In early March of 2020, there was rising public concern that the UK was taking an altogether different approach to its neighbours, leading some people to joke that Britain was the world’s “control group”. To allay public fears, the health Secretary Matt Hancock wrote an op-ed in The Telegraph on March 15th claiming that “herd immunity” was not part of the government’s plan. Here’s the full quote:
We have a plan, based on the expertise of world-leading scientists. Herd immunity is not a part of it. That is a scientific concept, not a goal or a strategy. Our goal is to protect life from this virus, our strategy is to protect the most vulnerable and protect the NHS through contain, delay, research and mitigate.
Now Dominic Cummings – the former chief advisor to Boris Johnson, who left No. 10 “with immediate effect” in mid November – has claimed that the government did intend to pursue a “herd immunity” strategy. At 3:38 this afternoon, Cummings tweeted:
Media generally abysmal on covid but even I’ve been surprised by 1 thing: how many hacks have parroted Hancock’s line that ‘herd immunity wasn’t the plan’ when ‘herd immunity by Sep’ was *literally the official plan in all docs/graphs/meetings* until it was ditched
In a subsequent tweet, Cummings elaborated on why the government’s original plan was “ditched”. He writes:
In week of 9/3, No10 was made aware by various people that the official plan wd lead to catastrophe. It was then replaced by Plan B. But how ‘herd immunity by Sep’ cd have been the plan until that week is a fundamental issue in the whole disaster
What Cummings says is of course broadly consistent with the statements Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance had made up until the date of Hancock’s article, as well as with the infamous ‘UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011’. In a hearing of the Health and Social Care Committee on March 5th, Whitty said, “what we’re very keen to do is not intervene until the point we absolutely have to, so as to minimise economic and social disruption.”
Opinions obviously differ about whether the original plan would “lead to catastrophe”, but it’s interesting to have an insider’s perspective on the Government’s early planning.
Stop Press: In a further tweet, Cummings has accused the Government of lying. He writes:
No10 decided to lie: ‘herd immunity has never been… part of our coronavirus strategy’. V foolish, & appalling ethics, to lie about it. The right line wd have been what PM knows is true: our original plan was wrong & we changed when we realised
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More fool them
No – more propagandised and fearful them
Sadly notice a fair few older people wearing masks whenever they go out, and I’m sure they’ve been jabbed. The SPI-B psychopaths and their political masters opened Pandora’s Box and they wouldn’t be able to close it even if they wanted to.
agreed – keep having to remind my anxious parent that they are now twice vaccinated [much through I wish they were not – would far rather they were taking vitamin D] and have very little to worry about every time I am asked a series of questions about whether X or Y is safe and hear that they are “worried” about something to do with the relaxation of the covid restrictions. If only I could manage to stop them watching the news on the bogus broadcasting corporation…
Yep concur with that. Staying in a village in Wensleydale this w/e and it’s mask central. Bloke in the village shop asked why I wasn’t wearing one, very nearly replied that I wasn’t that gullible. A lot but especially the old continue wearing them in the street – very depressing.
Too much TV & Media.
I think there lies the problem.
Switch-off the TV and radio.
If there was no TV or radio would anyone really know that there had even been a pandemic?
Back in the 14th century during the Black Death which caused an estimated 50 million deaths there was no TV or radio back then (obviously) but you were aware that there was a deadly killer disease spreading through the population because people were dropping like flies absolutely everywhere (read the diaries back then) – yet I’ve still to meet or know anyone who knows of someone somehwere who has actually died of covid19 (not died with covid19) but actually died due to the covid virus.
Also Spartacus, even in 68(HK Flu) and 56/57( Asian flu) apart from the governments, 1 Labour and 1 Conservative respectively not panicking and running around in ever decreasing circles instructing us to isolate in our homes (or else), there wasn’t 24 hour rolling news on TV and radio constantly churning out propaganda and inane comments like “It’s the wettest May since the last wettest May!”.
Weird isn’t it. I was in a second-hand furniture emporium recently; a man and his wife – about 55 – made an absolute meal of getting past me, even though I was facing away from them in a large room with a 6-foot passageway. I flipped (slightly) and said “Oh for heaven’s sake you don’t need to make such a fuss – there’s no bloody virus here and nobody’s died in this area [mid-Norfolk] for months!” The man squared up to me as if I’d asked him for a fist-fight; “Oh yeah,” he shouted, “so how many people do YOU know who’ve died?” This suggested to me that he in fact knew people who’d died. “None,” I said. “Well,” quoth the sage, “my mother was very ill with it.” Substantial pause while I tried to fathom the man’s train of thought. “So,” I replied, “You don’t know anyone who’s died, either?” He just walked off.
Very odd, very disconcerting. Bizarre illogical remarks prompted by fear/anger/ignorance? People are enjoying their confinement; it’s making them feel significant, protected, part of something. It’s a measure of their country’s loss of identity and self-confidence. Very sad.
This. They’ve been terrorised, captive with often little to keep them company apart from a TV or Radio. It’s their communication with the mad, mad world outside and it’s full, wall to wall, with extreme Covid fear porn.
Postcard from the South Sandwich Islands
Day 22
At the SAGE meeting yesterday one of the Penguins brought up a new paper published this week in the Oxford scientific journal Clinical Infectious Diseases
The penguin seemed to suggest that the scientists had discovered something in the vaccinated that was not predicted and they don’t understand
I pointed out that this was not an agenda item and we must concentrate on Martin Bashir and Harry’s indescribable pain
Anyway said penguin went swimming this morning and never came back
So sad. He leaves a wife, children and the islands first Jamie Oliver franchise
I got told in one letter, in March that I was suddenly ” clinically, extremely vulnerable” and that should shield for a month…and book my jabs! It’s funny that I wasn’t considered so the whole of last year but come jab rollout time…time to try and frighten even more people into accepting it. Didn’t work on me though. Chucked it in the bin and carried on as usual.
I’ve had numerous texts and letters from my GP, noting my ‘underlying health issues’ (I haven’t got any!!) pushing me to book an appointment online or via the GP.
I’ve had 3 letters from the NHS directing me to book an appointment.
Several telephone calls. One caller left a message on my mobile, stating I need to contact them to discuss my ‘treatment plan’ regarding the injections!!
Oh – and a further 2 letters from my GP and one from some place else – inviting me to join clinical trials in the fight against Covid!!!!! I would of course, have a full medical health screen and travel costs would be reimbursed, whoopy doo!
Bog off to the lot of ‘em!!
oh the joys of not having a mobile phone of any kind – I seem to be below the radar and hope that I can manage to keep it that way for as long as possible
I’m going to find my old faithful basic Nokia – about 15 years old or more – and if it still works, start using that if / when I go out and apps are needed. Can’t download anything to it
In Kidderminster yesterday along with most of the country it was pouring down with rain,blowing a gale and bitter cold and yet there were the collaborators and sheep fully “facenappied up” outside. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THESE PEOPLE?
Later on, myself, Mrs FP and our younger son went for a meal and had to put up with the usual:”Have you signed in,sanitized your hands, etc”followed by: ” Follow the one way system and if you want to visit the toilet, don’t forget to wear your face nappy, etc”, but then a ray of sunshine (common sense); 3 workmen came in, one without a fn,ignored the instructions that I mentioned before and went to the bar if they wanted anything.
Oh, it did do my 72 year old heart good.
Thank you lads, whoever you are.
Stockholm syndrome, negative adaptation etc.
In Germany, one state wanted to eliminate the Mask mandate when the incidence no falls below 35.
The sheep revolted. They want to keep their masks on now!
(Highly manipulated and framed sampling of course, but still.)
https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/Maske-im-Einzelhandel-bleibt-Niedersachsen-lenkt-ein,corona7926.html
Bonkers! and there I was thinking the Germans were a sensible logical nation.
Fine by me if they spend the rest of their lives hiding ‘safe’ at home. Leaves more room for the rest of us to enjoy being out and about.
HEAR,HEAR!!!
Well, yes, except if one of the fearful is a close friend or family member, it’s causing you direct pain.
Narrative is now that as we had to mask up to make the timid feel safe, we should talk part in the global experiment to achieve the same.
Anyone with an insight into anxiety-based mental illness knows that this is precisely the wrong way to get over it. It reinforces irrational fear.
Of course they’re still shielding the BBC et al are constantly sending out the message it’s really dangerous out there and we’re all (well mostly, not me) muzzled up everywhere.
They scared them now they need to de-programme them.
The irony is they are inside eating cakes and getting fatter – thus more suceptible to the rare killer sniffles aka covid agenda 21.
Much easier to scare people than to unscare them.
I wonder why only 2/3 have been fully vaccinated? I thought the shielders were right near the top of the list? I wonder if this means that a significant proportion of them can’t/won’t have it? Which I fully respect of course, it’s their lives and bodies but if even they don’t want it then as a perfectly fit and healthy person I do resent being told I need to get it to protect them or to be allowed to live my life fully!
Only 40% of vulnerable people typically take up the offer of a flu jab and obviously it’s not offered to the rest of us so I wish we could just go back to that.
I have two neighbours, who have lived this way for 14 months…they are not much over 40, wont allow anyone in, not even a tradesman, have free groceries delivered every week and unless they have a home gym tucked away somewhere, cant be getting ANY exercise. Neither are stupid but they apparently say they will not go outside or let anyone in until they have their jabs, later on in the year. It’s just beyond tragic.
A relative of ours (woman in her late 40s) is obsessed with keeping her home germ free, she sanitises all the time. Her son, in his 20s, sensibly, goes out and about seeing friends etc….his mum is in bed when he comes in at night but listens for his key in the door and gets up and disinfects everywhere in case he’s brought the dreaded virus in with him. Totally paranoid.
“Neither are stupid” you sure?
It is very sad that some people have been so taken in by the fear generated by Government at the behest of SAGE in March 2020 that they are still terrified to leave the house. My sister’s in-laws are amongst this group – they even have testing kits for family members to use when visiting (and then wait outside in the car for 30 minutes). They are so scared of dying that they are not living! And as for people wearing masks outdoors – just don’t get me started. I see young people, middle aged people, old people all wearing the things when walking along the street or in green public spaces – what is the matter with them?
Zombies