Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[pandarilla]

I feel sorry for staff who were charged with preparing timetables for this 'blended' nonsense.
It's been clear for a good few days where this was heading though.  I've spent them advising colleagues not to bust a gut on such a silly model, because a full return was very much on the cards.
I'm glad it's happening and I think the profession needs to be seen to be embracing it.

I agree with this.

I said from the start that the blended model was unworkable if the numbers remained fairly low.

It's simply too disruptive.

Yes schools need a contingency incase a big spike returns, but the 'in once a week' plan whilst teachers themselves (along with other key workers) were getting free ft childcare was never going to fly with public opinion - and rightly so.

I'm glad they've seen sense. But maybe a running a couple of weeks with the blended model when we return will allow schools to test their contingency strategy. It'll also give time to get the timetable and planning sorted for returning ft.

The last few weeks have been a shambles, and some poor c***s have been working their pan in on stuff that's just been ditched.

[Guest SJP79]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

Well the UK media certainly wants to believe that South Korea is in the process of a second wave (or a third wave after it breathlessly forecasted a previous one with the nightclub outbreak in Seoul) but it doesn't tally with the facts right now:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-korea/

The centre for disease control in South korea are reporting it though. 

[Gordon EF]

1 hour ago, SJP79 said:

There seems to be a second wave coming in South Korea and Israel, plus out breaks in Austrailia, Portugal and Spain. 

I think a second wave will happen here, especially with tourism starting again, fans in stadiums looks doubtful unless there in a huge reduction in numbers. 

What evidence is there of a second wave in South Korea apart from the musings of panty-wetters?

[Steven W]

Just reflecting on that news today. Swinney took the nation by surprise with that one. The SG certainly do a far better job at keeping thing under wraps than their counterparts down south (That said, they clearly leak stories out down there in order to guage reaction before actually carrying them out).

Which takes me on to tomorrow where it seems we'll be getting some more lockdown restrictions removed. Any guesses as to what that may be?

[Guest SJP79]

3 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

What evidence is there of a second wave in South Korea apart from the musings of panty-wetters?

 

[Gordon EF]

Folk have been ganting for a "second wave" in South Korea for months. 

[Guest SJP79]

(Complacency of citizens on physical distancing) 

Bit like here. 

[pandarilla]

The pace beginning to quicken with low numbers is a good thing. The biggest obstacle to progress now will be folk shrieking that we need to lock down and bring furlough back as soon as theres an inevitable rise in cases. Falling back to using tracing etc to squash smaller outbreaks is absolutely the right thing to do.

I'm a socialist and I've been pushing the common weal plan for a different type of economy after all this.

But i worry that another big obstacle is that a lot of people on the left think they have to oppose easing restrictions on political grounds. This is not a right v left issue imo.

Some of the folk being damaged the most by extended restrictions are families at the bottom of society, and especially their kids. Those children need schools to be back ft, asap.

Middle class folk's weans are doing much better.

[Turkmenbashi]

5 minutes ago, SJP79 said:

The centre for disease control in South korea are reporting it though. 

17 new cases a day. Some second wave. 
Some people seem desperate for there to be a second wave in these countries that have loosened restrictions to justify to Scottish governments caution

source:
https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/118166/coronavirus-what-turns-an-outbreak-into-a-second-wave/

 

[Guest SJP79]

10 minutes ago, Turkmenbashi said:

17 new cases a day. Some second wave. 
Some people seem desperate for there to be a second wave in these countries that have loosened restrictions to justify to Scottish governments caution

source:
https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/118166/coronavirus-what-turns-an-outbreak-into-a-second-wave/

 

17 Yesterday and 46 so far today, 48 two days ago, did you forget what happened during the last 4 months ?

Edited June 23, 2020 by SJP79

[Gordon EF]

1 minute ago, SJP79 said:

17 Yesterday and 46 so far today, did you forget what happened during the last 4 months ?

Woah. By the end of the week we'll be at 6,600 infections per day because that's how that works.

[Guest SJP79]

2 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

Woah. By the end of the week we'll be at 6,600 infections per day because that's how that works.

How does it work ?

[Musketeer Gripweed]

2 minutes ago, SJP79 said:

17 Yesterday and 46 so far today, did you forget what happened during the last 4 months ?

The whole world was a completely different place 4 months ago. As we have seen in Germany, if a spike occurs, it is clamped down on really quickly without the same widespread disruption we had back in the spring.

Everyone is far more aware of the dangers and we are all taking far more precautions than we did at the start.

I am fairly confident that, should a spike occur anywhere now, it will be stubbed out relatively quickly.

[Bairnardo]

Dont you think that the South Koreans may have learned something, and maybe are capable of handling a rise in cases without it turned into a health service crippling, nationwide emergency?

I personally am banking on even the least competent of governments (ours) handling a second wave considerably better than the first even without a lockdown based on the fact that the last 4 months actually happened.

Been over this before but if you accept three truths, firstly that this virus wont go away without a vaccine, secondly that no vaccine can be assumed to be possible, and thirdly that our current measures are totally unsuitable anything other than preventing the meltdown of the NHS and are causing colossal damage to our entire society, then I dont really see how you can argue for anything other than removal of restrictions as quickly as possible.

17 Yesterday and 46 so far today, 48 two days ago, did you forget what happened during the last 4 months ?

[Guest SJP79]

2 minutes ago, Musketeer Gripweed said:

The whole world was a completely different place 4 months ago. As we have seen in Germany, if a spike occurs, it is clamped down on really quickly without the same widespread disruption we had back in the spring.

Everyone is far more aware of the dangers and we are all taking far more precautions than we did at the start.

I am fairly confident that, should a spike occur anywhere now, it will be stubbed out relatively quickly.

I agree but the risk is in getting complacent, some want to get full crowds back at gigs and matches, the disease is still there. 

 

[Guest SJP79]

2 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Dont you think that the South Koreans may have learned something, and maybe are capable of handling a rise in cases without it turned into a health service crippling, nationwide emergency?

I personally am banking on even the least competent of governments (ours) handling a second wave considerably better than the first even without a lockdown based on the fact that the last 4 months actually happened.

Been over this before but if you accept three truths, firstly that this virus wont go away without a vaccine, secondly that no vaccine can be assumed to be possible, and thirdly that our current measures are totally unsuitable anything other than preventing the meltdown of the NHS and are causing colossal damage to our entire society, then I dont really see how you can argue for anything other than removal of restrictions as quickly as possible.

Everyone should be better prepared and you'd expect the increases in cases to be no where as bad as the initial outbreak. 

But are you suggesting removing all restrictions or just some of them ?

[madwullie]

Say there's 20 kids in a class, and one of them/the teacher tests positive. Does that mean everyone in that class has to self isolate? Everyone the kid has come into contact with? Staff and pupil absences are going to be sky high no matter what model they go with

[Skyline Drifter]

33 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

The last few weeks have been a shambles, and some poor c***s have been working their pan in on stuff that's just been ditched.

As did all the people who pulled together the Nightingale hospitals in the first place but if they hadn't done it..............

[Bairnardo]

Everyone should be better prepared and you'd expect the increases in cases to be no where as bad as the initial outbreak. 
But are you suggesting removing all restrictions or just some of them ?

All of them in a timely manner, with the exception of maybe those told to shield retain maybe some measures for their protection, since unfair as it may be, COVID will fail to even annoy most people it infects let alone hospitalise them. What we should be left with is a population who instinctively wash hands more often, opt to sit further away from others where possible, avoid unnecessary contact with others as far as is practicable, wear masks where none of the above is possible, and comply with instruction from contact tracers/local requirements in the event of an outbreak.

Should ALL of that fail, we have what is seemingly a very effective and cheap steroid to treat the worst cases, much more equipment, much more ppe, many more beds available aswell as a far more clued up and ready health service.

Theres absolutely no way we shouldnt be driving towards normality with the only caveat being compliance in the event of localised requirements, given the reasons I mentioned above. None of the measures currently in place can run alongside a normal life, and giving up a normal life for me and my kids on an indefinite timescale is out of the question IMO.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Can only speak for Edinburgh, but the plan for Primary schools would have been pupils in Mon-Thurs, and Fridays for online content as well as the usual planning/marking/prep time.  

Dundee's plan was Monday to Friday - staff working 100% of their time and pupils in 50% of the time - pupils would be given work as home learning. No time for doing online learning.