In an excited rant, confused about the length of the pandemic, Peter Smith of ITV, comparing Scotland with Eastern Asian countries, says:
Ten months on here, we have higher numbers of deaths.
It’s just so ill-informed. See these graphs:
Though increasing slightly in the last month, the 7 day average Covid-19 mortality rate is and remains far lower than it was.
The more accurate deaths from all causes data show that, despite Covid-19, the overall mortality rate in Scotland is close to, often below that, historically.
For comparative purposes, the mortality rate from Covid-19 is currently far lower than in some parts of the UK:
Those Eastern Asian countries, mentioned by Smith, do have lower recent death rates but not by much. S Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Scotland all have less than 0.5 deaths per day on average but comparisons are difficult given the many cultural differences.
Scotland could have done so much better without the constraints of EngGov controlling the narrative at the beginning. EngGov even told companies not to supply Scotland with PPE, lets never forget that. What else did the EngGov do to scupper the ScotGov in their attempts to get this situation under control?
When you work with one (or maybe both arms) arm twisted round your back by your neighbouring country, and the whole of the media against you, it would be an amazing feat to succeed at quelling the worst effects of a pandemic on your country.
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Tweet from the editor of the Liverpool Echo.
“Liam Thorp
@LiamThorpECHO
· 9h
Liverpool and Knowsley’s covid infection rates are now over 500 cases per 100,000 people
Covid hospital admissions in the North West now as high as they were in April “
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That’s really scary. Our neighbours have close relations in Liverpool, who have Covid. I wonder why infection is so high there.
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It is high in the NE and NW and other parts of England. The level at which local action is triggered in Germany is 50 per 100,000.
You can get a quick sense of England’s position here.
https://twitter.com/dr_d_robertson?lang=en
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East Asian countries people wear masks outdoors. People in Scotland wear masks in shops, and sometimes on the bus. They put the masks on at the shop door, and take the masks off at the shop door. They have just given themselves the virus with their hands, if just one thing in the shop is contaminated and they touched it. Buses even worse as people can’t avoid touching hard surfaces, potentially spreading the virus. I can’t get my head around this mask phobia, just wear the damn things from leaving the house to getting back to the house, and wash hands properly, it’s simple isn’t it?
My son’s friend just returned from a year of studying in Japan, she cannot understand why people don’t wear masks here. The Virus was brought under control much easier in Japan by all accounts.
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It might help to set an example if reporters on TV always asked interviewees why they are not wearing a mask. Many Pub and restaurant staff take of their mask for interview within their premises. I suspect this is vanity ‘i’m on TV so I’ll remove my mask’.
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To see an exemplary use of face masks go to Formula 1. On the show all the TV people and the interviewees wear masks and social distance. There are no problems with communication. Also, as the cameras show scenes in the pits and the pit wall all the people are wearing masks, with few exceptions, throughout the race. Just goes to show how easy it is.
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Biased ‘journalists’ have a problem with statistics. They just do not understand them. Incredible incompetence, ignorance. and arrogance. The usual lies. Lie after lie. Liars always get found out. Controlled by Westminster trying to deceive the public, They are ruining the ‘Press’. Talking themselves out of a job, No one believes them anymore. Same as Westminster unionist. Incredible liars. They can’t analyse statistics. They use them illegally to defraud government and the public, with impunity.
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Some people, possibly a good few, do believe the bias and lies of the BritNat media and the lying Tories/ red Tories. That’s the scary thing, not everyone uses the internet and if they do, they don’t necessarily use it to inform themselves about politics, pandemics or current events. Many older folks in care homes and those in hospital are plonked in front of the BBC and others biased ‘news’, and indeed I have an older friend who only reads the BritNat daily , no TV no internet, to them, what happens in England say re the NHS, it’s UK wide, no distinction. A huge problem.
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The Tories will no longer appear on TV, to answer for their crimes, to humanity. They are hiding away somewhere defrauding the public purse and refusing to accept responsibility. Sheltering and misguiding from public scrutiny. Hiding. The devolved Gov once again are not consulted on relevant matters. Illegal. A Law to themselves. Making it up as they go along.
The Westminster unionists trying to Lord over with unelected representatives. Unaccountable. No taxation without representation. Without a free and fair Press there is no democracy.
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It was indeed a surprisingly ill-informed and lengthy rant, to paraphrase, “why are all these poor and backward countries succeeding whereas rich and intelligent countries like us are not?”
Perhaps he hadn’t prepared a question so release his inner Farage, directing the diatribe at the FM rather than the PM as a return serve of waffle was unlikely ?
If an ITV journalist cannot be bothered to do the research, how on earth can he inform the public, ?
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I think semi-comparisons to east Asian countries aren’t entirely unfair. But I don’t think it’s fair to level such comparisons at the FM.
e.g. any international arrivals to HK are immediately tested and held at the airport while their results come back and are then quarantined in a hotel room for 14 days.
We could have done that here, but the power and MONEY to do so lies with the UK Government.
– – – –
East Asian countries have also dealt with SARS/MERS before, and are much more readied for an elimination strategy. While the FM was successful in getting the UK Government say their objective is elimination, they’re not showing any of the policy action to do so.
I have a hunch that the reasoning is the UK’s pandemic planning, not only it being flu-based but that a pandemic being inevitable, and the actions a government take focused on mitigation rather than planning in advance for elimination… this follows that the mindset of the UK Government’s scientific advisors will also be one of mitigation not elimination.
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Norm,
Article in the Guardian online today says that airport testing wont be introduced until November! This will, of course, be after the school holidays. Make of that what you will
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On Monday 5/10/20 –
At 10.45 Peter Smith Scotland Correspondent on STV said – ‘…..Scotland’s excess deaths are amongst the worst in Europe….’ !
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That was a real full on rant from this outraged ITV reporter. DOES he express this wrath on WM which would be more appropriate.
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STOP GIVING THESE IDIOTS AIR TIME THEIR QUESTIONS SHOULD BE VETTED PRIOR TO AIRING IF NOTHING TO DO WITH COVID OR DEEMED TO BE POLITICAL THEY SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO BE ASKED
OUR FIRST MINISTER IS BEING DISRESPECTED
THESE IDIOTS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ASK JOHNSON THESE STUPID POLITICAL QUESTIONS THIS IS A PANDEMIC
Sent from my iPad
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