Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Richard Hakluyt]

I still think that Mrs Thatcher's most catastrophic mistake was the evisceration of local government.

[The Brain]

I don't understand. Did central government give an order that local government must obey, or did the central government just make recommendations and leave the decision to local government?

[celedhring]

The situation reminds me of the struggle between the Madrid regional government and the Spanish one regarding covid restrictions in the capital.

[Sheilbh]

We will fight them in Stockton, we will fight them in Wigan, we will fight with ever growing confidence and strength in Oldham, we will never surrender until Greater Manchester accepts Tier 3 restrictions.

This is far more knowledge about Greater Manchester than any American would ever need

(Although - I think you mean Stockport, Stockton's on the other side of the country)

[Tamas]

I don't understand. Did central government give an order that local government must obey, or did the central government just make recommendations and leave the decision to local government?

The central government gave an order via a press leak, the local government refused to accept it. Then fierce haggling ensued on the exact terms under which the local government would follow the order of the central government.

Since no agreement could be reached, the central government gave an ultimatum to the local government that it is to follow the order by noon today, or else the central government will insist on it again.

[Richard Hakluyt]

We will fight them in Stockton, we will fight them in Wigan, we will fight with ever growing confidence and strength in Oldham, we will never surrender until Greater Manchester accepts Tier 3 restrictions.

Good one 

It might be time to re-read Chesterton's The Napoleon of Notting Hill 

[Richard Hakluyt]

The government will enforce the lockdown it appears. But........the chief constable for greater Manchester reports to the Mayor ie Andy Burnham. So they may find that a bit tricky.

[Legbiter]

Here we're in the process of killing off our third wave. This one started with 2 superspreader events, one at a pub, the other a boxing club and spread onwards from there. The strain was imported from France of all places.

[Malthus]

We will fight them in Stockton, we will fight them in Wigan, we will fight with ever growing confidence and strength in Oldham, we will never surrender until Greater Manchester accepts Tier 3 restrictions.

Good one 

It might be time to re-read Chesterton's The Napoleon of Notting Hill 

Ah, Chesterton. A wonderful writer. My favorite of his is still The Man Who Was Thursday.

A very eccentric fellow, to say the least ...

[The Brain]

I don't understand. Did central government give an order that local government must obey, or did the central government just make recommendations and leave the decision to local government?

The central government gave an order via a press leak, the local government refused to accept it. Then fierce haggling ensued on the exact terms under which the local government would follow the order of the central government.

Since no agreement could be reached, the central government gave an ultimatum to the local government that it is to follow the order by noon today, or else the central government will insist on it again.

Ah. Thanks!

[Richard Hakluyt]

We will fight them in Stockton, we will fight them in Wigan, we will fight with ever growing confidence and strength in Oldham, we will never surrender until Greater Manchester accepts Tier 3 restrictions.

Good one 

It might be time to re-read Chesterton's The Napoleon of Notting Hill 

Ah, Chesterton. A wonderful writer. My favorite of his is still The Man Who Was Thursday.

A very eccentric fellow, to say the least ...

His books were carried by all the libraries back in the day; but i believe he is pretty niche these days. It must be 40 years since I read him, totally overdue a return visit.

[celedhring]

The Man Who Was Thursday is a pretty famous book, isn't it? The "twist" in it is the kind of stuff that people that don't know the book have heard about in pop culture.

[Sheilbh]

Very striking moment when the council leaders of Manchester receiving details of the funding they'll receive for lockdown, during a press conference (by the sounds of it by email from MPs):
https://twitter.com/TomSwarbrick1/status/1318584103797751822?s=20

Meanwhile Mayor of Middlesbrough was on the news earlier - apparently his region is going to be placed in Tier 3 and he said he's got nothing in his diary from the government.

They did a run through the data today and I thought the Deputy Chief Medical Officer was very right and correct to point out that "the Prime Minister has asked me to focus on Greater Manchester" with a few slides.

Edit: And to be clear the government's final offer was £60million - because Manchester would accept it, they've withdrawn that money. It's a disgrace

[Tamas]

Yeah I don't understand if Liverpool got £60m why is not the default for Manchester? Because they resisted it?

This is incredibly petty in midst of a pandemic and when ordering people to close their businesses.

Or, in other words, a ragtag band of chancers, conmen, and failed radicals continue to be inefficient in government. Shocking.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Very much a false economy; if the poorer sections have to work in order to survive then the entire point of the lockdown is compromised.