UK Behavioural Insights Team Document – November 2020
13 November 2020
The UK Behavioural Insights Team which operates in partnership with the UK Government Cabinet Office has produced a document (mirror) that outlines how Slovakia tested its whole population for COVID-19. How did they achieve this? The document explains, and here is a quoted section entitled “Incentives and Enforcement”:
The Slovak government opted for a very effective carrot-and-stick strategy. It instituted a strict curfew a week before the testing, meaning that people could only leave their homes to go to work or to shop for essentials (Note: It was also forbidden to travel outside one’s district). The testing was said to be ‘voluntary’ but with the following consequences:
– Those who did not get a test would be subject to continued curfew until the second round of testing. This includes vulnerable people (plus above 65 years old) who are not advised to get tested.
Page 8 – https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Slovakia-COVID-19-Population-Testing-Report.pdf
– Those who tested negative would be able to go to work, shops and outside for exercise but within existing guidelines (ie. face masks indoors and outdoors, the rule of 6, covid-secure restaurants and shops with 1 person per 15m2, ban of assembly, etc.).
– Those who tested positive – and their household – would have to self-isolate for 10 days.
This effectively meant that most people had to get tested in order to be able to work (36% of the population work in manufacturing), otherwise they would have to take annual leave or unpaid leave, if unable to work from home. Positive cases, on the other hand, can request sick pay.
The document goes on to describe how they validated test results, countered “fraud” and so on with certificates printed by the state-owned “mint” using banknote-style watermarks, requiring ID at the testing stations, and issued fines exceeding the average monthly salary for breaking the “rules”.
The testing stations were staffed by the Army and Police, and as they didn’t have enough HCPs (Health Care Professionals) they changed the laws to enable dentists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and a host of other healthcare workers to either administer or assist doctors. Oh and they paid them “€7 per hour plus €20 for every infectious case”. This meant that a nurse could potentially double his/her salary in an area with just 2% case rate.
The entire document only refers to “cases” when presenting its scary graphs and potential outcomes, because naturally none of this is about actually sick people.
It is clear the UK Government is planning such “strategies” for its population, and the BI Team makes the following recommendations:
– Use empowering messaging: Motivate people by creating a spirit of national resistance to the virus, highlighting the ability to make a positive action and contribute to the national effort to save lives and livelihoods. Use ‘save Christmas’ messaging.
Page 13 – https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Slovakia-COVID-19-Population-Testing-Report.pdf
– Use powerful and trusted messengers: Enlist the royal family, the cabinet, the parliament, and local government as supporters of the project. Reach out to the community to encourage them to get tested through trusted institutions and leaders (e.g. a personalised letter sent from NHS, local GP, or a community or faith leader.
– Package of support for positive cases: When leaving the testing site, positive cases could receive a ‘care package’ with information on support offered by local council (eg. linking people up with local volunteers, giving them priority delivery slots for supermarkets, or providing temporary housing to isolate outside of their home if they live with vulnerable people).
– Non-financial incentives for volunteers: Offer additional benefits to motivate volunteers to help with organisation, such as free parking, free public transport pass, free museum and gallery entry, etc.
– Wristbands to improve monitoring: Along with certificates, distribute paper wristbands to all people who tested negative for easier recognition of whether they can enter venues.
– Provide additional and rewards for testing: for example, through lotteries and partnerships with local businesses.
– Offer travel provision or subsidise the cost for people who live far away from a test site or are currently in receipt of financial support.
Outright social-engineering and psychological manipulation from the Government. For our own good of course as they know best.