SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

Even taking the education side of it out what about the kids where school is their only safe haven from a life of abuse? What about the kids where school is there only hope of a hot meal? What message will that send to them? Whatever way it's spun we'd be throwing them to the wolves.

Schools (especially primary) should be top priority when deciding what to open and shut, if literally everything else has to shut bar supermarkets and pharmacy's (and make entry to even them stricter in terms of limited capacity, shopping alone etc) to make that happen that's that is what has to happen.
I agree it’s far from perfect, but what can we do realistically? Maybe the government could properly address some of those issues whilst closing the schools? I honestly don’t know. Keeping the schools open and allowing it to spread even further will just create further death.
 
Damn. Some people want their cake and want to eat it too.

How can you expect us to do everything for everyone.
 
Even taking the education side of it out what about the kids where school is their only safe haven from a life of abuse? What about the kids where school is there only hope of a hot meal? What message will that send to them? Whatever way it's spun we'd be throwing them to the wolves.

Schools (especially primary) should be top priority when deciding what to open and shut, if literally everything else has to shut bar supermarkets and pharmacy's (and make entry to even them stricter in terms of limited capacity, shopping alone etc) to make that happen that's that is what has to happen.
Half measures are only shown to be making this whole thing last longer. Causing even greater economic disaster that will also greatly impact those kids. At the moment the best solution seems to be keeping the most vulnerable in school and taking the rest out until we can get a handle on things again.
 
And I'm back shielding again :rolleyes:

It's starting to take its toll now

Daily exercise getting me through - I regret not doing more outdoor exercise during the initial shielding period, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and there was so much uncertainty about the virus initially.

Thankfully, people with the same risk factor as me who have caught COVID have generally responded okay. Still not leaving anything to chance though - particularly with the threat of "long COVID".
 
Damn. Some people want their cake and want to eat it too.

How can you expect us to do everything for everyone.
It’s a serious point you raise actually, you can’t please everyone so which way do you go with opening schools for example? Personally I think best way would be to let the parents choose without reprisal whether to send them in or not whilst in the toughest lockdowns
 
Daily exercise getting me through - I regret not doing more outdoor exercise during the initial shielding period, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and there was so much uncertainty about the virus initially.

Thankfully, people with the same risk factor as me who have caught COVID have generally responded okay. Still not leaving anything to chance though - particularly with the threat of "long COVID".

Yeah that's my plan as well, I actually got quite a bit of exercising done in the first lockdown, but slacked on massively when I went back to work. 2nd lockdown I basically did nothing for 4 weeks. This time round I want to create the habit and stick at it as then at least it's not been a waste of time again.

Also the health benefits of getting fitter mean more with the added benefits it could bring if I do catch covid.
 
It’s a serious point you raise actually, you can’t please everyone so which way do you go with opening schools for example? Personally I think best way would be to let the parents choose without reprisal whether to send them in or not whilst in the toughest lockdowns

I appreciate the sentiment but I’m almost certain that a policy like that would quickly be found to benefit the better off.
 
It’s a serious point you raise actually, you can’t please everyone so which way do you go with opening schools for example? Personally I think best way would be to let the parents choose without reprisal whether to send them in or not whilst in the toughest lockdowns
And teachers should be expected to just turn up and put themselves at risk? Lock the entire County Down, close the schools and get in with vaccinating people. When enough have been then think about opening up again. Anything else I fear is going to add to the death toll.
 
The wife is over the worst of it now. Breathing is almost back to normal. I got it very lightly. Loss of taste and smell for short periods, and a slightly elevated temperature. She tested positive with symptoms starting on the 27th a few days after mine had started. It totally floored her. Slept like a champion for a few days. Any effort, even reading the kids a bedtime story left her really short of breath. We're still both knackered. First day back to work today for both of us, and I'm flagging already. 3 coffees in, and I'm still feeling my eyes closing. 3 more days of isolation left. Food supplies are not too bad, although the outside freezer has stopped working, so we've lost all that food. :(
I'm glad you're both on the mend. I know you're working from home, but it sounds like you shouldn't be working at all right now.
 
Is there any difference between Tier 4 and "Lockdown" other than schools remaining open?

I've been fairly tight with the restrictions since March so makes no odds to me. I doubt a March style lockdown would have the same effect as too many people don't seem to care anymore.
 
I'm glad you're both on the mend. I know you're working from home, but it sounds like you shouldn't be working at all right now.
Thanks Penna. We’re both in jobs that are not in any way physically exhausting. We’ve had 16 days off work for Christmas already. Our projects will suffer. One of us always get sick at Christmas. It’s like clockwork.
 
@Carolina Red, I'm really sorry to hear your update. :(
Thank you Penna.
I’m sorry to read this. Take care, my thoughts are with you.
I appreciate it!
You Survived Trump. This will be a breeze. Get well soon!
Ha! That's one way to look at it. Can't be worse than him, right?!
@Carolina Red get well soon and kick the microscopic little bastard to bits.
Mission in progress. It won't know what hit it.
Get well soon. You'll beat it.
That's the spirit.
Feck, get well soon!
Unfortunately, the 6 feet distance I'm having to keep from my wife is just a wee bit too far for me to still be able to engage in such activities.
 
With situations like in S.A. surely the best thing to do is completely lock down the borders? No one in or out
 
And teachers should be expected to just turn up and put themselves at risk? Lock the entire County Down, close the schools and get in with vaccinating people. When enough have been then think about opening up again. Anything else I fear is going to add to the death toll.
Look I agree with you, despite a brilliant set of structures put in place at my sons school but despite that, we still had 3 outbreaks just before Christmas. I would rather there is a definitive solution rather than bitty solutions, that can’t help anyone with uncertainty.
However I get the argument about a percentage of kids relying on the school meals and safety (though that also speaks to government failings in other ways).
So I’d propose the compromise
 
Is there any difference between Tier 4 and "Lockdown" other than schools remaining open?

I've been fairly tight with the restrictions since March so makes no odds to me. I doubt a March style lockdown would have the same effect as too many people don't seem to care anymore.
Been living in tier 4 since before Xmas and it's not quite the same as a full lockdown, it's more in tune with the November lockdown rather than the April one.
Quite a lot of shops are still open, some get around the rules, others are doing click and collect only etc.
But in terms of people's attitudes, there's no sign of a lockdown at all. People still going to work, still out walking about, still going about as we were back in October, just without the boozers. Although one of my locals is doing takeaway pints.
 
It’s a serious point you raise actually, you can’t please everyone so which way do you go with opening schools for example? Personally I think best way would be to let the parents choose without reprisal whether to send them in or not whilst in the toughest lockdowns
Heres the thing, when both opinions seem valid but both sides are kicking a fuss because they want to be right. Thats where the problem lies, many people just want to be proven right.
 
Look I agree with you, despite a brilliant set of structures put in place at my sons school but despite that, we still had 3 outbreaks just before Christmas. I would rather there is a definitive solution rather than bitty solutions, that can’t help anyone with uncertainty.
However I get the argument about a percentage of kids relying on the school meals and safety (though that also speaks to government failings in other ways).
So I’d propose the compromise
The schools must have a good idea who are vulnerable, so can they just bring them in? The kids of people who can work at home stay at home. Is the voucher system still there for kids to get meals if out of school.
 
Are things going to get better without further action? No.

Shall we take that action now, or when they get even worse? Let's wait for them to get worse.
BJ actually contradicts himself in that video snippet, which is impressive as he's only answering two questions!
He mentions that they are waiting til the tier 4 numbers and the assessment of tier 4 comes in before making any announcement before going on to say that they will be definitely making further announcements in due course.
So are they waiting or not? It's the indecisiveness that's causing the biggest issue here.
 
Schools should have run a risk assessment of families and then evaluated which students should be in school.
 
Is there any difference between Tier 4 and "Lockdown" other than schools remaining open?

I've been fairly tight with the restrictions since March so makes no odds to me. I doubt a March style lockdown would have the same effect as too many people don't seem to care anymore.

Mainly more people working in Tier 4 than March.

Government don't want another huge furlough scheme to pay most of the work force to stay home. If South East cases are replicated across the UK we might not have a choice. The case map is spreading wider and wider each few days.

If they did close more work places and schools it would feel very similar to Mar/Apr still.
 
Heres the thing, when both opinions seem valid but both sides are kicking a fuss because they want to be right. Thats where the problem lies, many people just want to be proven right.

In this case I think people are motivated by a desire to protect themselves, their families and their neighbours (medically, economically and socially) more than any desire to be proven right. Most people participating in the discussion are genuinely worried about the negative outcomes of people doing something other than that they think is best. Mostly that and a little bitterness along the lines of "why are they taking away my freedom to do the things I value to protect their freedom to do the things they value". Winning the argument in this instance matters less, from what I can see.
 
We should have a hard, prolonged, nationwide shutdown. Like Jeremy cnut has just said (can't believe I'm ever agreeing with that dickhead!) but we need to close borders, close schools and look as re-prioritising of the vaccinations in regards to the medically vulnerable due to the obvious, NHS workers due to their consistent potential exposure and then school staff with a view to re-opening schools once a viable percentage of staff have been vaccinated.

Keep them open for vulnerable kids / kids of front line staff as per the first lock-down with a skeleton staff - cancel the HS2 as the massive luxury that it is in this current economic climate and use the billions there for vouchers for every kid in the country to get a laptop and get broadband rolled out across the country (they should have been doing this since the first lockdown IMO).
 
BJ actually contradicts himself in that video snippet, which is impressive as he's only answering two questions!
He mentions that they are waiting til the tier 4 numbers and the assessment of tier 4 comes in before making any announcement before going on to say that they will be definitely making further announcements in due course.
So are they waiting or not? It's the indecisiveness that's causing the biggest issue here.

From the interview yesterday his position seemed to be that in the areas that are struggling already with the current restrictions - where the more contagious strain is dominant / mostly the South East - new restrictions are guaranteed, while they're waiting on data for other tier 4 areas to see if tighter restrictions need to be in there too. The plan is pretty straightforward but it is absurd that we're still saying "his position seemed to be" about the country's leader at this stage.

I understand that some governments are better at some things and worse at others, but if you're forced to do what you're worst at over and over again - in their guess, clearly communicate difficult decisions - you'd think they would get better at it over time. I haven't noticed any change in nearly a year.
 
I know it can often be hard to get back into the swing of work after Xmas, but is anyone else struggling to find motivation right now?
 
I know it can often be hard to get back into the swing of work after Xmas, but is anyone else struggling to find motivation right now?
Man, I'm the most unproductive I've ever been. Struggling to be bothered to even reply to some basic work emails. It all seems a little bit pointless.
 

This is a complete contrast to what he said on Andrew Marr only yesterday.

This is what happens when you vote someone in because they make you laugh. We need someone assertive who will make strong, consistent decisions and not an empty promises people pleaser.

A chimpanzee could do a better job than him, why are people sitting back and accepting this.

I keep hearing and reading the "Now is not the time to bash the government" well when will be the time. Also the "No one could've handled this better". That is absolute bullshit.
 
Man, I'm the most unproductive I've ever been. Struggling to be bothered to even reply to some basic work emails. It all seems a little bit pointless.

Yeah, me too. I get the impression everyone else is the same. Definitely a lot less “basic work emails” flying around than usual.
 
I know it can often be hard to get back into the swing of work after Xmas, but is anyone else struggling to find motivation right now?

100%. I’d started mostly home working just before the pandemic and I was as productive as ever in November, but right now it’s just not there.
 
Scotland doing what Boris should be doing.
 
I know it can often be hard to get back into the swing of work after Xmas, but is anyone else struggling to find motivation right now?
Yeah I've done shit all this morning. Previously it was "just get through to Christmas" but now things are back to bleak and very little to lift spirits and look forward to.
 
With situations like in S.A. surely the best thing to do is completely lock down the borders? No one in or out

And what about those that have to travel?

My fiance is due to fly in on the 10th. She has a fiance visa which is one with an expiration date, she has had to quit her job, moved home (different country) for a bit to see her family so it's not like she can just stay where she is and work.

This idea of nobody in or out is ridiculous. Countries which have done well with lockdowns have kept borders open but actually managed how people come. negative tests before they fly and institutional qurantine. Banning people because the government is too stupid and lazy to implement is unfair.

Also in March etc. they weren't closed during the 'proper' lockdown
 
I know kids are not at risk of symptoms or having it severe but they put the older population at risk. I'm coming back off the other side of it, after catching it from a housemate who is a school teacher. When speaking to the tracers, they said a huge amount of people they are speaking to are parents who potentially caught it off their children.