. We have been kicking the can down the road from the very beginning.
b. The policy of zero Covid espoused by Wee Kranky and St Jacinda is simply unattainable
c. There are bound to be local outbreaks where people test positive-whatever a positive test tells us, that is.
Lowering the crown of the sombrero but forever extending its brim!
That’s all OK because it was never about protecting people from a virus.
To be fair to Ferguson et al, they never claimed anything else if memory serves
It was always about postponing
They envisaged continuous lockdowns and relaxations, to protect the NHS, until there was a vaccine
They never had any other exit strategy
What they got wrong was estimating too high an IFR and they continue to deny the existence of prior immunity/resistance despite evidence from Sweden and elsewhere
And of course the lockdown, which continues, was never defensible anyway, neither from a moral nor practical public health standpoint
I think that this is right. The ‘hiding under the stairs’ policy has just delayed the inevitable.Namely that this virus will do what is was going to do, and all we’ve effectively done is delay it’s progress and destroyed our economy etc in the process. There is no second spike,wave or whatever, this is just the ebb and flow of transmission caused by lockdown and artefact in data from increased testing.
Increased pressure on Swedish epidemiologists. In an article in one of the biggest newspapers in Sweden 26 academics and scientist from Sweden warn the authorities that children can spread C-19 as shown in the US, Israel and South Korea.
“As children can transmit, and also be critical ill, and at the moment it is still unclear if even a mild infection might have consequence for their future health, we should already now at the school start take actions to reduce spread. We suggest that face masks should be carried at schools and that specially vulnerable children should have home education”
There are many important names signing this article, some obviously rivals but they are all influenced by Project Fear from the US. The pressure is increasing every day.
https://omni.se/26-forskare-oron-for-okad-spridning-ar-befogad/a/jd8dOz
As UK Column pointed out last week, they’re coming for our kids.
Yes. But these academics and scientists live in an ivory tower with no knowledge about the situation in schools. There a many kids with autistic problems, heard of hearing which would be devastated by mask wearing. And I assume 20% of Swedish pupils barely speak Swedish how are they going to learn the language from a teacher wearing a face nappy? But even with so many convincing PC arguments against face masks this would still be squashed by the Project Fear.They have the money and influencing media worldwide.
Once you step out of line, they go after you.
Sweden and Belarus are the two clearest examples of this taking place.
No one is forcing them to send their kids to school. Why don’t they home educate if they’re that worried? Presumably anyone shielding is either not working or working from home anyway.
Carl Heneghan has retweeted research on T Cell immunity, not shown up using the blood tests for antibodies, meaning community immunity is likely to be above the 6.5% suggested by ONS and the imperial college research published earlier this week.
Question of if you mount a T Cell response to encountering a virus whether you are infectious to others is under consideration.
All good news.
I feel great today folks. Loads of energy. Best I’ve felt in years. I checked what could be causing this and from what I’ve read I think I’ve got bloody covid.
TY has pointed out that covid symptoms are more like a hangover so you must have the new novel novel rona.
Symptoms include, but are not limited to: breathing, pulse, pants on, curtains open, effects of gravity etc…
Remember when you were taught to cope with a difficult situation/ interview by imagining that the other person was stark naked? Why do you think I go around supermarkets with a big grin on my face?
It also works if you go around saying to yourself “Hancock is a twit”. ( supply your own fruitier version for greater effect).
Ah but he has exercised unreasonable power over more gullible humans. That could elicit a worried frown.
I always try to remember that supermarkets are literally the only place where mask zealots get to feel empowered. And I won’t even allow them to have that 😎
Like it Kh !,I sometimes imagine a face to the posters on here,you are now forever Robert Smith !.
If you could do a froth ‘face covering’ on the top, that would help to stop the virus, see?
Charge extra ! Masks, ‘NHS’, WHO logo – prices graded according to ludicrousness of the request. 🙂
That’s the way to do it KH. Stand proud & tall!!
Fuck ’em
Don’t worry about it Kh,you are working long hours and having to deal with the zombies everyday on the frontline so even without having your phone cut off I’m surprised you’ve got any time for yourself !.
I agree this site has been a godsend,there are only three things that have keep me from going over the edge in these past months,Toby’s site with the brilliant discussions between like-minded souls from the detailed breakdowns of statistics and laws,the anecdotes from interactions in the ‘real’ world and especially the humour and kindness,then there’s Carl Vernons Youtube videos and finally my five mile walk in the countryside with our dog at dawn everyday although getting soaking wet on the way home this morning did take the shine off a bit !.
Sage out of touch and entirely misjudge reality of people. In the Groan today:
“Documents released by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) warned that in areas with vulnerable or marginalised communities local interventions could make people feel stigmatised, damage trust in government and lead to social unrest.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/14/uk-ministers-were-warned-local-lockdowns-could-fuel-racial-tensions
Ghettoes. Now there’s an idea!
From what I saw on a cycle trip in parts of rural Merseyside yesterday trust in government is totally gone. People have made their own mind up about risks which leaves the question of what is the government for?
As far as one can see their job is solely to make us plebs life horrible.
Well, well. I must be a ‘marginalised community’ then. Fancy that.
Help please! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but I subscribed yesterday to “new replies to my comments” but instead got all the new replies i.e. hundreds!! Can anyone tell me what I might be doing wrong?
Deleted comment.
This isn’t a forum, so isn’t as sophisticated. Actually I didn’t realise that button existed – best not to press it then?