Agreed, Maunder.

This whole episode thus far has, IMHO, been handled very poorly not only by our government, but those in a number of other countries too.

My grandma used to make beef brawn - just using chuck steak, boiled for hours with a couple of beef bones and bacon rind for the gelatin, and various seasonings. It was delicious. I've tried to recreate it, but I was 10 when she died and have no recipe.

BREAKING - China relaxes restrictions to contain the #COVID19 epidemic 1.5 months after the imposition of quarantine on the entire Chinese province of Hubei. Healthy people are now allowed to travel within the central Chinese province again.

— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) March 10, 2020

Don't try to tell me you wouldn't get giddy as the cry of 'launch torpedos' went out.

What the hell was the point of leaving the EU if we are subsequently unwilling to close our borders to keep out a dangerous virus?

You really are the most unpleasant person on TWO underneath your fake bonhomie.

Anyhow, all flights to and from Italy now officially cancelled - should have been done at least a week ago.

Fair comment!

It's not Maunder that's paying billions to dictators and warlords to keep migrants out, it's the EU. 

Anyway, sorry back OT.

Why do you always have a go when challenged especially when you are the person in the glasshouse...?

You original posted this - which clearly says it is a long way from 5000 to 5 million assuming doubling every 4-5 days. (The answer is between 6 and 7 weeks which is NOT a long way.)

You are then challenged and reply as below as if you are the fount of all knowledge... but to clarify, it was you who brought up exponential growth (as highlighted above) so perhaps taking a higher than thou attitude is not really fair.

Just detailing the facts for a balanced approach...  

This is a sign of how serious it can get - Italy is giving everyone a debt holiday:

"Payments on mortgages will be suspended across the whole of Italy after the coronavirus outbreak, Italy's deputy economy minister said on Tuesday.

"Yes, that will be the case, for individuals and households," Laura Castelli said in an interview with Radio Anch'io, when asked about the possibility. "

I really doubt this. 

I wonder of flights between the UK and China have been suspended at any time since this outbreak began.

If they weren't, they should have been.

Easyjet continues to operate tens of flights to Italy daily and most of them are half full. As I said last night, this is lockdown European style.

As many probably know, laws and rules in Italy are rather flexible, so it will be interesting to see how strict the lockdown will be.

According to broadcast BBC News this morning, the lockdown on flights to and from Italy is total - Easyjet will have to cancel their remaining flights, as will Ryan Ait.

If - as I suspect - the more cautious approach turns out to be the better one, Johnson is in trouble (as he sodding should be!).

Presidential election in the US this year. Going to be interesting if the virus takes off in the States because the candidates traditionally have mass rallies to win votes especially their party conventions to formalise their candidacy.

And all the candidates who are vying for office are 70+ 

I think HMG should be taking now all the measures that don't have big economic impacts, but could help contain the virus: playing big sport events without spectators, asking all companies with office workers to have them work from home etc.

They should keep the high economic impact measures for later if/when they are needed.

David, do you think, maybe, that we are expecting too much?  Some things are not completely under our control, particularly in an open society where people are free to come and go as they please.   When almost every country in the world is struggling with this you have to ask if they can all be getting it wrong, surely?

Doors. Stables. Horses

Meanwhile in Trump land.... 

Health and Human Secretary Alex Azar: "Make no mistake, this is a very serious health problem. Nobody is trying to minimize that. It is a very serious public health threat to the people of the United States."

Trump: "So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!"

Trump: "As of right now and yesterday, anybody that needs a test (can have one), that's the important thing, and the tests are all perfect, like the letter was perfect, the transcription was perfect," [Trump seeming to clap back to his phone call with the president of Ukraine that triggered his impeachment] "They have the tests and the tests are beautiful."

shortly after...

Alex Azar:"You may not get a test unless a doctor or public health official prescribes a test"

Then Trump shows his core 'petulent child-bully' side with: "The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant. Surgeon General, “The risk is low to the average American.”"

He is an utter clown. He was glad-handing supporters in Florida yesterday. Could the fates be so kind as to infect him, so we can see how good the fat ba*stard's health really is?