- This topic has 353 replies, 49 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 2 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
With racing looking set to continue for at least the short term it is perhaps interesting to compare the response now to that during the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001, when Cheltenham and other meetings were cancelled entirely
It was all a bit stop-start, hit-and-miss with courses seemingly taking unilateral decisions to cancel dependent on the proximity of f-a-m outbreaks
There may be a better resource somewhere, or someone on TRF might be able to expand but this timeline seems an adequate summary:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/cheltenham_festival/1774103.stm
It is of course foolhardy to compare literally the response to two entirely different highly contagious viral epidemics, particularly one that infects different animals but one might be inclined to think there was an over-reaction then by the racing authorities to a threat seen as close to home and an under-reaction now to a threat deemed distant
SIL [works in London] has just heard he was at a meeting with someone who has come down with the virus. It will be interesting to see what he is told about going back to work etc. They are currently self isolating but he’s due to go back tomorrow. This is all getting very close to home, now.
I cannot see UK racing continuing for much longer. Undoubtedly it will be forced behind closed doors sometime next week. As the virus spreads, it is inconceivable that at least one jockey won’t become infected at some point. Their colleagues would then have to self-isolate and future meetings would inevitably have to be reduced, or cancelled completely if the limited supply of licenced jockeys is exhausted.
As far as I’m aware racecourses are required to have two ambulances in attendance at every meeting. Not sure if that can be justified (even if they are private, not NHS) when those resources will be needed elsewhere as the health system goes into meltdown.
Agree that a lockdown would delay the spread, if observed by the whole population, but that isn’t a long-term solution. 100% quarantine and testing of everyone entering the country would be necessary thereafter (impossible to enforce). The only hope would seem to be a fast-tracked vaccine, which would need some human guinea pigs.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
The pandemic programme on BBC4 said that a vaccine can be formulated in 4 months; it wasn’t, however, talking specifically about this outbreak.If only the Chinese had been more open about what was happening we would have been well on the way to having a vaccine now. The programme said data that the universities had collected because of the programme would be invaluable when [not if but when] there was a pandemic. This is the BBC4 that the government keep wanting to get rid of….
The country needs to go into complete lockdown immediately.
And what happens at the end when everyone comes out of it are you suggesting it will just disappear?
If there is a lockdown what do you think will happen on the day it is over and 50 million people all head to empty shops to stock up?
Do you really thing British people will heed a lockdown they will riot first.
You cannot lock everyone down forever this virus might be a new norm at some point people have to live their lives.
The country is not being asked to go into a permanent and full lock down. That’s obvious. It’s about managing the situation.
Boris Johnsons response had initially seemed a bit psychotic though.
SHL
It was like a Sunday London in the seventies today. Had great time cycling around seeing the Hockney. Place was empty. Never seen south bank like it
Only downside was having to grab bog roll off some selfish old bag trying to buy a pack in Tesco today. She’ll be dead soon so what does she need it for? Some people.
From worldometers.info
As of 15:15 GMT today:
COVID-19 confirmed cases per million population
UK 16.8
France 68.9
Germany 64.8
Spain 165.8
Italy 359.9
Netherlands 66.2
Sweden 101.4
Belgium 76.4
Denmark 149.2
Austria 95.5
Ireland 26.1There seems to be quite a clamour for the UK to follow the example of the major European countries in copying their tactics in trying to overcome COVID-19, for example shutting schools, theatres, cinemas, any large gathering of people. The data does not seem to support a change in tactics. Maybe a typical response in solving difficult problems is to do more, more, more, when thinking better, better, better, is a more appropriate response.
worldometers sources include: World Health Organisation & United Nations Statistics Division
Atr report racing behind closed doors in next couple of days
Anyone got a wire cutter ?
Confirmed cases paint an inaccurate picture, and are just the tip of the iceberg; the genie is out of the bottle, there is no point in routine testing and contact tracing anymore. The disease is now endemic, but if we can avoid a peak, the health services are less likely to crash.
@ Marginal Value @Steve H
“Reflect on how even when there are ‘only’ 2,000 Coronavirus cases in a country this implies that 100,000 people who will have it in two weeks (without drastic measures) are being infected around now, not in two weeks!
Hence, the problem of leaving your home now is not about 2,000 people, but a statistical certainty of 100,000 people in two weeks and millions(!) over the coming incubation period.”And a nurse I know says she and her colleagues are still waiting for PPE (personal protective equipment) and they are our frontline. She reckons lockdown should have started a week ago!
I was all for Racing going ahead but…
If (the official line is now) other sporting events are cancelled because ambulances and medical staff are needed elsewhere (for the virus)… Then how can racing go ahead even without racegoers? Rules state jockeys always need two ambulances on site otherwise racing can not go ahead.
Value Is EverythingAnd lockdown would achieve what exactly?
Ireland has closed all its bars and over 30k people are now out of work, whos footing that bill and their own personal bills? What impact does just a few weeks have on everyone? Massive you would assume
Have you thought through the process of a lockdown and what that entails, read my post regarding a lack of medical care workers being able to work, that matters.
What about a lack of products being produced that are otherwise vital that now cant be provided?
What happens when you realise that this is going to go on for anywhere between 3-6 months before we are starting to get on the otherside of it, what state would the country be in? Unfortunately as with all things in life, wars/viruses/climate disasters theres always something or someone that loses their life, thats uncontrollable regardless of what we do, if we went on lockdown for a month, or even two months, then we are postponing the inevitable, it will just come back again as we resume normality, regardless of what we do this IS going to take its course and run through humanity, wether its now or in two months or six months, no vaccine will be available for year(s) and we simply cannot “cancel” life until then from something that kills very few. From the time this thread was made until now over 100k people have died of hunger, but yet being the absolute hypocrites we all are, we do, not, care. The statistics of “cross 2 out of every 100 friend&family you have” is laughable, this virus has been in circulation since NOVEMBER if you believe it only made its way here in jan/feb your extremely wrong, the stats of 2-5% mortality rate or whatever are so far out its not even remotely funny, china claiming 90k infections, yeah right. go on and Make it 100x that, because thats what it is
If you want real disaster, jump into a lockdown prematurely and unecessarily for a lengthy period and watch real chaos ensue, especially when were on the other side of it (which we will be).
This is not going to go away if we locked down. Wake up. Its here, as with everything, plan long term.
I shall not return to this post again because its a horse racing forum and its went off track i hope the media leave the government to do what they are doing as its for once most definitely in everyones interest
To answer the original posters question, should cheltenham have went ahead as normal: yes, with everyone over 60 being strongly advised to not attend or anyone with an underlying health condition that could be worsened. Not banned, “ strongly advised”.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.