Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #appscandal
Most recents (9)
Still lack of checks at airports. We know about Brazilian & S.African variants so why not close off the air corridors?
Victoria Aitkins: “Travel measures take a little bit of time...There’s a delicate balancing act btw controlling the virus & the economy”
Victoria Aitkins: “Travel measures take a little bit of time...There’s a delicate balancing act btw controlling the virus & the economy”
Ystdy, @YvetteCooperMP asked the PM what the govt are doing to stop new S.African variant spreading in the UK.
Why have people been able to travel from SA to UK for last 4wks without being tested & can go on public transport.
@BorisJohnson didn’t know!
Why have people been able to travel from SA to UK for last 4wks without being tested & can go on public transport.
@BorisJohnson didn’t know!
“Oh god!”
Questioned about his govt’s repeated inexplicable failures to try & control #COVID19 at airports & lack of action to protect the UK from a new Brazilian variant of #coronavirus @BorisJohnson appeared to mutter “oh god” under his breath.
Questioned about his govt’s repeated inexplicable failures to try & control #COVID19 at airports & lack of action to protect the UK from a new Brazilian variant of #coronavirus @BorisJohnson appeared to mutter “oh god” under his breath.
"I am not confident - & nor is anybody confident - that the Tier 3 proposals for the highest rates, if we did the absolute base case & nothing more, would be enough to get on top of it.” Whitty
Did the govt just announce a #COVID19 strategy that they are not confident will work?
Did the govt just announce a #COVID19 strategy that they are not confident will work?
Whitty goes on: “That’s why there is a lot of flexibility in the tier 3 level for local authorities, guided by the directors of public health, to actually go up that range so they can do significantly more than the base, b/c the base won’t be sufficient huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/local-lo… 
After months of excluding
local & regional public health experts from outbreak management (centralising data & contracting testing to companies like Serco etc), No.10 now going to get local govts involved in deciding & enforcing restrictions
@doctorshaib👇
local & regional public health experts from outbreak management (centralising data & contracting testing to companies like Serco etc), No.10 now going to get local govts involved in deciding & enforcing restrictions
@doctorshaib👇
1/ Is this the “smoking gun” of the #EducationScandal?
NHS Professionals - the organisation that supplies temporary staff to the NHS - “received some important training updates”
Staff are told they “should not escalate any #COVID19 cases who work or attend educational settings”
NHS Professionals - the organisation that supplies temporary staff to the NHS - “received some important training updates”
Staff are told they “should not escalate any #COVID19 cases who work or attend educational settings”
2/. This document appears to give clear instructions to Tier 2 (national) contract tracers not to pass on single positive #COVID19 cases in schools, colleges & universities to Local Health Protection Teams.
I’m no expert, but surely this is not good outbreak management advice?
I’m no expert, but surely this is not good outbreak management advice?
3/ This would presumably mean having to wait for a #COVID19 outbreak before the Local Health Protection Teams even knew there has been a positive test in the school or university
In Scotland, by contrast, there are daily updates in local areas citing individual cases in schools
In Scotland, by contrast, there are daily updates in local areas citing individual cases in schools
“Somebody bought an online test for home use and this was the return address. Why would your test sample be going here?” @TAG73957257
Honeyman Group has its head office in Barnards Castle & Glaxo Smith Klein has a big laboratory there.
Honeyman Group has its head office in Barnards Castle & Glaxo Smith Klein has a big laboratory there.
Wow! The #AppScandal continues.
@doctor_oxford: “The govt’s “NHS” Covid app only wants to know about Serco/private testing.
If you had a test in an NHS or PHE lab, you literally cannot enter the result on the app.” #Covid_19 #COVID19 #coronavirus #Covid #Corona
@doctor_oxford: “The govt’s “NHS” Covid app only wants to know about Serco/private testing.
If you had a test in an NHS or PHE lab, you literally cannot enter the result on the app.” #Covid_19 #COVID19 #coronavirus #Covid #Corona
The #AppScandal is just one of a dozen other individual scandals that are all part of the overarching #HerdImmunityScandal (Testing Scandal, Care Home Scandal, PPE Scandal, Screening Scandal)
If #HerdImmunity was the govt’s strategy, what is their plan?
If #HerdImmunity was the govt’s strategy, what is their plan?
MAY: Let Our Teacher Be Heroes @GavinWilliamson
JULY: Eat Out to Help Out @RishiSunak
AUGUST: We’ve Had Our Lunch Now Get Back to Work @michaelgove
SEPTEMBER: £10,000 Fine For Leaving House @BorisJohnson
The #HerdImmunityScandal in four @DailyMailUK frontpage headlines
JULY: Eat Out to Help Out @RishiSunak
AUGUST: We’ve Had Our Lunch Now Get Back to Work @michaelgove
SEPTEMBER: £10,000 Fine For Leaving House @BorisJohnson
The #HerdImmunityScandal in four @DailyMailUK frontpage headlines
The #HerdImmunityScandal is the overarching scandal which all the other scandals (the #TestingScandal, #CareHomeScandal, #AppScandal, #ScreeningScandal, #LockdownFatigueScandal, #PPEScandal etc. - are all part of.
The BIG question is what is their goal?
The BIG question is what is their goal?
#HerdImmunity is merely the strategy.
As journalist @sarahkendzior puts it: "[They're] covering up crime with scandal & covering up malice with incompetence. They want to project an image of being inept, instead of as having a cruel & well-defined plan.”
As journalist @sarahkendzior puts it: "[They're] covering up crime with scandal & covering up malice with incompetence. They want to project an image of being inept, instead of as having a cruel & well-defined plan.”
1) On 19 March, with the UK still not locked down, I noted that the role of #DavidHalpern & his Nudge Unit is key to
the ever-growing #HerdImmunityScandal
It was widely assumed the Unit had come up with the idea of #LockdownFatigue / #BehaviouralFatigue
the ever-growing #HerdImmunityScandal
It was widely assumed the Unit had come up with the idea of #LockdownFatigue / #BehaviouralFatigue
2) Ignoring the horrific evidence from Italy & advice of @WHO & their own behavioural scientist group (SPI-B), the govt - supported by Vallance & Whitty - pushed out this absurd idea that if we locked down in early/mid March, people would get bored.
The media didn't question it.
The media didn't question it.
3) On 14 March, 700 behavioural scientists published an open letter calling out #LockdownFatigue as cod science
It would later emerge that earlier in March, Spi-B & SAGE had said there was limited evidence for the idea of #BehaviouralFatigue
Clearly the govt ignored the science
It would later emerge that earlier in March, Spi-B & SAGE had said there was limited evidence for the idea of #BehaviouralFatigue
Clearly the govt ignored the science
1). Patrick Vallance tells the @CommonsSTC that SAGE advised the govt to impose lockdown measures “as soon as possible” “on the 18th or 16th of March, I can’t remember”
Remarkable that he doesn’t recall the date.
He fails to explain why the govt wait a week before locking down?
Remarkable that he doesn’t recall the date.
He fails to explain why the govt wait a week before locking down?
2). Professor @JeremyFarrar, who is a member of SAGE, does remember.
He has just clarified that on 13 March - with #COVID infections doubling every 2-3 days - SAGE decided a lockdown was needed.
They advised the govt of this on 16 March.
UK locked down on 23 March.
#COVID19
He has just clarified that on 13 March - with #COVID infections doubling every 2-3 days - SAGE decided a lockdown was needed.
They advised the govt of this on 16 March.
UK locked down on 23 March.
#COVID19
3/. On 10/6, @neil_ferguson who did the modelling presented on 16 March, said locking down a week earlier could have saved 20,000 lives.
Modeller, Prof Edmunds, told #Marr: “We should have gone into lockdown earlier…I think that has cost a lot of lives.”
Modeller, Prof Edmunds, told #Marr: “We should have gone into lockdown earlier…I think that has cost a lot of lives.”
1/. “The risk at 1 meter is about 10 to 30 times higher than at 2m.”
This was Prof Vallance speaking on 5 May saying #coronavirus spread is up to 30 times higher when someone is 1m away from an infected person than 2m away.
Ystdy the UK had 921 new #COVID19 cases & 280 deaths.
This was Prof Vallance speaking on 5 May saying #coronavirus spread is up to 30 times higher when someone is 1m away from an infected person than 2m away.
Ystdy the UK had 921 new #COVID19 cases & 280 deaths.
2/. Beijing shut down areas when there were 36 new cases.
The UK hasn't met of the govt's own 5 tests for easing lockdown & only meets 2 of WHO's 6 tests.
An Oxford Uni study of countries listed in order of readiness for easing coronavirus lockdown, puts UK at 191st out of 195.
The UK hasn't met of the govt's own 5 tests for easing lockdown & only meets 2 of WHO's 6 tests.
An Oxford Uni study of countries listed in order of readiness for easing coronavirus lockdown, puts UK at 191st out of 195.
3/. “I think it's extraordinarily risky. I don’t think anyone could believe, from the scientific point of view, that this is a wise move.”
Former CSA, Sir David King, thinks easing lockdown “too quickly" makes the risk of a second wave "very significant".
Former CSA, Sir David King, thinks easing lockdown “too quickly" makes the risk of a second wave "very significant".
1/. The Dutch strategy for dealing with #coronavirus mirrors that being attempted by @BorisJohnson’s govt & is described as “a masterclass in framing & gaslighting.”
But in recent days, leaks & good journalism are exposing the Dutch #HerdImmunityScandal.
containmentnu.nl/en/articles/ga…
But in recent days, leaks & good journalism are exposing the Dutch #HerdImmunityScandal.
containmentnu.nl/en/articles/ga…
2/. On 16 March, PM Rutte gave a National Address.
He did not talk about suppressing #COVD19 as most countries were doing, but he did mention #HerdImmunity.
On 4 June, the PM said: “I did not make a speech about herd immunity. I have no knowledge of it.”
He did not talk about suppressing #COVD19 as most countries were doing, but he did mention #HerdImmunity.
On 4 June, the PM said: “I did not make a speech about herd immunity. I have no knowledge of it.”
3/. Calculations that without suppression measures, 100,000 people could die, saw the govt shifting its description of #HerdImmunity from a “strategy” to an “outcome”.
Yet spokespeople still talked about “allowing #COVID19 to spread through the populace”.
Yet spokespeople still talked about “allowing #COVID19 to spread through the populace”.
