Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

Not rising substantially?
Well what do you call substantial?

Look at the figures: Tier 2 testing capacity was around 230k just 2 weeks ago and now it's hitting 280k some days.
That is an increase.
50k extra in 2 weeks is pretty substantial in my books.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/testing

Tests processed:
22nd October 340,132
8th October 285,015

Official figures.

As to test & trace - any system will only work if the public cooperate.
"Covid-19: Two thirds of people contacted through tracing did not fully cooperate, pilot scheme finds"
https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2169

Now tell me: do you think that continually rubbishing the system on TV and in other media is going to be persuasive when asking more people to cooperate if they're contacted by a testing & tracing letter or phone call?

No wonder it's not working well.

Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

1,000,000 a day

of course it is, but numbers that low are not going to defeat covid-19 - testing has to be repetetive and continuous - that's what the "moonshot" was all about ..... 10,000,000 a day taking 20 minute tests - a brilliant idea but UK's T, T & T can't cope with the current numbers let alone those that are coming up in the next few weeks *.....

* ONS currently estimate that there are up to 35,000 new cases (recorded and unrecorded) every day .....

That article was "Published 29 May 2020"

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...aunch-12104679

Thursday 15 October 2020

Comparisons with other nations are not necessarily valid owing to the number and complexity of variables but Denmark is atesting benchmark to which all other European countries should aspire:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/54181291

Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

Oh I think we can agree that every country should ASPIRE to reach Denmark's lofty heights in terms of testing ... but in the real world, as you recognise, the number of variables makes that nigh-on impossible.
A population of under 6 million (less than that of Scotland) which has a population density of twice that of Scotlands at 135 people per square kilometer vs Scotland's 67 makes Denmark's population much more accessible for testing than Scots for a start.

That aside though, even Denmark has seen a surge in new cases.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKBN2691X4
(And testing does not prevent coronavirus infection.)
Then there are the attempted deceptions; from similarly-sized European countries who has tested more than the UK?
Nobody.
They aren't even near.
In fact even the smaller countries aren't testing the same number per head of population are they?
Look at the figures:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Screech blue murder at our government if at makes you feel better.
(It won't.)
And I am not a devoutly pro-government type but trying to blame at such a time is - frankly - ridiculous.
Maybe you think you could have done better?
Well maybe you could, but we will never know.
Because you were not the one in charge of this or of any other country when the tempest which is Covid-19 hit.
For that you should be grateful.

Belgium has seen riots, medics turn their backs to the Belgian PM, and numerous protests - there's another planned for this Sunday in Brussels.
Hardly surprising when Belgium has recorded over 900 deaths per million population; compare that to the UK at around 650. The number who have tested positive is twice the number of the UK too but they haven't tested as high a percentage of their population as the UK has.

In Naples protesters were clashing just last night with the police in protests about restrictions bought about by the virus; in the Prague we've seen thousands of protesters this week for a similar reason; In Spain we've seen hundreds demonstrating in Madrid against wearing face coverings, and there's a big protest planned for this Sunday to demonstrate against healthcare, transport and education changes.

That's before we consider the difficulties faced further afield.


So please, remonstrate if you must but remember that here we are quite fortunate.
No country is perfect, ours included.
But look around you; it could very easily be so much worse.

Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

Given the appalling government response to the pandemic, resulting in the current horrendous "second wave" (currently 35,000 new infections a day), with inadequate testing (processing) facilities (i.e. Lighthouse Labs - only 7 for the whole of the UK), it WILL get much worse .....

The "herd" community may well get their wish (90% infection) but not necessarily the results they intended ..... !

Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

Fixed that for you; see above in bold.

Here's the relevant about Lighthouse labs:
https://www.lighthouselabs.org.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/n...trace-capacity

Here's the relevant about new infections:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/n...trace-capacity

Re: the public - well look in any media for reports galore.
Remember packed beaches?
Parties just before restrictions were announced?
Even now the number of people moaning and refusing to comply by not wearing face coverings; taking uneccesary journeys; thinking that a face covering provides immunity so ignoring social distancing ......... you know that I could go on and on and on.

Then people grumble when they face tougher restrictions!
Or (like you) ignore completely the fact that the very same is happening in multiple other countries too no matter what the style of government.

It looks like we will have to live with this for a long time.
All of us on the planet, not just here.
If the public don't care enough to take responsibility themselves for their actions and the outcome of those actions, what would you suggest we do?
Provoke more-serious discontent by introducing martial law?
Because that is the only way to control the virus if you look at the countries (of any reasonable size) that are doing that.

Oh and don't try to refer to New Zealand - an island nation with it's tiny population less than that of Scotland and where inbound travel is not allowed unless for "a critical purpose" as their government puts it.

Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

* Frankly, that's a pathetic response from the government which, probably will still not reach the promised "500,000" a day", let alone the millions required .....

The existing (private sector) Lighthouse Labs are in crisis at the moment because all their skilled testing staff have gone back to their university jobs and Serco have employed unskilled labour in their place - hence the failure of the testing centres to reach their targets .....

Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

I don't believe that I mentioned "the public" - AFAIK, you brought up "the public" when linking to an out-of-date article .....

Re: Covid-19: Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day

You keep bringing up national comparisons, not me .....