Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Pocketman]

7 hours ago, jagfox99 said:

Hundreds flock to London's parks on sunny Saturday As the capital’s Victoria Park reopens its gates after two weeks, the rules on exercise and social distancing remain blurred

 

I really don't get this. if introducing social distancing requirements why not close the parks? what argument is there for leaving open a publicly maintained space that people will naturally congregate in? is it because the Govt don't wish to be seen as being too heavy handed and don't see it as a vote winner?? it is baffling. 

I am in Rome and in the 5th week of lockdown. The parks were closed after the first week of lockdown as some people were congregating there. in terms of exercising, you can go running to walking but only within the vicinity of your block - means doing laps but it is what it is.....

 

 

[Fullerene]

7 hours ago, Granny Danger said:

The lockdown is less than three weeks old.  Businesses that are going bust due to three weeks of inactivity must be in a perilous state to start with.

Many, and probably most, small business owners will have taken money out over the years, maybe they should try putting some of it back in.

You seem to have a real gripe about people who are not employed by someone else.

I have been self-employed for years.  It's wonderful not having some unpleasant idiot telling me what to do.

Other people feel the same and run their own business.  In some cases they employ others to work alongside them.

Often it is a case of chasing the work to keep things going for the next three months then three months after that and so on.  Maybe six months.  Maybe a year.

There is no big money pot.  No massive reserve.

I am doing okay but other businesses have seen their work dry up completely.  In some cases the summer months earn the big money to keep them going for the rest of the year.

Not all small businesses are ruthless tyrants.

[jagfox]

51 minutes ago, KingRocketman II said:

I really don't get this. if introducing social distancing requirements why not close the parks? what argument is there for leaving open a publicly maintained space that people will naturally congregate in? is it because the Govt don't wish to be seen as being too heavy handed and don't see it as a vote winner?? it is baffling. 

I am in Rome and in the 5th week of lockdown. The parks were closed after the first week of lockdown as some people were congregating there. in terms of exercising, you can go running to walking but only within the vicinity of your block - means doing laps but it is what it is.....

 

 

The park mentioned was briefly closed. I think what you say about the government not wanting to be seen as a bad guy is more or less the underlying tone of their current policy in terms of exercise.  There has been mixed messages regarding this in the last month from government or at least areas requiring clarification. This relies on the public being sensible which is the fatal flaw as there will always a minority taking the piss. 

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, Fullerene said:

You seem to have a real gripe about people who are not employed by someone else.

I have been self-employed for years.  It's wonderful not having some unpleasant idiot telling me what to do.

Other people feel the same and run their own business.  In some cases they employ others to work alongside them.

Often it is a case of chasing the work to keep things going for the next three months then three months after that and so on.  Maybe six months.  Maybe a year.

There is no big money pot.  No massive reserve.

I am doing okay but other businesses have seen their work dry up completely.  In some cases the summer months earn the big money to keep them going for the rest of the year.

Not all small businesses are ruthless tyrants.

Not sure where you get the “gripe” thing from.  I have run a small business for about 25 years, so I’m talking about people just like myself.

The last time there was a widespread downturn was back in the late 2000s.  I put thousands back into my business to keep it afloat and had no problems doing so whilst others I know felt that the banks should just cough up the cash.

I think that’s different from your self-employed situation.  I am assuming as such that you have minimal overheads and that your main problem is income.  I think the government’s (belated) scheme for self-employed is not too bad, other than the obvious time delay in getting the money.

[Granny Danger]

1 hour ago, KingRocketman II said:

I really don't get this. if introducing social distancing requirements why not close the parks? what argument is there for leaving open a publicly maintained space that people will naturally congregate in? is it because the Govt don't wish to be seen as being too heavy handed and don't see it as a vote winner?? it is baffling. 

I am in Rome and in the 5th week of lockdown. The parks were closed after the first week of lockdown as some people were congregating there. in terms of exercising, you can go running to walking but only within the vicinity of your block - means doing laps but it is what it is.....

 

 

Yip, the missus and I have been restricting ourselves to walking around the urban area where we live as opposed to going to the places we regularly go to; Crombie Country Park is only a 10 minute drive for us and is a regular walk however we have simply avoided it as per the guidelines. St. Andrews is another favourite that we have stopped going to.

The walks we are doing are genuinely as boring as hell, particularly doing them day after day, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not an issue.

Our most regular walk takes us past the railway line, which is next to the waterfront.  Every time we pass it we see at l ast one car heading down or coming back, many appear to be dog owners who seem to think that they are exempt from taking their car to a place so they can walk.

[vikingTON]

4 hours ago, JTS98 said:

f**k me!

“Everyone is adhering to it,” said Shahed Gulam, out strolling with his partner and their two children, but as he said those words a runner trotted by barely a metre away." - Priceless

“There’s a bit of a blurred line with exercise and knowing how you’re supposed to implement it,” said Jonathan King, a construction project manager, who uses the park to walk and run. “ I don’t think you really know if you can slip past someone for a second or two. But to be honest, there’s no other way of doing it, otherwise people wouldn’t be moving.” - Fingers in ears lalalalala https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/video-shows-the-danger-of-walking-or-running-behind-someone-with-covid-19/09/04/

If people can't be trusted to do the right thing, then people shouldn't be doing it. As pointed out in that study, running itself is not dangerous on paper (can't run on paper m9), but the way people actually behave in reality makes it dangerous. It shouldn't be happening.

“I kind of get a little aggravated at people jogging past me,” said Thompson, who was fed up with runners infringing the two-metre rule. “If you’re jogging anyway, jog round me, don’t jog at me! These guys are really puffing out, which is just as bad as a cough or a sneeze in my mind.” - You're right. It is.

“Best to lead by example and avoid other people rather than shouting and telling them what they’re doing wrong,” he said. “No one likes to hear that.” - Fucking hell. Don't tell people they're putting lives at risk. It'll irritate them!

It is absolute lunacy that trips outside for 'exercise' are still being allowed. People will not/don't know how to/forget to follow the rules to keep it safe, and it'll cost lives. Exercise at home.

The main reason why social distancing can’t be maintained outside isn’t joggers: it’s family groups straddling their fat arses across the entire pavement for their daily slither, with a bunch of screaming weans and usually a dug off the leash as well. If you want to make it more effective then you would remove the exemption for household groups and make it one person outside for ‘exercise’ at a time.

[Theroadlesstravelled]

43 minutes ago, Fullerene said:

It's wonderful not having some unpleasant idiot telling me what to do.

 

I take it you’re not married.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

1 minute ago, virginton said:

The main reason why social distancing can’t be maintained outside isn’t joggers: it’s family groups straddling their fat arses across the entire pavement for their daily slither, with a bunch of screaming weans and usually a dug off the leash as well. If you want to make it more effective then you would remove the exemption for household groups and make it one person outside for ‘exercise’ at a time.

Even worse are absolute wankers with dogs on those fucking retractable leads, usually stretched right across any given road. Either teach your dog basic recall or don't fucking have one. 

[jagfox]

2 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

If you shut down one park, people will use other parks which puts more space pressure on them.

I think that is the argument.

The current situation also has the result of people overcrowding larger parks then impacting on other public places and smaller parks which became crowded over the weekend from my local perspective. 

People should get out and follow social distancing, not go to a wee park and sit on a bench or sunbathe which I witnessed when I was out. 

This wont change really unless stricter measures are placed which I feel won’t happen for the time being.

[Pocketman]

9 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

If you shut down one park, people will use other parks which puts more space pressure on them.

I think that is the argument.

yeah so shut down all the parks. allowed out if:

- you are essential worker traveling to and from work;

- purchase of essential items such as food or medicine for self or vulnerable family members/neighbours;

- dog walking and/or one hour of exercise within your immediate locality.

no individual discretion, fudging or sunbathing. otherwise it will likely take a lot longer to achieve their goal of "flattening the curve'

 

 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

[O'Kelly Isley III]

Labour had many allies in the press when Blair came to power, or did you not want to mention that?

I think that tells you everything you need to know about Blair's Labour Party.

[doulikefish]

France expected to announce an unknown date on the "stay at hime" today.Macron making a speech tonight 

[Todd_is_God]

4 hours ago, pawpar said:

The world is fucked from BBC News -

China sees spike in numbers

China has reported its highest number of new daily cases in almost six weeks.

Of the 108 new cases on Sunday, 98 were imported – triggering fears that infected travellers could cause a second wave of the virus. The Chinese city of Wuhan – the epicentre of the virus – only earlier last week reopened after 11 weeks in lockdown.

The country also saw two deaths on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 3,341. Some 61 new asymptomatic cases – which China does not count as a confirmed case – were also recorded.

I said quite a few pages back I couldn't understand why China went to the bother of welding people in to their flats to stop the spread, to then allow people from outside China to fly in once they appeared to have it controlled.

[jagfox]

Quite an interesting read - Prepare for the ultimate gaslighting

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

9 hours ago, Gaz said:

If there's one thing we've learned over the past decade, is that rational decision seldom factor in when it comes to choosing who to vote for. Not when we've had "VOTE LABOUR AND CORBYN WILL PERSONALLY MURDER YOUR DAUGHTER" for headlines for five years.

If anyone thinks this will genuinely lead to any kind of change they're deluded. Most of the political commentary I've seen on this is "well, imagine how bad it would be if Labour were in charge!".

The right wing media coverage of this is truly horrendous. The tabloid coverage concentrates mainly on their hatred of the EU and Nicola Sturgeon, and combines it breathlessly with at least 6 or 7 online articles per day on what Piers Morgan thinks. 

The broadsheet coverage is more sinister. The Telegraph.....a publication which de facto still employs the Prime Minister I believe.....is filled with right-wing columnists lashing out at 'woke liberals'.

It's truly horrendous stuff. There's absolutely no media scrutiny of government, just propaganda which matches Fox News in the USA. How can people ever make informed decisions when the vast majority of mainstream news they receive has already been filtered through a media that has an ideology to support ?

[jagfox]

There will be a clap for Priti Patel tonight at 73 minutes past eleventeen twelvety...

[madwullie]

Sorry if this has been posted, too much to read to catch up, but Johnston I see has gone to chequers with his fiancée. 

Is he no longer infectious? I know she thought she had it but wasn't tested? She's pregnant, is this wise given what we know about coronavirus. What about his staff - are they safe to go with him. Plus, I know it's a bit petty, but is chequers not a second home? 

Finally, he was in icu about 3 days ago? Is this not a miracle recovery? Icu to holiday home in a few days? Either he wasn't sick enough to be in icu or he's travelling seriously unwell, stretching resources elsewhere, or there's something that just doesn't add up about it all. 

Edited April 13, 2020 by madwullie

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

The right wing media coverage of this is truly horrendous. The tabloid coverage concentrates mainly on their hatred of the EU and Nicola Sturgeon, and combines it breathlessly with at least 6 or 7 online articles per day on what Piers Morgan thinks. 

The broadsheet coverage is more sinister. The Telegraph.....a publication which de facto still employs the Prime Minister I believe.....is filled with right-wing columnists lashing out at 'woke liberals'.

It's truly horrendous stuff. There's absolutely no media scrutiny of government, just propaganda which matches Fox News in the USA. How can people ever make informed decisions when the vast majority of mainstream news they receive has already been filtered through a media that has an ideology to support ?

If there was genuine scrutiny of the decimation of the NHS over the past 15 years and the mishandling of the crisis to date it could have a significant effect on the Conservative Party.

Best way to avoid this is to have no real scrutiny.

[jagfox]

5 minutes ago, madwullie said:

Sorry if this has been posted, too much to read to catch up, but Johnston I see has gone to chequers with his fiancée. 

Is he no longer infectious? I know she thought she had it but wasn't tested? She's pregnant, is this wise given what we know about coronavirus. What about his staff - are they safe to go with him. Plus, I know it's a bit petty, but is chequers not a second home? 

Finally, he was in icu about 3 days ago? Is this not a miracle recovery? Icu to holiday home in a few days? Either he wasn't sick enough to be in icu or he's travelling seriously unwell, stretching resources elsewhere, or there's something that just doesn't add up about it all. 

My mate was in ICU then went to High Dependency for a day or so, now back home.