The more I look at the UK's measures, the more convinced I am that the policy is still to spread the virus through the population as quickly as possible.

Closing tube stations and rationing travel means that people who have to travel will be forced to cough all over each other on the remaining public transport systems.

Failing to test anyone - including health workers - means that gig economy workers can't be sure if they should stay at home.

Failing to test - never mind quarantine - travellers on incoming flights guarantees that infected tourists are free to spread the virus to everyone they meet.

Failing to shut the borders - likewise.

Keeping schools open for a week longer than needed gives the virus plenty of time to spread to parents, and to everyone they're in contact with.

And so on. Beyond a bit of "advice", it's very hard to find any evidence at all of the UK taking concrete steps to minimise exposure.

I have to dispute the vilification of Rutte. While I am not a huge fan of his economic policies, what Rutte said was wildly misrepresented in the Irish Times for one. While my Dutch is not perfect, I listened to his speech on the day and I was stunned at the reaction in the Irish press. It bore no relationship to the speech I heard. Rutte was calm measured and reassuring. Instead of this herd immunity canard, he said that there was three options, and that the Dutch approach was to maximally control it so that the hospitals could cope, and that eventually herd immunity would come (my understanding was this is exactly the flattening the curve.

Please read his speech. You can find impartial coverage in dutchnews.nl in English. https:/www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/03/mps-back-ministers-on-coronavirus-herd-immunity-is-not-the-aim -says-rutte