SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

I was thinking exactly the same. I just wonder if someone has maybe asked the virus if it will appeal to its own personal responsibility and relax for 5 days for us? People will make the most of these 5 days and we'll no doubt see the results in a few weeks.
yep then everyone will blame everyone else and 'Personal responsibility' will never even be considered!
 
People were going to meet over Christmas no matter the rules. The government cannot win with this one.
 
If ''most people'' are selfish and irresponsible then surely the 5 day relaxation on restrictions won't make a huge difference in cases as many posters are predicting as ''most people'' will have not been following guidelines in the first place.

I predict January won't be half as bad as some fear, and that the 5 day relaxation won't have that big an impact. Schools are closed for 2 week and many people will be off work which will give some counter balance, and lets face it, these are the real areas of transmission, not going into a family members home for tea.

People that have been sensible so far since March will continue to do so over Christmas. Where as those taking advantage of the relaxed rules will mainly be the people that have been idiots all the way through!
 
Apart from in areas of the south of Italy during this second wave, I think there's been pretty good buy-in from the public. Parts of the south get a pass as far as I'm concerned, because there's nowhere in the UK that would compare in terms of social and economic deprivation - it's real grinding poverty exploited by organised crime.

We've had a "masks outside your house" rule across the country for months and months now, and there's still 100% compliance around where we live.

@11101 will have a perspective from the big city which may be different, but in a country with an ageing population and massive regional socio-economic diversity, I think Italy's done quite well.

The big city is not much different. The vast majority are following the rules, which is quite surprising for Italy. And with the exception of a blip a couple of months ago most think the government has done a good job.

People understand the death toll will be high because of the population age and living situations here.
 
I don’t normally have sympathy with the government but I do in this instance. It’s a no win situation and the rules will be ignored regardless. At least putting some guidelines around Christmas means people may be more likely to accept a more reasonable request - making it law not so see people would never work and would probably result in worse outcomes.
I for one am going to be spending the day at home with my partner and foregoing the usual tradition of being with her large family. It sucks but there we go. That’s the situation we are in.
 
I was thinking exactly the same. I just wonder if someone has maybe asked the virus if it will appeal to its own personal responsibility and relax for 5 days for us? People will make the most of these 5 days and we'll no doubt see the results in a few weeks.
Wait.. what? Are you telling me Covid isn’t taking time off for Christmas? So he didn’t take Easter, any national days, Halloween or even a summer holiday? Mind blown
 
“It’s. Your. Problem”

Tory party releases its new Covid buzz line From Tory HQ in the Bahamas
 
I know I really shouldn't be surprised anymore and should accept the numbers as inevitable but 25 000 cases and 600 deaths today in the UK is grim viewing.
 
I've made my Xmas plans based on the 5 day relaxation - invites sorted, food bought etc. Going to avoid watching any news etc now as it’s depressing.

The guest that doesn't need an invite could very well attend. This ones a real party pooper. His mates will certainly be in attendance at many events across the country.
 
I know I really shouldn't be surprised anymore and should accept the numbers as inevitable but 25 000 cases and 600 deaths today in the UK is grim viewing.

Significant case increases in London, East & South East:

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So we're now back to the position we were in right before lockdown, with London now seeing the highest rises, and rules are about to be relaxed for Christmas with a load of people in London likely spreading out around the country?
 
So we're now back to the position we were in right before lockdown, with London now seeing the highest rises, and rules are about to be relaxed for Christmas with a load of people in London likely spreading out around the country?
Imagine actually being run by a competent government? Would be great.
 
Bollocks.

5 cases out in the community on NSW. 1 bus driver who transported airline crew and 4 on the Northern Beaches possibly related to each other but of unknown source so far. Hopefully either track and trace works ASAP or we put the Northern Beaches into full lockdown for a week (doubt they will so close to Christmas). It has been great not having to wear a mask but I'll be wearing one again from today.
 
3500 deaths in US today and almost 250,000 infected...and after the multiplier effect on cases after christmas it can go well over 5k deaths a day
 
Italy has tightened the rules for the Christmas and New Year period. From 24th-27th December inclusive and 31st Dec-3rd Jan there will be a complete lockdown with every region classed as "red", which means everything's closed and you can't leave your comune of residence except for work or emergencies (and you have to self-certificate to that end). The 10pm curfew that we've had for some time now remains in place regardless.

This is an extension of the original plans to just have a nationwide red zone on the actual public holidays. It's a severe restriction, but it makes sense to me.
 
This is an extension of the original plans to just have a nationwide red zone on the actual public holidays. It's a severe restriction, but it makes sense to me.

Well that’s becoz forrinners don’t luv Christmas and the baby Jesus like we do here. Obviously.

Italy has blown me away. Two of my closest friends are from Bari & Florence. They live in London.

They widely accepted that a mad, disorganised government would struggle to get people in line. Blown away that the country has complied as well as it has. Also impressed that the government has actually led pretty effectively.
 
Well that’s becoz forrinners don’t luv Christmas and the baby Jesus like we do here. Obviously.

Italy has blown me away. Two of my closest friends are from Bari & Florence. They live in London.

They widely accepted that a mad, disorganised government would struggle to get people in line. Blown away that the country has complied as well as it has. Also impressed that the government has actually led pretty effectively.

I’m starting to get the impression that the one and only thing the Italian government has done well this pandemic is fooling everyone into thinking they’re doing a great job. I know I’m getting repetitive here but I find it so weird to keep reading praise for the Italian handling of the pandemic when they’ve managed to combine some of the most draconic forced social distancing measures in Europe with the highest death rate. In the first and second wave. Something doesn’t add up!
 
I’m starting to get the impression that the one and only thing the Italian government has done well this pandemic is fooling everyone into thinking they’re doing a great job. I know I’m getting repetitive here but I find it so weird to keep reading praise for the Italian handling of the pandemic when they’ve managed to combine some of the most draconic forced social distancing measures in Europe with the highest death rate. In the first and second wave. Something doesn’t add up!
Over 36,000 deaths have been in the over-80s, over 11,000 of those in the over-90s. We have an older population than the UK. The second wave has hit the south disproportionately, and that part of the country has a bucketload of problems without Covid.

Of course, that doesn't account for all of it but we lost out in the first wave by being the first European country to be hit. The UK had more time to react, so there's grounds to say the UK figures are far worse than they should be.
 
I’m starting to get the impression that the one and only thing the Italian government has done well this pandemic is fooling everyone into thinking they’re doing a great job. I know I’m getting repetitive here but I find it so weird to keep reading praise for the Italian handling of the pandemic when they’ve managed to combine some of the most draconic forced social distancing measures in Europe with the highest death rate. In the first and second wave. Something doesn’t add up!
Maybe there's a bee or two caught in your cap PM. Italy and the UK are roughly on a par, even terms total population, total deaths but as Penna says a much higher age rate. Italy took the brunt of original infections before more sophisticated treatments were known and the North hasn't always behaved just so with masks and social distancing, back in May and June the Milanese and Genoese couldn't live without their beach trips apparently. The South has worse poverty than any in the UK and as an agrarian economy workers who couldn't survive without working, and the country couldn't starve. So yes, maybe marginally worse from the beginning but the behaviour is better now I would have thought. Draconian means someone else's common sense I guess.
 
Over 36,000 deaths have been in the over-80s, over 11,000 of those in the over-90s. We have an older population than the UK. The second wave has hit the south disproportionately, and that part of the country has a bucketload of problems without Covid.

Of course, that doesn't account for all of it but we lost out in the first wave by being the first European country to be hit. The UK had more time to react, so there's grounds to say the UK figures are far worse than they should be.

There’s actually not much difference between the average age in Italy vs UK and even if we ignore the first wave completely, Italy is doing worse - in terms of covid deaths - than the UK right now and has been for some time. Which makes you wonder how much of their terrible experience during the first wave was about being unprepared and how much was down to whatever factors are causing the same scenario to happen all over again. And let’s not pretend that the UK doesn’t have its own issues of high density population in some of the most deprived areas in the country.

Anyway. Covid as a competitive sport is slightly pathetic and I don’t like the way my inner argumentative twat keeps getting flushed out in discussions like this. I just find it odd the way Italy keeps getting praise in this thread, while the UK keeps getting crucified. From the outside looking in, both countries are standing out as having done particularly badly, throughout this pandemic. Whether that’s through bad government, poor implementation of government guidance by the citizens, or just bad luck is hard to know. I don’t think we ever will know for certain.
 
I’m starting to get the impression that the one and only thing the Italian government has done well this pandemic is fooling everyone into thinking they’re doing a great job. I know I’m getting repetitive here but I find it so weird to keep reading praise for the Italian handling of the pandemic when they’ve managed to combine some of the most draconic forced social distancing measures in Europe with the highest death rate. In the first and second wave. Something doesn’t add up!
Totally agree. Europe as a whole has just accepted and normalised failure for some reason. Great countries are the likes of Taiwan, Vietnam and NZ. Then there are good countries like Japan, Uruguay and maybe Norway (probably just average not good). Almost all of Europe has totally failed, Italy being one of the worst.
 
Totally agree. Europe as a whole has just accepted and normalised failure for some reason. Great countries are the likes of Taiwan, Vietnam and NZ. Then there are good countries like Japan, Uruguay and maybe Norway (probably just average not good). Almost all of Europe has totally failed, Italy being one of the worst.

Uruguay’s a new one to me. What’s been the secret of their success?
 
Stick your tier 3 up your ass you absolute cretins. feck off.

If London hadn’t gone into tier 3 we’d have come into tier 2. Typical fecking horrible elitist Tory cnuts. feck off
 
Over 36,000 deaths have been in the over-80s, over 11,000 of those in the over-90s. We have an older population than the UK. The second wave has hit the south disproportionately, and that part of the country has a bucketload of problems without Covid.

Of course, that doesn't account for all of it but we lost out in the first wave by being the first European country to be hit. The UK had more time to react, so there's grounds to say the UK figures are far worse than they should be.

That's pretty similar to the UK - 29,000 in +85s and 23,000 in 75-84. And there's also strong link between deprivation and numbers of deaths in the UK. So I don't see that there's anything unique about the Italian situation.

I have to agree with Pogue here - I don't see that Italy have much to be proud of.