Media Coverage of COVID -19

[Silverlinky]

Haven't seen mentioned that today new case total was under 50000.....kept hearing day after day that the total of xxxxx was the fifth, sixth, seventh......twelfth, thirteenth day in a row over 50k......but strangely no mention today when its gone back under.
No mention that todays 46169 is more than 12500 lower than last Mondays total...they did mention that figures are always lower on Monday due to the reporting lag however.....!
Yesterdays total was also ever so slightly under last Sundays total too......

Lockdown is working?? According to the latest Gov figures testing is up 32.6% over 7 days but positive new cases is up only 5.5% in the last 7 days now.......so in fact the numbers of positive cases are actually falling it would seem as a percentage of tests carried out.

 

[devon_metro]

Haven't seen mentioned that today new case total was under 50000.....kept hearing day after day that the total of xxxxx was the fifth, sixth, seventh......twelfth, thirteenth day in a row over 50k......but strangely no mention today when its gone back under.
No mention that todays 46169 is more than 12500 lower than last Mondays total...they did mention that figures are always lower on Monday due to the reporting lag however.....!
Yesterdays total was also ever so slightly under last Sundays total too......

Lockdown is working?? According to the latest Gov figures testing is up 32.6% over 7 days but positive new cases is up only 5.5% in the last 7 days now.......so in fact the numbers of positive cases are actually falling it would seem as a percentage of tests carried out.

Declining case numbers doesn't fit the narrative of mass hysteria and doom. The BBC lunchtime news showed a clip of Chris Whitty, with respect to him, stating that there is no need to toughen restrictions, but to follow the existing ones. Cut to the BBC reporter stating that pressure is growing for restrictions to be made tougher - yes, from lockdown zealots and Captain Hindsight, but not from the CMO!

 

[SS4]

I see the news are ramping up the scaremongering again. I'd like for them to play a different tune for once or at least focus on something that deserves it like climate change

This variant was discovered in September but only became a problem when it was politically prudent for Boris in the face of questions over Brexit.

 

[kez19]

Did I see/hear right earlier - that they will now include figures for people being vaccinated? (wonders will never cease - could this be a bit positive in the news?), but wait under the same breath (watched Reporting Scotland earlier on BBC), that they'll include the "sombre" numbers alongside too!

Yep media are now in a tailspin - they are getting the more thrill for the sombre numbers but anything positive in terms of people vaccinated that'll be kicked to the side!

 

[Huntergreed]

Anyone else noticed that they’ve really upped the fear level in the last week or so? Watching the BBC this morning, showing people in hospital struggling with severe COVID warning people to stay at home and abide by the law. Far more interviews with nurses saying it’s difficult/overwhelmed, adverts saying it can affect anyone, even the young (but, strangely, I bet this is dropped when the vaccine is rolled out to the vulnerable).

Is this a direct order from the government/OFCOM?

 

[chris11256]

Anyone else noticed that they’ve really upped the fear level in the last week or so? Watching the BBC this morning, showing people in hospital struggling with severe COVID warning people to stay at home and abide by the law. Far more interviews with nurses saying it’s difficult/overwhelmed, adverts saying it can affect anyone, even the young (but, strangely, I bet this is dropped when the vaccine is rolled out to the vulnerable).

Is this a direct order from the government/OFCOM?

I think it's deliberate to get more people to stay at home.

 

[Richard Scott]

I think it's deliberate to get more people to stay at home.

Don't think it's working, lots of people fed up and many can see it for what it is. Lacks scientific evidence and lots of people can see rules are just made up. About time they gave us scientific evidence not just the 'we need to reduce transmission and pressure on NHS' claptrap; heard enough if that and we get blame when the measures don't work. If politicians keep treating people like idiots then many will ignore what they say.

 

[westv]

I see the news are ramping up the scaremongering again. I'd like for them to play a different tune for once or at least focus on something that deserves it like climate change

I saw on my news feed this morning a headline saying that climate change is likely to lead to more pandemics.

 

[yorksrob]

I saw on my news feed this morning a headline saying that climate change is likely to lead to more pandemics.

in that it will probably cause people and animals to move more into eachother's habitats, that is probably true.

 

[kez19]

in that it will probably cause people and animals to move more into eachother's habitats, that is probably true.

Or where I stay using the green spaces that are left to build on.

 

[Dent]

they did mention that figures are always lower on Monday due to the reporting lag however.....!

Reported case figures are certainly not always lower on Mondays, or even usually lower. I don't know where the myth of a Monday lag in reported cases came from, but it's easy enough to look at the figures for yourself and see that it is completely false.

 

[yorksrob]

Or where I stay using the green spaces that are left to build on.

Certainly, on a global scale. One could possibly add to climate change, overpopulation more generally.

 

[Class 33]

Anyone else noticed that they’ve really upped the fear level in the last week or so? Watching the BBC this morning, showing people in hospital struggling with severe COVID warning people to stay at home and abide by the law. Far more interviews with nurses saying it’s difficult/overwhelmed, adverts saying it can affect anyone, even the young (but, strangely, I bet this is dropped when the vaccine is rolled out to the vulnerable).

Is this a direct order from the government/OFCOM?

Yes, it's the same old things on the news. Footage of hospitals, doctors and nurses moaning and grumbling about hospitals being overloaded and unable to cope, so called "experts" and the likes of Chris Whitty and Keir Starmer saying the lockdown and restrictions aren't doing enough, that the lockdown should last till April(!!!) and that the lockdown and restrictions should become much harsher. Hardly any reports on the effects all these lockdowns and restrictions are having on MILLIONS of peoples mental health in the UK. Am sick of it. About 5 days ago I decided to stop watching the national news atall, I don't even watch the beginnings of the bulletins to see what the headlines are. When things start improving significantly, I will go back to watching it again. But for the meantime, I'm staying away from it.

I've also got out of my bad habit of keep frequently all through the day and evening(even when I'm watching things on the TV/DVD/streaming services) checking the news websites on my Smartphone for news about Coronavirus/lockdown/restrictions. The likes of The Mirror and The Sun are a disgrace for this, with doom mongering articles all over their websites. It's almost as if they actually want the lockdown and restrictions to become much tougher. I feel better for getting out of this habit.

 

[DustyBin]

I’ve just watched both the BBC (big mistake!) and Sky reports regarding supermarkets refusing entry to people not wearing a mask. They appear to be revelling in the opportunity to stir up vigilantism and conflict, and at no point did they mention people who have genuine exemptions. I find this absolutely appalling, and I’m not exempt myself. The tone and the language they used was disgusting.

 

[kez19]

I’m confused when I read about public not following the stay at home message (Sturgeon plus the others), what do they want the public to do?

The public don’t have much to go to since most things are shut but still let’s have a go, at a guess they want public not to use transport of any kind and must not go out? Still though these people ie MPs get the freedom they deserve don’t they?

I only briefly heard Sturgeon on her show speak about tighter restrictions (sighs) then switched off but still follow the UK Government protocol I guess

Source Daily Record:

Nicola Sturgeon coronavirus RECAP as cabinet meet to discuss more restrictions

All the latest updates as Scotland enters week two of national lockdown measures.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

The cabinet met early on Tuesday but the First Minister hinted that no decision was reached.

She is due to update the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, where any decision is expected to be announced.

She said: “As I indicated yesterday, one of the things we discussed was whether there are any areas – takeaway, click-and-collect services being two examples – where we think there is a need to further tighten restrictions to reduce occasions and reasons for people to be out of their homes at the moment.

“We are continuing to consider these options a little bit further and I can tell you I will update parliament tomorrow on any decisions that we reach over the course of the day.”

So what else do these people actually want? People not to have a life let alone having a takeaway or collecting their shopping now? Seems we are becoming a pretty much "closed for business" society but still peoples health let alone lifestyle choices being taken away but still politicians are able to decide what we can/can't do but yet are the biggest hypocrites in the world, maybe asking us to be on tighter restrictions maybe its them that need to tighten their own belts before anyone else!

 

[devon_metro]

I’m confused when I read about public not following the stay at home message (Sturgeon plus the others), what do they want the public to do?

The public don’t have much to go to since most things are shut but still let’s have a go, at a guess they want public not to use transport of any kind and must not go out? Still though these people ie MPs get the freedom they deserve don’t they?

I only briefly heard Sturgeon on her show speak about tighter restrictions (sighs) then switched off but still follow the UK Government protocol I guess

Source Daily Record:

Nicola Sturgeon coronavirus RECAP as cabinet meet to discuss more restrictions

All the latest updates as Scotland enters week two of national lockdown measures.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

So what else do these people actually want? People not to have a life let alone having a takeaway or collecting their shopping now? Seems we are becoming a pretty much "closed for business" society but still peoples health let alone lifestyle choices being taken away but still politicians are able to decide what we can/can't do but yet are the biggest hypocrites in the world, maybe asking us to be on tighter restrictions maybe its them that need to tighten their own belts before anyone else!

Considering exercise is permitted in unlimited quanities (unlike England) it amuses me when the politician are duly kicking off that we're not staying locked inside. The difference with March is that we know a lot more about the virus and many people deem the risk to themselves low enough to go outside. Given nothing is open and the weather has been quite calm, it is no surprise people are all congregating in beauty spots. It is also not desireable to sit in gardens (for those that have them) and heating your house all day isn't free! Plus, Nicola is travelling daily to Edinburgh, if it's OK for her, then she has no leg to stand on.

 

[kez19]

Considering exercise is permitted in unlimited quanities (unlike England) it amuses me when the politician are duly kicking off that we're not staying locked inside. The difference with March is that we know a lot more about the virus and many people deem the risk to themselves low enough to go outside. Given nothing is open and the weather has been quite calm, it is no surprise people are all congregating in beauty spots. It is also not desireable to sit in gardens (for those that have them) and heating your house all day isn't free! Plus, Nicola is travelling daily to Edinburgh, if it's OK for her, then she has no leg to stand on.

I agree but to complain about people and traffic in general is laughable but yes let’s stay inside to the year 3000! Get a grip!

 

[52290]

I agree but to complain about people and traffic in general is laughable but yes let’s stay inside to the year 3000! Get a grip!

The year 3000. Yippee! I want to go there and meet Leela, Bender, Fry and especially Doctor Zoidberg. New New York here I come!

 

[brad465]

The year 3000. Yippee! I want to go there and meet Leela, Bender, Fry and especially Doctor Zoidberg. New New York here I come!

At least my great, great, great, Granddaughter will be pretty fine

 

[kez19]

At least my great, great, great, Granddaughter will be pretty fine

lol

 

[Domh245]

I caught the beginning of the one show today and thought I had accidentally tuned it to some sort of dystopian parody. Welcoming their guests (Rhod Gilbert and Julia Bradbury) and their first question to them was (to the effect of) "on your allowed daily exercise did you see anybody breaking the rules", swiftly followed by a short video of somebody in Epsom interviewing members of the public if they were "following the rules" and if they thought they should be harsher (with some chin-warming mask action to boot). Cut back to studio and they're asking for people to comment on twitter what rule observance was like in their area

On the one hand, given the sheer number of news stories and air time these last few days about 'rule breaking' and whether harsher restrictions should be imposed, I almost feel certain that this is a ploy by government/sage to try and force compliance and so it's nothing to be too alarmed about (It will be interesting to see the SAGE papers for last week when they're eventually released, particularly any input from the behavioural group), but on the other hand it made me realise that the country could quite happily walk into a proper authoritarian dystopian nightmare (if we hadn't already) without realising and would welcome it with open arms :/

 

[Jamesrob637]

At least my great, great, great, Granddaughter will be pretty fine

Not much will change but I'll live underwater

 

[Yew]

Not much will change but I'll live underwater

Presumably to get away from Lockdown #3486?

 

[Alex C.]

The BBC have a quiz on their website now about the lockdown rules at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55639456

Britain's top police officer, Dame Cressida Dick, says it's "preposterous" to suggest some people are not aware of what the lockdown laws now tell them to do. So how much do you know? For the sake of simplicity, these questions relate to the toughest levels of the current lockdown, not the lesser restrictions where they apply or have done in the past.

I think it's actually quite a good demonstration of how big the gap between guidance and law and the different nations has got. Although it's not a news story it's good coverage. You can also see how people have answered and quite a few of the questions have well over 50% wrong answers.

 

[kristiang85]

The BBC have a quiz on their website now about the lockdown rules at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55639456



I think it's actually quite a good demonstration of how big the gap between guidance and law and the different nations has got. Although it's not a news story it's good coverage. You can also see how people have answered and quite a few of the questions have well over 50% wrong answers.

Two of those answers were it depends / perhaps - which just goes to show how unclear the rules are.

 

[brad465]

The revelation that the new variant isn't as transmissible as originally thought is, in line with scaremongering being more profitable, not getting as much coverage as when it was talked up, where the BBC have it far down the text of this article and certainly not a headline figure:

Covid-19: We can make this the peak by following rules, says Hancock

The health secretary urges people to follow rules, saying "individual decisions" make a difference.

www.bbc.co.uk

There are very early signs that infections may have peaked - although as always we should be careful about reading too much into a few days' worth of data.

The past two days have seen newly diagnosed cases hover around the 46,000-mark. Up to the weekend, the average was close to 60,000.

The drop has largely been driven by falls in new cases in London, the South East and East of England.

The national picture does mask some regional differences. Cases are rising in the North West, which is causing particular concern.

It is too early for the vaccination programme to be having any significant impact so a combination of the national lockdown on top of the tier four restrictions that were imposed in some areas before Christmas look like they may be beginning to have an impact.

There is also some evidence the new variant may not be quite as fast-spreading as first feared - a Public Health England study suggested rather than being 70% more transmissible it may actually be somewhere between 30% to 50%.

And, if it does represent the start of a continuous fall, it is important to remember it will still take some time to translate into fewer hospital cases - people being admitted at the moment are those who would have caught the virus a week or two ago.

But after six weeks of pretty sustained rises, it is at least an encouraging sign.

 

[Domh245]

The BBC have a quiz on their website now about the lockdown rules at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55639456



I think it's actually quite a good demonstration of how big the gap between guidance and law and the different nations has got. Although it's not a news story it's good coverage. You can also see how people have answered and quite a few of the questions have well over 50% wrong answers.

I was branded a COVIDiot for not knowing the rules in Scotland and Wales Quite why I should know them when I've not left London for nearly 6 months, I don't know! It does highlight though just how impossible it is to keep up with the rules

 

[Jamesrob637]

Haven't seen mentioned that today new case total was under 50000.....kept hearing day after day that the total of xxxxx was the fifth, sixth, seventh......twelfth, thirteenth day in a row over 50k......but strangely no mention today when its gone back under.
No mention that todays 46169 is more than 12500 lower than last Mondays total...they did mention that figures are always lower on Monday due to the reporting lag however.....!
Yesterdays total was also ever so slightly under last Sundays total too......

Lockdown is working?? According to the latest Gov figures testing is up 32.6% over 7 days but positive new cases is up only 5.5% in the last 7 days now.......so in fact the numbers of positive cases are actually falling it would seem as a percentage of tests carried out.

I don't think there's the Sunday/Monday lag in cases like there is in deaths.

 

[Silverlinky]

1564 deaths reported today....the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic (however a small caveat that some historic cases going back as far as last May have been included in todays total)

However some media outlets are at least reporting the case figures falling, Sky are now saying "the fourth day in a row below 50000"..... so that's something!

Last Wednesdays new cases reported..... 62,322. This Wednesday 47,525 so that's down just under 15000 or 23.74% on last weeks figures.

The Covid dashboard also shows new cases down 7.2% in the last 7 days compared to the previous seven days, this whilst testing is up 28.9% over the similar period.
Hospital admissions are up 34.8% however, and sadly deaths are up by a huge 54.7%.

 

[Cdd89]

That BBC quiz needs a fact check.

• It asks what is against the law, not what is against guidance, so the only relevant resource is the legislation
• Thus for Q1, all three are potentially legal (eg sitting on a bench to avoid low mood, or driving a car to keep the battery charged)
• Q2 is incorrect in saying you can “go anywhere you want”, exercise is subject to the test of reasonably necessary
• Q6 has been held by legal experts that protests may be protected regardless of the fact they are no longer explicitly referenced as a reasonable excuse

I can only assume whoever wrote the quiz wasn’t a lawyer. The answer is “It depends” more often than that quiz suggests