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

Feel for you . Go for a walk and clear your head for bit.

Scotland lockdown from midnight.

Just want to add this to the anecdata pile on the subject of schools. This is a WhatsApp message I just received from a close friend.

Just got an email from XXXXX’s pre-school. One staff member is critically ill, one other member of staff is ill and one other lost her husband - and they are staying open. It’s possible they picked it up outside school of course - but also, they work in a germ factory where social distancing is impossible. It’s no exaggeration to say that teachers are being expected to take on risks that would not be tolerated in any other workplace outside the NHS.

And this fucking government man, all at once saying schools are safe and saying tougher restrictions are definitely coming at some point - both things cannot be true. We’re not sending him in.

EDIT: I blanked out the child's name because some people on here know the people in question and don't want to make it identifiable.

The temptation to find any of the covidiots on the forum

On this forum? Surely most of us are sensible humans?!

Our son's school in Birmingham isn't opening - they have cited the rising number of cases in the midlands and the number of staff affected over Xmas as reasons to go against the governments (current) advice.

Aren't we usually a day or so behind them?

Sorry to hear about this mate.

My kids' primary (West Mids) is not opening this week; we got a text yesterday saying the school would be closed today for an emergency planning day, and this morning they sent out a letter saying a number of staff had given S.44 notice and that they were going to switch to home learning. As a parent this is a PITA; as a governor I have to say I support them 100%. At the moment local infection rates are ~425/100,000, but that's up by about a third from over Christmas, so it's only really anticipating the inevitable by a week or two. Going to pick up activity/learning packs for the week this PM, and we'll see how we get on...

My condolences, James.

PM statement at 8pm and Parliament being recalled

So, sweepstake on when exactly the lockdown is going to happen and for how long? I'll take 'midnight tonight' and 'until Feb 1'...

We need an idiot bingo card

It is unprecedented...
No one could have foreseen schools need closing
I gave you Christmas

Alas

My sweepstake lockdown guess:

Wednesday at 12.01 am through to February 1st

Guess he's finally going to announce a national lockdown then if Parliament is being recalled.

Sturgeon has done the right thing, Starmer has been calling for it for a day or two - why does it take him so long? Every time it's dither and delay creating stress, chaos and confusion and then the inevitable U-turn.

I wonder if his constant desire to please meant he wanted to not announce it until the first day back so people had a nice Christmas holiday.

@Wrongcog Surely that's far too much notice for this Government? I'm going for 12.01am tomorrow.

He'll presumably be closing the schools (at least).

I've not noticed a particular ramp up in political pressure today, or any new important advice. I wonder exactly what he gained by allowing the schools back for a quick mix up for a day (plus however long it takes before he closes them again).

I don't think I can recall a situation requiring fast decisions since some of the 2007/8 financial interventions, which from memory was dealt with at pace. The difference in leadership ability is really quite significant.

that's really awful news, sorry man. anyone still underestimating this thing needs to have a word with themselves - I'm 17 days in and only really just starting to get myself back together.

Start of Thursday I reckon if Parliament are going to be voting on it.

Although probably Saturday or Sunday to ensure that people can have one last piss-up and get it spread before lockdown.

What can the additional measures be?

Tier 4 with schools closed seems the same as lockdown 1.

Essential services need to be defined centrally as otherwise they just branch out and out. Ie I work for a waste recycling firm that processes material used in pharmaceuticals. We are (self) defined as essential but in order to run safely and legally, we need support from suppliers and service providers. During lockdown 1 we postponed what we could but the HSE basically said business as usual - no inspection/etc extensions. I doubt many people would class a steam valve vendor as ‘essential’ but effectively they are if we can’t get parts to repair a breakdown. I suspect my industry is one of thousands in a similar situation.

There were more restrictions on retail in lockdown 1. DIY stores for example.

Weren't cafes and restaurants also completely closed? Seems such a long time ago now.

DIY was open, I think you’re right about food though - takeaway only.

00:01 Thursday till end of Jan is my bet, but I'm sure it'll continue till mid Feb (half term) as it'll keep getting worse for the next 2 weeks at least.
As mentioned upthread, during the first lockdown people went further than expected, but it just isn't the case anymore. It's much busier out and (anecdataly) I haven't noticed any real difference between lockdown 2, tier 3 or tier 4 in general numbers of people about.

Also garden centres, no pub or cafe takeaway. It was much more stringent. Plus sport - amateur or pro.

Can we extend the bet to include first review date (1st Feb) and actual end date (27th April).

For completeness I'll say that it will commence from midnight Wednesday evening.

As for the political pressure that he is bowing to: she lives up North.

Surely there needs to be way more enforcement of people going to work who just sit at a desk all day.

Also anecdotally but I know of more people than I can count that are going into there offices at the moment because their companies dont trust their staff to be at home, all people that do nothing but sit at a desk and talk on the phone every day.