Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Roadkill]

Look, there's a virus out there. You know it's there. But get back to work cos furlough holidays are over. So take care, whatever you do. You'll probably work something out. Or not. We don't care.

 

[Edie]

TBF, that's unlikely to happen for over a years, perhaps never.

Well quite. We can’t all hide under the beds til then.

 

[maomao]

I can almost understand why b year six might want a few weeks prep before senior school but other than that why would they send the two youngest and least able to socially distance back unless they're purposely trying to spread it about? It's insane. Anyway, they can go fuck themselves. We'll think about it in September.

 

[cyril_smear]

Sure you can handle it

I'm sure you've become a bit of a snob!!!

Agree to disagree.

 

[Calamity1971]

You can stay at home on 80% pay

Soon to be 60% pay.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Maybe you’re right. I dunno. It gets complicated really quickly tho if you start making it conditional. ‘You can stay at home on 80% pay if there’s no way of you getting to work without using public transport and you personally don’t want to take the risk but are happy others are doing so to support the economy’. Maybe it should be personal choice?

I'm not happy that anybody gets put at unnecessary risk. That includes everyone. I've not been furloughed, but clearly plenty of people have. And yes, no doubt some have been rather enjoying aspects of it. Why the hell not? I've been enjoying aspects of lockdown, seeing the city in a new light, etc, as well as being immensely frustrated and at times depressed by it. I would think most people have been up and down in similar ways.

In most cases, people were furloughed for a reason, a reason beyond their control. That reason hasn't really been dealt with yet, again something not under their control. Being pissed off cos they're not working and you are is not good - it's attacking the wrong target.

 

[Edie]

I'm sure you've become a bit of a snob!!!

Agree to disagree.

Nah you just don’t know me

 

[chilango]

Imagine what a response would look like if money wasn't an issue....

....then expropriate the billionaires and make it happen.

 

[2hats]

 

[frogwoman]

Hairdressers and beauticians cant work from home. What are they supposed to do, since they obviously cant go to work?

 

[cupid_stunt]

Well quite. We can’t all hide under the beds til then.

True, but people can't go to work on public transport, if they are restricting capacity to just 10% of normal.

That's just one reason why the floppy hair twat's announcement is so confusing.

 

[Edie]

I'm not happy that anybody gets put at unnecessary risk. That includes everyone. I've not been furloughed, but clearly plenty of people have. And yes, no doubt some have been rather enjoying aspects of it. Why the hell not? I've been enjoying aspects of lockdown, seeing the city in a new light, etc, as well as being immensely frustrated and at times depressed by it. I would think most people have been up and down in similar ways.

In most cases, people were furloughed for a reason, a reason beyond their control. That reason hasn't really been dealt with yet, again something not under their control. Being pissed off cos they're not working and you are is not good.

But it’s not unnecessary. It’s necessary. Can you not see that? We have to restart the economy.

 

[Epona]

But it’s not unnecessary. It’s necessary. Can you not see that? We have to restart the economy.

Or we could organise society in a different way and tip the likes of Branson upside down and shake him until his pockets are empty.

Surely it should be clear to all now that the economy as it is is going to kill people and needs to be changed, not throwing loads of us under the Coronavirus wheels so we can go back to making profit for others.

Surely people can't still be so bloody... ugh I don't want to say anything too rude so I'll leave it there.

 

[Edie]

Imagine what a response would look like if money wasn't an issue....

....then expropriate the billionaires and make it happen.

Have you ever noticed that billionaire money is not kept in the U.K.?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

But it’s not unnecessary. It’s necessary. Can you not see that? We have to restart the economy.

What we have to do is suppress transmission of this virus. The economy hasn't even been in slowdown for two months yet. That's nothing really. Can make up for the lost work within a year tops. Anything else, anything claiming we'll be paying for these couple of months not working for years to come is using this situation as an excuse to make/keep themselves rich. Already seen cheerleaders of that approach like George Osborne touting more years of 'austerity' as a result of C-19. Don't fall for it.

 

[Supine]

Hairdressers and beauticians cant work from home. What are they supposed to do, since they obviously cant go to work?

Stay at home

 

[Buddy Bradley]

I'm a bit confused why so many people seem to think that "If Boris says I should go back to work, then I should go back to work immediately." Surely everyone should just be waiting for instructions from their employer, regardless of what the government messaging is now? There's no point rocking up at work Monday morning if there's nobody there to unlock the door, or the place hasn't been cleaned for weeks, or the catering contract has lapsed, or any of a hundred other reasons.

 

[Raheem]

Yeah! I don’t want people thinking Dorset beaches are fair game now. We already had idiots driving from London to see the sea.

Expect we will get something contrary in the next few days, but if BJ is to be taken at his word, the seaside is on so long as it's for excercise. I would guess we will see coppers patrolling up and down saying 'Gimme 20, sunshine, or you're nicked'.

 

[chilango]

Have you ever noticed that billionaire money is not kept in the U.K.?

It's a global Pandemic. The solution should be global too.

 

[frogwoman]

The economy was fucked as soon as person to person transmission was confirmed as occurring outside China, before any other country even thought of locking down.

 

[Orang Utan]

Maybe you’re right. I dunno. It gets complicated really quickly tho if you start making it conditional. ‘You can stay at home on 80% pay if there’s no way of you getting to work without using public transport and you personally don’t want to take the risk but are happy others are doing so to support the economy’. Maybe it should be personal choice?

Certainly, and if one expects people to use their common sense, you’d expect many to stay at home and not use public transport

 

[Orang Utan]

Maybe you’re right. I dunno. It gets complicated really quickly tho if you start making it conditional. ‘You can stay at home on 80% pay if there’s no way of you getting to work without using public transport and you personally don’t want to take the risk but are happy others are doing so to support the economy’. Maybe it should be personal choice?

Btw I am going to work not to support the economy but to prevent people from dying, as are other keyworkers.

 

[BristolEcho]

I've had to use Bus transport due to a bad shoulder. It's bad enough as it is, but it will be impossible now following the end of the lockdown and we aren't even out of the trees. Unless they massively step up the amount of capacity on the routes I guess but not heard anything yet?

Those on low incomes will be most at risk as always, but make no mistake we are expandable as we have to get the economy going.

Where do people sit with visiting loved ones? I'm kind of accepting I can't visit my parents for at least the rest of the year as they are old. Then there has always been a risk of taking a bug in that would make them ill?

 

[Orang Utan]

But it’s not unnecessary. It’s necessary. Can you not see that? We have to restart the economy.

We have to radically reconstruct it

 

[Orang Utan]

I'm a bit confused why so many people seem to think that "If Boris says I should go back to work, then I should go back to work immediately." Surely everyone should just be waiting for instructions from their employer, regardless of what the government messaging is now? There's no point rocking up at work Monday morning if there's nobody there to unlock the door, or the place hasn't been cleaned for weeks, or the catering contract has lapsed, or any of a hundred other reasons.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a whole bunch of workers are getting texts from their gaffers this evening summoning them back

 

[Edie]

What we have to do is suppress transmission of this virus. The economy hasn't even been in slowdown for two months yet. That's nothing really. Can make up for the lost work within a year tops. Anything else, anything claiming we'll be paying for these couple of months not working for years to come is using this situation as an excuse to make/keep themselves rich. Already seen cheerleaders of that approach like George Osborne touting more years of 'austerity' as a result of C-19. Don't fall for it.

Really? Cos I personally know of at least three mates whose small business is about to go bust. Tell that to them.

 

[ska invita]

We have to radically reconstruct it

yes, restart now doesnt means turning it off and on again but time for a clean install.

 

[Edie]

It's a global Pandemic. The solution should be global too.

Back to reality

 

[Mation]

I'm a bit confused why so many people seem to think that "If Boris says I should go back to work, then I should go back to work immediately." Surely everyone should just be waiting for instructions from their employer, regardless of what the government messaging is now? There's no point rocking up at work Monday morning if there's nobody there to unlock the door, or the place hasn't been cleaned for weeks, or the catering contract has lapsed, or any of a hundred other reasons.

He said "this week", and given that it's Sunday night, that's going to increase loads of people's anxiety and uncertainty even though, yes, we probably can't do anything without hearing from our employer first.

I only know there's nothing doing tomorrow where I work, as there's already a meeting scheduled for later in the week to talk about what we do in light of today's 'plan'.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I've had to use Bus transport due to a bad shoulder. It's bad enough as it is, but it will be impossible now following the end of the lockdown and we aren't even out of the trees. Unless they massively step up the amount of capacity on the routes I guess but not heard anything yet?

Those on low incomes will be most at risk as always, but make no mistake we are expandable as we have to get the economy going.

Where do people sit with visiting loved ones? I'm kind of accepting I can't visit my parents for at least the rest of the year as they are old. Then there has always been a risk of taking a bug in that would make them ill?

I'll be visiting as soon as practicable, which means not just yet but certainly this year, this summer hopefully. My folks are old. But they would rather take the risk of seeing me, and the chances I'll be an asymptomatic infectious carrier at the point of visiting are small.

My mum's 88 and has respiratory problems. I don't doubt that c19 would finish her off. But I also know that she would want to see me. It's her risk in the end, but as long as I'm sensible - ie don't go if I think there's even a small chance I have c19 - it's not such a big risk. tbh you have to weigh up that risk with the chances that there might not be a next year.