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

Why aren't people ordering deliveries instead? Lack of delivery slots? I do feel bad about delivery drivers being exposed to risk while out and about, but isn't it better that most people stay at home and get things delivered? (and fewer people out means less risk for delivery drivers)

I go to the shop to enable those who need delivery, especially those who are isolating/vulnerable.

I'm a bit baffled by how busy the roads are. We go out every other day or so in the car to drive to some woods for a walk and change of scene. The roads are surprisingly busy and I just don't buy it that all these people are either going to Sainsburys or for a walk. What is everybody doing? Driving over the M25 it looked only marginally less busy than normal for a Sunday afternoon. Where are they all going? Maybe they are all off for a stomp around in the mud - but it doesn't feel that way. The car parks are only a bit busier than normal in North Downs - not mass exodus from London busy.

Click and Collect Supermarket shopping on the cargo bike is going to be my post lockdown solution for life. Seems to be plenty of slots at our local and without the guilt of making a van drive round endless suburbs.

I think it would need to be half term for as little disruption as possible. 16th March would be too late I think.

2 weeks may have an impact, though the numbers won't reflect it working until probably a week or two after the conclusion of lockdown.
In our current 'now now now' culture, if you don't see a drop in positives / deaths the day after lockdown starts, its clearly a failure. Which of course it shouldn't be.

Also on lifting, it would need to be a more gradual reduction of restrictions, because I'm sure people will celebrate their new freedoms again and be stupid.

Why aren't people ordering deliveries instead? Lack of delivery slots?

We tried to book one yesterday. No slots available at all for Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda, Ocado, waitrose.
Think we'll wait until late one evening this week and go to Big Sainsburys late at night when it's quiet

half term for as little disruption as possible

Good point!

the numbers won't reflect it working until probably a week or two after the conclusion

on lifting, it would need to be a more gradual reduction of restrictions, because (...) people (...) be stupid.
convenient editing mine

I see your point. I guess my plan was grounded in the hypothesis that people would be more likely to comply with one big final sacrifice (ie, everybody stays at home for 2 weeks then we’re free), rather than a seemingly unending series of smaller but disruptive sacrifices.

I think that's how a lot of people viewed the original march lockdown - one big sacrifice to break the back of this thing. unfortunately, it was clear to even the most simple minded (including me) that even at that point there was going to have to be a series of phased lockdowns... did the government roll the pitch for people's acceptance of this by communicating this was likely ? I think we all know the answer

I'm a bit baffled by how busy the roads are. We go out every other day or so in the car to drive to some woods for a walk and change of scene

How many people does it take doing this to make the roads "normally busy"?
I have had similar thoughts when on the motorway but then... I'm on the motorway too thus part of the problem. Doesn't matter that I'm driving for work that can't be done from home. I'm driving when ideally I wouldn't be.

Would two weeks of suspended animation be enough

Probably not, no. People testing positive isn't a problem as such. People who get sick enough to need hospital care which there isn't capacity for are. It takes a couple of weeks from exposure to hospitalisation and then another 2 weeks or more for people to get better or not. A lockdown needs to last long enough for people to stop being admitted and those that were infected on lockdown-1 to go through the system. So you probably need 4 weeks or longer.

I think in your 'full-blown lockdown' food shops are shut. So you are asking people to go out and buy 4+ weeks food all at the same time. The food retailers can't supply that.

I'm a bit baffled by how busy the roads are. We go out every other day or so in the car to drive to some woods for a walk and change of scene.

Is this an attempt at satire?

Obviously I can't answer for everyone, and no doubt some people are taking the piss. But, one explanation is that some are just going for a drive? My 94 year old Gran is obviously at high risk so cannot leave the house at all really, and lives in a remote-ish village near Wrexham. But if my Mum picks her up, drives to a coastline / hilltop etc, they can just park up, enjoy the view and go home. No human contact, but at least a change of scenery.

This thread has seen quite a few posts along the lines of "I couldn't believe how busy ____ was, I had a good reason to be there but I don't think everyone else did". It's understandable but I think sometimes a bit of perspective is needed. If half the people in London went out for a drive every other day, as you are, surely it'll feel busy?

Online grocery shopping grew 80% in March / April this year (in line with the lockdown) but that 80% growth still took it to less than 50% of the overall grocery market in the UK.

Loads of people in our age bracket are using online services but try getting people in their 60s+ to change their habits / get a computer etc. Not going to happen.

I think something like 15% of people over 70 use online shopping at all, let alone grocery shopping.

Also you tend to go to the supermarket when you need to or plan to go a on the weekend or whatever, it's a bit harder when trying to book a slot for a home delivery and it may be in 2 weeks time if you can even get one.

I think that's how a lot of people viewed the original march lockdown

I agree that it’s how a lot of people viewed it, and I’m as bummed as anyone that it didn’t fully work. I think part of the problem was the Govts foolish initial response and inadequate guidance to the public, so we had a lot of people harping on that it was just another flu and going about their lives aggressively disobeying the rules. Now that we’re nearing 100,000 deaths, there’s fewer people who think that way, and more people who are just tired of living restricted lives.

If anyone here is into cycling, I guess it’s like a velodrome race strategy: should we make a push trying to score big points but risk burning out, or should we draft in a constant #2 position and hope our total points add up in the end? I think we’ve still got the legs for one more push, but probably not another one later, so should we try it?

Think we'll wait until late one evening this week and go to Big Sainsburys late at night when it's quiet

Y u no click and collect?

What Ed said. I couldn't get a slot for love nor money during the first lockdown, for either delivery or click and collect. Then imagined what it would be like for someone more vulnerable or less internet savvy to be going through the same thing. It was anxiety inducing enough even for me. We also had the added pressure of our daughter still being on formula at the time but friends (both on and off "here") were kind enough to pick some up when they were doing their shops. If my parents couldn't get a slot because I took one (not possible due to geography, but used for analogy), I would feel fucking terrible. I am lucky as I am not in a high risk group and have a car so I can go to the big Tesco by myself during quiet times and can afford to do a weekly/biweekly shop in one go.

Edit: just remembered, we got one slot about 4 weeks out. But by then we had already got into the habit of me going in person so altered our order to things that other family members/in-laws needed as they were having the same trouble but no car, more vulnerable etc and we couldn't gift the slot to them.

I believe most supermarkets have increased their driver numbers (anecdata), but I'm still not going to get groceries delivered.

People who get sick enough to need hospital care which there isn't capacity for are. It takes a couple of weeks from exposure to hospitalisation and then another 2 weeks or more for people to get better or not.

Haven’t had morning coffee so might be missing something, but wouldn’t the people who need hospital care need it anyway? We wouldn’t have more hospital capacity on 15 March whether or not we had a lockdown in place. Ideally, we would have massively decreasing hospitalisations from 16 March with a serious 2 week lockdown.

I left out buying food, which would be like in LD1, I agree it’s unreasonable to presume everyone (and shops) can stock up multiple weeks of food.

You can do that?!

That's what I'll be doing then

Yeah - get all the comments "you were in a car - don't complain about others being in a car" I get that. We are part of the problem.

My point is there are only two things you can really do on a sunday afternoon- go to the supermarket or go for a walk - but I just don't buy it that this is what they are all doing. My hypothesis that a good proportion are perhaps not going to a supermarket/for a walk in the woods appears to be backed up by the continuing growth in infections and the lack of a queue of cars trying to get into the supermarket car park.

You can do that?!

That's what I'll be doing then

We've found Sainsbury's click and collect to be really good. No quality or substitution problems to speak of. Usually pick up from New Cross Gate.

Think they've upped the click and collect capacity at our Sainos. Also, once you've booked your slot you can amend the order up till 11pm the night before, so if your slot is days away, just fill the order with gin, then amend it the day before with everything you think you actually need plus all the gin.

Now I just need a cargo bike to go pick up a Big Shop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDlnDEXlfm8

When am I going to get the time for that?!