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UK Declares Coronavirus ‘Serious And Imminent Threat’, Activates Emergency Powers
Breitbart ^ | 2-10-2020 | Oliver JJ Lane

Posted on 02/10/2020 2:00:36 PM PST by blam

The British government has declared Coronavirus a “serious and imminent threat”, a classification which gives the secretary of state for health emergency powers to detain people suspected of being infected, as four more cases emerge.

Until now, the roughly 250 Britons quarantined at two hospitals after arriving back into the United Kingdom from China have been in isolation voluntarily on the advice of the government. But With the declaration “that the incidence or transmission of novel Coronavirus constitutes a serious and imminent threat to public health”, the hospitals in the UK become legally recognised as “isolation” areas, the Department of Health said in a statement.

This means the government can now keep people in isolation “for their own safety”, even if it is against their will, a spokesman for the department said.

State broadcaster the BBC reports this change in stance from the government came as one individual in the Wirral quarantine hospital was planning to leave against the advice of doctors before his two week incubation period isolation was complete. The Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock declaring Coronavirus a “serious and imminent threat” permits the government to detail that individual and others to prevent the spread of the disease.

The government statement claimed the move is “considered as an effective means of delaying or preventing further transmission of the virus.”

Despite kicking up the classification of Coronavirus up a notch to serious and imminent, the overall threat level to the public issued by the government remains at “moderate”, while risk to individuals is “low”. When these threat levels were set in January, the Chief Medical Officer said in a statement that “This does not mean we think the risk to individuals in the UK has changed at this stage, but that government should plan for all eventualities.”

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; coronavirus; flu; uk
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Coronavirus Latest News: Four New Cases Confirmed In The UK As Brighton GP Clinic Closes
1 posted on 02/10/2020 2:00:36 PM PST by blam
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To: blam

It sure seems like the authorities know a lot more about this than they are letting out.


2 posted on 02/10/2020 2:01:52 PM PST by brownsfan (Behold, the power of government cheese.)
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To: blam

what’s with the overreaction? it’s just the sniffles, bro. /s


3 posted on 02/10/2020 2:02:54 PM PST by proust (Justice delayed is injustice.)
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To: blam

Sounds serious....................


4 posted on 02/10/2020 2:03:11 PM PST by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.......... ..)
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To: brownsfan

Ya think?


5 posted on 02/10/2020 2:04:21 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: blam

“after arriving back into the United Kingdom from China”

STOP THIS and you go a LONG way to preventing a massive breakout.

LUNACY sees folks from this area of China still able to fly out.


6 posted on 02/10/2020 2:11:13 PM PST by LeonardFMason (Lou Dobbs)
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To: brownsfan

It sure seems like the authorities know a lot more about this than they are letting out.


Yeah, that’s the thing, isn’t it. The flight attendants on the evacuation flight wearing moonsuits that didn’t share the airplane’s air kind of told me that there is something serious going on.

First mandatory quarantine in U.S. in fifty years, Japan keeping four or five thousand on a cruise ship in Yokohama, another cruise ship looking for a port, China shutting down cities bigger than L.A. or N.Y., hauling people off in boxes in the backs of pickups—something very big is happening.


7 posted on 02/10/2020 2:13:45 PM PST by hanamizu
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To: blam
the move is “considered as an effective means of delaying or preventing further transmission...

With significant emphasis on the "delaying", and almost total de-emphasis on the "preventing".

8 posted on 02/10/2020 2:14:59 PM PST by C210N
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To: brownsfan

“State broadcaster the BBC reports this change in stance from the government came as one individual in the Wirral quarantine hospital was planning to leave against the advice of doctors before his two week incubation period isolation was complete. The Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock declaring Coronavirus a “serious and imminent threat” permits the government to detail that individual and others to prevent the spread of the disease. “

Did anyone read the article at all, or did people just go by the obvious click-bait headline?


9 posted on 02/10/2020 2:17:54 PM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: C210N

That was the WHO’s argument: closing borders and restricting flights won’t work, it will only delay it.


10 posted on 02/10/2020 2:20:11 PM PST by proust (Justice delayed is injustice.)
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To: C210N

Like the “prevent defense” in football.

Neve seems to prevent anything.


11 posted on 02/10/2020 2:20:55 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: brownsfan

“It sure seems like the authorities know a lot more about this than they are letting out.”

Perhaps but not necessarily. Even with the info we are all seeing some people understand the math and the trajectory and can see what can happen if this gets out of control.

If one gets it in this country the odds are that they will survive but could suffer a long period in critical condition. 20-25% in ICU? Ouch. This could be a major disruptor with a huge economic hit.


12 posted on 02/10/2020 2:24:44 PM PST by plain talk
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To: LeonardFMason

There was some kid (a rich bum, called himself a “world traveler”) that had been in Hong Kong. He was leaving Thailand and it seemed to show (and he said) that they only asked him if he had been to China and he said no, and they let him through. No temperature test.

Upon arrival in the U.S. it was the same thing. Who knows if it is true or not, but I can believe it. Although some posters say that China always puts a large visa stamp (or whatever they are called) that takes up a full page on a passport, so it is easy to spot.

Of course when it is now in Hong Kong and Singapore, the cat is already out of the bag.


13 posted on 02/10/2020 2:27:26 PM PST by 21twelve (Ever Vigilant. Never Fearful.)
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To: hanamizu

China now has over 400 million people on lockdown or quarantine or restricted movement. Population of the entire USA is about 340 million!


14 posted on 02/10/2020 2:28:42 PM PST by 21twelve (Ever Vigilant. Never Fearful.)
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To: blam
permits the government to detail that individual and others to prevent the spread of the disease

Serious people want to know!! In order to get "detailed" does one go over the individual with tweezers or a paint brush?!?

This move by the British government is preventative in nature and just gives them the power to control the situation. The U.S. took this step last week. Cases in the U.K. are still fewer than 15.

15 posted on 02/10/2020 2:29:42 PM PST by the_Watchman
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To: blam

Wait until it gets into the Muslim population there and they refuse to cooperate


16 posted on 02/10/2020 2:30:57 PM PST by GulfMan
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To: brownsfan

How many infected are running around the US now?


17 posted on 02/10/2020 2:41:26 PM PST by redgolum (If this culture today is civilization, I will be the barbarian.)
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To: GulfMan
"Wait until it gets into the Muslim population there and they refuse to cooperate"

I'm surprised these loonies (MUSLIMS) aren't already doing a suicide by coronavirus, boarding as many planes and visiting as many airports as possible before being caught....(Of course, that's what allah would want them to do, eh?)

18 posted on 02/10/2020 2:52:54 PM PST by blam
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To: 21twelve

All passports are digitized now. When you cross a border your passport is scanned. They know EXACTLY where you have been.


19 posted on 02/10/2020 2:53:27 PM PST by Kozak (DIVERSITY+PROXIMITY=CONFLICT)
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To: blam

I suspect that a lot of people in the ‘free world’ will be learning a thing or two about government emergency powers...possibly here too.

And the thing is, I don’t mind the powers...if they are used properly. To me they fit the primary definition of why we have governments - to protect people from attack.


20 posted on 02/10/2020 2:54:24 PM PST by BobL (I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart - I just don't tell anyone.)
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