Companies like Smiths, Breas, Inspiration and Penlon among others though are not tory stooges, and normally make such equipment,, If ford, airbus, rolls royce produces anything will it be seen as coz a stooge, helping the nation or adapting to make a profit in a bad situation

The fact is some Tory buddies will get some contracts, some won't, the people who have the greatest capacity and will pounce on things fastest, is crazy.   Is same on the PPE front due to the shortage, where one family even turned their house into a factory to made visors etc.    I also know where smiths etc already are approved by the MHRA Dyson and Babcock and the medical firm they are working with isn't last time I checked.

Personally I think were all gunna die. Its gunna be like the walking dead. So hyped to go looting

I don't think I'm following your point Akainu, but since you mention them both - Airbus and Rolls Royce (amongst others) have combined to create a consortium called Ventilator Challenge UK, who will provide the remaining 10,000 required by the NHS.

I concede that these ventilators are required, but the cronyism is rife - even during a global pandemic, and the Tory policy is still "herd immunity", and no checks on international arrivals. It beggars belief.

You are complaining tory friends are getting contracts when due to the massive amount of 30-40000 ventilators being needed get contracts, but don't name all the other companies getting contracts too.    Fact is when you invite 6000 companies to make something some will better able than others. or have a larger capacity to do so.

When companies offer blueprints first with companies like Gtech, Dyson, Babcock(, areas, they are going to get bigger orders.   Many of the companies never even got back to anyone or would be impossible to re-tool in the present environment.   Contracts go out beyond the companies you mention, who have no relation to the Tory party, yet will they be counted as cronies by you too? same way hospitals and the NHS are buying directly of companies without the government being part of the decision making process. 

And yes I know on ventilator challenge but the fact is you seem unhappy about who is awarded contracts, but the simple fact is people who can provide will, but the fact is companies with links to the Tories and without will get boosted sales/new sales of this due to ability to adapt.    If we look at every company who has a link, even tenuous we will just not be making ventilators instead.   Is same way with Blairs link to people granted PFIs, but a lot of people didn't care till the after effect when hospitals like tower hamlets had to cut services to cover PFI debt.    Is not that is no cronyism, or is mass cronyism, is simple fact somethings needed and someones going to make it, and for all the companies in ventilator challenge, for example, many have been slow of the mark.   Is like Cuomo in New York went a it the same way, we need things now not 3-6 months time.

The bigger crime is the amount of companies ignored, MEC medical etc, who is getting orders of hospitals but not NHS England/Government etc.

...the fact is you seem unhappy about who is awarded contracts

Not especially, the ventilators was just one part of my initial post.

The Tory party has magnificently mismanaged this crisis, to the point that the UK is now the second worst affected mortality rate IN THE WORLD - and that's not even by capita; the UK has seen higher deaths than countries with vastly larger populations.

The ventilator issue is one we seem to partially agree on - if the companies can make them, encourage them ALL to do it IMO. I see no benefit to two companies being awarded a contract for 20,000 vents when 5,000 companies could make 6 or 8 vents each and meet the criteria much faster.

If all the companies worked to the same set of schematics, an assembly line of factories could have had these things pumped out for weeks, but instead Pfeffel and his ilk had the contracts granted almost exclusively to a Brexiteer who moved the majority of his plants to Malaysia and Singapore.

If you'd rather I took a break from the ventilator situation, I could discuss Jacob Reese Mogg's manipulation of the emerging markets from this pandemic, but I fear that would again loop around to vents, cos everything this Government does is designed to create a substancial financial windfall for members and donors.

Well, the simple reason is as has been discussed in this thread already why so many cases, is where people aren't bothering with lockdown, where half don't believe they will ever get it, or have in serious form as YouGov found.    People are still going out, doing as they please and will continue to do so as they don't care.   Still partying away in manchester etc, and then wondering why they caught it.

You add to that the sick going to work, people ignoring government, WHO guidelines etc and you wonder why it keeps spreading.   Even when most places are closed there is still hundreds of people out and about,    As much as PPE and Ventilators will save some peoples lives, stupidity won't through people spreading it.   Then is the people each of them passes it on to from there.

plus with mogg you look at the book his father wrote on how to make money in the stock market, blood in the streets.

Q: Madam Speaker, how irrational is it that people are staying away from Asian-owned business – not only here, but all over the U.S.?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, that’s one of the reasons we are here today. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s not just Asian-owned now. You see in Italy where the shows – the fashion shows and all of that were done without an audience because people – they just didn’t – because people were not coming. So, again, this fear is – I think – unwarranted in light of the precautions that are being taken here in the United States. I can’t speak for any other country.

It is sad that what’s happening in South Korea, what’s happening in China has an impact on the economy, but first and foremost, we care about the people. And we pray, as I started the day at the temple to pray for the people in China and the rest of the world who have been affected by the Coronavirus and again, pray for the people here. But it is, again – this is a community of vitality that always looks out for the safety of the people who come here. So, they’re used to that, because were an urban center.
It’s also, again, about family and commerce. When you talk to people here – Florence was telling me that when she first came, the people in the Wok Shop were the ones that gave her a hand. Norman is telling me that, when we were in the bazaar, that that family helped his family and his family helped them.

So, again, the immigration community is about family. It is about small business and big business. It’s about not only making out communities better, but our economy’s thrive.

So, that’s why we want people to come to Chinatown. Don’t be afraid. Enjoy it all. It’s beautiful and there are some good bargains here now, so it’s a good time to come.

Nancy Pelosi
February 24, 2020

I love how people love to point at different senators and house reps as reason for, lack of COVID response in the USA. 

Lets get some facts straight first. 

Is it the Speakers job to read Intel briefs presented to the President? 

Is it the Speakers job to formulate a national crisis strategy? 

Is it the Speakers job to have a standing Pandemic Task Force, in case there is a outbreak?

Is it the Speakers job to have a CDC rep based out of the Chinese desk? A Rep that could have helped immensely with info? 

Is it the Speakers job to shut down borders and to invoke the defense production act? 

Now you can substitute Speaker for Senator, Congressman/woman, Governor even. 

And one thing is still w/o a shadow of doubt. The President the is the leading executive for a reason. He is given powers by the public for a reason. And thats because the "Buck stops here" as a legendary President once said. I mean Trump even tweeted at the time of the H1N1 Breakout "The President is responsible for it ALL". Obviously now its Chinas fault, then WHO's fault, then Nancys fault, then so on and so forth. 

No Mr. President. ITS YOUR FAULT. You didnt read the intel reports that none of us get, in NOVEMBER. You fired the USS Roosevelts Captain, because he docked a ship that had a outbreak. He was replaced, because he broke rank and file. Well, if you had a carrier ship under your command, would you let your sailors just die? On a US military ship at that? Now there are over 600 sailors on that ship that have COVID positive tests. 

So we can sit here and play the blame game all night. We can sit here and talk about how some Governors are doing more than the President...just look at Cuomo. He mobilized the health structure in 3 days, formulated a strategy in a week. Had the State of NY systematically shut down in 2 weeks. 

THEN, he took away the power from the Federal government to do testing. And sanctioned State funded tests in NY...something miraculous happened. NYS was testing at the highest rates not just in the country, but in the WORLD. In a matter of days. Then, when the Federal govnt wouldnt give him aid PPE/Ventilators/Etc. He passed a bill where all the resources in the NYS hospitals were pooled...he did this a month ago. Just 2 days ago, Trump established something similar called the "Dynamic Ventilator Reserve". 

Let that sink in. The leader of our great country was a month behind, on a policy a NYS governor implemented a month ago...

So yes, there are golfing trips to speak of, there are hoaxes to speak of, there is COVIDCorruption to speak of (Trump owns stock in the Pharma company that is the biggest manufacturer of HydroxyCholorquine. Annnnd his son in law owns Oscar Health, a company that is doing the testing for COVID...and they didnt have tests ready for almost 2-3 weeks). So I wonder why, we still don't have tests. 

Our great President promised 7 weeks ago, that we will have all the tests we need. Guess what...so far 4million tests done in the USA. While China runs 1.4 Million tests a week. 

Last but not least. There is always a argument about how Cuomo isnt doing his job, since the highest rates of infected are in NY and deaths. 

Well two things here, your going to have more positive tests, when your testing at the highest rates in the country. Cause some people in the rest of the country dont even have access to tests. And secondly, take into account the density of the location. Almost 35 million people live right next to each other in NYC. I mean NYS has zip codes more populated than some States in the country. So given that it could have been a 'wild fire'...id like to think our Governor did spectacular. Now whats more...hes sending vents/PPE's/etc to other States that need them for their spike. That to me is leadership. That to me is being Presidential. 

On one hand we have a President saying "Its a great victory that we will have 60k American dead". And on the other side, we have a governor that displays more compassion & empathy for the 10k NewYorkers dead, then his prowess at this time of crisis. Thats what I expect from my leader. Raw, upfront, truthful and compassionate. 

Now before I leave here. One last bit about Joe. Do I like him? Nah. Do I think hes the best candidate? Nope. I think that VP will speak volumes about what the Dems think about leadership. It should be VP Cuomo...let the man lead. Hes built for it. 

But this is why me (a Republican at heart, will vote AGAINST Trump). 

1) I believe in the Rule of Law...that Trumps all. lol

2) I rather see someone at the helm, who can handle crisis. 

3) I rather have someone that will respect our Servicemen (USS Roosevelt sailors, Capt Crozier)

So consider this. Bengazi was on Joes watch. How many Americans died from that negligence? Now how many American are dying from Trumps negligence? Joe also oversaw the H1N1 virus outbreak. A virus that had airborne transmission ability, and we all know how that went.

Compare and contrast the handling of the H1N1, which was more dangerous. To the COVID mismanagement...and the answer should be as bright as the sun. 

Some men just aren't built to lead. Some men, just don't understand the importance of lives. Yes Joe is about as establishment as it gets, yes Cuomo is about as establishment as it gets. But if American lives were on the line, who do you want leading the country when the "Buck stops here"? Im not ready to sign up for a leader that thinks 60,000 Americans dead is a Victory...while were still loosing 2,000 Americans a day. 

America and more so fellow New Yorkers. I know we've been cooped up for a month now. Your doing good, keep washing hands, keep that social distance going, keep those social interactions going via Skype, etc. WE are collectively smashing the CURVE. Not our government, not our leaders. Its US...and we get to make a difference on a personal level that affects the greater population. Keep at it. Were almost out of the wood works. More so in the NE than the South. But this is not the time to get comfy. Its time to stay buckled...were almost out of it. The economy will open, life will resume. But not at the cost of thousands of American lives. 

Covid i Snap my finger and there the strong will live and the weak will die.. HORA!!!

Though I won't blame Pelosi, China and the W.H.O dropped the ball on this too.   China with it's contagion grounds of markets and the W.H.O who were warned by Taiwan a month of human to human contact before the WHO tweet that said no human to human contact China have reported reassuring the world.

The UK still hasn't got antigen tests in place that it trusts(when the same tests are fine for the rest of the world), and still is not testing its front line staff quick enough.   Care homes made up 50% of the deaths in Europe it was claimed yet these same people daily go back to work untested and the incubators of death that is some care homes continue.

Sadly even with over 12000 deaths many British people are still going about business as usual and getting fined for it, and when UK continues to lock down for 3 more weeks which is poorly enforced, some European countries are opening up shops etc again, which could create a new peak where people are hiding symptoms still.

Just have to lay low gun high

When this is over and it will be over, I will be going to rehab and AA.

I got the delta version,was on akot of meds ,stayed in the house over 2 weeks,avoid catching it   it does kill people ,,,wear a mask and be carefull  MR- members