Roll the clock back just 20 years before the internet, we would have all relied on the news. The government would have said last week carry on as normal and we would have done. Instead we see the images of panic buying and it fuels more panic buying, we read 20 different expert opinions and depending on if you are under 70 or over 70 or if you are glass half full or half empty or sensible or ignorant you believe the story you want to believe. The internet is a great tool but it is also guilty of spreading panic and chaos.
You can come up with a million and 1 reasons not to shut down, but when we reach a certain number we will, prepare for it or go under. We will shut pubs and schools and if cases still rise then everyone will go in lockdown.
You need to talk to the bank, get you wife to prepare to lay off staff, reduce costs as much as possible, our government want to try and keep people working, but if after we shut pubs etc and numbers still rise we will do the same as Italy and Spain.
Mass gatherings have not yet been told to stop by the governemt, Football took it into their own hands. Cheltenham went ahead, was there seriously not a single stable lad, jockey, trainer, driver or owner not showing symptoms or self isolating? All rugby matches went ahead apart from those with travel problems yet a couple of footballers self isolated as a precaution and the football side went into meltdown.
The only answer is to close some things down till we get a leveling out of numbers, ie 300-500 a day, then after 3 weeks we will have as many getting over it a day as are getting it, but if we are not able to do that, they will come a time when we will lock Down.
I'm self employed, I won't get a bit of help just like plumbers, sparkies, carpenters, taxi drivers and a ton of others but if the help is SSP that isn't going to pay the bills, it just about covers a weeks shopping. I'm not denying we won't follow other countries if this goes the same way Despite what anyone believes the banks don't want to know at the moment, they might offer you a business loan but it needs repaying, take a look at the Government web site, those budget measures are plans but nothing is in force yet. Peoples businesses are taking a huge hit now and that's without a lock down in place. To make the women at the hair salon redundant would cost us over £6,000 each due to their length of service. Nobody has time to plan for this as it is happening right now, people are already panicking and tons of businesses are already suffering
I am luckier than some as I also have a part-time contract delivering medication for a pharmacy chain, just a few hours a week but I'm imagining a few extra hours will be required as this progresses but there will be many with absolutely zero income trying to get through this
If the whole country goes in lockdown you will be no different than 95% of the country, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
You can lay people off, or defer wages, ask Bolton and Macclesfield footballers, in fact ask probably every league one and two footballers over the next few weeks.
Not the case here Ristac. Our government has introduced a scheme from today where all self employed without work can claim 203 euros per week same as rest of our working population. Pressurise your stupid mp's for similar. Most European countries are doing it. Some of Our banks started freezing mortgages last night, rest will follow
Do you think any of us are happy about it. If the government had stopped flights to China and Italy sooner we wouldn't be in this mess. Turkey have very few cases.
We aren't quite at that stage yet, but they will have to do more, if they fail the public now they will soon be out of power.
