Off Topic Coronavirus

[Uber_Hoop]

Sir Patrick Vallance just said that he expects the deaths from the virus to keep on going up for the next two weeks, while the infections and hospitalisation should be going down, a feature of the course of the illness.

If we are at 900 deaths a day now and it’s going to go up sadly it seems that the 20,000 death ‘good result’ won’t be hit, even in the first wave of the disease.

I hope I’ve misunderstood something here.

No, you didn't misunderstand. Whether he understood the inference in what he said I cannot say, but I wouldn't be surprised if we do sadly see total deaths in excess of the 20,000.

The 2015 influenza season claimed 28,189 according to Govt. statistics.

[Yes, I know this isn't flu, is allegedly more virulent and the deaths are sadly accumulating arguably faster etc.]

 

[YorkshireHoopster]

At Northwick Park.....I was there on Tuesday

My step-brother is a consultant there. He did tell me a couple of weeks ago that they were going to run out soon. He had an ominous cough at the time and sure enough went into self-isolation the following day. Thankfully it looks as though he either had it mild or that it was something else. However they hadn't managed to give him test results even by the time his self-isolation was ending and that I'm afraid really is shocking given that he's on the front line fighting this thing and they cannot confirm that it is safe for him to return there.

 

[bobmid]

Yes. Currently the position for Furloughed employees is that it is intended that:

1 The scheme is open for claims from 20th April.
2 Assuming no errors in paperwork and that the HMRC system does not crash) first payments will be made on 30th April.

Tell your brother to make sure that the forms are filled in correctly and in particular his bank account details because the whole process will be administered on line and through direct bank transfer. The cavalry is in sight.

Cheers Yorkshire. Will be much too late for a lot of people unfortunately.

 

[rangercol]

Does anyone actually know when the govt intends to start rolling this furlough scheme out to employers? Just wondered. One of my brothers is paying his staff but cant afford to do so beyond 2 more weeks. I know that self employed will get nothing for another couple of months so are expected to live on fresh air, go back to work and risk spreading or turn to a life of crime. There were some grand gestures by Rishi but nothing practical to millions of people. As long as Tesco get sorted it's ok though.

As I understand it from Mrs Rangercol, her employers are sorting it all out and she will receive 80% of her monthly wage in the usual way.

 

[bobmid]

My sister in law, as I've said is an NHS nurse in the community for the elderly and the vulnerable. She has had a call from her boss to say that her team dont fall under the necessary criteria for a test?!?! However she and her colleagues can try order a test but they would have to pay £24 each of their own money. This is absolutely disgusting and yet another example of the inadequacies of this country.

 

[bobmid]

As I understand it from Mrs Rangercol, her employers are sorting it all out and she will receive 80% of her monthly wage in the usual way.

Yeah my brother is paying his lads out of his own pocket but can only do so for another 2 weeks then they get laid off. This government helpnis taking way too long for people who need it now.

 

[rangercol]

Yeah my brother is paying his lads out of his own pocket but can only do so for another 2 weeks then they get laid off. This government helpnis taking way too long for people who need it now.

Ah, got you.
Of course, Mrs Rangercol will only continue to get the 80% while her employers are still in business.
With no money going into the business I suspect that it won't last past the end of this month!!

 

[bobmid]

Why do I get the feeling that those scientific advisors are becoming more like politicians. Their answers to questions are becoming more evasive every day. As for the journalists, what is their obsession with asking when the lockdown will end? It's been shown daily that we know **** all about this disease and that when we do act it's usually weeks behind others anyway.

 

[bobmid]

Ah, got you.
Of course, Mrs Rangercol will only continue to get the 80% while her employers are still in business.
With no money going into the business I suspect that it won't last past the end of this month!!

Yorkshire answered it for me mate but as you've said, most businesses cant continue to do that with no money coming in. My two lads who work for me are self employed otherwise I would have laid them both off by now. Neither of them can possibly wait until June (if it even is june) to get any help. It's taking way too long and frankly it's not good enough. I think people may starve to death before the covid gets them!

 

[rangercol]

Seemed that, round our way, people have decided to say bollocks to the lockdown.
I went into Sainsbury after work and their were people everywhere.
The roads were much, much busier than earlier in the week too.

The usual muppets were shopping in Sainsbury and I actually had to speak out today.
Does anyone understand social distancing?

Came home really stressed and I'm already near the bottom of a very long G&T.

 

[rangercol]

Yorkshire answered it for me mate but as you've said, most businesses cant continue to do that with no money coming in. My two lads who work for me are self employed otherwise I would have laid them both off by now. Neither of them can possibly wait until June (if it even is june) to get any help. It's taking way too long and frankly it's not good enough. I think people may starve to death before the covid gets them!

I've always supported some kind of universal payment for all workers.
All these schemes are too complicated and are taking too long.

 

[YorkshireHoopster]

Cheers Yorkshire. Will be much too late for a lot of people unfortunately.

Hopefully not. While I wouldn't put it past the banks to treat even their business customers with contempt, the power lies with the customers here as nothing like a bit of naming and shaming for all the 'adminstrative errors' to be corrected and just wait till the consumer rights police get on to their cases. I did notice today that my bank is voluntarily offering payment holidays on overdrafts for up to 6 months and then in the small print that the interest will be added to the loan. Now that's what I call giving a helping hand and being there with you. NOT.

We all rightly rage and show our disgust at individuals who try to con swindle and help themselves to the savings of the elderly and vulnerable. Hopefully the institutions too will feel that public wrath.

 

[bobmid]

I've always supported some kind of universal payment for all workers.
All these schemes are too complicated and are taking too long.

It's the only way. A pal of mine just had 2 Van's stolen from outside his workplace last night. Both of them sign written which is a bit stupid of the thieves. No doubt they will or already have been used in some ram raid. Can see more and more of this sort of thing going to start happening soon.

 

[sb_73]

Seemed that, round our way, people have decided to say bollocks to the lockdown.
I went into Sainsbury after work and their were people everywhere.
The roads were much, much busier than earlier in the week too.

The usual muppets were shopping in Sainsbury and I actually had to speak out today.
Does anyone understand social distancing?

Came home really stressed and I'm already near the bottom of a very long G&T.

I’m not looking forward to this weekend especially if the weather holds up. Just back from the big shop - not bad, good discipline in queue to get in and so few people allowed in that it was really quite nice inside - with enough bought to ensure that we don’t need to go out at all until well into next week (aside from late evening dog walk) because I suspect some of the behaviour will drive me nuts.

 

[bobmid]

I’m not looking forward to this weekend especially if the weather holds up. Just back from the big shop - not bad, good discipline in queue to get in and so few people allowed in that it was really quite nice inside - with enough bought to ensure that we don’t need to go out at all until well into next week (aside from late evening dog walk) because I suspect some of the behaviour will drive me nuts.

It's all bit of a **** up to be fair. A lockdown that isn't really a lockdown. Stay at home unless it's to go to the shop for essentials ( granted that's necessary) work from home unless you cant. Have an hour exercise outside each day. Well **** me, the majority of the nation cant work from home! If their line of work hasn't been ordered to shut down and they have no way of accessing any money for months...yes months then they go back to work regardless of guidelines. I keep banging at it but the construction sector are screwed here! This is the most pathetic attempted lockdown I can imagine so when i see people flaunting the so called rules, i think that the government guidelines have manufactured this situation. Theres always dicks that will get too close in a supermarket, probably the same people who are forced to go to work and mingle anyway.

 

[Uber_Hoop]

I’m not looking forward to this weekend especially if the weather holds up. Just back from the big shop - not bad, good discipline in queue to get in and so few people allowed in that it was really quite nice inside - with enough bought to ensure that we don’t need to go out at all until well into next week (aside from late evening dog walk) because I suspect some of the behaviour will drive me nuts.

I've got three teenagers eating me out of house and home. I swallowed my snobbishness and went to our local Asda last week and loathed the experience, so this means popping to the smaller Co-op for a basketful every other day. You can just walk in and out again without any of the long queues and rationing, so not a bad experience overall.

As in Col's experience, however, there's still the odd arrogant prick that thinks they can step into your PEZ (personal exclusion zone ) because their priorities always Top Trump anybody else's. This sort will always put themselves first, bless 'em.

 

[sb_73]

I've got three teenagers eating me out of house and home. I swallowed my snobbishness and went to our local Asda last week and loathed the experience, so this means popping to the smaller Co-op for a basketful every other day. You can just walk in and out again without any of the long queues and rationing, so not a bad experience overall.

As in Col's experience, however, there's still the odd arrogant prick that thinks they can step into your PEZ (personal exclusion zone ) because their priorities always Top Trump anybody else's. This sort will always put themselves first, bless 'em.

I’m going to get grief for this, but my pleasant experience was at Waitrose.

I must stress that this is not aimed at you Col as if there was one person I would be 100% certain would observe Uber’s PEZ it’s you, but the weakest at this today were those (10%?) wearing masks and surgical gloves. Especially the younger ones. False sense of security?

I have failed as the Harrods delicatessen of personal lockdown shoppers for my vulnerable neighbours, as not even Waitrose could fulfil their need for lactose free cheddar and fresh asparagus. FFS. This request received after I saw a Tesco’s van deliver half a hundredweight of food to their house. Taking the mick.

 

[finglasqpr]

Over here, the government is giving everybody a flat payment of 350 euros per week provided they are aged 18-66 and were employed before the virus started. They also have a scheme with employers where the employer pays their staff 70% of the salary and the government will reimburse the employer at a later date. These systems are up and running and people are on their second or third week receiving the special payments. There have been some cases of people who live in Northern Ireland applying for the 350 euro payment and getting it. Apparently social welfare payments have to be paid based on the country you live in, not where you work so there are quite a few Thousand unhappy people in NI right now over this. Somebody said the UK job seekers allowance is 80-100 pounds a week. Not sure if that is true or not.

As many others have said, there seems to be a bit of a party atmosphere on the streets with the fine weather and everybody off work and school. Only this week, I have noticed that [people seem to have relaxed their social distancing. I went to Lidl today to buy food and I was shocked at how crowded it was. I seen some people touching items like fruit and veg with their bare hands and put it back. I told the girl at the checkout that I wasn't very happy with the numbers of people in the store. We also have a problem with people trying to travel to their holiday homes principally out of Dublin to coastal areas like Wexford/Waterford and the west coast. I am shocked that people can be so selfish. There is a huge Garda presence on the street and lots of road blocks set up. The Gardaí were given special powers only this week to summons people to court with penalties of up to 2,500 euros fine for being more than 2km from where they live.

Stay safe everybody and treasure your older friends and relatives.

 

[bobmid]

Over here, the government is giving everybody a flat payment of 350 euros per week provided they are aged 18-66 and were employed before the virus started. They also have a scheme with employers where the employer pays their staff 70% of the salary and the government will reimburse the employer at a later date. These systems are up and running and people are on their second or third week receiving the special payments. There have been some cases of people who live in Northern Ireland applying for the 350 euro payment and getting it. Apparently social welfare payments have to be paid based on the country you live in, not where you work so there a quite a few Thousand unhappy people in NI right now over this. Somebody said the UK job seekers allowance is 80-100 pounds a week. Not sure if that is true or not.

As many others have said, there seems to be a bit of a party atmosphere on the streets with the fine weather and everybody off work and school. Only this week, I have noticed that [people seem to have relaxed their social distancing. I went to Lidl today to buy food and I was shocked at how crowded it was. I seen some people touching items like fruit and veg with their bare hands and put it back. I told the girl at the checkout that I wasn't very happy with the numbers of people in the store. We also have a problem with people trying to travel to their holiday homes principally out of Dublin to coastal areas like Wexford/Waterford and the west coast. I am shocked that people can be so selfish. There is a huge Garda presence on the street and lots of road blocks set up. The Gardaí were given special powers only this week to summons people to court with penalties of up to 2,500 euros fine for being more than 2km from where they live.

Stay safe everybody and treasure your older friends and relatives.

Again just goes to show how poorly organised and **** out of the starting blocks we are! I get the feeling that getting rid of the elderly, disabled and most vulnerable is actually the plan of action.

 

[rangercol]

I’m going to get grief for this, but my pleasant experience was at Waitrose.

There are too many jokes to be had here .