Coronavirus Isle of Man

[slinkydevil 3,920]

24 minutes ago, Shake me up Judy said:

Woolley: You don't close schools on a Monday, it gives out the wrong message and suggests weak leadership. Friday would have been a much stronger and confident decision and parents could have planned all week for it. Now they've got one day and no time to make alternative arrangements for childcare.

Similarly with testing: Information is the main weapon and 70 tests a day just doesn't cut it. They need to up this number substantially.

I realise that many people are doing their best and I don't blame Howard for any of this - he's not making the decisions and hasn't always had the best advice. We've been on the back foot since day one of this emergency. 

What alternative arrangements for childcare? There are none.

[woolley 18,193]

47 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

But if it changed 'as expected' why not just adopt the same measures you know are going to end up up with eventually, but earlier. 

 

21 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

I'm sorry, but that simply isn't so.  When you're dealing with a crisis you can't just rigidly stick to a pre-existing plan, irrespective of the consequences.  That's how wars get lost. 

So on the one hand you criticise them for changing the measures as the situation develops and on the other for sticking rigidly to a pre-existing plan. You can't have it both ways. In fact, neither of those things have happened in the way you imply because the "pre-existing plan" is flexible and embraces a range of actions to be taken when the situation triggers them.  As I said, "The modelling by epidemiologists goes on the whole time. They refine the results and the policy as they feed in more data." This is a well resourced, dynamic and comprehensive function of government planning which goes on year in, year out, and it is this that drives the day to day initiatives in times of crisis.

[Shake me up Judy 4,288]

Manx Radio will be found wanting in all this, and fail to respond to and represent the level and scale of events. There's an indifference to politics up there nowadays and it's barely hidden. At least Tim Glover seems to have stepped up though and is asking some good questions at the press briefings. Brindley and the gang are still pumping out the same inane trivia, thinking they're providing relief and keeping the national spirits up. The grown-ups have long left the building.   

[gettafa 5,940]

The police on the Isle of Man have been expressing concern that some school kids are planning on partying when school breaks up.

Well, after all, I'm sure they'll be thinking, this corona thing is only for old people isn't it? 

An 18 year-old has become the youngest to die in UK after testing positive 

[Roger Mexico 7,002]

20 minutes ago, woolley said:

[...]. I agree that ideally there should be more testing but this appears to go for almost everywhere in the world. I assume that this is for a widespread shortage of testing kit.

That doesn't seem to be quite the case.  Other countries that the UK seem to be doing much more testing.  There is some shortage of kits, especially in the US, but others such as South Korea did much more testing and were able to use it to limit the spread.   In the UK the problem is that the decision was made to restrict testing to those with the most obvious and sever symptoms only.  I've seen cases where even doctors showing symptoms have been refused.  There is actually a thriving biomedical industry in the UK and I've linked previously to an article where British manufacturers were complaining that they were supplying elsewhere in the world but had had no approaches by their own government.  It's clearly a 'political' decision, maybe they hope that less testing will mean fewer cases.  In the long run it may be the opposite.

The Island followed this lead until a few days ago, but seems to be doing much more in the way of testing.  There were only 51 tests completed on Thursday and that has almost trebled to 145 today,  I suspect under pressure from the medical people.  They had claimed that they 'had' to follow the same rules as the UK, but clearly that was nonsense.

[Shake me up Judy 4,288]

Indeed. One of the potentially dangerous mistakes they made at the start of this was to overstate the information that kids were safe; and to understate the fact that they could and would still be carriers of the Covid virus. I think that mistake could prove to be costly. 

[Roger Mexico 7,002]

59 minutes ago, woolley said:

So on the one hand you criticise them for changing the measures as the situation develops and on the other for sticking rigidly to a pre-existing plan. You can't have it both ways. In fact, neither of those things have happened in the way you imply because the "pre-existing plan" is flexible and embraces a range of actions to be taken when the situation triggers them.  As I said, "The modelling by epidemiologists goes on the whole time. They refine the results and the policy as they feed in more data." This is a well resourced, dynamic and comprehensive function of government planning which goes on year in, year out, and it is this that drives the day to day initiatives in times of crisis.

You're missing the point.  The pre-existing plan - presumably for any outbreak of disease - was to introduce particular measures at particular stages of any epidemic.  Rather than being flexible, sticking to this rigid timetable when more information about how the particular disease and outbreak progresses becomes available, is the opposite.

[TheTeapot 6,313]

Shit gets real

https://www.energyfm.net/cms/news_story_620759.html

[Andy Onchan 3,262]

You can't make it clearer than this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-51999437/stay-at-home-doctors-and-nurses-appeal-to-uk

[WTF 5,255]

17 minutes ago, Andy Onchan said:

You can't make it clearer than this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-51999437/stay-at-home-doctors-and-nurses-appeal-to-uk

die at home, don't seek medical help.  got it.

[WTF 5,255]

7 hours ago, slinkydevil said:

What alternative arrangements for childcare? There are none.

its a bit like alternative routes into douglas when they have road works every where, they can never tell you what routes they mean though,  maybe they had by boat in mind as an alternative ?

Edited March 23 by WTF

[ecobob 1,174]

8 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Tough one...first - are the firm willing to drop it given the situation? Second, if they are, can you hide your valuables in the car just before they arrive...and keep your distance? 3rd...make them wear gloves and go for a walk after it has been delivered (surely any viruses will have died after an hour?)

Valuables? Mate, most of my stuff came from the tip and donations.

I’ll give Corkills a ring this morning and see what they say. I‘m guessing they will have put some kind of procedures in place.

I suppose I could drive up to the Point of Ayre with the dog for a few hours while they unload but still, after being so vigilant for a week I’m not sure it’s a risk I should take. Let’s see what they say  

Thanks. 

Edited March 23 by ecobob
Spelling

[WTF 5,255]

good pic.

[Holte End 395]

What happens to people on work permits will they be able to receive benefits ?

I just haven't heard anything about this.

Skelly and Callister relaxed work permits in hospitality to attracted workers mainly low paid jobs,

have they left these people high and dry.?

[NoTailT 114]

Don't forget, 10am, you heard it here first

Quote

 

Gov to announce that they will provide a package to cover 75% of salaries for those that would be put out of work as a result of COVID19, employers to retain the employees.

Retail workers to be offered work and retraining to man 111 for the foreseeable in return for Gov maintaining payments to them.

VAT deferral by one quarter.

Income protection package for Hoteliers, Hospitality and the self employed.

 

 

Edited March 23 by NoTailT