The big Coronavirus thread

Pross

Longshot said:

Construction sites is an interesting one. Massive potential for virus spread on a large site but the economic impact of shutting them would be huge for any number of reasons. Risk worth taking?

There's also the risk of injury requiring hospital treatment. It's good for me business wise if site work is ongoing but I think it should stop unless it's related to important infrastructure (such as the new hospital near me which they are hoping to bring into use a year early for emergency cover).

fenix

Longshot said:

They would but why? Either cycling solo is safe in which case the distance is pretty irrelevant or it isn't in which case they should not allow it at all.

100 mile rides are a pretty extreme version of daily exercise. I'd be looking at doing minimum risk for max effort.

All it takes is one flighty sheep, pothole, BMW and you might need A&E.

Don't drain the resources and don't risk yourself and your immediate family.

Lil old lady out and about for 20 mins pottering on her bike - fab.

5 hour rides ? Taking the pee.

wilberforce

diamonddog said:

Spain has 36k cases today a rise of 6k in 24 hours and that is with the full lockdown in place.

Spain has not been in lockdown for 14 days yet and so the new cases may have been infected prior to lockdown taking place

pblakeney

I don't think we are in official lockdown. Yet.
The official advice as I read it is to stay home unless absolutely necessary. And if you do go out then stay more than 2m from anybody else.
There's a wide grey area there regarding movement, whilst remaining sensible.
It requires the public to be sensible though. 🤔

kingstongraham

I thought I heard "only go to work if your work is absolutely necessary", but it's changed to "travel to work is ok if you need to".

Now not clear.

joe2019

Loads of surfers on the beach today getting their 'daily exercise' (I can see them on live surf cam) - most of them won't be local either, most will have travelled from the nearest towns - at least 20 miles away.

capt_slog

fenix said:

Longshot said:

They would but why? Either cycling solo is safe in which case the distance is pretty irrelevant or it isn't in which case they should not allow it at all.

100 mile rides are a pretty extreme version of daily exercise. I'd be looking at doing minimum risk for max effort.

All it takes is one flighty sheep, pothole, BMW and you might need A&E.

Don't drain the resources and don't risk yourself and your immediate family.

Lil old lady out and about for 20 mins pottering on her bike - fab.

5 hour rides ? Taking the pee.

I agree entirely, it appears you and i have the same perception of what the rule means. (It could be argued that the limit to travel is to stop the spread of infection, and travelling long distances on the bike doesn't help, regardless of whether you meet anyone or not.)

I'm not arguing right or wrong here, as I said, it's about perception based on situation I just find it interesting.

surrey_commuter

diamonddog said:

Has anyone on here in the UK received the government text yet?
Spain has 36k cases today a rise of 6k in 24 hours and that is with the full lockdown in place.

Pross, I agree fully with what you’re saying.

May just reflect increased testing. Each new measure takes 14 days to take full effect

Longshot

Just got govt text. It says "Stay at home", not stay in your house.

kingstonian

To counter a few comments on here.............I have a doctor friend who lives near Tower Bridge, on his way to work today he said central London is eerily quiet, even quieter than when he goes for a 6am run on a Sunday morning (he's a daft triathlete and trains at odd times to wrap it around his hospital shifts)

Pross

kingstongraham said:

I thought I heard "only go to work if your work is absolutely necessary", but it's changed to "travel to work is ok if you need to".

Now not clear.

Feels a bit stupid if they're making it more ambiguous. I think they've got the support of the vast majority of the public to be as Draconian as necessary and they just need to get on with telling people that they aren't essential.

Pross

Just found out the family friend taken into hospital yesterday has been confirmed as having pneumonia and they are waiting on the Covid test results to determine what ward to send her to. Mother-in-law is in panic as she also has serious health issues and was in contact with her shortly before over 70s were told to self-isolate.

joe2019

kingstonian said:

To counter a few comments on here.............I have a doctor friend who lives near Tower Bridge, on his way to work today he said central London is eerily quiet, even quieter than when he goes for a 6am run on a Sunday morning (he's a daft triathlete and trains at odd times to wrap it around his hospital shifts)

Plenty of police around London - out in the sticks the closest police station is 20 miles away, and we see a policeman... never.

30 years ago we had a police station here with a sergeant and 4 or 5 constables... but that's another story.

Loads of people out and about - 'exercising' their rights I guess.

Busier than normal because a lot of locals have no work to do now that all the shops, pubs, cafes and guesthouses have closed.

Pross

The police have apparently been stopping people a few miles away from me and asking them why they're travelling. Hopefully they'll start issuing fines soon.

diamonddog

wilberforce said:

diamonddog said:

Spain has 36k cases today a rise of 6k in 24 hours and that is with the full lockdown in place.

Spain has not been in lockdown for 14 days yet and so the new cases may have been infected prior to lockdown taking place

Yes I live in Spain and have been in lockdown for a while now so I understand that, also more testing is going on now so cases will probably rise at greater rates.

twotoebenny

No discernible difference looking out the window for me. (Other than more people outside) Lots of cars going backwards and forwards lots of people out and about, drug dealer across the road still doing business etc... there's no way the police will be stopping anyone, i doubt there are any likely to be around!

surrey_commuter

Pross said:

Just found out the family friend taken into hospital yesterday has been confirmed as having pneumonia and they are waiting on the Covid test results to determine what ward to send her to. Mother-in-law is in panic as she also has serious health issues and was in contact with her shortly before over 70s were told to self-isolate.

Over 70s self isolating seems ages ago, was it really less than 14 days?

Pross

Dead bodies being found abandoned in Spanish retirement homes. That's something we really need to learn from here, care workers need to be getting all the support they need to keep providing a safe level of support especially as in many cases they'll be taking in people who have perhaps been cleared out of hospitals earlier than they otherwise would.

tailwindhome

Pross said:

Dead bodies being found abandoned in Spanish retirement homes. That's something we really need to learn from here, care workers need to be getting all the support they need to keep providing a safe level of support especially as in many cases they'll be taking in people who have perhaps been cleared out of hospitals earlier than they otherwise would.

We have been given a time machine through which we can see 2 weeks in the future.

diamonddog

Pross said:

Dead bodies being found abandoned in Spanish retirement homes. That's something we really need to learn from here, care workers need to be getting all the support they need to keep providing a safe level of support especially as in many cases they'll be taking in people who have perhaps been cleared out of hospitals earlier than they otherwise would.

As far as I can ascertain the abandoned care home is in Madrid and they also found some live patients.

DeVlaeminck

diamonddog said:

The part allowing exercise is the same as Italy allowed, it is impossible to monitor ie the once a day rule, bike ride in the morning and pretend to be jogging or go for a walk in the afternoon. Police are already stretched.

Also the public still don’t get social distancing, witness The Tube this morning.

What are they meant to do though? I've got sympathy IF those people have to get to work - no doubt the next tube will be just as bad.

Dorset_Boy

I suspect the numbers going out to work will reduce tomorrow. I think a lot of people will have gone in today to sort out the final things needed to work from home, or notify clients / customers of their arrangements.

Feel for those having to use crowded trains in London.

DeVlaeminck

I've been up to Liverpool and back today - an essential (in my view) one off journey to get my daughter from uni. I'm guessing a few people were making similar journeys today recognising if they are going to get home that now is the time to do it.

It's quiet out but not deserted - stopped off to get groceries on the way and Sainsbury's was fairly empty at 9am - managed to get some goods that gave been impossible to find the last 10 days or so including pasta and toilet roll so that's a good sign.

pblakeney

diamonddog said:

Pross said:

Dead bodies being found abandoned in Spanish retirement homes. That's something we really need to learn from here, care workers need to be getting all the support they need to keep providing a safe level of support especially as in many cases they'll be taking in people who have perhaps been cleared out of hospitals earlier than they otherwise would.

As far as I can ascertain the abandoned care home is in Madrid and they also found some live patients.

Ah well, that’s all right then.

diamonddog

pblakeney said:

diamonddog said:

Pross said:

Dead bodies being found abandoned in Spanish retirement homes. That's something we really need to learn from here, care workers need to be getting all the support they need to keep providing a safe level of support especially as in many cases they'll be taking in people who have perhaps been cleared out of hospitals earlier than they otherwise would.

As far as I can ascertain the abandoned care home is in Madrid and they also found some live patients.

Ah well, that’s all right then.

????

Pross

pblakeney said:

Pross said:

Are garages allowed to remain open? Just thinking with my MOT due in about 6 weeks what would happen when I need the car to go to the shops as the nearest supermarket is 4 miles away.

Mine is due next Friday so I looked...

How to have an MOT carried out

"Garages are considered an essential service and so, even as other businesses reduce their service or shut down entirely, MOT stations should remain open and you should be able to book a test as usual.

Many garages and online maintenance services are looking at ways to provide the test while reducing the risks to their staff and customers. Options including zero-contact handover of the vehicle are being explored by many businesses, along with special cleaning precautions.

If you have virus symptoms or are self-isolating, the DVSA has emphasised that you must not take your vehicle to be tested."

MOTs now suspended for 3 months other than vehicles essential to the Covid effort. Not sure whether that means you can keep driving without an MOT as many people will still need their car for those essential journeys.

kingstonian

DeVlaeminck said:

I've been up to Liverpool and back today - an essential (in my view) one off journey to get my daughter from uni. I'm guessing a few people were making similar journeys today recognising if they are going to get home that now is the time to do it.

It's quiet out but not deserted - stopped off to get groceries on the way and Sainsbury's was fairly empty at 9am - managed to get some goods that gave been impossible to find the last 10 days or so including pasta and toilet roll so that's a good sign.

Yes, supermarkets seem to have replenished their stocks and the ridiculous wave of panic buying has subsided now that those clowns realise they have another 50kg of pasta to eat their way through before they next have to hit the shops.

elbowloh

rick_chasey said:

They have no salary, very few benefits, and they only get paid if they turn up; even worse, it's a first come first serve basis, so if you're out in the morning you'll see queues of builders every morning outside of these big construction sites.

This is certainly not a situation i recognise, although i'm more involved in building and maintaining infrastructure (rail, gas, water, electricity facilities, bridges and tunnels etc) than residential, so that sector might be different. We're mostly self delivery, with specialist subcontractors. If additional labour is required its through approved agencies only.

briantrumpet

Pross said:

pblakeney said:

Pross said:

Are garages allowed to remain open? Just thinking with my MOT due in about 6 weeks what would happen when I need the car to go to the shops as the nearest supermarket is 4 miles away.

Mine is due next Friday so I looked...

How to have an MOT carried out

"Garages are considered an essential service and so, even as other businesses reduce their service or shut down entirely, MOT stations should remain open and you should be able to book a test as usual.

Many garages and online maintenance services are looking at ways to provide the test while reducing the risks to their staff and customers. Options including zero-contact handover of the vehicle are being explored by many businesses, along with special cleaning precautions.

If you have virus symptoms or are self-isolating, the DVSA has emphasised that you must not take your vehicle to be tested."

MOTs now suspended for 3 months other than vehicles essential to the Covid effort. Not sure whether that means you can keep driving without an MOT as many people will still need their car for those essential journeys.

Mine's going in tomorrow night (checked with them this morning) - key in their letterbox. Not sure if that's new news on car MOTs. but this report was filed earlier... cars still needing them at that point. https://www.lbc.co.uk/hot-topics/coronavirus/what-happens-mot-test-covid-lockdown/

rick_chasey

Deeply frustrating to read of all the equipment shortages in the UK and to read it is no longer a part of the EU procurement scheme which apparently has had considerable success recently buying the kit required to fight the virus.