The big Coronavirus thread
Comments
-
With skiing you are always holding onto lifts, you have a humid breath and are regularly touching face and mouth with gloves on. The cold weather will mean the virus does not die off quickly on the ski liftsddraver said:Apparently Verbier - where I live - has become a noted infection cell. I suspect this is true for all ski resorts mind. I saw an article that said something like 10 - 15% of Norwegian cases can be traced to a single Austrian Apres Ski bar...
Unfortunately, my ACL reconstruction on Monday has been cancelled which is a pain in the...knee
0 -
Will be interesting to see if we establish the limits of "the market delivers". Funnily enough, I have always considered retail to be one of those areas where free market principles really do work quite exceptionally well.Pross said:
I still think the best solution would be if they could sort out click and collect direct from the warehouse although I appreciate that the main depots aren't easy for everyone but it might help with easing the burden in store and also reduces human contact. Probably a million IT and H&S issues that would make this unworkable in the real world though.morstar said:
Agree with all of that. But even switching to pallets doesn’t automatically make you quicker if it is even practical.Pross said:As far as I'm aware they only use trolleys to restock because in a 24 hour store there are H&S implications with large kit. That will change now supermarkets are closing at night for replenishing. Also, the supermarket sector is massively different these days than it was 20 years ago. Whilst not involved directly in store design I worked on the project team of countless Tesco stores during their massive boom and they now store very little on site as it's about maximising sales floor space and relying on just in time delivery. That's why one of the first measures the Government announced was relaxing restrictions on delivery times.
The warehouse is designed around trolley replenishment rather than pallet so switching may not be an option. If you even have the pallets to hand and somewhere to park the trolleys.
Anyhoo, I’m just aware that to restock the entire nations supermarkets from such low levels is an absolutely enormous task.
Even if panic buying stopped today, we are weeks away from normal.
Although to counter that, demand could theoretically drop off at some point which would definitely help the replen process. May have some suppliers closing in August for a long holiday due to no demand for their products.
I think some more overarching rules will be applied pretty soon. The interventions so far enable a more flexible market response but ultimately the unbridled demand will need curtailing with more draconian means. The hoarding hasn't stopped due to running its course. It's stopped due to supply. It won't take a genius to go to all the supermarkets and buy 1 of the largest rationed toilet roll packs at each supermarket in order to perpetuate this chaos.0 -
Wholesalers who supply the now diminished restaurant trade can move their sales to the supermarketsmrfpb said:
Well said.rick_chasey said:
Seriously, this is not on the supermarkets. I'm close enough (as in, speak daily) to a buyer at a supermarket and basically they are trying to deal with up to 200% of demand on products. Suppliers are gouging supermarkets but even if the supermarkets do buy in a lot of extra stock (which they are), and they are, there are limits to the amount they can transport on each lorry to each store; especially as they need to recognise that some drivers are not able to work as they have vulnerable people at home.morstar said:<
I think the supermarkets can't be blamed for being caught on the back foot but taking 10 days to respond suggests they were happy to take the revenue.
peppers, tomatoes, pasta; a lot of these things, certainly at this time of year, come from spain and italy anyway, so getting them in is not easy. The fresh food will relax a bit once the british season kicks in in early april.
With food, you can't just magic up 200% more food by clicking your fingers. Somewhere, the food is actually being grown and manufactured.
Also, pity the supermarket staff who in all likelihood earn less than the people shopping who are having to be in contact with more people than pretty much everyone else.
They're not getting the spontaneous rounds of applause. No-one seems to remember that we're only ever three meals away from anarchy.
I think wonky veg will be the next campaign if we want food on the shelves. We can't throw away 30-50% of our food at the farm gates because it doesn't look perfect.0 -
I'm not sure why you are posting here. You started thispangolin said:rjsterry said:
Aldi are recruiting 9000 including 4000 permanent staff!morstar said:
I agree this is a good but unlikely plan.Pross said:I reckon media pictures of full supermarket shelves after the overnight replenishment would be a good start in helping but instead they show empty shelves and queues outside.
The problem the supermarkets have is that even if the stock was available on site, it will take weeks to get back to normal whilst demand remains high.
A new supermarket takes a couple of weeks to fill from scratch and that's with no customers. Most supermarkets must be running at around 25% of typical stock levels and they're being hammered daily without the ability to draw in the sort of large team or delivery schedule they do to fill a new store.
If we stopped panic buying tomorrow, I reckon it's a bare minimum of a month to get to normal stock levels. I suspect the limited ranges will extend beyond the onset of a decline of the virus by a good month or two.
With the bonus perk that if you get the job your kids can go back to school / nursery
0 -
Spain does not think swimming pools are safe as they have shut them allbriantrumpet said:joe2019 said:
I wouldn't be going near a gym.DeVlaeminck said:
I think if the stock is on site then they can restock the shelves pretty quickly - couple of days tops - I know my local Sainsbury's shelves were 50% empty the other night - I mean 50% of the shelves were sold out so total stock in the shop must have been 25% at the remaining shelves were not full - think it was Tuesday night after I went to the gym. Yesterday they were pretty full apart from the lack of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, dry pasta etc. My son works there part time and they've taken staff off things like the deli counter and the cafe which they've shut to restock during opening hours.
I've been told that swimming in public chlorinated pools is safe, but I've ceased my regular swimming activities for now.0 -
All closed from tomorrow.coopster_the_1st said:
Spain does not think swimming pools are safe as they have shut them allbriantrumpet said:joe2019 said:
I wouldn't be going near a gym.DeVlaeminck said:
I think if the stock is on site then they can restock the shelves pretty quickly - couple of days tops - I know my local Sainsbury's shelves were 50% empty the other night - I mean 50% of the shelves were sold out so total stock in the shop must have been 25% at the remaining shelves were not full - think it was Tuesday night after I went to the gym. Yesterday they were pretty full apart from the lack of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, dry pasta etc. My son works there part time and they've taken staff off things like the deli counter and the cafe which they've shut to restock during opening hours.
I've been told that swimming in public chlorinated pools is safe, but I've ceased my regular swimming activities for now.
0 -
The media and their cut throat ratings/sales/clicks chase are massively responsible for the panic we are seeing. They need sensationalist stories and a journalist can make their career on just one ie Robert Pestonrick_chasey said:The media know they also have a responsibility to not have everything kick off in the middle of a crisis.
Ultimately journos, as we all know, are not experts in anything apart from being journos and they too are worried about themselves and loved ones, so they're not gonna kick off unless they're on *very* sure ground.
They spend most of their time in the daily press conferences asking for clarifications which will help with the public, which seems both sensible and a reflection of the appalling comms the uk gov't is producing.0 -
All cafes, bars, restaurants, theatres, gyms being told to shut.
Government will cover 80% of salary for retained workers up to £2400 a month. No limit on funds. No business rates for hospitality etc. and loans will be interest free for 12 months.
To be fair, I'm quite impressed with the Chancellor considering his lack of experience and that he landed in the shit as soon as he got the job.0 -
We are weeks away from full stock but the supply chain of critical food ie bread and milk is use to being replenished dailymorstar said:
Agree with all of that. But even switching to pallets doesn’t automatically make you quicker if it is even practical.Pross said:As far as I'm aware they only use trolleys to restock because in a 24 hour store there are H&S implications with large kit. That will change now supermarkets are closing at night for replenishing. Also, the supermarket sector is massively different these days than it was 20 years ago. Whilst not involved directly in store design I worked on the project team of countless Tesco stores during their massive boom and they now store very little on site as it's about maximising sales floor space and relying on just in time delivery. That's why one of the first measures the Government announced was relaxing restrictions on delivery times.
The warehouse is designed around trolley replenishment rather than pallet so switching may not be an option. If you even have the pallets to hand and somewhere to park the trolleys.
Anyhoo, I’m just aware that to restock the entire nations supermarkets from such low levels is an absolutely enormous task.
Even if panic buying stopped today, we are weeks away from normal.
Although to counter that, demand could theoretically drop off at some point which would definitely help the replen process. May have some suppliers closing in August for a long holiday due to no demand for their products.0 -
I was under the impression that any sports facility was closed as of the lockdown on Sunday?joe2019 said:
All closed from tomorrow.coopster_the_1st said:
Spain does not think swimming pools are safe as they have shut them allbriantrumpet said:joe2019 said:
I wouldn't be going near a gym.DeVlaeminck said:
I think if the stock is on site then they can restock the shelves pretty quickly - couple of days tops - I know my local Sainsbury's shelves were 50% empty the other night - I mean 50% of the shelves were sold out so total stock in the shop must have been 25% at the remaining shelves were not full - think it was Tuesday night after I went to the gym. Yesterday they were pretty full apart from the lack of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, dry pasta etc. My son works there part time and they've taken staff off things like the deli counter and the cafe which they've shut to restock during opening hours.
I've been told that swimming in public chlorinated pools is safe, but I've ceased my regular swimming activities for now.0 -
The incompetence of the PM is being brutally highlighted by the performance of the Chancellor“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!1
-
Think I read that Morrison’s were employing an additional 4000 just to work in their delivery business, such has been the demandPross said:
I still think the best solution would be if they could sort out click and collect direct from the warehouse although I appreciate that the main depots aren't easy for everyone but it might help with easing the burden in store and also reduces human contact. Probably a million IT and H&S issues that would make this unworkable in the real world though.morstar said:
Agree with all of that. But even switching to pallets doesn’t automatically make you quicker if it is even practical.Pross said:As far as I'm aware they only use trolleys to restock because in a 24 hour store there are H&S implications with large kit. That will change now supermarkets are closing at night for replenishing. Also, the supermarket sector is massively different these days than it was 20 years ago. Whilst not involved directly in store design I worked on the project team of countless Tesco stores during their massive boom and they now store very little on site as it's about maximising sales floor space and relying on just in time delivery. That's why one of the first measures the Government announced was relaxing restrictions on delivery times.
The warehouse is designed around trolley replenishment rather than pallet so switching may not be an option. If you even have the pallets to hand and somewhere to park the trolleys.
Anyhoo, I’m just aware that to restock the entire nations supermarkets from such low levels is an absolutely enormous task.
Even if panic buying stopped today, we are weeks away from normal.
Although to counter that, demand could theoretically drop off at some point which would definitely help the replen process. May have some suppliers closing in August for a long holiday due to no demand for their products.0 -
Okey dokey,
So the mrs has just informed me that the friend she met last week has suspected virus.
Without making any mental connection she is now informing me about how her eyes have been sore and she has had a headache for a couple of days.
Hmmm, too early to worry as these may be unrelated facts but she already has a cough she hasn’t shifted from an infection in October. I’m asthmatic too.0 -
coopster_the_1st said:
Spain does not think swimming pools are safe as they have shut them allbriantrumpet said:joe2019 said:
I wouldn't be going near a gym.DeVlaeminck said:
I think if the stock is on site then they can restock the shelves pretty quickly - couple of days tops - I know my local Sainsbury's shelves were 50% empty the other night - I mean 50% of the shelves were sold out so total stock in the shop must have been 25% at the remaining shelves were not full - think it was Tuesday night after I went to the gym. Yesterday they were pretty full apart from the lack of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, dry pasta etc. My son works there part time and they've taken staff off things like the deli counter and the cafe which they've shut to restock during opening hours.
I've been told that swimming in public chlorinated pools is safe, but I've ceased my regular swimming activities for now.
The pool itself is fine, it is the changing rooms etc that are seen as the issue, hence them being closed.0 -
80% of salary is the sort of thing that happens in socialist paradises like NL and CH, It's going to be interesting to see how they roll back from this afterwards...Pross said:
Government will cover 80% of salary for retained workers up to £2400 a month. No limit on funds. No business rates for hospitality etc. and loans will be interest free for 12 months.
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Our local gym has been open all week, and someone on here mentioned that he went to his gym on Tuesday... that's all I know.coopster_the_1st said:
I was under the impression that any sports facility was closed as of the lockdown on Sunday?joe2019 said:
All closed from tomorrow.coopster_the_1st said:
Spain does not think swimming pools are safe as they have shut them allbriantrumpet said:joe2019 said:
I wouldn't be going near a gym.DeVlaeminck said:
I think if the stock is on site then they can restock the shelves pretty quickly - couple of days tops - I know my local Sainsbury's shelves were 50% empty the other night - I mean 50% of the shelves were sold out so total stock in the shop must have been 25% at the remaining shelves were not full - think it was Tuesday night after I went to the gym. Yesterday they were pretty full apart from the lack of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, dry pasta etc. My son works there part time and they've taken staff off things like the deli counter and the cafe which they've shut to restock during opening hours.
I've been told that swimming in public chlorinated pools is safe, but I've ceased my regular swimming activities for now.
0 -
It will be packed down the pub tonight then0
-
Everyone’s popular when you can be articulate and spend unimaginably large amounts of money....tailwindhome said:The incompetence of the PM is being brutally highlighted by the performance of the Chancellor
0 -
Well, it's academic now, but even if I believed that chlorine kills off the virus (or that the virus is rubbish at swimming), I'm just starting to accept the notion that all 'other people' are possible sources of infection, or that I might be.kingstonian said:coopster_the_1st said:
Spain does not think swimming pools are safe as they have shut them allbriantrumpet said:joe2019 said:
I wouldn't be going near a gym.DeVlaeminck said:
I think if the stock is on site then they can restock the shelves pretty quickly - couple of days tops - I know my local Sainsbury's shelves were 50% empty the other night - I mean 50% of the shelves were sold out so total stock in the shop must have been 25% at the remaining shelves were not full - think it was Tuesday night after I went to the gym. Yesterday they were pretty full apart from the lack of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, dry pasta etc. My son works there part time and they've taken staff off things like the deli counter and the cafe which they've shut to restock during opening hours.
I've been told that swimming in public chlorinated pools is safe, but I've ceased my regular swimming activities for now.
The pool itself is fine, it is the changing rooms etc that are seen as the issue, hence them being closed.
As a teacher, at a school where about half of my pupils have medics as parents, I'm quite glad that school's shut, as I'm aware that their parents might come home with the virus, being in the front line, and send the virus in via their children, or that I might send the virus home to someone who's going to be vitally important.
Probably just as well I'm not unhappy being a bit of an antisocial git at times... this could be a long haul.0 -
I was thinking that some employers may be tempted to go for the grant to save themselves money but assume there'll be some system for stopping that.ddraver said:
80% of salary is the sort of thing that happens in socialist paradises like NL and CH, It's going to be interesting to see how they roll back from this afterwards...Pross said:
Government will cover 80% of salary for retained workers up to £2400 a month. No limit on funds. No business rates for hospitality etc. and loans will be interest free for 12 months.0 -
morstar said:
Okey dokey,
So the mrs has just informed me that the friend she met last week has suspected virus.
Without making any mental connection she is now informing me about how her eyes have been sore and she has had a headache for a couple of days.
Hmmm, too early to worry as these may be unrelated facts but she already has a cough she hasn’t shifted from an infection in October. I’m asthmatic too.
I came home from school with a headache and feeling virussy on Wednesday evening, so locked myself in, and won't be re-emerging until next week. At the moment, none of the ominous symptoms, and feeling better today, but I'm assuming nothing. But in times like this, any little tickle or ache makes you wonder if you've got 'it'. Especially when one's been with one's 87-year-old mum a few days earlier. So far she's fine... but she won't be going out or having visitors for the foreseeable, and I'll be keeping fingers firmly crossed.0 -
Slightly random question but does anyone know what is happening with blood donation at the moment? I know it's not something needed directly for the virus but from experience I'm aware that those undergoing cancer treatment need blood products more than ever if they pick up infections and that's without the usual requirements for surgery etc. Just thinking there's going to be a severe shortage of donors at the moment and that it might be worth finding a session while I'm symptom free.0
-
It’s total guesswork isn’t it. Probably far more likely to be typical coughs and colds but worrying times indeed.0
-
-
I was referring to Spanish sports facilities.joe2019 said:
Our local gym has been open all week, and someone on here mentioned that he went to his gym on Tuesday... that's all I know.coopster_the_1st said:
I was under the impression that any sports facility was closed as of the lockdown on Sunday?joe2019 said:
All closed from tomorrow.coopster_the_1st said:
Spain does not think swimming pools are safe as they have shut them allbriantrumpet said:joe2019 said:
I wouldn't be going near a gym.DeVlaeminck said:
I think if the stock is on site then they can restock the shelves pretty quickly - couple of days tops - I know my local Sainsbury's shelves were 50% empty the other night - I mean 50% of the shelves were sold out so total stock in the shop must have been 25% at the remaining shelves were not full - think it was Tuesday night after I went to the gym. Yesterday they were pretty full apart from the lack of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, dry pasta etc. My son works there part time and they've taken staff off things like the deli counter and the cafe which they've shut to restock during opening hours.
I've been told that swimming in public chlorinated pools is safe, but I've ceased my regular swimming activities for now.
But UK gyms, etc will be closed from tomorrow (Saturday) onwards0 -
P
You really don’t think the Govt, back in late Jan, should have looked across Asia and got their hands on as many tests and ventilators as possible rather than waiting until last week?mrfpb said:The lack of leaking or counter-briefing suggests collective cabinet consent to the PM's approach, doesn't it? Where are you seeing lack of collective responsibility.
Media muttering is different from there being strong expert opinion that contradicts the expert advice the govt is following, or even leaked dissent. The media are just representing public unrest/distrust with the restricitons.
Likewise you don’t think they could have glanced around the world and start locking things down sooner?0 -
surrey_commuter said:
P
You really don’t think the Govt, back in late Jan, should have looked across Asia and got their hands on as many tests and ventilators as possible rather than waiting until last week?mrfpb said:The lack of leaking or counter-briefing suggests collective cabinet consent to the PM's approach, doesn't it? Where are you seeing lack of collective responsibility.
Media muttering is different from there being strong expert opinion that contradicts the expert advice the govt is following, or even leaked dissent. The media are just representing public unrest/distrust with the restricitons.
Likewise you don’t think they could have glanced around the world and start locking things down sooner?
To be fair, no government in Europe did.0 -
-
Surely you can see the difference between normal spending and dealing with probably the most serious issue to hit the country for 75 years? I expect to see over-simplistic memes on my Facebook feed but thought you were a bit more intelligent than that!rick_chasey said:
0 -
Yebbut that’s a joke.
Govt isn’t printing money to pay for it, it’s borrowing like, almost literally, there is no tomorrow.
Would not be surprised if we see a return of inflation and more normal (ie not lower bound) interest rates in the next couple years.0
