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[teuchter]

Planning to travel abroad this Christmas seems like madness to me. We don't know what will be happening here (but probably higher rate of infection than now) and we don't know what will be happening there.

And a load of people flying around the place between countries hardly seems helpful to anyone anywhere.

 

[Johnny Doe]

Planning to travel abroad this Christmas seems like madness to me. We don't know what will be happening here (but probably higher rate of infection than now) and we don't know what will be happening there.

And a load of people flying around the place between countries hardly seems helpful to anyone anywhere.

I do get that, but having spent half the year cooped up with an autistic 7 year old and and a very lively 5 year-old, another 2 weeks indoors, shit weather so you can't go to the park, loads of other activities for them closed, it starts to look like a risk worth assessing. They've broken 2 TVs and had 3 doors off hinges over the locked down period.

They've not seen my parents other than through a closed window since March and probably still won't be able to when we'd return.

Everyone's situation is different, I guess.

 

[Supine]

I'm with Mr T on this one. I ain't getting on no plane.

Booking an abroad is basically risky. You just have to accept it may or may not happen.

 

[Johnny Doe]

I'm with Mr T on this one. I ain't getting on no plane.

Booking an abroad is basically risky. You just have to accept it may or may not happen.

Understand your position of course, mine is slightly different for the reasons I've given.

I'd be booking with the same package operator who cancelled and refunded 3 trips this year. Though if we do it, we'd leave it late to book, as the numbers and the Government advice and resultant availability of insurance may change.

 

[kabbes]

It kind of sounds like you’ve already made your mind up?

 

[LDC]

I do get that, but having spent half the year cooped up with an autistic 7 year old and and a very lively 5 year-old, another 2 weeks indoors, shit weather so you can't go to the park, loads of other activities for them closed, it starts to look like a risk worth assessing. They've broken 2 TVs and had 3 doors off hinges over the locked down period.

They've not seen my parents other than through a closed window since March and probably still won't be able to when we'd return.

Everyone's situation is different, I guess.

I wouldn't go, but bloody hell, sounds like you all need a holiday! Hope you have a lovely break if you do go.

 

[frogwoman]

I hope you can get to go away. I wouldn't judge anyone for wanting to get away!

 

[Johnny Doe]

It kind of sounds like you’ve already made your mind up?

I mind my mind up what I'd like, but not that we'll do it.

E2A: the decision point will be when we'd book, probably early December, so there is every chance further changes in Government policy makes the decision for us, but then

 

[kabbes]

In that case, it will probably help if you can think now, before you are in the decision pressure cooker, what would be the trigger points for deciding between staying and going. Then you can just apply your predetermined metrics when the time comes without having to rely on your unreliable limbic system.

 

[two sheds]

and look for possible alternatives if it doesn't work out?

 

[scifisam]

I do get that, but having spent half the year cooped up with an autistic 7 year old and and a very lively 5 year-old, another 2 weeks indoors, shit weather so you can't go to the park, loads of other activities for them closed, it starts to look like a risk worth assessing. They've broken 2 TVs and had 3 doors off hinges over the locked down period.

They've not seen my parents other than through a closed window since March and probably still won't be able to when we'd return.

Everyone's situation is different, I guess.

I understand, but the travel insurance thing is a worry. You have to declare every medical condition anyway, including autism, and they will always try to find a way out of it if something does happen.

Tenerife in itself might be pretty safe. But it'd be better to stay within the UK and just do something different. Somewhere snowy, maybe, for a white Christmas.

 

[William of Walworth]

I understand, but the travel insurance thing is a worry. You have to declare every medical condition anyway, including autism, and they will always try to find a way out of it if something does happen.

Tenerife in itself might be pretty safe. But it'd be better to stay within the UK and just do something different. Somewhere snowy, maybe, for a white Christmas.

Have my severe doubts about any UK-based white Xmas myself -- generally, that would be as rare as rocking horse shit ....

 

[scifisam]

Have my severe doubts about any UK-based white Xmas myself -- generally, that would be as rare as rocking horse shit ....

Quite a lot of places in Scotland have snow around Christmas if not on Christmas Day. And even if you don't get snow, it can be snowy and Christmassy.

 

[William of Walworth]

Quite a lot of places in Scotland have snow around Christmas if not on Christmas Day. And even if you don't get snow, it can be snowy and Christmassy.

Good luck with that, even in Scotland!

And, here in Swansea, we've had NO snow beyond very light (and rare!) dustings, since January 2010

 

[MrSki]

If anyone is unsure who Ben Bradley is, here is KGM giving him an excellent introduction.

 

[pesh]

I've juse seen him described as a poundshop Mark Francois

 

[frogwoman]

Belgium cancels non-urgent surgery as full Covid lockdown looms

Country moves closer to national shutdown as PM vows to protect health system

www.theguardian.com

The problem is that non-urgent surgery can soon become urgent

 

[The39thStep]

Just to be on the safe side of enforcement if the no alcohol past 8’o click without food the local bar I’m in has just handed me this

 

[William of Walworth]

Just out of curiosity The39thStep , what's in that beer bottle?

 

[The39thStep]

Just out of curiosity The39thStep , what's in that beer bottle?

Sagres. Portuguese beer market is hugely dominated by Sagres and Superbock, there’s a third main brand called Crystal which some bars stick some don’t. Main trade is bottled here it’s 90 cents to one euro 20 cents so about 85p to just over a quid in the bars . Tourist areas more expensive . All three companies do a black beer which is like a watery stout . All around 5%.
There’s a very small micro brewery industry mainly in Lisbon and Porto and I’m fortunate that there is one about twelve miles away . The micro breweries or cerveza artisanal mainly do IPA’s, German or Czech style largers, wheat beers , stouts and American style amber ales. They all tend to be quite strong 5.5- 8 % and normally come with food tasting notes .

 

[William of Walworth]

Sagres. Portuguese beer market is hugely dominated by Sagres and Superbock, there’s a third main brand called Crystal which some bars stick some don’t. Main trade is bottled here it’s 90 cents to one euro 20 cents so about 85p to just over a quid in the bars . Tourist areas more expensive . All three companies do a black beer which is like a watery stout . All around 5%.
There’s a very small micro brewery industry mainly in Lisbon and Porto and I’m fortunate that there is one about twelve miles away . The micro breweries or cerveza artisanal mainly do IPA’s, German or Czech style largers, wheat beers , stouts and American style amber ales. They all tend to be quite strong 5.5- 8 % and normally come with food tasting notes .

We've been wanting to get ourselves a Portugal break for ages ....., and with that information -- you never know! -- that's more likely to happen , when Normal Times return

 

[cupid_stunt]

Some scary stuff coming out from across the channel.

The five countries with the highest rate of infection worldwide are all in Europe (Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland), according to CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. The Czech Republic is currently the hardest-hit country in Europe, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

In Belgium, which holds the second-highest infection rate in Europe, hospital occupancy reached nearly 90% this week.

In some infirmaries, doctors and nurses who have tested positive but don't have symptoms are reportedly being asked to keep working.

"We have runaway numbers in terms of contamination, and a major issue is the risk of the collapse of the hospital system of our country," Rudi Vervoort, the minister-president of Brussels, said Saturday. The government announced that masks will once again be mandated in public spaces in Brussels

"Said in a brutally clear way, I don't want to find ourselves in front of military trucks that carry hundreds of coffins," said De Luca.

If the BIB is true, it doesn't sound like a very good idea to me.

Covid-19 Spike In Europe Leads To Resurrecting Restrictions

"We have runaway numbers in terms of contamination, and a major issue is the risk of the collapse of the hospital system of our country."

www.forbes.com

 

[two sheds]

And NHS hospital beds have been at around 90% occupancy for some time haven't they? No slack in the system because of the starving of funds.

 

[miss direct]

Went for a walk last night through a few suburbs of Sheffield between 9-10pm. Almost every pub is closed, with a strange combination of Halloween decorations and closed signs on the door. Now that is spooky - an abandoned, dark pub. Barely any cars out. One couple in a restaurant. Even the takeaways were empty. I started to feel anxious that the police would stop me and ask where I was going - did they do that in the Spring?

oops, wrong thread

 

[teqniq]

Quelle surprise. And why are schools remaining open, particularly here in the UK? Because the proles must work, it's the economy, stupid.

Largest COVID-19 contact tracing study to date finds children key to spread, evidence of superspreaders

Researchers from the Princeton Environmental Institute find the continued spread of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is driven by only a small percentage of those who become infected.

www.princeton.edu

 

[cupid_stunt]

Looks like Spain is going into some sort of national lockdown.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called a cabinet meeting to prepare a new state of emergency to stem surging coronavirus infections.

The move could impose curfews and other restrictions across the country.

Mr Sanchez’s government said on Saturday night that a majority of Spain’s regional leaders have agreed to a new state of emergency and the cabinet meeting was to study its terms.

The state of emergency gives the national government extraordinary powers, including the ability to temporarily restrict basic freedoms guaranteed in Spain’s constitution such as the right to free movement.

PM works on new state of emergency to curb coronavirus outbreak in Spain

Spain’s government has already declared two state of emergencies during the pandemic.

www.alloaadvertiser.com

 

[frogwoman]

52k new infections in France

 

[Mation]

52k new infections in France

jesus fucking christ

 

[elbows]

I wonder how many daily infections they think they really have there. Given that when the UK reached around 25k daily cases testing positive, estimates for how many daily infections there really are is around 53k-90k.

 

[frogwoman]

They're doing the rapid tests aren't they? So I guess results come back quicker. They can't be capturing all of them tho.