I agree that our numbers are too high currently, I mentioned it yesterday. However, assuming it is is just small steps from Monday e.g the opening of garden centres then I don’t see any problem with that. If our numbers don’t continue to drop then we should not be lifting restrictions further. I like to be positive though so I’m hopeful that by the end of June our rates of infection etc will be at a level that allows us to confidently lift restrictions further e.g a beginning of a return to schools.

Some random and largely irrelevant snippets from me:

One of my clients is a plant nursery and reports a deluge of orders this past fortnight from garden centres. Their order book right now is bigger than this time last year. Garden centres are telling him they've been 'tipped the wink'.

One issue that's helped drive this is B&Q reopening. I've heard a legal challenge by a confederation of garden centres was being prepared to challenge rules allowing some retailers to open (selling the same sort of items that garden centres do), whilst banning others. Apparently more retailer groups are investigating this avenue.

I went to the local 'Household Waste Recycling Centre' on Tuesday evening. They'd made the road it's on totally one-way, with the right-hand lane reserved for the queue. I queued 45 minutes, but apparently the queuing time had been up to 1.5 hours earlier. Went back yesterday evening to take another car load (wife's small 4x4, back seats down, totally full) but the queue was about 50% longer. Inside, only 3 vehicles at a time. 

Social distancing is only being observed increasingly patchily. Young people especially seem to be sodding it right off. There's next to no enforcement. 

Built using, more like - VMWare portal is just a gateway to the VMWare cloud platform.

(I have a VMWare portal account myself, I use it at work to download software for our VMWare servers).

I'll be interested to get a copy of the NHS app when it's available to see for myself.

EDIT: And having downloaded the app, it doesn't give much away. It's actually called "colocate" behind the scenes, but it's just listed as being written by nhsx.nhs.uk.

If you define 'sucessful' as technically works after being late, overbudget and after a string of disasters spanning years then sure.

​

Coronavirus: Government blames test target failure on 'technical issues' in labs

Quote

The government has blamed "technical issues" in labs for its failure to reach its coronavirus test target for four consecutive days. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the problems were “not hugely surprising” given how fast testing has been scaled up. He did not spell out exactly what the issues were but admitted “there has been a bit of a drop off in the tests in the last couple of days”.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-government-blames-test-target-failure-on-technical-issues-in-labs-11984436

​

Ours are still closed but supposedly planning to reopen soon. I’ve got loads of crap I need to take there....

Indeed. No one claims every HTML coded webpage was designed by WHATWG

The National Cyber Security Centres says:

NHS COVID-19 is a new contact-tracing app that has been designed and built by the NHS to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/nhs-covid-19-app-explainer

For crying out loud!

The incompetence of this so-called government knows no bounds.

Here's the app - and despite what it says, you can happily install and use it outside of the Isle of Wight.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.nhs.nhsx.colocate

Note the screenshots - gives you an idea of how it works.

(EDIT: The iPhone version is here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nhs-covid-19/id1507396059 )

Well then.

Might aswell just base our contracting App on the 8-ball oracle. Has about the same chance of working.

The issue is not so much with what the government is officially saying  (notwithstanding the nauseating spectacle of the 5pm mutual back-slapping broadcast) but that the message of maintaining these strict measures is increasingly rubbished by elements of their own side - from arrogant fellow Tory figures to the ranting right-wing media. Failure of police to be bothered enforcing restrictions - a by-product of some power-crazed bellends in uniform being comically over-zealous and making negative headlines earlyinthe lockdown? - is amplifying this.

It's all serving to create the perception that 'lockdown' restrictions are all a bit optional. A population that is now beyond weary of these restrictions and desperate for a return to some normality is embracing the attitude of the whole thing now being rather passe.

I'm guessing that would fall under 'technical issues'.

Ask again later.

As have many people who have been using the lockdown to clear out their sheds/garages/lofts.

Not to mention the suspension of the garden waste collections.

South Cambs are saying their recycling centres will open on 11 May.

The queues will be horrendous.

Why did they not just get a tech company that actually knows what they are doing to do it?

As I say Niantic has literally designed a game that has tens of millions of daily users with all the functionality that you would need to run the NHS app. The code already exists, strip it down, remove the pokemon battles and you are pretty much done.

If people have had a clear-out because they are one of the people that hasn't had to work presumably the stuff is stored somewhere awaiting disposal. I'm not suite sure why there has to be an urgent rush to the recycling centres the moment one opens as though lives depended on it.

They've not heard of "Try before you buy" and "Buyer beware" then? I'm afraid this comes about from fear and panic when you know you've messed up big time. The problem is the mistakes that led to this sort of thing were caused by ignoring what they were being told for years about the NHS and the rest of our infra structure. Their minds have only ever been focused on one thing and we all know what that was.

Which does not rebut my point. You were wrong.

As for 'why ..... doesn't the NHS have an IT branch' - that's one of the most bizarre, nonsensical and ludicrous comments you've made - and there are a lot of candidates.

I'm afraid your comment reflects your politics and a gross lack of understanding.

Ours never closed, but the queues were so bad, that you still got a huge increase in fly tipping

Some arsehole builders dumped some rubbish sacks on our street late at night and its still here 2 weeks later

I wonder what makes a gown fail safety standards?

Well unless you've just been given it why bother? If it's been untouched for a few days it won't be infected.

Ozone would work if you've got any lying around 

As I suggested earlier location services need to be enabled for it to work. It's a 2 stage process:

1) The user is presented with a screen where he has to accept permissions to continue

2) An Android pop up opens where the user has to grant or deny permissions

Not sure. Doesn't have the NHS logo on it?