Coronavirus app The Financial Times suggests the new NHS app, to trace people who've been exposed to Covid-19, is "in question" - just days after it was launched. The paper claims it's seen documents that show a Swiss IT firm has been awarded a contract - worth £3.8m - to investigate switching to Apple and Google's contract-tracing technology, which does not store information centrally. The FT points out that this would be a U-turn from the UK's original decision to reject help from the tech firms.
"Cornwall facing £885m summer season wipe-out" is a headline in the Daily Express. It quotes the county's head of tourism, Malcolm Bell, urging the government to allow the sector to reopen before the end of the summer. Mr Bell says a balance must be struck between protecting customers and protecting the communities of Cornwall.
Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said. Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS workers and is now stuck in a warehouse. It is not clear if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.
Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said. Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS workers and is now stuck in a warehouse. It is not clear if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.
Don't they write a specification for these products BEFORE they buy them. Ffs it is not rocket science is it?
The last lot was rejected because the cords were too long and would endanger children who might hang themselves on them. Understand the sentiment but not the requirement in these circumstances.
Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said. Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS workers and is now stuck in a warehouse. It is not clear if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.
Don't they write a specification for these products BEFORE they buy them. Ffs it is not rocket science is it?
The last lot was rejected because the cords were too long and would endanger children who might hang themselves on them. Understand the sentiment but not the requirement in these circumstances.
Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said. Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS workers and is now stuck in a warehouse. It is not clear if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.
Don't they write a specification for these products BEFORE they buy them. Ffs it is not rocket science is it?
The last lot was rejected because the cords were too long and would endanger children who might hang themselves on them. Understand the sentiment but not the requirement in these circumstances.
You would think that the spec. already existed.
Probably British Standard 4758.....99843 paragraph 4 item 17.21.
Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said. Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS workers and is now stuck in a warehouse. It is not clear if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.
Don't they write a specification for these products BEFORE they buy them. Ffs it is not rocket science is it?
The last lot was rejected because the cords were too long and would endanger children who might hang themselves on them. Understand the sentiment but not the requirement in these circumstances.
You would think that the spec. already existed.
Probably British Standard 4758.....99843 paragraph 4 item 17.21.
Over complicated for a surgical gown maybe?
UK may ditch NHS contact-tracing app for Apple and Google model
The government has left open the prospect of ditching its own contact-tracing app in favour of the “decentralised” model favoured by Apple and Google after it was revealed that a feasibility study into such a change is underway. After repeated warnings that the UK will be an outlier if it insists on using its own centralised app rather than relying on Google and Apple’s technology, rights groups and MPs said on Thursday that the lack of privacy and data protections could mean that the app would be illegal.
Coronavirus lockdown The Times leads with claims of disarray at the heart of government over how to ease current coronavirus-related restrictions. "PM to keep Britain in lockdown until June" is the headline as it reports that Boris Johnson is "under pressure" from his cabinet to set specific dates for getting people back to work and some form of normality when he sets out his plan on Sunday. But an "ally" said to be familiar with the prime minister's thinking, tells the paper it will be "baby steps" when Mr Johnson's announcement comes.
"Fears No 10 has lost grip on lockdown exit plans" is the headline for the Guardian. It suggests the government is urgently trying to regain control after "fierce criticism" that "mixed messaging" was priming people to give up on lockdown. An unnamed member of the government's Sage advisory committee is quoted as saying leaks of "bits and pieces" of information are potentially "incredibly damaging". The source tells the paper it risks leading people only to see the "green lights" in any government announcement. The front page of the Daily Telegraph claims Boris Johnson could lift the lockdown in fortnightly stages to show the public "light at the end of the tunnel". It devotes its lead slot to a call from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to guarantee better protection from the virus to the VE Day generation.
In an article for the paper, Sir Keir points out that many of that generation now live in the care homes and are bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic after years of poor provision for social care. "The crisis in our care homes has gone on for too long," he says. "We must do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable, many of whom protected our country in its darkest hour." Protecting those most at risk is also the focus of Guardian's editorial as it reflects on official figures which suggest that black people in England and Wales are more than four times as likely to die from Covid-19. It admits that the reasons will be complex and are not yet fully understood, and it calls for an urgent assessment on what more can be done to protect such groups. But it also argues that when the dust settles, there needs to be an equally important addressing of deep-rooted health inequalities "entrenched" in society "over the austerity years" and exposed as "devastating" by the current pandemic.
"BoE's 'Panglossian' view of V-shaped recovery called into question" is the headline of the Financial Times as it gauges reaction to the Bank of England's forecast of a deep economic downturn followed by a quick rebound. The paper reports that many economists disagree with the optimistic view of the Bank's new governor, Andrew Bailey, and it lines up several to explain why. It concludes that as the reality of a slow recovery becomes clear over the next few weeks, it expects members of the Monetary Policy Committee to vote for more quantative easing in June. 'Fears of lockdown ending' The Daily Telegraph's editorial reflects on the current coronavirus crisis, against the backdrop of VE Day commemorations. "Are we the same people?" it wonders, considering the stoicism of previous generations in wartime. It concludes that in our willingness to pull together and to do the right thing, we are. But it also highlights polls which show we're now "terrified" of lifting lockdown. It argues that the most compelling attempts to constrain freedom are those which appeal to public safety, and it calls on Boris Johnson to channel his hero, Sir Winston Churchill, to restore the public's confidence. Public concern over easing the lockdown, and in particular that of parents, features prominently in the Times. "Heads fear ghost schools" is the headline, as it details how unions and headteachers are warning that many mums and dads may refuse to send their children back to reopened schools, before a vaccine is found. The report quotes a survey by website Mumsnet which suggests only one in five parents would back schools reopening now, while fewer than half said they would be prepared for their child to return immediately.
Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said. Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS workers and is now stuck in a warehouse. It is not clear if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.
Don't they write a specification for these products BEFORE they buy them. Ffs it is not rocket science is it?
The last lot was rejected because the cords were too long and would endanger children who might hang themselves on them. Understand the sentiment but not the requirement in these circumstances.
You would think that the spec. already existed.
Probably British Standard 4758.....99843 paragraph 4 item 17.21.
Over complicated for a surgical gown maybe?
You couldn't make it up?
Revealed: How an email from a Turkish T-shirt salesman led to a PPE fiasco Senior MPs demand inquiry into how mission dubbed 'Air Jenrick' went wrong after thousands of medical gowns found to be 'useless'
It began with an emailed offer of help from a T-shirt salesman in Turkey who promised that he could help solve the UK's worsening personal protective equipment (PPE) crisis. Little more than three weeks later, a Royal Air Force plane was pictured waiting on the tarmac at an airport in Istanbul as ministers were accused of presiding over a farce. And finally – as The Telegraph revealed on Wednesday – the saga ended in catastrophe. On arrival in the UK, thousands of hospital gowns were discovered to be "useless" and now lie in a warehouse near Heathrow. Around 170,000 more remain in Turkey after officials blocked their delivery over safety fears.
Ben, son in law works at Facebook headquarters in Paula Alto and lives in SanFran and is currently and will be for the foreseeable future, working from home
They were told yesterday that no work gatherings of 50 or more to be allowed until it’s reviewed in June.....2021! Yes already planning social distancing for the long term.
(They have the office space to do this as one of there hangar buildings can take 10,000 people on the roof garden for a party ...but still effective mgt of the key issue facing us as we go forward)
Ben, son in law works at Facebook headquarters in Paula Alto and lives in SanFran and is currently and will be for the foreseeable future, working from home
They were told yesterday that no work gatherings of 50 or more to be allowed until it’s reviewed in June.....2021! Yes already planning social distancing for the long term.
(They have the office space to do this as one of there hangar buildings can take 10,000 people on the roof garden for a party ...but still effective mgt of the key issue facing us as we go forward)
I have been saying for a while that getting out of the lockdown is not going to be as simple as some people think. The only ways out of this still seem to be herd immunity, or a vaccine. A vaccine may not be available for quite some time, and there is no guarantee of finding one. Herd immunity requires around 70% of the population to contract the virus, this is a huge number. The lockdown restricts the spread, and therefore slows down the possibility of herd immunity. Any relaxation of the lockdown measures, will surely increase the spread. Workers jam packed into tubes, and trains, very young kids that don't understand what 2 metres is etc, etc, can only increase the spread. Smaller classrooms, and staggering shifts can surely only slow the spread down. I think we probably have many old and vulnerable people that will never go out again. Expecting tourists to self isolate for 2 weeks is hardly encouraging, and is unlikely to give tourism a boost.
Whenever this Government is faced with a choice of two options they consistently pick the wrong one. A Turkish T-Shirt salesman, or reputable British companies to source gowns. Two apps to choose from, launch one, and then immediately pay a Swiss company £3.8million to explore using the other one that has been used by many other countries. No to wearing masks, now it seems to be yes. There were also the Dyson ventilators that they ordered, probably paid for, and didn't use. And on and on.
Trump says coronavirus will disappear without a vaccine. Fauci has said the opposite.
Except that’s not what his coronavirus task force doctor, Anthony S. Fauci, says. Trump offered his new comments about the potential vaccine Friday afternoon at the White House. “I feel about vaccines like I feel about tests: This is going to go away without a vaccine,” Trump said. “It’s going to go away, and we’re not going to see it again, hopefully, after a period of time.”
A few weeks ago, Fauci was asked on Fox News about comments Joe Biden had made, that “this isn’t going to be over until we have a vaccine.” Fauci responded: “There’s truth to that. It’s not going to be over to the point of our being able to not do any mitigation until we have a scientifically sound, safe and effective vaccine.” A week earlier, at a White House briefing, Fauci was asked whether we will “truly get back to normal in this country before there’s an actual vaccine that’s available to everybody.”
Trump says coronavirus will disappear without a vaccine. Fauci has said the opposite.
Except that’s not what his coronavirus task force doctor, Anthony S. Fauci, says. Trump offered his new comments about the potential vaccine Friday afternoon at the White House. “I feel about vaccines like I feel about tests: This is going to go away without a vaccine,” Trump said. “It’s going to go away, and we’re not going to see it again, hopefully, after a period of time.”
A few weeks ago, Fauci was asked on Fox News about comments Joe Biden had made, that “this isn’t going to be over until we have a vaccine.” Fauci responded: “There’s truth to that. It’s not going to be over to the point of our being able to not do any mitigation until we have a scientifically sound, safe and effective vaccine.” A week earlier, at a White House briefing, Fauci was asked whether we will “truly get back to normal in this country before there’s an actual vaccine that’s available to everybody.”
Comments
Coronavirus app
The Financial Times suggests the new NHS app, to trace people who've been exposed to Covid-19, is "in question" - just days after it was launched.
The paper claims it's seen documents that show a Swiss IT firm has been awarded a contract - worth £3.8m - to investigate switching to Apple and Google's contract-tracing technology, which does not store information centrally.
The FT points out that this would be a U-turn from the UK's original decision to reject help from the tech firms.
"Cornwall facing £885m summer season wipe-out" is a headline in the Daily Express.
It quotes the county's head of tourism, Malcolm Bell, urging the government to allow the sector to reopen before the end of the summer.
Mr Bell says a balance must be struck between protecting customers and protecting the communities of Cornwall.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-52568283
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said.
Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS workers and is now stuck in a warehouse.
It is not clear if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52569364
The last lot was rejected because the cords were too long and would endanger children who might hang themselves on them. Understand the sentiment but not the requirement in these circumstances.
Over complicated for a surgical gown maybe?
The government has left open the prospect of ditching its own contact-tracing app in favour of the “decentralised” model favoured by Apple and Google after it was revealed that a feasibility study into such a change is underway.
After repeated warnings that the UK will be an outlier if it insists on using its own centralised app rather than relying on Google and Apple’s technology, rights groups and MPs said on Thursday that the lack of privacy and data protections could mean that the app would be illegal.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coronavirus/uk-may-ditch-nhs-contact-tracing-app-for-apple-and-google-model/ar-BB13KNb1?ocid=spartandhp
The Times leads with claims of disarray at the heart of government over how to ease current coronavirus-related restrictions.
"PM to keep Britain in lockdown until June" is the headline as it reports that Boris Johnson is "under pressure" from his cabinet to set specific dates for getting people back to work and some form of normality when he sets out his plan on Sunday.
But an "ally" said to be familiar with the prime minister's thinking, tells the paper it will be "baby steps" when Mr Johnson's announcement comes.
"Fears No 10 has lost grip on lockdown exit plans" is the headline for the Guardian.
It suggests the government is urgently trying to regain control after "fierce criticism" that "mixed messaging" was priming people to give up on lockdown.
An unnamed member of the government's Sage advisory committee is quoted as saying leaks of "bits and pieces" of information are potentially "incredibly damaging". The source tells the paper it risks leading people only to see the "green lights" in any government announcement.
The front page of the Daily Telegraph claims Boris Johnson could lift the lockdown in fortnightly stages to show the public "light at the end of the tunnel".
It devotes its lead slot to a call from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to guarantee better protection from the virus to the VE Day generation.
In an article for the paper, Sir Keir points out that many of that generation now live in the care homes and are bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic after years of poor provision for social care.
"The crisis in our care homes has gone on for too long," he says. "We must do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable, many of whom protected our country in its darkest hour."
Protecting those most at risk is also the focus of Guardian's editorial as it reflects on official figures which suggest that black people in England and Wales are more than four times as likely to die from Covid-19.
It admits that the reasons will be complex and are not yet fully understood, and it calls for an urgent assessment on what more can be done to protect such groups.
But it also argues that when the dust settles, there needs to be an equally important addressing of deep-rooted health inequalities "entrenched" in society "over the austerity years" and exposed as "devastating" by the current pandemic.
"BoE's 'Panglossian' view of V-shaped recovery called into question" is the headline of the Financial Times as it gauges reaction to the Bank of England's forecast of a deep economic downturn followed by a quick rebound.
The paper reports that many economists disagree with the optimistic view of the Bank's new governor, Andrew Bailey, and it lines up several to explain why.
It concludes that as the reality of a slow recovery becomes clear over the next few weeks, it expects members of the Monetary Policy Committee to vote for more quantative easing in June.
'Fears of lockdown ending'
The Daily Telegraph's editorial reflects on the current coronavirus crisis, against the backdrop of VE Day commemorations.
"Are we the same people?" it wonders, considering the stoicism of previous generations in wartime. It concludes that in our willingness to pull together and to do the right thing, we are.
But it also highlights polls which show we're now "terrified" of lifting lockdown.
It argues that the most compelling attempts to constrain freedom are those which appeal to public safety, and it calls on Boris Johnson to channel his hero, Sir Winston Churchill, to restore the public's confidence.
Public concern over easing the lockdown, and in particular that of parents, features prominently in the Times.
"Heads fear ghost schools" is the headline, as it details how unions and headteachers are warning that many mums and dads may refuse to send their children back to reopened schools, before a vaccine is found.
The report quotes a survey by website Mumsnet which suggests only one in five parents would back schools reopening now, while fewer than half said they would be prepared for their child to return immediately.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-52584638
You couldn't make it up?
Revealed: How an email from a Turkish T-shirt salesman led to a PPE fiasco
Senior MPs demand inquiry into how mission dubbed 'Air Jenrick' went wrong after thousands of medical gowns found to be 'useless'
It began with an emailed offer of help from a T-shirt salesman in Turkey who promised that he could help solve the UK's worsening personal protective equipment (PPE) crisis.
Little more than three weeks later, a Royal Air Force plane was pictured waiting on the tarmac at an airport in Istanbul as ministers were accused of presiding over a farce.
And finally – as The Telegraph revealed on Wednesday – the saga ended in catastrophe. On arrival in the UK, thousands of hospital gowns were discovered to be "useless" and now lie in a warehouse near Heathrow. Around 170,000 more remain in Turkey after officials blocked their delivery over safety fears.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/07/revealed-emailed-offer-help-turkish-t-shirt-salesman-led-ppe/
Ben, son in law works at Facebook headquarters in Paula Alto and lives in SanFran and is currently and will be for the foreseeable future, working from home
They were told yesterday that no work gatherings of 50 or more to be allowed until it’s reviewed in June.....2021! Yes already planning social distancing for the long term.
(They have the office space to do this as one of there hangar buildings can take 10,000 people on the roof garden for a party ...but still effective mgt of the key issue facing us as we go forward)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8302255/Travellers-quarantined-TWO-WEEKS-face-1-000-fines-break-rules.html
The only ways out of this still seem to be herd immunity, or a vaccine.
A vaccine may not be available for quite some time, and there is no guarantee of finding one.
Herd immunity requires around 70% of the population to contract the virus, this is a huge number.
The lockdown restricts the spread, and therefore slows down the possibility of herd immunity.
Any relaxation of the lockdown measures, will surely increase the spread.
Workers jam packed into tubes, and trains, very young kids that don't understand what 2 metres is etc, etc, can only increase the spread.
Smaller classrooms, and staggering shifts can surely only slow the spread down.
I think we probably have many old and vulnerable people that will never go out again.
Expecting tourists to self isolate for 2 weeks is hardly encouraging, and is unlikely to give tourism a boost.
Whenever this Government is faced with a choice of two options they consistently pick the wrong one.
A Turkish T-Shirt salesman, or reputable British companies to source gowns.
Two apps to choose from, launch one, and then immediately pay a Swiss company £3.8million to explore using the other one that has been used by many other countries.
No to wearing masks, now it seems to be yes.
There were also the Dyson ventilators that they ordered, probably paid for, and didn't use.
And on and on.
Goes by the name of "Abdul the Grand" apparently...
Except that’s not what his coronavirus task force doctor, Anthony S. Fauci, says. Trump offered his new comments about the potential vaccine Friday afternoon at the White House. “I feel about vaccines like I feel about tests: This is going to go away without a vaccine,” Trump said. “It’s going to go away, and we’re not going to see it again, hopefully, after a period of time.”
A few weeks ago, Fauci was asked on Fox News about comments Joe Biden had made, that “this isn’t going to be over until we have a vaccine.”
Fauci responded: “There’s truth to that. It’s not going to be over to the point of our being able to not do any mitigation until we have a scientifically sound, safe and effective vaccine.” A week earlier, at a White House briefing, Fauci was asked whether we will “truly get back to normal in this country before there’s an actual vaccine that’s available to everybody.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coronavirus/trump-says-coronavirus-will-disappear-without-a-vaccine-fauci-has-said-the-opposite/ar-BB13OyYc?ocid=spartandhp