Lockdown easing in England

[sonofthom]

Rayard,

You are completely correct - lockdown was to protect the NHS from being unable to cope. That didn't happen and so the rationale for lockdown no longer exists.

As regards supermarkets, a highly relevant point I have seen previously somewhere on these boards is that these are the places where the greatest number of people gather together usually not particularly bothering about the two metre advice. If the virus was as omnipresent and infectious as suggested by some you would expect many supermarkets to have had to close as they were riddled with infection. This hasn't happened and so should give us all cause for thought.

[sonofthom]

Skoosh,

Have you ever enjoyed the grand tour of Moscow to Houston to California all without leaving Scotland. A great trip to confuse others in these times of limited travel. Also, not forgetting what this board is about, a bit of a genealogical nightmare at times.

[Gadget]

SonofthorN, you obviously have no knowledge of epidemiology. if that's all you have to go on.

[sonofthom]

Gadget,

I do not understand why you should feel it appropriate to make such assumptions about my knowledge. You implied that I had simply guessed at Chinese figures so I gave you my source, the Chinese Government's official figures. It would have been more appropriate to acknowledge that the figures I quoted were from an official source and not as you suggested a wild guess.

Incidentally, quoting official Government figures is not an epidemiological statement.

[Gadget]

I have looked for this "second spike" in China and can see no evidence of it. The worst day in the last week saw 11 reported new cases and no new deaths. If this is what a second wave looks like then it is time to get back to enjoying our basic freedoms once more. For personal (friends and family) reasons I would also like to see us enjoying a fully functioning NHS again.

From the BBC

"A virus outbreak in a wholesale market in Beijing leads to fears of a second wave in the Chinese capital
Forty-five cases have been recorded, after weeks without new infections; the area is put on lockdown."

You missed this information.

[Skoosh]

@ sonofthom, this thread is actually about England & you're apparently an expert from Perthshire where they still think Corona is a lager! 

Skoosh.

[sonofthom]

Skoosh, Thank you for acknowledging my expertise! I do try to stick to appropriately sourced facts and figures. I agree that this thread is about England although as you read through it many people are trying to draw conclusions by looking at, or indeed failing to look at, experience elsewhere.

Incidentally the official figures issued today by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China reveals 11 new cases of which 6 are in Beijing; the other 5 are imported cases.

[sugarfizzle]

Sonofthom, I don't think Gadget is necessarily disputing the numbers you gave, which applied to last week's figures, I think you said.
Gadget is referring to this week's news, widely reported in many different online news reports. Or rather, today's news.

It is reported that Beijing is in lockdown after a spike of cases relating to a food market there.

Sky news, Telegraph, Guardian as well as BBC news. Relatively small numbers as yet, but you only need one case unchecked to cause widespread disruption again.

Apparently 'dozens of asymptomatic cases' according to Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/13/beijing-china-new-covid-19-cases-linked-to-food-market

'The chairman of the Xinfadi market told state media that the virus was detected on chopping boards used to handle imported salmon.'

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-shops-lockdown-uk-update-deaths-face-masks/

'The cluster was detected after throat swabs from 45 people, out of 517 tested at the district's Xinfadi market, proved positive for coronavirus, although none of them showed symptoms of COVID-19, according to the authorities'

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-beijing-shuts-food-market-and-goes-into-wartime-emergency-mode-after-spike-in-covid-19-cases-12005803

Regards Margaret

[sonofthom]

Sugarfizzle, for the avoidance of doubt I can confirm that I quoted figures for the last seven days including the official figures released today, so these are this week's figures. I did include a link which quotes all of the figures in English and which in turn links to the official Chinese release.