Coronavirus

[SFO]

From The Spectator:

Ursula von der Leyen’s threat to invoke emergency powers blocking EU vaccine exports and requisitioning factories was fairly extreme. Her justification was that 41 million doses have been exported from the EU to 33 countries in the last six weeks alone at a time when its own vaccination programmes are struggling.

But, as I say in the Times today, this ignores two crucial points. First, it is not the EU making these vaccines but rather private companies. Second, the supply chains for vaccines are global and complex. 'They can’t really be autarkic on this,' says one cabinet minister. For example, the lipids used in the Pfizer vaccine tend to come from the UK. When I asked one minister if we’d bar the export of these if the EU blocked Pfizer shipments, I was told: 'We are not threatening that'.

There is a real danger, given the nature of vaccine supply chains, that this situation could spiral out of control and we could end up in a world where everyone loses.

The lesson the British government is taking from this situation is the importance of domestic production. If in a crisis you can’t be certain that even fellow free-market democracies will honour contracts (as we saw this time last year when France and Germany banned exports of medical equipment) then you have to make sure that essential medical supplies are manufactured here.

[Barrykearley]

The wheels are becoming increasingly wobbly for the EU commission. They have been hugely inefficient and utterly inept at their United approach to this. So much so countries are pulling away and doing their own thing. This pandemic could well become the downfall for the fourth reich EU project.

every cloud I suppose 👍

[Barrykearley]

The times are reporting this morning that the EU commission are positioning to take control of vaccine production factories 🤪

oh my word - if that’s true it’s beyond belief

[mayevora]

On 19/03/2021 at 18:13, Barrykearley said:

Daisy did her first 4 hr vaccination shift today. 3 hrs prep and paperwork - 1 hour jabbing. 20 folks done.

She goes again Sunday  one very proud Dad today

Where is she doing it Barry?

[PaulCP]

Looks as though von der Leyen, the EU commission and Macron have been learning the “Trump book of leadership” i.e. to get your own way shout the loudest, try to bully, make out you are more important than anyone else and, if all else fails, stamp your feet and throw your toys out of your prom as far as you can.

What don’t they understand about the U.K. Govt investing heavily in the manufacture of the AZ vaccine and the EU being crap at negotiating a contract, when they finally got around to and could be bothered to do so! How many more failures and cock ups will go onto von der Leyen’s CV.

Macron & the EU trashed the AZ vaccine, then banned it & now they want it whilst in the meantime it is being reported that EU nations have 7.2m vaccine doses of AZ sat doing nothing.

Question for Macron - “how are the French trials of producing the vaccine which he spouted about a few months ago going?”

 

 

[C8RKH]

Responding to an arsey comment a month or so back - so much for the EU, unity, common sense etc.. You may have "gloated" re our COVID death rate in the UK but that was before the figures proved that in the winter several countries over took the UK in that horrid race. Where would you rather be right now? France with it's failed vaccine rollout. It's failed ability to produce a vaccine. It's growing mortality and rapid rise in infections. And with a President who has the Germans hand so far up his arse it makes his lips move.

Or in the UK where the government actually put the people first. Invested hard and early in R&D AND Production for a vaccine. Secured a massive supply. And has just cracked on and vaccinated half the population (three times more than the entire EU)?

Maybe not so smug now eh?

 

To me, this is why in the long run Brexit would be OK. Yes, loads of short term pain. Lots of hassle and confusion. But I truly believe the strength of our Islands is in the attitude, the fortitude or our people and our ability to just crack on.

Contrast that with the never ending game of popular and unaccountable politics that is the EU and you can see why we are better off out, than in.

Italy. Greece. And now the UK. All have suffered at the hands of the petty politics of the EU at a time when neighbours should have come together.  So glad in this COVID world I am in the UK, and not Europe.

 

[SFO]

24 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

To me, this is why in the long run Brexit would be OK. Yes, loads of short term pain. Lots of hassle and confusion. But I truly believe the strength of our Islands is in the attitude, the fortitude or our people and our ability to just crack on.

Contrast that with the never ending game of popular and unaccountable politics that is the EU and you can see why we are better off out, than in.

Italy. Greece. And now the UK. All have suffered at the hands of the petty politics of the EU at a time when neighbours should have come together.  So glad in this COVID world I am in the UK, and not Europe.

 

Completely agree. Elegantly put. Luckily, the UK could stand up to EU bullying. 

46 minutes ago, PaulCP said:

Looks as though von der Leyen, the EU commission and Macron

aka Von der Lying and Moron 

Edited March 21, 2021 by SFO

[Barrykearley]

3 hours ago, mayevora said:

Where is she doing it Barry?

Exeter somewhere chap 

[exeterjeep]

11 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

Exeter somewhere chap

Possibly Westpoint Arena? Where they hold the Devon County show.

[C8RKH]

13 minutes ago, exeterjeep said:

Possibly Westpoint Arena? Where they hold the Devon County show.

Sounds like a place where they are used to dealing with beligerent old cows and nags, so a great venue choice

[mayevora]

40 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

Exeter somewhere chap 

I thought it might be as you’d said before she’s at Exeter Uni.  Westpoint is the big vax venue. I’m there tomorrow. 👍😊

[exeterjeep]

44 minutes ago, mayevora said:

I’m there tomorrow

An essential journey in the lotus then.

[mayevora]

Just now, exeterjeep said:

An essential journey in the lotus then.

Absolutely. Plenty of safe parking as well. Another pall with his Exige there earlier today. 👍😁

[Barrykearley]

2 hours ago, mayevora said:

I thought it might be as you’d said before she’s at Exeter Uni.  Westpoint is the big vax venue. I’m there tomorrow. 👍😊

Yes - she’s been at Westpoint again today - she did 66 today apparently. 

[Bibs]

17 covid related deaths yesterday, more people died from choking on langoustine shells I think. Still in lockdown, economy in freefall, billions being spent.

[Barrykearley]

No restaurants open @Bibs - very little langoustines being cooked.

[Bibs]

They're being badly cooked at home, hence the shell in the bouillabaisse. Not sure what you lot have for brekkie out there in Worcestershire but that's standard fare here in the sunny South East

[Barrykearley]

Apples 👍 cider ones 😎

We got sooo many apples @RobinB5 is building a whole warehouse for them 😍

[Barrykearley]

I see the Hungarian FM is giving the EU unelected elite some real grief over the lack of approving the Russian vaccine. Putin is also being very vocal.

 

All the while the EU are effectively blaming the UK?
 

couldn’t make it up.

[C8RKH]

Ursula Does The Lying will be cranking up the rhetoric too.

[ChrisJ]

 

[Chillidoggy]

10 hours ago, Bibs said:

17 covid related deaths yesterday, more people died from choking on langoustine shells I think. Still in lockdown, economy in freefall, billions being spent.

Posh git. We only get shrimp shells to choke on round ‘ere.

[Barrykearley]

[Bibs]

Oh, and it's illegal, a crime, to go on holiday as of Monday. You could end up with a £5k fine or I assume jail for booking a week in Benidorm.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

It’s worth remembering that the weekend reported deaths are always well below the 7 day average, so that figure of 17 is not representative. Also, the rate of fall of new cases has slowed and is almost flat. This is to be expected, since the shear numbers are much lower, so an R rate of 0.6 - 0.9 has less numerical effect as time passes and becomes less relevant: spikes in particular areas can blur the overall picture. It now seem to be at about 5000 new cases per day, which is of course a fraction of what it once was, but still way above summer 2020. Interesting that no-one seems to be talking about the effect that re-opening the schools has had. It’s been a fortnight now and term ends on Friday, so if there is no significant increase in cases, then I see no reason why we can’t then have a full summer term.