Blimey that's a ridiculous difference between the total tests and number tested 

"More or Less" on R4 this morning is worth a catch-up listen if you missed it and have the required attention span. 

Relevant topics covered:

1. Gov't litany of lies on testing figures were laid bare (yet again).

2. Prof. Spiegelhalter claims schools reopening is safe.

3. The reasons why German Covid-19 deaths are so low compared to UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000j949

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I still don't understand why the number of positive tests has gone down compared to yesterday. (See my post on Page 10).

EDIT: This shows breakdown by Pillar and explains historical data revisions have been made.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

I can think of a few reasons why they might want to start showing a sustained drop in figures. Especially before 1st June 

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I was planning on having a night in my tent in the garden ..... but its been so dry the ground is too hard to get a tent peg in now 

 

You could try throwing a jug or two of water around the points where you want to place the pegs just to soften up the soil a bit... or, just use your boot as a hammer.

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It seems from Rob’s link that if a person has a throat swab and nasal swab, that counts as two tests. Most sane people would think these should be classed as being part of the same test.

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It seems from Rob’s link that if a person has a throat swab and nasal swab, that counts as two tests. Most sane people would think these should be classed as being part of the same test.

As well as non-diagnostic tests included in the figures, as many as 30,000. This government has no shame.

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Well worth watching if you have the time:

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You could try throwing a jug or two of water around the points where you want to place the pegs just to soften up the soil a bit... or, just use your boot as a hammer.

Or I could put the pegs into the cracks in the ground.

Except my pegs aren't 2 inches wide .... 

Off topic, but, this has been one of the warmest, sunniest, driest springs on record here.   Sod's law was fulfilled  (as I predicted would happen  back in early March).   

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Received details from my daughter’s school re returning from 02 June (1st is a training day). It’s very comprehensive in terms of the approach they are taking to ensure child safety so I’m very comfortable sending her back. Kids arriving/leaving different times, being allocated a teacher and classroom that they stay in, and they are only allowed to mix with their groups at break time.

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Well worth watching if you have the time:

Judging by the rogues gallery of speakers, that’s a firm “no thanks” from me. 😂

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It seems from Rob’s link that if a person has a throat swab and nasal swab, that counts as two tests. Most sane people would think these should be classed as being part of the same test.

But the government does report both the number of tests and the number of people tested so there's no attempt at deception.  Apart from that, if the throat and nasal swab involve two laboratory tests then arguably it is relevant as a measure of utilisation of testing capacity.

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As well as non-diagnostic tests included in the figures, as many as 30,000. This government has no shame.

This is the Vote Leave Government. The same people are running the scene and manipulating the numbers. Self testing is rubbish and the time it takes for some tests to come back makes a mockery of it and will lead to false negatives, perhaps done on purpose to try and justify opening up the economy

 

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But the government does report both the number of tests and the number of people tested so there's no attempt at deception.  Apart from that, if the throat and nasal swab involve two laboratory tests then arguably it is relevant as a measure of utilisation of testing capacity.

There is clear deception in relation to tests and targets. We already know that dispatched tests are being counted, as well as non-diagnostic tests which have no bearing on our number of positive cases (note to Gavin D who calculated the false % each day). As it mentions on the R4 programme RobN linked to, you wouldn't count going to a drive-in facility, having the swab and sputum checked as two positive tests (unless you wanted to boost your figures of course ).

Given the vast majority of the general public will look at the headline figures and nothing else I believe it is a form deception, given the reasons above that become clear when you look behind the numbers.

 

edit: and that doesn't even get into the shambles of the results and the time taken (median 4 days I think?)  Thanks Beast, forgotten that.

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Received details from my daughter’s school re returning from 02 June (1st is a training day). It’s very comprehensive in terms of the approach they are taking to ensure child safety so I’m very comfortable sending her back. Kids arriving/leaving different times, being allocated a teacher and classroom that they stay in, and they are only allowed to mix with their groups at break time.

Good luck with that!

 

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Regional data for new cases today in England

The 7 English regions 

• London +50 (0.2%) 26,579


• Midlands +206 (0.8%) 24,637


• North West +195 (0.8%) 24,132


• North East and Yorkshire +181 (0.8%) 23,182


• South East +96 (0.5%) 20,510


• East of England +138 (1.0%) 13,311


• South West +30 (0.4%) 7,370

The 10 local areas with the highest cases

1. Kent +55 (1.2%) 4,562


2. Lancashire +28 (0.8%) 3,406


3. Birmingham +21 (0.6%) 3,340


4. Hampshire +10 (0.3%) 3,193


5. Essex +16 (0.5%) 3,107


6. Surrey +3 (0.1%) 2,835


7. Hertfordshire +14 (0.5%) 2,782


8. Sheffield +7 (0.3%) 2,493


9. Cumbria +5 (0.2%) 2,153


10. Staffordshire +14 (0.7%) 2,119

The 10 local areas with the lowest cases

1. Rutland +1 (3.0%) 33


2. North East Lincolnshire 148 - No change


3. Isle of Wight 178 - No change


4. Torbay 221 - No change


5. Bath and North East Somerset 230 - No change


6. Bracknell Forest +3 (1.3%) 240


7. Windsor and Maidenhead 279 - No change


8. Calderdale 285 - No change


9. Portsmouth +1 (0.3%) 313


10. Hartlepool +15 (4.7%) 319

This is absolutely sickening. Shame on you @BorisJohnson @pritipatel https://t.co/fyLaAL3OJ0

— *****Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 20, 2020

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Regional data for new cases today in England

The 7 English regions 

• London +50 (0.2%) 26,579


• Midlands +206 (0.8%) 24,637


• North West +195 (0.8%) 24,132


• North East and Yorkshire +181 (0.8%) 23,182


• South East +96 (0.5%) 20,510


• East of England +138 (1.0%) 13,311


• South West +30 (0.4%) 7,370

 

 

Didn't the Express tell us there were zero cases?

 

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Good luck with that!

 

They have different break times so not an issue

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Regional data for new cases today in England

The 7 English regions 

• London +50 (0.2%) 26,579


• Midlands +206 (0.8%) 24,637


• North West +195 (0.8%) 24,132


• North East and Yorkshire +181 (0.8%) 23,182


• South East +96 (0.5%) 20,510


• East of England +138 (1.0%) 13,311


• South West +30 (0.4%) 7,370

One thing i have noticed is that these figures do not add up to the total positive count for the day. Today that was 2472 and the regional totals shown above add up to 896. I doubt that Scotland, N Ireland and Wales had 1500 between them so was wondering where the extra positives come from? Does it depend on which pillar they are in?

 

Didn't the Express tell us there were zero cases?

 

Was just about to post the same

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Here in Leeds we have now gone 2 days with no Covid deaths, long may that continue

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