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It says specifically on here that appointments must be made. This is dated 11th so later than the link you sent Granny. Changing presumably because the demand is so great.
https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-an...vid-19-testing-wirral-key-workers#wgSM-0

As far as I am aware the Wirral and Liverpool test sites have never been walk-in for the general public, some specific groups may have been allowed to walk-in.

But if they have run out of test kits as many centres have, it wouldn't make any difference if it is appointment, walk-in or drive through. Usual incompetence by this Government https://www.itv.com/news/2020-09-15/test-and-trace-system-must-be-fit-for-purpose-government-warned The implication of that is the NHS hasn't even got enough test kits to test its own staff!

Thanks Salmon, and DD.

Another major probelm is the laboratories not having enough qualified staff to handle the volume of tests. Maybe at present they should confine the testing only to people who are showing symptoms . ( apart from the front line staff etc. )

Its a tricky one due to symptoms taking so long to show up inn many cases.

I wouldn't know what the answer is, but Spain would appear to be over run in their hospitals again. Almost at full capacity.. I really believe that foreign holidays should not have been allowed this summer, but too late and we need to concentrate again on the next few weeks.

Just take care, do the right things (as advised) and hopefully the dreaded second wave might not happen or become as bad as the first .

I'm glad to see that those that are supposed to be in self-isolation after visiting Spain are being checked up on.

I still don't see how holidays abroad meet the requirement of "essential travel", an aircraft is the highest risk environment for spreading anything.

Test and trace formally started yesterday, if you go in the same establishment as someone that tested positive you can get told to lockdown, regardless if both of you were wearing masks and you didn't come within sneezing distance of each other.

Just listened to Ursula Von Der Leyen's speech. She spoke extremely well, for about an hour and a bit. Can';t say I can see the end product of all she laid out being accomplished or even if things will change so much. She (in my view) contradicted herself. Issue being free speech and each individual is an indivudual with their own ideas. Then it changed to not being allowed free speech on certain issues.
She's not happy with UK

One thing she did say on the subject of Covid, which actually depicted how vulnerable the human race is , the repercussions and that none in Europe, the world, had emergency funding to manage such a unknnown pandemic, or funding allocated to develop a vaccine.

She referred to ' A virus smaller than a grain of sand and how it has shown our vulnerablitiy '

How true, and the enormity of the situtation was explained in that one sentence.

Oh yes, and she wants a stronger European Health System...... which was always in the pipeline. Now we won't have to be part of it.

I have just got back from Portugal last night and the shit has hit the fan again. All was fine a few days ago. They have now brought in new rules of pubs and restaurants closing at 11pm and supermarkets cannot sell alcohol.
Unfortunately, I dropped a bollock driving back from Portugal thinking I could transit through Spain without stopping. I drove right to the ferry at Santander without stopping so thought I would be OK, which I have only found out today is a 'transit stop'

On a side note, driving around Portugal is a dream and I highly recommend going along the border with Spain up to Northern Portugal, the views from the mountains are stunning.

Now back in Blighty, things were not this bad 2 weeks ago. Sadly I think we will be dealing with this for a very long time.
This max of 6 in a group is also confusing, yet you can still go the pub or a restaurant.

Regarding the walk in test centres.

From todays Globe.
https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/18724166.coronanvirus-local-testing-site-opening-liscard-today/

This is a whole world problem, and our Government is not at fault. They need to think out of the box because every country is suffering and making mistakes.

Out Government has had 4-6 months to get this sorted out. They have the means to predict trends and demand. What exactly have they been doing instead? Shooting Grouse?

Just been shopping again in New Brighton, mask wearers seem to be in the minority visited Home Bargains again, it seems to attract the non mask wearers, usually in groups, so much for asking people to go the extra mile and ensure they follow the guidelines, this will carry on because it is allowed to, maybe the best way to get some compliance would be to concentrate on a single shopping area and start issuing warnings and fines and turning people away if need be, is it really such a task to wear a mask and follow some simple instructions?

Well it looks like the whole world is shooting grouse with them doesn't it?

I'm not paying taxes to other world governments to fix their problems, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't use such tactics to excuse what ours is [not] doing.

Just because you pay taxes to our Government doesn't mean they can pull a rabbit out of a hat and solve the problem the whole world is dealing with.

I'm not expecting them to work magic, I'm expecting them to provide adequate testing capacity - something that they have had several months to do. They would rather lie about that capacity being in place and accuse those who have experienced the reality of being liars. Again, stop making excuses for them. The Government and its Health agencies need to get this sorted with the time, money, expertise and information that they boast of having. Because I and my colleagues are not looking forward to having to deal with this on our own again while everyone claps.

All governments are liars so don't think I am making excuses for them.
You are not the only one in the boat you know, too many people have lost everything.
What is happening now is unprecedented but hey-ho, lets expect our Government to perform some magic with that cliche 'this isn't what I pay my taxes for'.
Everyone needs something now and our Government can't cope with it.
And another thing, I don't even like the Tories, they were just the best option over Labour.

Calling something the Government has had months to do (and I am getting tired of repeating this point) is not "magic". We were promised a functioning Test and Trace system back in May. The NHS needed this to be working already, but it isn't. Now we're picking up the slack with our own Labs - why weren't these expanded in the first place instead of trying to sidestep them?

The Research department where I work already anticipated months ago the current sharp rise in cases (I posted as much earlier in this thread). We use this data to anticipate demand and manage capacity accordingly. The Government surely had similar data and instead chose to sit on it. We're looking at a worse situation than we have already had, and it is appropriate to blame those who could have done something about it.