Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

This is the deaths chart for London as of yesterday.

I feel so nervous acknowledging lifting lockdown might be okay. Still pushing back against riding with others, meetings etc. I don't generally suffer from much anxiety so it's felt a bit unusual.
So much time hoping for lockdown to end and now it is I just can't help but feel 'but should it?'

I think the data to keep an eye on is hospital admissions as I think it's the least susceptible to other factors influencing trends. It's hard to game the numbers on people showing up at A&E, and Covid is the only thing likely to cause a marked upward trend, if it happens.

With deaths, as our treatments get better, less people will die, but perhaps that means even more people have significant health challenges as part of recovery. The testing numbers are a complete mess to try and interpret.

PHE release a report each Thursday summarising the situation. Its this I'm keeping an eye on for signals its all going wrong. So far, so ok, which I'm surprised about.

I've just got a feeling this means it must be indoor social settings that is where transmission really occurs. Guess we're about to find out.

Opening cinemas seems a bit silly. Even the vue vip seats are too close for my liking.

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Opening cinemas seems a bit silly. Even the vue vip seats are too close for my liking.

It could work if they allocate seats with enough empty seats around them and people actually sit in their allocated seats.

I believe cinemas pay for films on a per ticket sold basis so it's not as disastrous commercially as a theatre if you are only at 25% occupancy.

But why are they putting out café syrups for hand sanitising? Doesn't make sense.

I believe cinemas pay for films on a per ticket sold basis so it's not as disastrous commercially as a theatre if you are only at 25% occupancy.

Fucked if they're only selling 25% of the usual popcorn tho'.

My employer, broadcasting across the office this afternoon after checking interwebz news “just a metre distances now so we’re all back to normal”
Me “Er, from July 4th”
Tumbleweed.
“And it’s advisable minimum”
Awkward silence.
People really are hearing what they want eh?

I had an email from Morzine saying that the MTB trails and uplift opens on the 27th of July, what do we think the odds are that we'll be able to travel to France with insurance and so forth that isn't invalidated by FCO advice?

Current mood

People really are hearing what they want eh?

Yep. Based on finest anecdata, last time the government announced a very slight relaxation in lockdown at a date in the future, a statistically significant portion of my neighbours appeared to interpret that as 'lockdown's over, effective immediately'. Sunny weekend, much BBQs, very mingling.

lNVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS!

Opening cinemas seems a bit silly. Even the vue vip seats are too close for my liking.

Work perfectly well pre-pandemic with subtitles screening turning away the hearies from watching films.

People really are hearing what they want eh?

Listening to Whitty and Valence earlier, I think they would apply this to Boris at a Sage briefing

governor of texas saying they may have lifted lockdown a bit early as they hit new record infection rates, and re introduce the stay at home message

doh!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53159918

Health leaders wrote open letter to warn UK to prepare for second wave.

Took the Belfast to Bangor train to go to the beach.

Packed and very few masks wearers (I made a cloth one and wore it inside)

Clearly this "not mandatory and can't buy them at public transport hubs" model doesn't quite work...

You went to the beach, a day after posting a link about health leaders warning of a second wave?

fair enough 😂

Don't what one has to do with the other tbh.

One is a warning to get ready for reopening "all of the things" the other is that after 3 months 2 weeks stuck WFH I couldn't stick it no longer and left the house within NIs rules.

Sure there is a small risk involved thanks to the train ride, other than that the beach was not packed, we all stayed two meters away etc.

If I were at risk the train ride would have been a total no, people just didn't bother.

I thought public transport in NI was still essential/ necessary journeys only like the rest of the UK.

So beach trips are only for people near by or with cars.

You are right actually. I read this but...that does not distinguish between car and public transport.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53007269

I looked it up now it's "essential travel" on ni gov. For public transport.

The train was quite packed, zero enforcement, nobody asking questions when I bought my ticket, police was out near the train stop near beach and nobody got turned back or asked questions.

So I'm really confused now. What is the point of having any rules then just go "meh"? As it was really obvious the train was full of beach goers. Bikinis and towels everywhere.

Maybe they were relaxed as it was mostly under 18s who cannot drive yet, but it doesn't say under 18s can just public transport whenever in the rules either.

So it's my mistake for sure, no warnings which is no excuse, but had they said "no tickets for beach" I'd have apologized and gone home.

What is the point of having any rules then just go "meh"?

It's a mystery to me, the whole thing is a clusterfuck.

It's like buses in London. Face covering is mandatory, penalty if you don't. Masks are available from Boots on every high street so no excuse. Most of the buses I've passed have 50% or lower mask wearing and yet the bus driver keeps driving.

NI is a combination of niceness and a loose approach to rules, see Dara O'Brian's video in driving...pretty much that.

The police was out patrolling beaches and some people were told to stay away. Some beaches were at full capacity so on those psni started to turn people away.

But the Translink staff I guess aren't too worried and just let us have our fun.

Maybe London bus drivers are the same, not worried, but also just gave up...if you constantly need to kick people off its lots of aggro added to your day. 50% is a lot, that's not fun!

I've no idea how they will enforce here...hard to get them too in bus and train stations.

Wasn't a dig, just found the two posts somewhat conflicting and amusing. My view is actually that now is probably fairly safe due to the current low number of confirmed cases. I'm thinking of getting a train home for the day to see parents in the garden. You gotta do what you need to keep sane. Fortunately my train is also likely to be quiet.

Feels like now might be a window if a second wave does come.