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I suppose we are both pretty disappointed that this government, our government has proved to be such a shower. I expected more. Ordering British tests just seems so obvious but at least we have a strong chance with the USA, they do not order any Chinese tests, why would they?

Dr Fauci says more home testing is needed as Omicron takes over and ‘Testing is absolutely essential.’

https://mol.im/a/10326203

Perhaps they will give us emergency use approval, wisely they do not accept Chinese products.

I agree that a petition that simply said HMG should develop and use a UK based diagnostic industry and not fuel the Chinese economy and Chinese communist party that allows human rights abuses - perhaps including a reference to the environment benefits of supplying locally - would have been enough and unchallengeable but I still think we should support a petition that raises the issue and makes more people aware of what is happening - perhaps even if some points are speculation or unprovable. Some action is better than no action.

Surely HMG or rather Government Scientists have now accepted that herd immunity is not actually achievable as virus easily mutates (given the numbers involved) any may cause significant numbers to be affected - particularly, it would appear, by the unvaccinated. Severe disease may not affect a great percentage of the population but that would still represent a severe strain on the NHS which is what we are trying to guard against. Cast you mind back only a few months and there was much debate about the need to vaccinate the world, I think it is now proven that until the whole world is vaccinated, the virus turnover ie the opportunity to mutate will remain and a variant could easily appear that evades all the measures we have taken and could potentially put us back to square one. There is also no doubt that vaccinations and actually living through Covid will make us safer but variants will continue to appear for which new vaccine or booster jabs will be required until such a time as an actual cure is found which is unlikely as I understand it.

If you are invested you should sign up.

Interesting that both May and Sunak both abstained, a strange alliance forming.

So there we are, slightly quicker than I had anticipated, England has now run out of lab capacity to process a PCR test - so how do you travel?

China has acknowledged a few cases of omicron and has instigated extensive lock downs and testing in an area noted for its manufacturing. Wouldn’t it be ironic if it was the area that manufactured the LFT’s that are sent here.

What was the reply?

Yes and it certainly will not be the last variant. Every time it passes between two people it has the opportunity to mutate. None of us know what is to come.

Seems like we would be better served by national protectionism - from China that is. I haven’t read much about omicron prevalence in China but if it took hold they would quickly divert all of their LFT production for home use. HMG should have more foresight and not rely on foreign manufacturers of dubious character to supply us with necessary equipment to help us through the effects of Covid. That’s my whinging done for today.

The only thing they can report that will set us alight is achieving approvals and that is not within their control. To be honest any other muttering on Twitter will just not hit the spot - this time around.

Unfortunately I am again forced to agree with you TWatcher, at the moment there does seem little point in an antibody test - I have never taken one, they do not, as it stands, give you any priority although perhaps they should - if you have antibodies you are just as safe as anyone else and perhaps for those who have not been jabbed it could be used as a marker rather than losing your job? Maybe, but I am also sure if HMG supported their use then they would fly out of the door. One thing has certainly become clear and that is the ability of the government to point and shoot us, the general public, in any direction they choose.

The only thing I can think of as to why UK produced products may be being held back would be to wait until HMG stop providing them free of charge and then let the market work itself out. Although why they would ever choose to have a product supplied from China rather than locally is still beyond me.

Thank you Regulator, I suppose I was relying on the term lapsed rather that cancelled - I will not challenge your knowledge of government contracts as my experience here is zero. With a normal commercial contract it would be possible to reinstate a lapsed contract with a simple side letter particularly if the previously agreed end date was still some way off but I accept it could certainly be different for government bodies.

I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong but as I understand it, even though the DHSC contract may have lapsed HMG are still able to come back and rely on it. I just want the HUA and then the orders from HMG or elsewhere will take care of themselves.

I read that as ‘order some free tests in advance so that you can test before you return to school’.

Surely they have been tested throughout?

Thanks Wadogara but I am flattered but wouldn’t take the job - couldn’t stand the constant scrutiny although I do think, at the moment anyway, that I or indeed you could do a better job!

Good point Doom, we absolutely need to ensure that the care home are protected and the residents not isolated again.

The solution has always seemed so obvious- stop supporting the Chinese economy who we are happy to accuse of human rights abuses and support the UK diagnostics industry. Must be a vote winner but until today all the media wanted to talk about was a party in Downing Street 12 months ago and a stolen video of a spokesperson, who had the right to believe she was in a safe space, amongst friends, practising for her new job when the real story is HMG in dispute with 3 companies who they were supposed and would logically be supporting. As you say, strange times.