As of tomorrow it will be mandatory to wear face mask here if you go into an enclosed space, ie supermarket, bank or covered market. No great problem as 95% are doing it already with many smaller shops refusing admittance if you don't have one. It appears that there have been a few new outbreaks of the virus in some places, particularly where a lot of Brits have holiday homes. It would also seem that Spain is seeing a large number of new cases since they opened up to tourists, and France is weighing up shutting the border between the two countries again. One can understand the desire to get the economy started, but it should not be at the cost of even more lives. To say that normality will return for Christmas is not supported by medical advice, and is as much wishful thinking as Trump saying that it would be over by last Easter.
This is all a bit late in many places Frenchie - we have been wearing masks in all shops, all enclosed areas and public transport for over 3 months - and this has been compulsory. The rules are still in place even though there are now no registered cases in the constituency where I live. What is becoming dangerous is the amount of weird conspiracy theories which are emerging concerning the pandemic, many of which are originating from the ultra right, which are able to nourish themselves particularly well during times of crisis like this.
It's mandatory in Scotland too, and while most are treating it as a sensible strategy, unfortunately there are 'pockets of resistance'. Our little part of the world is normally law-abiding in such matters and there have been no complaints - until this week-end. For reasons that aren't too clear to me, we are a popular area for summer campers & yesterday the first arrivals of the summer descended upon the campsite by the beach before heading into the village to stock up with supplies from either of the two stores or the two bakeries we have. The largest of the stores, a very small supermarket by anywhere else's standards, has an 'only six customers at a time' policy - and my wife is one of the volunteers who take turns to 'man the doors' to ensure customers comply, and also point out the requirement to wear masks inside. She was disgusted by the attitudes of the majority of holidaymakers - mostly from England sad to say - who were very vocal in complaining about both rules and abusing all and sundry in their attempts to get their way. The manager had to call the police from the nearest town ten miles away. Prior to lockdown, I had been in the habit of taking our dog for a walk along the beach to the harbour, where we'd stop for 'refreshments' at the harbour pub.I've no intention of risking confrontation with people who can't obey such simple requirements, so it looks like that particular pleasure will have to wait for another few weeks.
I sat outside one of the supermarkets in town on Friday while Mme was looking for a few bits she hadn't found in the larger one we had visited first. To while away the time I had a pencil and paper and did my own little survey. Total number of people going in : 67 Total number with masks : 64 Total number without masks : 3 2 of the 3 without masks came to the car next to mine, and the car had UK number plates. The other one was a young man, late teens/early twenties. Masks have been recommended here for weeks, the government have even sent us two each as we are of a certain age, and if you do not get free ones you can buy them at 10 for €5. My little survey shows that without compulsion the message has been clear enough for locals to see the sense in it, yet with nationals coming into France from another country where the message is confused, further steps to make it compulsory have been taken. Shame for people who did manage to have a quiet pint losing the chance because of others inconsideration.
Was in Pembrokeshire last week and few seemed to wearing masks although they are not required in Wales yet. What concerned me was that very few people took the trouble to keep a safe distance although it can be difficult in supermarkets, but outside? It also puzzles me why supermarket staff don't wear masks. they are a real paid and efficacy unknown but better be safe than sorry.
One of my sons works in an Asda store in Aberdeen - he tells me that they do. Although checkout staff aren't required to as they are behind one of those plastic screens, most of them do anyway.
New signs have gone up here today to say that you must have a mask on to enter the shops. The small supermarket I went into today all of the staff and customers were wearing them. No leave it up to you to see what you want to do, but there doesn't seem to be any resistance to following the regulations.
Hancock say the long-term effects of coronavirus can be very debilitating for a minority of patients. Without naming them, he says at least one MP is in this category. Johnson? There have been many comments that he doesn't look well.
I've just been reading that as a result of the lockdown for Covid 19 the numbers of influenza cases has more or less died down Worldwide, along with several other infectious diseases such as Rubella, chickenpox and also tuberculosis. It appears that the lockdown has also been having a positive effect on the spread of other diseases.
That is not so surprising. When Mme worked in the village school chickenpox would break out with one child, and before you knew it half the class went down with it. Most of these diseases are passed from one person to another, so if people are not mixing you would expect them to die down.
If we could have imposed a simple 2 week TOTAL lockdown at a time in the past, given (say) 3 months notice so that ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING and EVERYONE stayed at home (except, possibly electricity, gas, water emergenty staff, a few army people and a few A & E departments) we could have eliminated the common cold.
I get your logic JT, unfortunately we can only completely kill off diseases which are particular to us humans, like smallpox. Others can live on in the animal World - it sounds improbable but you can give influenza to your cat.
As I don't have a cat, is there any chance of getting flu from voles as we have a pet one called Victor who lives behind the tumble drier ? Glad to have my masks
Bit dodgy Frenchie - I have heard that the healthiest pet you can have is a cobra (presuming you're on good terms with him !).
Well we do have Sid and little Sid that bask in the garden, but they are not cobras, just whipsnakes. Still they are rather nice creatures, with Sid yellow and green, while young Sid is still brown. Quite harmless, but some of the French locals are quite scared of them.
When I was a child a long, long time ago we used to attend parties to get chickenpox, measles etc The only ones I avoided were Polio, TB and Mumps ( got mumps in my thirties when it was more dangerous) I have had cellulitis since my twenties from trying to play football with a leg the experts barely expected me to be able to stand on I had a test after one bad attack to test my antibodies and effectively I had the strongest immune system they had encountered What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I have never had flu or manful
Yikes! .... and obviously coronavirus... Sad that the world could not unite on this...... Too many narcissitic and power hungry alpha males....
The Tories must be gnashing their teeth over the poor timing of this pandemic - had it happened next year, they'd be quids in. Last night they voted down an amendment to protect the NHS and care services from overseas interests, exposing their claims that the NHS is not for sale as lies. I'd like to think that they will be in for a more than bumpy ride over the next few months.
Starmer needs to step up to the mark...... We cannot sell our country downriver to save and make money for the wealthy.....
