Completely untrue Beast. Test capacity has been massively ramped up, anyone who wants a test can now request one, 21,000 contact tracers have been recruited. Why do you post falsehoods like the above?

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Remember the pledge about putting all homeless people in hotels? Our local rag has an update from Canterbury. It's interesting, if nothing else!

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/what-happened-to-the-rough-sleepers-put-into-hotels-during-lockdown-227350/

New statistics from the local authority show that since it struck the £163,000-deal with the budget hotel chain, five people have already been placed in long-term accommodation.

Two more have received offers for housing, four now have jobs, 20 are receiving drug and alcohol support and eight have reconnected with family and old friends from the area they originated from.

But others have struggled to adjust to life indoors, with several having been forced to leave the hotel for a variety of reasons, including smoking in their rooms and fighting.

Originally Posted by: Retron 

On that particular issue I disagree with you. The children who will benefit most from a return to school are those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. If a hyperventilating middle class mum decides her children are too much at risk from a return to school (which they would not be), then that is her prerogative, but if they lose out as a consequence because online lessons end, then that is also her choice.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Meanwhile, China clearly has something to hide:

"The bitter battle between China and Australia has now exploded onto the world stage, after 100 nations joined Canberra in calling for an inquiry into the spread of coronavirus, including the UK. The European Union, alongside several other countries including the UK, Australia and New Zealand, are pushing for an inquiry into how the pandemic has been handled and what lessons can be learned. In April, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent probe into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation 's handling of the crisis. In response, Chinese state media and leaders warned of trade retribution that could wipe $135billion from the Australian economy. After weeks of threatening to boycott the meat and barley industries and restrict travel and foreign education opportunities, China on Monday announced an 80.5 per cent levy on barley exports starting on Tuesday." 

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

I refer you to Justin's post and these tracers are not yet working! 

Besides, contact tracing is only effective if they know the local area and have trust of the local people. They need people to reveal their contacts - friends and family. 

Its a trust thing. We don't have that in our fractured society

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

That is just your perception. Also, the talk is of reopening pubs and restaurants in early July, so there is time to get everything properly organised in the meantime, although it would be nice if beer gardens at least could open in the interim.

P.S. why does Beast think we are impressed by his Twitteritus? Who the f!!! is Maureen Brown in any case and why should I give a monkey's about her opinion on anything?

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

'Interesting' chat over the garden fence with my Philippino born neighbour whose family are there. She said as regards infections they hadn't done 'too bad' over there. People have been kept to their own areas of the country by number plate recognition which depicts what district you live in.
Much surmising and conspiracy theories here on what caused the virus outbreak. Over there, just one source but they are saying it was germ warfare in development which managed to escape. I asked what nothing to do with bats or pangolins, and she said nope. The Chinese are being so secretive, they could totally erase any indication of such practice.

Originally Posted by: Phil G 

Matalan have reopened 12 stores in England as part of the governments essential retailer list.

• Basildon


• Bradford Green Gates


• Bolton


• Cortonwood


• Darlington


• Halifax


• Leeds Halton


• Luton


• Rotherham


• Southport


• Truro


• Walsall - North

Originally Posted by: Gavin D 

Amazing coincidence. I was chatting over the fence to my Palestinian neighbour. He was saying they were certain it was started by a leak from a secret Israeli weapons establishment. He said the Israelis are very secretive about their weapons establishment but he knows for a fact it has nothing to do with bats because his brother still lives in Palestine and works there as a plasterer told him. I asked him how come just about every intelligence agency and scientist in the World says it hasn't come from a lab but he said that is just because they all support Israel.

Originally Posted by: fairweather 

Amazing coincidence. I was chatting over the fence to my Palestinian neighbour. He was saying they were certain it was started by a leak from a secret Israeli weapons establishment. He said the Israelis are very secretive about their weapons establishment but he knows for a fact it has nothing to do with bats because his brother still lives in Palestine and works there as a plasterer told him. I asked him how come just about every intelligence agency and scientist in the World says it hasn't come from a lab but he said that is just because they all support Israel.

Originally Posted by: fairweather 

Had to open in Bas. Denise Van Outen was born there.

Originally Posted by: Phil G 

I think the claims that the source of Covid-19 being from a laboratory is just rubbish IMO.

Originally Posted by: ozone_aurora 

They. Are. Blaming. The. Scientists.@mrjamesob & others warned us that this would happen. https://t.co/7MgE5Dc88C

— Maureen Brown (@MaureenBrown27) May 19, 2020

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

What exactly do you mean by this ??

Originally Posted by: fairweather 

A direct result of HMG policy to reduce hospital deaths. Even Maunder couldn't defend this.

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

Knee jerk responses are all very well, but without the full facts we cannot know what is behind it. Sweden has a worse record than the UK on that particular topic. There will be a full inquiry into what occurred and why - let's not preempt it.

In the meantime, I am 100% behind Trump on this topic:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52718309

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

A direct result of HMG policy to reduce hospital deaths. Even Maunder couldn't defend this

There have been more excess deaths (deaths above the seasonal average) in care homes in England & Wales than in hospitals since the beginning of the #COVID19 outbreak pic.twitter.com/F7nFOOorxo

— Ed Conway (@EdConwaySky) May 19, 2020

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

For this obvious reason, the emphasis is that care homes need shielding and protecting by every means possible.

Originally Posted by: Caz 

It probably is rubbish but I don't think that should distract anyone from the crucial point that it is only a matter of time before a lab leak causes a serious incident. You only need to look at the stats to conclude the chances are extremely high. Whether Covid 19 was from a lab or not it should be a wake up call on biotech regulation.

Originally Posted by: Northern Sky 

HMG didn’t do this though. They sent people back into care homes putting them at heightened risk

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013