(c) Scotsman
From the ONS today it is estimated that 4.52% of the Scottish population had Covid-19 in the week-ending 31 December 2021. The figure for England was 6.00%, 33% higher and the highest in the UK. Some BBC commentators think this is ‘broadly similar’ but we don’t do we?
Stricter policies on face-coverings in shops and schools, since the summer seem an obvious explanatory factor along with the FM being clearer and more consistent than that big balloon in Westminster.
In the previous week, the ONS estimate was 1 in 15 in England and 1 in 20 in Scotland, 33% lower but, of course, for BBC presenters, ‘broadly similar.’
Talking-up Scotland: 'The Only SNP Apologist Standing!' 
Good news.
However I do observe lots of us shirking the health guidance rules, not doing track and trace, not wearing masks when you should. To me that is selfish, lazy and stupid although I understand that we are all totally pee’d off with Covid. I have asked one or two people why they are risking killing their old folks.
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‘However I do observe lots of us shirking the health guidance …’
It’s hardly surprising I guess given:
1) the proportion of the population that may not follow guidance/rules because, they would argue, it limits THEIR personal freedom
2) the proportion of the population that may not follow the guidance/rules in Scotland except where they match those set by THEIR government in Westminster
3) the proportion of the population that may not follow the guidance/rules in Scotland because they consistently and relentlessly hear these being negatively criticised, so undermining faith in their merits
4) the proportion of the population that may not follow the guidance/rules in Scotland because they rarely if ever learn from the media in Scotland of any relative benefits in Scotland arising from adherence to guidance/rules
5) the proportion of the population that may not follow the guidance/rules in Scotland because they are simply confused over what applies where due to their reliance on sources such as the BBC which nowadays broadcasts into Scotland information on Westminster-set guidance/rules at least as much as information specific to Scotland.
Aggregate these groups and perhaps it’s remarkable that levels of adherence are still quite high!
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I get the point about personal freedom. However you can also say that those ignoring the health guidance are taking away my personal freedom to live in a safe environment as is possible. What when, thinking of the common good is you risking your own health and others by not wearing a mask or doing track and trace? To people that think like me you are selfish, self centred and uncaring and dangerous.
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andyfromdunning writes in response to my post: ‘… you are selfish, self centred and uncaring and dangerous’.
As the Speaker in the Commons might say, one should take care how one uses the word ‘you’!!!
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Mark Drakeford of Wales, attacks England as being the “outlier” and failing to protect its population from harm.
This must include Starwars and Cauld-Ham who have sided with the Dark Side over Omicron.
Oh, and the “Scottish” colonial media.
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You will not be surprised to learn that the BBC has opened a ‘Have Your Say’ on the Wales page and, of course, it has been completely dominated by trolls attacking Mr Drakeford, the Welsh Government, Wales in the most baleful and contemptuous language.
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Sadly, no surprise.
The BBC has done this before with Drakeford.
The State broadcaster is no better than Pravda.
Its the same for Sturgeon, with extra hate filled misogyny thrown in by the Express, Sun, Mail, Times, Telegraph and our dear “Scottish” press.
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BBC baloney alert
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59899547
“Covid in Scotland: One million cases – but what’s the true figure?”
A professor using data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Covid-19 infection survey says the total figure is nearer 3,000,000.
If tripling the official figure by three catches on, it would make the true figure for England around 35 million.
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“Sleight” of hand, I think.
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Oh not him again
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There is a plausible case that the numbers, especially in 2020, when the pandemic started have been significantly underestimated. Testing was not as common then. We did not start to get wide availability of LFTs until 2021. In addition, for many people who were infected the symptoms were relatively mild and, probably many people felt they had a heavy cold or mild flu.
However, the way that the BBC has reported this is to imply it is a SCOTTISH problem. And, it is likely that the three stooges of the unionist party (there really is only one with three different sections) will start hinting that the SG has been distorting the figures. Rentaquote Gulhane started the ‘What does the SG have to hide’ trope a week ago. Jackie Baillie has reported John Swinney to the UK Statistics monitoring service.
Bitter Together is alive and kicking and spitting and bullshitting ….
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“.. the way that the BBC has reported this is to imply it is a SCOTTISH problem” – precisely!!
And for contrast, the BBC News website has just published an article entitled: ‘Covid-19 in the UK: How many coronavirus cases are there in my area?’ written by the ‘Visual and Data Journalism Team’.
In the latter article data on ‘confirmed cases’ given on the UK government’s Covid dashboard are presented as useful, meaningful and authoritative. No suggestion here that the UK case data are huge underestimates.
The determination of ‘true’ case totals is non-trivial: it is an interesting matter for academic discussion. This is a generic issue but its framing as a Scotland problem – which it is in this perspective-free BBC Scotland piece – is egregious.
Why so ‘sensitive’ to this? Simply, and not unreasonably, because it’s come from a source with an evidenced track record of negatively framing coverage of Scotland’s response to Covid …. and much else besides!
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We’re all saved.
90 soldiers coming to Scotland.
2,000 in England, so they are doubly saved.
Will we see the Grand Young Duke of York marching up Princes Street, marching bands to the fore, and lawyers galore trailing behind, totting up their bills?
Having to sell his Swiss Chalet?
Disgraceful–the plebs should pay more tax!
Will Edward be there, the wanna-be Duke of Edinburgh? Will someone tell him where Edinburgh is?
Charlie?
” I talk to the trees,
That’s why they locked me away”!
But Camilla takes care of him.
Prince Billy–does he actually exist outside the pages of Tattler?
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‘.. soldiers coming to Scotland.’
Indeed, and with BBC Reporting Scotland’s assistance, the army is clearly alert to the need to generate photo opportunities to make sure BBC Scotland’s TV viewers know about it.
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Beung in England at the moment, I’ve e only just realised that when people here di a LF test here, they do not report it unless they get a positive result.
I’ve always reported my test results , having set up an account with NHS Scotland to do so. Am I naive, in a minority or what?
If you don’t report a negative test, how does that affect the figures?
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Drastically
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I always report my negative LFT’s. All negative so far. Thank goodness. Essential to report them.
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For as long as LFTs have been available, my wife and I have logged our results negative (almost always) or positive (Twice – faulty test kit!!) with the NHS UK wide site (it offers texts in Welsh!). Our daughter and her partner, who live in London log their results on the same site.
For the purposes of estimating the spread of infections, logging LFT results is very important. Everyone should log every test.
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That’s exactly what I thought and expected. I was really surprised to find out was not the case in England.
I did note that there had been a shortage of test kits so some people may not have been able to test when they wanted to, or should do. That will also have affected the figures!
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The situation in parts of England is serious, if not critical. The Welsh FM has criticised the UK PM for not protecting England, where infections are averaging 1,000,000 every week. Today, it was announced 40 army doctors will be helping NHS staff in London hospitals to look after patients!
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The army to help London’s NHS? What will the Defence Secretary be saying about this? After all in mid December he was very critical of governments who turned to (his?) army for help with Covid:
Reported by The Spectator: ‘In some of the most critical comments by a British government minister on the performance of the devolved administration this year, Wallace — himself a former MSP — said:
“…. it is not our job if you can’t run your health service in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon.”
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Mr Wallace will probably say, “It’s not our job if You cannot run your Health Service in London, Sadiq Khan.” Remember, London is the strongest LABOUR voting area in England.
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On the 6 o’clock BBC news had an item on the army going into hospitals to help. The opening words and film on the piece were the soldiers going into an Aberdeen hospital. That army personnel were being deployed in other parts of the UK such as London was mentioned but Aberdeen led the piece.
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The presenter on the BBC lunchtime Politics show put the figures 1 in 15 in England, 1 in 20 in Scotland are roughly the same to Stewart Hosie, he took no time in putting her right, and that there is a 33% difference between the two countries.
The same dodgy maths are used when telling folks their NI contributions are going up 1%, when the true figure is 10%.
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