Coronabollocks..

[John Hill]

NZ is now apparently free of Covid-19, last known sufferer recovered and no new cases in last couple of weeks.

[barkingmad]

Looking at the demographic of our O-N members I think maybe not too many will be concerned over this particular issue, but if you are, then here is some guidance for which we can be grateful to the lockdown sceptics in the UK;

"Those worried about not being able to have sex with somebody outside your own household, under The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 which were brought into force from Monday June 1st, I may have found a legal loophole.

It says: “7.—(1) During the emergency period…no person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public or private place—
(a) outdoors, and consists of more than six persons, or
(b) indoors, and consists of two or more persons.

It then says you can be exempted, if “the gathering is reasonably necessary” and includes —
“(i) for work purposes”

Here’s the loophole: As long as one party pays for sex, this would fall under prostitution which is legally a form of work, and therefore exempt from the restrictions. Remember, in Great Britain prostitution is legal as long as you don’t solicit.

Alternatively, you could both start a business together (perhaps set up a limited company) and therefore every time you meet up it would be “for work purposes”.

I hope this is of some comfort to anyone concerned. "

So that's all right then, I hope it puts your minds at ease?

[Boac]

That's sorted it! Well done. All one needs to do, then, is to slip the object of one's desire a quid or so (while 'slipping' her something else, naturally..............) and it is legal. She can then buy any post-coital drinks thereby reducing the cost of the tryst, or even rendering it 'profitable'.

[OFSO]

I am a Governor on the Board of an International Pensioners Association, membership about 4000 including dependents, spread around the world, and a member of the association of former staff of xxx, also mostly including pensioners, European. I'm not concerned specifically with deceased members but being fairly sociable I keep in touch with the members, who are all over 65 years of age and mostly over 75. And guess how many deaths I am aware of which relate to Covid-19 (as opposed to cancer, Alzheimer's, alcoholism or suicide etc).

Absolutely none. Neither by report nor rumour have I head of a single Corona virus death.

[G-CPTN]

Durham County Council is investigating complaints that the property Dominic Cummings used during his lockdown trip did not have the correct planning permission.
City of Durham Labour MP Mary Foy said she had received a number of complaints from constituents, and had asked the council whether the property Mr Cummings stayed in had proper planning permission, and whether it was registered for council tax.

He returned to the farm in 2002 after quitting his role and spent two years in a “bunker” he built with his father,

From:- https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/ ... -hand-man/

The property Dominic Cummings used during his lockdown trip did not have planning permission.

No action would be taken as the breaches were "historic" because they happened outside the time limit for enforcement.
An investigation into whether the property was correctly registered for council tax is continuing.

[OFSO]

So the ' government' is now considering allowing a social distance of one metre. Has the virus got weaker ? Can it no longer jump two metres ? Or - perish the thought - was the two metre distance a load of rubbish right from the start, a figure dreamed up out of thin air, just pure fantasy ? And if so, for how long one metre? Next week 50cms, or 300cms, or nothing at all ?

[barkingmad]

So the ' government' is now considering allowing a social distance of one metre. Has the virus got weaker ? Can it no longer jump two metres ? Or - perish the thought - was the two metre distance a load of rubbish right from the start, a figure dreamed up out of thin air, just pure fantasy ? And if so, for how long one metre? Next week 50cms, or 300cms, or nothing at all ?

See post #1442 in ‘Coronavirus-19’ thread where you can relax knowing the research from which this figure was plucked is recent and up to date at only 90 rears old!!

Now as a solitary ‘oldie’ I’m now reduced to shuffling around like that raincoated ould codger in Terry Gilliam’s Monty Python cartoons seeking a “bubble” in which I can enjoy the company of at least one other human...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=monty ... YIWAnyjGNM

[ribrash]

From the Telegraph this morning. I’ve got a surprise for you, dear reader. There is no such thing as the “two-metre rule” and there never has been.

In England at least, it is merely a guideline – a bit of advice. You can follow or ignore it as you see fit. It has no force in law and you are no more likely to be arrested for breaking it than for failing to wash your hands or allowing your children to play conkers.

We like rules in England, in much the same way as we enjoy an orderly queue. You know where you are with a rule, and many of us feel it would be more than our jobs are worth to stretch one, even a little bit. This is especially true in all matters pertaining to ‘elf and safety.

So it is with some trepidation that I have to tell you that the two-metre rule – the obsession of so many news stories and press conferences – is not a rule in England and never has been.

[1DC]

Be careful about children and conkers,you dont want the HSE police getting involved.

[barkingmad]

I nearly choked on my mouthful of "rat's droppings in sawdust", (Jilly Cooper's accurate description of muesli), when I heard on steam radio today that Professor Pantsdown Ferguson pontificating again.

He is still telling us what to do, what would have happened if they'd listened to him earlier and presumably making more 'Mystic Meg' prognostications for when life will be approaching 'normal', whatever that will be.

Additional to his Covid-1984 utterances, here's a little summary of his form, just as a reminder from whence the UK guvvment is receiving it's 'science';

"[Imperial College epidemiologist Neil] Ferguson was behind the disputed research that sparked the mass culling of eleven million sheep and cattle during the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. He also predicted that up to 150,000 people could die. There were fewer than 200 deaths. . . .(But the cost was £10,000,000,000)

In 2002, Ferguson predicted that up to 50,000 people would likely die from exposure to BSE (mad cow disease) in beef. In the U.K., there were only 177 deaths from BSE.

In 2005, Ferguson predicted that up to 150 million people could be killed from bird flu. In the end, only 282 people died worldwide from the disease between 2003 and 2009.

In 2009, a government estimate, based on Ferguson’s advice, said a “reasonable worst-case scenario” was that the swine flu would lead to 65,000 British deaths. In the end, swine flu killed 457 people in the U.K.

Last March, Ferguson admitted that his Imperial College model of the COVID-19 disease was based on undocumented, 13-year-old computer code that was intended to be used for a feared influenza pandemic, rather than a coronavirus. Ferguson declined to release his original code so other scientists could check his results. He only released a heavily revised set of code last week, after a six-week delay.

So the real scandal is: Why did anyone ever listen to this guy?"

Answers please on a postcard if you can be bothered and I presume some of his remuneration might just be abstracted from the taxpayers' dosh? Perhaps he never grasped the correct location of the decimal point when doing basic maths at skule?

[G-CPTN]

Texas had one of the quickest reopening policies in the nation: stores, restaurants and theatres reopened, albeit with limited capacity, on 1 May, even though the state had seen rising case counts at the time.
Since then, bars, aquariums, rodeos, bingo halls and bowling alleys have also been allowed to open.
Businesses continue to reopen in the state, and on Friday, as phase three begins, restaurants will be able to operate at 75% capacity.
Texas, the second-most populous state in the US, reported 2,504 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday.
It is the most reported in a day in the state since the pandemic began and marks a spike following the US Memorial Day holiday weekend at the end of May.

[AtomKraft]

Our risk-averse overreaction to Coronabollocks is beginning to be seen for what it's always been.

A combination of fear and panic.

This won't go down as our finest hour.
https://thecritic.co.uk/were-all-in-the ... mbers-now/

[AtomKraft]

Average age of death in the UK- over 80.
A third of deaths occur in old folks homes.
Comorbity present in 95% of cases which result in death.
Only 253 under 60s or kids dead. 400 drown every year by accident.
Kids more likely to be struck by lightning (49 per annum) than to die from Coronabollocks (33).

Don't.......PANIC!

[Woody]

Don't.......PANIC!

bit late for that I’m afraid

[PHXPhlyer]

I suggest a 14 day quarantine for all who attend, including Trump.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald ... s-n1231041

'Extraordinarily dangerous': Trump rally draws grave concerns from top health officials
"I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well," said one official.
Image: President Donald Trump arrives to a rally in Colorado Springs on Feb., 20, 2020.
President Donald Trump arrives to a rally in Colorado Springs on Feb., 20, 2020.Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images file
June 14, 2020, 1:57 PM MST / Source: Associated Press
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — After months away from the campaign trail, President Donald Trump plans to rally his supporters next Saturday for the first time since most of the country was shuttered by the coronavirus. But health experts are questioning that decision.

Trump will head to Tulsa, Oklahoma — a state that has seen relatively few COVID-19 cases. Yet the Tulsa City-County Health Department’s director told the Tulsa World over the weekend that he wished the Trump campaign would move the date back because of a “significant increase in our case trends.”

“I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well," Dr. Bruce Dart told the newspaper.

Other health experts also cite the danger of infection spreading among the crowd and sparking outbreaks when people return to their homes. The Trump campaign itself acknowledges the risk in a waiver attendees must agree to absolving them of any responsibility should people get sick.


Patel: Coronavirus makes an indoor Trump rally 'a setup for disaster'
JUNE 12, 202001:29
WHAT MAKES THE RALLY HIGH RISK?

Trump’s rally will be held indoors, at a 19,000-seat arena that has canceled all other events through the end of July. Scientists believe the virus spreads far more easily in crowded enclosed spaces than it does outdoors, where circulating air has a better chance of dispersing virus particles.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines the highest risk events for transmission of the coronavirus this way: “Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area.” The CDC recommends cloth masks in places where people might shout or chant.

Trump’s rallies typically draw tens of thousands of supporters. They usually stand outside in line for hours before passing through airport-style security and cramming into an arena, where they sit side by side or stand shoulder to shoulder. The rallies are typically raucous, with much shouting, cheering and chanting. Some people dance and jeer at reporters. Sometimes protesters are met with violence before they are removed by security.

Many attendees are older, which would put them at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19. It’s not unusual for several individuals in the crowd to require medical attention when the temperature rises.

The rallies also typically draw supporters from surrounding towns and states. Some die-hard fans travel across the country from rally to rally like groupies for a band.

Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard’s Global Health Institute, called the upcoming Trump rally “an extraordinarily dangerous move for the people participating and the people who may know them and love them and see them afterward."

Trump supporters coming from neighboring cities and states could carry the virus back home, Jha said. "I’d feel the same way if Joe Biden were holding a rally.”

OKLAHOMA CASES LOW BUT RISING

In its final phase of reopening, Oklahoma now allows public gatherings of any size as long as organizers consider social distancing. Participants at any large gathering should stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart and wear a cloth face covering when distancing is a challenge, the state health department said.

The state has a relatively low death rate compared with the rest of the nation, but new cases are rising. In Tulsa, there were 82 new cases reported Saturday, a new high in daily increases for the county. The Tulsa Health Department already was investigating an outbreak linked to an indoor gathering of a large group of people.

Citing the spike in cases, Dart said he wished the rally would postponed to a later date "when the virus isn’t as large a concern as it is today.”

“I think it’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic,” Dart said in an interview Saturday with the Tulsa World.

Dart said the risk of spreading the virus increases with higher numbers of people congregating for longer periods of time.

Oklahoma health authorities said that anyone who attends a large public event should get tested for COVID-19 shortly afterward.

Shelley Payne, director of the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease at the University of Texas at Austin, said the Trump rally meets every criteria for the riskiest type of event.

“I would certainly recommend that people wear masks and try to keep as much distance as possible,” Payne said.

Julie Fischer, an associate research professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University, said the event could have wide repercussions for the country.

“With a little bad luck, that scenario could end in the seeding of community outbreaks of COVID-19 across the U.S.,” she said.

MASKS AND PRECAUTIONS

The Trump campaign has declined to respond to repeated questions about whether it will require attendees to wear masks, socially distance or take other measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

Trump has made clear that he believes empty seats are bad optics. “I can’t imagine a rally where you have every fourth seat full. Every — every six seats are empty for every one that you have full. That wouldn’t look too good,” he said in April.

Trump also insisted that the marquee event of the Republican National Convention — his acceptance of his party's nomination for reelection — be moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida, after North Carolina's Democratic governor refused to promise he would not impose restrictions.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon, said Trump's rallies will be coordinated with public health authorities to maintain safety.

“As far as the virus is concerned, we have two choices: we can allow it to dominate us, or we can learn as much as we can about it and we can learn how to live with it in a safe, prescribed manner,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.” “And I think the second option is the one that’s going to be adopted.”

WHY NOW?

Trump has been eager to resume the rallies that are the centerpiece of his campaign. The president revels in his large crowds. The events let him vent and gauge the kind of rhetoric that will appeal to his ardent political base. They also help his campaign expand its voter databases and will serve as a contrast to Democratic challenger Biden, who has suspended campaign events because of the virus and hasn't attracted the same size of crowds.

But the decision to pull the trigger now was driven, in large part, by the mass anti-racism protests that have taken place across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Campaign and White House officials say the protests — and the limited public health outcry they generated — gave them cover. If it was OK for tens of thousands of people to march through the streets, demanding racial justice, why can't Trump rally his supporters, too?

Of course, the protests were held outside, with many participants wearing masks.

“Any large gathering, whether of protesters or ralliers, is dangerous,” Jha said. But infection is less likely at an outdoors moving march than at a crowded event in an enclosed space, he said, citing the air flow.

THE WAIVER

The Trump campaign, in recognition of the risk, has tried to protect itself from lawsuits with waiver language on its registration website.

“By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present,” the campaign advised those signing up for the rally. “By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.” liable for illness or injury.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Trump rally attendees will have fewer safety measures than high-dollar donors

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-e ... r-n1231092


Those attending fundraisers with the president had to have a coronavirus test and fill out a health questionnaire ahead of time.
Image: President Donald Trump waves to supporters during a "Keep America Great" campaign rally in Sunrise
President Donald Trump waves to supporters during a "Keep America Great" campaign rally in Sunrise, Fla., on Nov. 26, 2019.Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images file
June 15, 2020, 11:46 AM MST
By Monica Alba
WASHINGTON — Top Republicans donors at President Donald Trump's two recent fundraisers had to have tested negative for the coronavirus, fill out a wellness questionnaire and pass a temperature check to be near him, but thousands of supporters who attend his upcoming rally will not be screened as thoroughly.

After declining to explain for days which safety measures, if any, will be enforced by the Trump campaign at the Tulsa, Oklahoma, event this weekend, senior officials Monday said hand sanitizer and face masks will be offered to all attendees, though not necessarily required. Rallygoers will also have their temperatures taken before entering an arena that fits more than 19,000 people.


Upcoming Trump rally in Tulsa spurs growing health concerns
JUNE 15, 202002:09
At high-dollar dinners in Dallas and Bedminster, New Jersey, several dozen GOP financial backers had the costs of their COVID-19 tests covered by the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee.

There is no plan to test any of the supporters who attend the mega-rally in Oklahoma, where cases have spiked in recent days and the sweltering heat may complicate temperature readings. The campaign did not say what would happen if someone registered a higher-than-usual fever or what the cutoff would be for entry.

There is no indication there will be any social distancing inside the venue and people will likely be packed shoulder to shoulder, which is a concept the president has endorsed, saying it “loses a lot of flavor” to have his devoted fans spread out.

Anyone who enters the BOK Center will have already signed a digital liability waiver, clearing the Trump campaign of any responsibility should they get sick at the mass gathering.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Erin Perrine tells NBC News that "the campaign takes the health and safety of rally-goers seriously and is taking precautions to make the rally safe. Every single rally goer will have their temperature checked, be provided a face mask and hand sanitizer. We are also taking precautions to keep rally-goers safe in the Oklahoma heat — including providing water bottles to keep people hydrated."

Top local officials like Tulsa Health Department Director Bruce Dart said he wishes the campaign would postpone the rally to a future, safer date. He implied the risk wasn’t just high for the participants, but also for the president himself.

“I think it’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic,” Dart told the Tulsa World over the weekend. “I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe, as well.”

The editorial board of the same paper wrote Monday that “We don’t know why he chose Tulsa, but we can’t see any way that his visit will be good for the city.”

The health concerns come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently classified large, indoor gatherings where social distancing is not possible as falling into the “highest risk” category. The CDC also said the danger is greater when “attendees travel outside the local area.”

Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted that so many people, from both within the state and from outside the state, expressed interest in participating that the Trump 2020 team is considering adding a second event.

The Saturday event will be the first of this kind since the coronavirus pandemic began. The president’s last 2020 rally with thousands of supporters took place in North Carolina in early March.

Soon after, the Trump campaign and the RNC transitioned to a fully virtual operation and ceased all in-person gatherings and fundraising.

For weeks, Trump has been asking his advisers why he couldn’t hold large-scale events when thousands were gathering in the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

After itching to get back on the trail, the president unexpectedly announced the Tulsa rally would take place June 19, or Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

That was met with fierce criticism and a swift backlash, prompting the campaign to push the date back to the following day.

The campaign claims as many as 1 million people registered to attend the event, but far fewer are expected to actually travel to Tulsa, where counterprotesters have already signaled they will organize a competing rally.

[John Hill]

Covid 19 back in NZ. Two people from England were excused from quarantine early on compassionate grounds then drove Auckland to Wellington and found to be positive. I have no idea how many infections may have occurred on their trip.

[G-CPTN]

It is estimated that there are 200,000 'contacts' from the recent second wave outbreak in China.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Covid 19 back in NZ. Two people from England were excused from quarantine early on compassionate grounds then drove Auckland to Wellington

Apparently drove a private car, not public transport, wore masks, didn't stop at restaurants or even toilets, pee'd at the side of the road !

Doesn't alter the facts tho'. Others on the aircraft from Aus. ? Airport personnel ? Auckland isolation venue personnel ? Ill relative's care givers ? the list is probably endless as we shall doubtlessly learn in a few days.

Maybe they were "black" and "someone" didn't want to appear discriminatory in the present BLM climate ? Just because they came from England doesn't exclude that possibility but we're not allowed to know on ground of "privacy" ? "They" might possibly end up having potentially infected hundreds of New Zealanders through casual Community contact, yet they're entitled to privacy ?

Closed Borders ? Yeah ! Right !

[unifoxos]

recent and up to date at only 90 rears old!!

Somebody talking through their arse??