[0762]

The Scottish govt could never have visualised a pandemic arising in the year 2020 as similarly never foreseeing the flawed part of a massive NHS "build" project called the Edinburgh Sick Kids' Hospital and the fact that the contractor's flaw that f##### up this project was a very small element of the project but it was an absolutely critical part of the whole design that has left this hospital in a vacant position. I thought the Scot govt could have commandeered even part of this hospital but Jeanne Freeman dismissed that idea as impractical mainly because of the flawed ventilation provision. Therefore field hospitals will be provided at various premises across the country - being commandeered for NHS emergency provision. PPE provision was definitely a big issue and the delay in overcoming this difficulty was unacceptable even though this impending crisis is hugely challenging beyond anything that any Scottish govt (or other govts worldwide!) has ever dealt with. Mistakes would inevitably be made on occasions under such demanding circumstances and Nicola Sturgeon recently acknowledged that would likely be the case. It looks like we are moving into a critical phase of this crisis next week and one can only wait n see how well it has been controlled and managed to minimise the impact. Here's hoping it works out somehow although the "damage" is already apparent and will get worse.

[hibeejim21]

There’s been an average of 30% increase in deaths each day in the UK, higher than Spain and Italy at this point who were below 25%. (sky news)

All the very best to our brave doctors and NHS staff but I wouldn’t be so confident that they’ll be getting what they need from the "Britannia unchained" gang of incompetents. The comment below from the lancet editor is telling......

“ Dr Horton wrote that the government’s Contain-Delay-Mitigate-Research plan had failed. “It failed, in part, because ministers didn’t follow WHO’s advice to ‘test, test, test’ every suspected case. They didn’t isolate and quarantine. They didn’t contact trace.”

10 years of unnecessary Tory austerity and the bonus idiocy of Brexit is a textbook example of dereliction of duty.

[0762]

Yep! Mass testing was the "key" to overcoming the spread of the virus but, as you say, our authorities were unprepared for this massive threat due to an ill-conceived ideology/policy to impose austerity measures in 2009-10. The UK govt figures on testing show that 120k approx. have been carried out so far. Germany has been carrying out 100k tests pw for a quite a while and that strategy focuses on pockets of the disease, where they flare up, and then tackling it to eventual eradication. They also accommodate 7.5 health serv beds per 1000. They invested wisely while Brit Tory govts here went for austerity measures!!!

[ritchiebaby]

I wish I'd paid more attention to it at the time, but I'm sure that a lady who ran a British company was interviewed on BBC, stating that her company was exporting some kind of safety/testing equipment to foreign governments, because the UK Government hadn't placed any orders. I firmly believe that the UK Government were so underprepared that they couldn't do immediate targeted testing, which is why we're in the current mess.

[hibeejim21]

No one expects leaders to act flawlessly in these circumstances but the underlying fact is that we have had the great advantage of seeing what's coming for weeks and our government has simply pissed around, gave conflicting messages to the public and pretended it was not a major problem UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.

We had over six weeks preparation time and the tories spent it squabbling about civil servants and the deplorable behaviour of Pritti Patel, also bickering about Europe's tough stance towards our cobbled together plans for trade based on Bojo's bluster and buffoonery. Boris went on holiday while the nation was left to sleepwalk into a crisis.

That was the time to scope up the ICU beds, the availability of personal protective equipment and to source ventilators. This Government wasted the chance to restrict the transmission of the disease when it ceased large scale testing

Many people are going to die who otherwise could have been saved. When this is over there will have to be a reckoning.

[St Charles Owl]

Its the same over here with the federal government!! The US got its first case 10 days before the UK and 9 days before Italy and yet they did nothing except political spin including Trump accusing the Democrats of "causing" this and it being a hoax!!! You say their needs to be a reckoning after all of this, thankfully on this side of the pond we have a real opportunity to have that day in November and get this buffoon out of office!!!!

[0762]

Aye! I can still vividly recall Trump's fake news comment when the COVID-19 threat was in its infancy in the USA. Most of his subsequent comments on the virus have been utter bullshit and unbefitting of a US President who stupidly politicised the issue and never moved quickly enough to deal with it!! IMO it was a fatal error in front of a hugely concerned populace and he will consequently pay for that insincerity and utter negligence. And as Jim previously commented, the same failure applies to the Brit/Brexit govt between mid Dec and late Jan when so many proactive early measures were missed due to their usual political bickering and distraction - no political visionaries evident and no surprise to me!! As for the future of the Brexit initiative? I personally think this whole issue should be deferred for about two years. IMO it is common sense to do this and, on reflection of the economic and political damage that will be incurred after "the dust has settled", the nation has to decide on the popular way forward after a natural disaster that will dramatically change the political and economic "landscape" and British and Scottish society with it.

[hibeejim21]

Theres a pandemic going on all around them showing the need for public medical care for all and the democrats still go out and vote for the other guy. Bizarre.

Meanwhile trumps recent press conference finds new levels of juvenile shit from this moron of a president. A dangerous loon ball, scary times for those worried about Covid in America.

[St Charles Owl]

Theres a pandemic going on all around them showing the need for public medical care for all and the democrats still go out and vote for the other guy. Bizarre.

Meanwhile trumps recent press conference finds new levels of juvenile shit from this moron of a president. A dangerous loon ball, scary times for those worried about Covid in America.

Bernie is currently unelectable in the US, so if the Dems want to get rid of Trump then they have to put up a candidate who will appeal to the bulk of the party, independents and some of the moderate Republicans. Bernie is not that guy.

The one saving grace with regards to Covid in the US is that the State Governors are the ones calling the shots for each state, the Federal Government does not have the right to force them to open up for business. Most of the Governors are making decisions based on their own states situation, just like countries in Europe are making their own decision.

[hibeejim21]

Theres a pandemic going on all around them showing the need for public medical care for all and the democrats still go out and vote for the other guy. Bizarre.

Meanwhile trumps recent press conference finds new levels of juvenile shit from this moron of a president. A dangerous loon ball, scary times for those worried about Covid in America.

Bernie is currently unelectable in the US, so if the Dems want to get rid of Trump then they have to put up a candidate who will appeal to the bulk of the party, independents and some of the moderate Republicans.  Bernie is not that guy.  

The one saving grace with regards to Covid in the US is that the State Governors are the ones calling the shots for each state, the Federal Government does not have the right to force them to open up for business.  Most of the Governors are making decisions based on their own states situation, just like countries in Europe are making their own decision.

Watching him flame the senate floor with righteous anger over what's happening in the states right now I have to say its a shame. He is a very good orator.