Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

The lockdown is to reduce stain on the NHS...

You clearly understand politics at the moment better than most. :)

(NB before you ask, this is about a good typo in there.)

this has been on my mind for a while. Town/city mayors / planners etc are shitting themselves across Europe I think. Thats why we're hearing stories of trying to ramp up cycling infrastructure during lockdown, for use afterwards. I think Germany and France have been pushing this at least.

Who wants to get on a busy bus/tube/train now? No one. So everyone is going to need to pick something else and more will pick driving than cycling.

An increase in cycling could also be a bit scary. I'm not sure I want to share a busy ASL at rush hour with more cyclists than previously, all panting and puffing after the CAT5 promute failed red light sprint.

Edited to seem less inteligent...

Also, as a senior advisor and critical to the process, i think its even supider to 'quit'... Rap him over the knuckles, but dont take him out the task force.

To me that is fucking stupid.

Also, as a senior advisor and critical to the process, i think

Aaaand ... I didn't even know you were a senior advisor and critical to the process. :)

To me that is fucking stupid

Agreed. Especially when our current government is headed up by a serial philanderer.

Could be as damaging as Dr Beeching?

He destroyed a lots of communities by literally closing 2/3rd of the railways.

They’re not going to shut down 2/3rd of the bus network in London (although routes outside London getting cut and reduced).

They’re not going to shut down 2/3rd of the bus network in London

They will if they run empty for long enough.

Anecdotally, Italy tried to get everyone they could into ICU even when recovery was unlikely due to underlying conditions, and so swamped their units with patients who were very likely going to die and couldn't admit patients who might have benefitted from interventions. Worst of both worlds.

One of the first things NICE did in the UK was put in place guidelines for clinicians on appropriateness of admitting to ICU to stop this.

He literally closed 30% of the total UK rail network, which is less than one third, not two thirds.

His immunity is irrelevant. She travelled across London to see him, and they're both equally to blame for that.

One that included a blanket "you are vulnerable" for any disabilities, to the extent disabled charities had to threaten to sue.

NICE is right and you are right if somebody is very likely to die/very frail it is best not to admit for certain care like ventilators, but they got the start of this very, very wrong.

https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/nice-updates-rapid-covid-19-guideline-on-critical-care

Apparently the Tube will be running normal services from 17th may.
It will be virtually impossible for members of staff to social distance.
Looks like business is re-starting soon.

Hardly Ed, he closed down those parts of the network that were unused and probably saved the network overall.

Personally, I doubt if our emergence from lockdown will see a significant increase in cycling in London or alter to its demographic from being largely white, male, and under 40.

Infrastructure alone won't make a difference.

Not until the schools open it isn't. Then, not until there's enough child care available and open over the summer holidays

The unions will argue the social distancing aspect for our safety. But this is TFLs position today.....

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starmer vs johnson at pmq's today

should be interesting, lets hope he plays hardball a bit more than corbyn did

He played hardball softly.
Which was effective. Starmer is clearly asking questions like a lawyer, which Boris seems to answer so poorly, especially as he doesn't have all the heckling in the background which Boris can hide behind
Though Boris lovers will still be faithful. Always, whatever Boris does or says

The lack of heckling is wonderful. I hope the 'virtual Parliament' will endure and PMQs might actually turn into a grown up conversation long term, but that may be wishful thinking.

Aside from the whole national crisis thing Starmer has to go softly anyway because the current Government was only voted in in December (it's easy to forget that now, it feels like ages ago).

The lack of heckling is wonderful. I hope the 'virtual Parliament' will endure and PMQs might actually turn into a grown up conversation long term

Absolutely. Not having the gladiatorial arena being Johnson shows him up more as an emperor with no clothes. The quiet atmosphere suits Starmer so much better

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If Cameron had served a full term he'd still be PM I think.

Do all these council depts have slack to pick up the volume though?

The 'former chief executive of Wigan council' seems to think so. I expect it depends on the council and how much they have outsourced.

Can't assume all their previous work as mentioned has vanished leaving them idle?

My sister works in a council call centre. She usually deals with repairs for council tenants but that has gone very quiet (it's presumed people don't want tradespeople in their homes at the moment) so she has been dealing with other enquiries. If you have a big team you can shuffle people about.

I assume Serco don't have 15,000 people sitting around waiting for a contract anyway.

Serco also have a history of committing fraud while delivering on state contracts. On that basis, I’d say they are uniquely poorly placed to deliver on something as important as this.

Fair enough, if each council has about call centre 45 staff equivalent idle then the Wigan approach could work.

On that basis...

Agreed, hence my "I hate to..." qualifier.

In terms of scale of project it could make sense, that's all.