When will this shit end?

[Ozanne]

2 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

low population densities.

Might move there.

Yes go to the SW, don't come to the SE we don't want your germs here 😛 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Ozanne

[Crazyfool01]

3 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

low population densities.

Might move there.

no protect the vulnerable and Michael ... keep away 

[Ozanne]

Poor Stevie, he can't come past the Midlands lol.

[Ozanne]

When it comes to being expected to keep to COVID laws, remember the blatant double standards being set by the Tories who have just whipped their MPs to vote against a clause that requires Ministers to respect the rule of law. One rule for them and another for us.

 

 

[JoeyT]

15 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

This isn't aimed at you, but more in general- I feel we did all this back in March- a few weeks before the lockdown the attitude was "oh it's nothing" "it won't get too bad" "isn't it just like flu", then after we procrastinated so much and the s*** hit the fan, these same people who said it was nothing changed their tune to "it's so bad, there's nothing you can do about it, so we shouldn't bother"- I just feel there are some people that will oppose any lockdown regardless.

I think it's good hospitalisation rates are lower, and lets hope they stay low, but I'd rather be overly cautious than leave it too late like we did in March- it certainly paid of for those countries that were extra cautious (see Vietnam, New Zealand etc). Remember, hospitals will likely have less capacity than they did in March due to various winter ailments, so we have less margin for error (though I'm hoping flu isn't so wide spread this year with the extra vaccination and social distancing). The quicker we lockdown, the quicker we can end lockdown, the fewer people die.

I certainly wouldn't oppose a lockdown under the right circumstances and I realise how fortunate I am to live in the SW given we escapes the worse of covid originally and the current low rates.

My stance all along hasn't been that of a "covid denier" but I think everything needs to be looked at in context and I think any actions need to be proportionate to the areas most affected and not knee jerk nationwide rules.

[Crazyfool01]

will the app actually start having an effect at some point in bringing the numbers down ? 

[Ozanne]

Just now, crazyfool1 said:

will the app actually start having an effect at some point in bringing the numbers down ? 

It will starting appening soon.

[RobertProsineckisLighter]

14 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

low population densities.

Might move there.

Population density has been a common theme although not often discussed. 

HMO'S, Tower Blocks, University Halls of residence, with th exception of the later there is often a link between these and deprivaton, types of job, health outcomes and health inequalities. 

Would be an interesting exercise to map that.

[Fuzzy Afro]

1 minute ago, crazyfool1 said:

will the app actually start having an effect at some point in bringing the numbers down ? 

I wouldn’t expect so tbh. If most people aren’t even isolating when the test and trace people tell them to, no way will they isolate based on a phone app. 

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

I wouldn’t expect so tbh. If most people aren’t even isolating when the test and trace people tell them to, no way will they isolate based on a phone app. 

but if some do surely thats a help ? 

[Fuzzy Afro]

Just now, crazyfool1 said:

but if some do surely thats a help ? 

I hope so for sure. 

[Leyrulion]

2 hours ago, steviewevie said:

Lots of non fresher Uni students going back this week and next...might have an impact?

I wouldn't expect so. Most of them will have returned when contracts began 1st September. 

[mcshed]

2 hours ago, DeanoL said:

It should be a complete scandal that unemployment benefit is £300 a month but when the middle classes end up unemployed furlough is up to £1500 a month.

That's the thing if unemployment benefit was actually something you could reasonably live off rather than a degrading pittance then the needs of whatever COVID package the government put together would be very different.

[Fuzzy Afro]

1 minute ago, mcshed said:

That's the thing if unemployment benefit was actually something you could reasonably live off rather than a degrading pittance then the needs of whatever COVID package the government put together would be very different.

Surely the point is that a lot of those who were abruptly furloughed would have high living expenses? I certainly couldn’t afford to live off £300 a month given the rent and bills attached to my name just now. 
 

But we can’t go giving unemployed people great lifestyles otherwise no one would bother going to work. So Jobseeker’s Allowance is deliberately pitched to allow people to just about survive at a minimum level. 

[Mr.Tease]

22 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

I certainly wouldn't oppose a lockdown under the right circumstances and I realise how fortunate I am to live in the SW given we escapes the worse of covid originally and the current low rates.

My stance all along hasn't been that of a "covid denier" but I think everything needs to be looked at in context and I think any actions need to be proportionate to the areas most affected and not knee jerk nationwide rules.

I do appreciate you sharing your perspective and keeping tabs on the data, I don’t think you’re a Covid denier or anything. I think I’d rather be cautious as I live in a deprived northern town where there are a lot of co-morbidities and know a lot of people who work in the hospital and GP surgeries- just don’t want to make the same mistakes as last time

[DeanoL]

7 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Surely the point is that a lot of those who were abruptly furloughed would have high living expenses? I certainly couldn’t afford to live off £300 a month given the rent and bills attached to my name just now. 
 

But we can’t go giving unemployed people great lifestyles otherwise no one would bother going to work. So Jobseeker’s Allowance is deliberately pitched to allow people to just about survive at a minimum level. 

If furlough wasn't available those people would have been made redundant instead and would have gotten a redundancy payout and be able to work their notice period. 

Other countries handle this by having a furlough-esque payment available for X number of months after a redudancy. And also requiring contributions to an insurance fund. So Sweden for example:

Quote

If you have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund for at least 12 months and satisfied the work-related conditions when you last became a member of the unemployment insurance fund, you are entitled to income-loss unemployment benefit.

When you are entitled to income-loss unemployment benefit, the level for the first 100 days is 80% of your previous income (although a maximum of SEK 910 per day).

The level of unemployment benefit for the remaining 200 days is 70% of your previous income (but a maximum of SEK 760 per day). If you have worked less than full-time, the financial amount is reduced in proportion to working time.

 

[Crazyfool01]

32 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

I certainly wouldn't oppose a lockdown under the right circumstances and I realise how fortunate I am to live in the SW given we escapes the worse of covid originally and the current low rates.

My stance all along hasn't been that of a "covid denier" but I think everything needs to be looked at in context and I think any actions need to be proportionate to the areas most affected and not knee jerk nationwide rules.

just out of interest have you checked the case rise in your area recently ? 

[JoeyT]

4 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

just out of interest have you checked the case rise in your area recently ? 

Looks like 8 cases confirmed in the last 24 hours?

20 cases in Bristol.

Looks like the last death in Bristol (can't find BANES) was on Aug 25th.

[Dom Wall]

My parents (Cumbria based) are planning on visiting me (London based) with a stay around the Home Counties for a couple of days mid-October, plus one night in London itself.

As they'd be driving and staying in self-catering I think they'd be fine, but dad is getting a little nervous now. Hive mind, what's your thoughts on level of safety?

[Ryan1984]

4 minutes ago, Dom Wall said:

My parents (Cumbria based) are planning on visiting me (London based) with a stay around the Home Counties for a couple of days mid-October, plus one night in London itself.

As they'd be driving and staying in self-catering I think they'd be fine, but dad is getting a little nervous now. Hive mind, what's your thoughts on level of safety?

I genuinely believe there will be travel restrictions brought in for the North shortly. Maybe it does just have to be a case of playing it by ear? Sorry, that wasn’t much help!

[Euphoricape]

1 hour ago, steviewevie said:

low population densities.

Might move there.

I live in Cornwall, and we have in the past week had cases in 2 local secondary schools and both main colleges in my area. It seems more prevalent here now than it did any time back in March/April. SW as a whole may be far less affected but its still certainly felt where I live at the moment.

 

[mcshed]

43 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Surely the point is that a lot of those who were abruptly furloughed would have high living expenses? I certainly couldn’t afford to live off £300 a month given the rent and bills attached to my name just now. 

Well that's why I'm saying the package would be different not non existent, if there were payment holidays for mortgages, rents, other large debts then your basic spending money that you get when unemployed should be enough to cover you. It shouldn't be £300.

 

47 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

But we can’t go giving unemployed people great lifestyles otherwise no one would bother going to work. So Jobseeker’s Allowance is deliberately pitched to allow people to just about survive at a minimum level. 

I don't think you should be able to live the life of Riley on benefits but "just about survive at a minimum level" seems cruel, how about "comfortably get by without any extravagance"?

I'm also not entirely convinced that no one would go to work if you raised the level to something more salubrious. Employers might have to treat their staff better.

[steviewevie]

Manchester takes the lead!

[Fuzzy Afro]

6 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Manchester takes the lead!

The Covid Premier League is the one league table that Manchester doesn’t want to be top of. I wonder if they might be about to get hospitality restricted to takeaway only. 

[steviewevie]

8 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

The Covid Premier League is the one league table that Manchester doesn’t want to be top of. I wonder if they might be about to get hospitality restricted to takeaway only. 

Rise could also be down to students coming back...big student population in Manchester.