I'm shocked that Cheltenham is going ahead. 

Seeing (a bit) of football/rugby on tv over the weekend and there's thousands of people crowded together makes me cringe.
I'm trying to keep contacts to a minimum and maintaining at least arms length where possible but those big events could spawn 100s of new cases it's just ridiculously complacent.
South Korea seems to be heading the right way so it can be done without going to China's extreme lockdowns.

You are correct. It is now too late. A fiasco awaits

I worry we are no past the point of sensible solutions. I expect a strong action plan for the Government today. The time for a half measured approach has passed.

Very good! When you realise that the ineffectual and execrable little pr1ck, Hancock, is in charge of our health service response, you know that we are fracked!

It depends on what we mean by collapse though. I obviously don't have the full picture, but it looks more like that the system is overwhelmed rather than collapsed in Lombardy (but it can still get worse).

I have to say though that I agree that the UK needs to take more measures now and not wait for a big local cluster. High population density seems to be an important factor in both Wuhan and Lombardy, so I guess London is more at risk

If they don’t announce stringent plans today (cancelling events, travel restrictions to/from affected areas etc) and we then turn in to an Italian style fiasco, I’m sorry but this is on them.  They had all of last week to make the tough decisions and bottled it imo. 

Labour are being pathetically quiet on this too.

The government say they are basing their decisions on the Chief medical officer - maybe he’s the problem (or will be their scapegoat). 

From what I hear Whitty wanted to move to next phase last week, but Cummings/Bozo said no

Queen will be there. 

I think a cluster is already developing in south London from what I hear anecdotally

Will they be playing all of their greatest hits?

Your pub?

Just as well your man Boris is in charge

Its already full of zombies 

I’m not sure that Twitter and Perspective are two words that sit well together...and having trawled through some of Justin’s posts ...I’m note sure they are exactly balanced...and that doesn’t mean I think that we should be doing nothing either..clearly we should but I detest the hysteria of Twitter and everything about the reporting of this virus.

Iran is releasing 70,000 prisoners because of the situation there.

Including "Don't Swab Me Now".

Support act - The Police, playing "Don't Stand So Close To Me"

Does that include Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe?

Twitter posts aren't produced by "Twitter", but by individuals. It's completely ludicrous to dismiss everything on Twitter because it's on Twitter. There is a HUGE amount of incredibly valuable information if you go to the right people and are careful about your sources. In this case, we are talking about a thread that gives a translation of an account by an Italian doctor of the situation there.

I’m no longer surprised at the complacency of many on here but yours really shocks me.

Nick is suggesting you read the tweets by the Italian epidemiologist, Stringhini, which I linked to. This is not ‘Twitter hysteria’. It is information from the front line.

If intelligent people like you can be this blasé, then we truly are f4cked.

That tweet thread is from an ICU doctor in Bergamo though Chich. Here is also a letter from another doctor in the Italian field that I posted yesterday:

• Italian doctors have warned medics across Europe to “get ready” for coronavirus in a letter revealing up to 10 per cent of all those infected with coronavirus need intensive care, with hospitals becoming overwhelmed


• We are seeing a high percentage of positive cases being admitted to our intensive care units (ICUs), in the range of 10 per cent of all positive patients


• Italian hospitals had seen “a very high” number of intensive care patients who were admitted “almost entirely” for severe lung failure caused by the virus and needing ventilators to help them breathe


• Increase your total ICU capacity. Identify early hospitals that can manage the initial surge in a safe way. Get ready to prepare ICU areas where to cohort Covid-19 patients – in every hospital if necessary.”


• The technical note spells out how patients with coronavirus experience a severe infection in all of their lungs, requiring major ventilation support. It also reveals the effect of the virus, which affects blood pressure, the heart, kidneys and liver with patients needing sustained treatment


• A week ago we opened a six-bed ICU for Covid-19 critically ill patients. In two days our unit filled up and we extended it to 10 beds on 3 March which filled up during the same afternoon. Now we’re planning to merge the cardio and general ICUS to use the general ICU beds for 10 more Covid-19 patients.”


• Dr Nattino said younger patients were being affected, saying the ages of patients ranged from 46 to 83 with only a small number having important underlying conditions.


• He added: “The last days are showing a younger population involved as if the elderly and weaker part of the population crashed early and now younger patients, having exhausted their physiological reserves, come to overcrowded, overwhelmed hospitals with little resources left.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-italy-doctors-intensive-care-deaths-a9384356.html 

I would hope and presume so.

Three British skiers have been hospitalized in Austria with coronavirus after contracting the most 'aggressive virus strain' in Italy

• Group had been staying in Italy before going to a busy ski resorts in Saalbach


• It is height of winter ski season and Saalbach is hosting Alpine Skiing World Cup


• Dr Richard Greil described Italy's massive outbreak as 'completely out of control'


• Widely speculated that Italy has stronger variant of virus - known as 'L' type

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8091313/British-skiers-hospitalized-Austria-coronavirus.html

May explain why it's so bad in Italy