UK News, Updates and Discussion

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Doc67
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UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by Doc67 »

It does what it says on the tin!

I know there are a few expats back in the UK, by choice or stranded, and many more in Cambodia and other far flung places. This thread is for daily updates on official figures, leading news articles and general chatter. In normal times many of us don't pay the slightest attention to what's on the UK news, but these are not normal times.

Non Brits are obviously welcome to chime in too. Except the French. Only joking. (not really).

Also, please, can everyone leave the conspiracy theories at the door and Shouty McShoutface posts telling us we are all idiots and sheeple. We already know that.

God Save the Queen.

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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by Doc67 »

The UK's woeful position on testing is beginning to bite. There are an awaful lots of people who have been infected, recovered and have immunity (how strong and for how long is another matter).

This is one of the issues that will make or break public opinion in the government's competence and continued acceptance of the lockdown. They need to up their game and very soon.

"Three weeks ago, the World Health Organization told countries battling Covid-19 to “test, test, test” for the virus. Since then, the UK government has been accused of issuing mixed messages, of over-promising and under-delivering – the UK’s daily testing rate has only just passed 10,000."

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... d-messages
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by fazur »

I think S. Korea acted well after the initial shock. tets everybody
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by God'sGift »

I'd say that too much reliance is being put upon the whole testing malarkey - ok, if you feel like shit with the symptoms, then yes, you've probably got it, but how does just telling one the obvious 'beat' the virus?
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by Doc67 »

Here's what the Government are spending and, more importantly, where. It's from the IMF

NHS £5 Billion extra (that wont be enough)

Small Business support £27 Billion for business rates cut, sick leave changes and VAT Deferment and 80% staff wages costs.

"Tax and spending measures include: (i) additional funding for the NHS and other public services (£5 billion); (ii) measures to support businesses (£27 billion), including property tax holidays, direct grants for small firms in the most-affected sectors, and compensation for sick pay leave; and (iii) strengthening the social safety net to support vulnerable people (by nearly £7 billion) by increasing payments under the Universal Credit scheme as well as expanding other benefits. The government is also launching with the British Business Bank the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to support SMEs; deferring VAT payments for the next quarter until the end of the financial year; and will pay 80 percent of the salary of furloughed employees (to a maximum of £2,500 per employee per month) for an initial period of 3 months. To support the international response, the government has made available £150 million to the IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust. See also: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... businesses"

BIG business support

£200 Billion for buying Government debt and non financial corporate bonds. Isn't it cool that you can create money and buy up your own debt. I wish I could create £xxx,xxx.xx and pay off my own mortgages!

£330 Billions for the "joint HM Treasury—Bank of England Covid Corporate Financing Facility". This is the one you really want to tap into.


"Key measures include: (i) reducing Bank Rate by 65 basis points to 0.1 percent; (ii) expanding the central bank’s holding of UK government bonds and non-financial corporate bonds by £200 billion; (iii) introducing a new Term Funding Scheme to reinforce the transmission of the rate cut, with additional incentives for lending to the real economy, and especially SMEs; (iv) launching the joint HM Treasury—Bank of England Covid Corporate Financing Facility which, together with the Coronavirus Business Loans Interruption Scheme, makes £330bn of loans and guarantees available to businesses (15 percent of GDP); (v) (v) activating a Contingent Term Repo Facility to complement the Bank’s existing sterling liquidity facilities; (vi) together with central banks from Canada, Japan, Euro Area, U.S., and Switzerland, further enhancing the provision of liquidity via the standing US dollar liquidity swap line arrangements; and (vii) reducing the UK countercyclical buffer rate to 0 percent from a pre-existing path toward 2 percent by December 2020, with guidance that it will remain there for at least 12 months. The Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) set out supervisory expectation that banks should not increase dividends or other distributions, such as bonuses, in response to policy actions. See also: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/coronavirus.
Exchange rate and balance of payments"


https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-c ... COVID-19#U
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by Doc67 »

God'sGift wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:41 pm I'd say that too much reliance is being put upon the whole testing malarkey - ok, if you feel like shit with the symptoms, then yes, you've probably got it, but how does just telling one the obvious 'beat' the virus?
I think there are many that believe they caught it but don't know for 100% sure. That's why the antibody test will be the most prized possession in a month.
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by fazur »

am interested in how different political systems can react to this

democracy too much debate and time wasted i think

need focus and speed with authority
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by Kammekor »

God'sGift wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:41 pm I'd say that too much reliance is being put upon the whole testing malarkey - ok, if you feel like shit with the symptoms, then yes, you've probably got it, but how does just telling one the obvious 'beat' the virus?
Not really, if you know who's positive you can take them out, put them in isolation / treatment, and the spreading stops.

Then you test everyone around that person, and rinse an repeat.

After the isolation / treatment you test for antibodies and if they test positive, they get permission to return to normal duties. It's the best controlled way out of a lock down.
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by Doc67 »

Kammekor wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 3:12 pm
God'sGift wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:41 pm I'd say that too much reliance is being put upon the whole testing malarkey - ok, if you feel like shit with the symptoms, then yes, you've probably got it, but how does just telling one the obvious 'beat' the virus?
Not really, if you know who's positive you can take them out, put them in isolation / treatment, and the spreading stops.

Then you test everyone around that person, and rinse an repeat.

After the isolation / treatment you test for antibodies and if they test positive, they get permission to return to normal duties. It's the best controlled way out of a lock down.
I agree. Now all we need is a couple of million test kits that work for starters...
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Re: UK News, Updates and Discussion

Post by Kammekor »

Doc67 wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 3:18 pm
Kammekor wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 3:12 pm
God'sGift wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:41 pm I'd say that too much reliance is being put upon the whole testing malarkey - ok, if you feel like shit with the symptoms, then yes, you've probably got it, but how does just telling one the obvious 'beat' the virus?
Not really, if you know who's positive you can take them out, put them in isolation / treatment, and the spreading stops.

Then you test everyone around that person, and rinse an repeat.

After the isolation / treatment you test for antibodies and if they test positive, they get permission to return to normal duties. It's the best controlled way out of a lock down.
I agree. Now all we need is a couple of million test kits that work for starters...
And that's just for the UK....

And you don't want that test to be sensitive for antibodies against other (Corona) viruses....
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