Coronavirus outbreak

[mjr]

Its not about the will, its about practicality. My favourite pub for example, tables on pavement would prevent access for wheelchairs or buggies, so its either close pavements or road.

Then close the road, or more likely take convert some parking spaces into seating. I've absolutely no problems with that. I would have opened up so-called "pavement licences" to allow seating on roads outside ped zones (with appropriate barriers between seats and traffic, and 20mph speed limits) and I don't understand why this government still seems to be resisting that.

And thats before we talk about the weather - who will sit there when it rains? Will people really sit there when 5c in winter?

We aren't made of sugar, plus we have umbrellas (over tables, or personal and I know I wasn't the only person to buy a new large golf umbrella last year because two shops had sold out before I found one) and many people have warm coats from various times over the last year where we could only meet outdoors.

And this would be part of an attempt to get this thing in retreat before winter, rather than having this wave become a tsunami that sees us back in another late, long lockdown from September, as Chris Whitty is now warning is possible, presumably in an attempt to stop people going too mad next week after surrender day.

Times Today: [...]

The rules were first relaxed last year to make it easier for businesses to serve customers outside when indoor Covid restrictions were in place. Now ministers say that they want the changes to be permanent to reinvigorate town centres. . .

So sadly this is only "changes to be permanent" rather than expanding them to help level up more suburbs and unpedestrianised town centres.

In other words, if you've not seen pavement seating outside your local pubs/cafes/restaurants under current rules, like most of the country, this won't enable it.

Westminster council is preparing 50 projects to make space for alfresco dining by widening pavements and closing roads for part of the day.[/I]

Is that reporting from a literal Westminster bubble?

 

[mjr]

"Staff shortages threatening production of goods" says https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/nissan-government-england-nhs-wales-b946105.html

It headlines on the half-million told to isolate by the NHS Covid app but I heard on this morning's news that about another million have been told by Track and Trace or schools, meaning a total of 1.6m have been told to isolate in the last week.

I think it's disappointing that the SMMT Chief Exec in the report is calling for the app to be made less sensitive or quarantine to be reduced, rather than for the government to retain some non-pharma interventions (face coverings on commuter transport and in essential shops, for example) to get a grip on soaring case numbers, but... motoring lobbyists, eh?

 

[matticus]

Then close the road, or more likely take convert some parking spaces into seating. I've absolutely no problems with that. I would have opened up so-called "pavement licences" to allow seating on roads outside ped zones (with appropriate barriers between seats and traffic, and 20mph speed limits) and I don't understand why this government still seems to be resisting that.

Yup, entirely practical. A few town/cities have done it - pictures from Soho over the summer come to mind, I believe there were others, some even in the Frozen North.

The Scandi countries have pavement cafe culture all year round - admittedly not as much as on the Med - so most British cities must be capable of it, even in our grimmer months

 

[PaulB]

Lifting the restrictions on Monday is going to cost us all and it's going to be a VERY big cost.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...d-unlocking-a-threat-to-the-world-experts-say

 

[Johnno260]

Lifting the restrictions on Monday is going to cost us all and it's going to be a VERY big cost.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...d-unlocking-a-threat-to-the-world-experts-say

Yup an the anti brigade are planning marches everywhere to make the situation worse due to lack of brain cells so expect to see another spike 2-3 weeks after the 19th.

 

[PaulB]

Yup an the anti brigade are planning marches everywhere to make the situation worse due to lack of brain cells so expect to see another spike 2-3 weeks after the 19th.

We're already seeing a large spike in - coincidence of coincidences - young Englishmen who just happen to have attended a football match or two, or been in a crowd of other young men watching a football match in an enclosed area, in recent weeks.

 

[fossyant]

Thing is, you can't keep going on locked down - nearly 18 months of it. The majority of folk vulnerable are vaccinated. I won't, however, be off to the nightclub on Monday, nor will I be getting in a flying tin for some time. Im not about to hug everyone in the supemarket also.

Plenty of folk booked on their flying tins. Just out of immediate people, I know 4 families about to jet off, one my sister and also my SIL - both to yellow countries.

 

[fossyant]

We're already seeing a large spike in - coincidence of coincidences - young Englishmen who just happen to have attended a football match or two, or been in a crowd of other young men watching a football match in an enclosed area, in recent weeks.

Massive increases due to the Euros. Add in the pubs and fan zones, and city centres.

 

[mjr]

Thing is, you can't keep going on locked down - nearly 18 months of it.

Not been locked down for months now. We will be again soon if government and its supporters don't stop mucking about.

The euros are an example of mucking about. In theory, fan zones were set up covid safe. In practice, doors/windows were shut, ventilation units switched off, viewers mixed and hugged and no one doing a damned thing that I could see to enforce safety measures, with many enforcement officers unwilling to work overtime because they wanted to watch too and I bet government was unwilling or unable to pay double or treble time to attract them. Stadiums have been discussed already here and in other threads, with gatecrashers and test-fakers adding to the complications.

63 deaths reported yesterday (headline figure). I think announcing 100 as a possible peak value for after surrender day was very very optimistic.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I think announcing 100 as a possible peak value for after surrender day was very very optimistic.

Average daily deaths for last 7 days is near 40.

Deaths follow cases and hospitalizations, both of which continue to double ~fortnightly

Deaths are near guaranteed to at least double from current levels.

 

[matticus]

The fact that you're saying the Euros weren't run according to current restrictions suggest we ARE still under SOME kind of "Lockdown"

 

[roubaixtuesday]

The fact that you're saying the Euros weren't run according to current restrictions suggest we ARE still under SOME kind of "Lockdown"

"A flesh wound" and "loss of a limb" are not synonymous.

Similarly, "Lockdown" and "some restrictions" are not synonymous.


View: https://youtu.be/UijhbHvxWrA

 

[matticus]

Call that a lockdown?


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3BUrtNeh3k

 

[PK99]

Visited Chartwell yesterday and came across this quote from Churchill, it seems particularly apposite:

You have to run risks. There are no certainties in war.
There is a precipice on either side of you - a precipice of caution and a precipice of over-daring.

Winston Churchill

 

[newfhouse]

Visited Chartwell yesterday and came across this quote from Churchill, it seems particularly apposite:

You have to run risks. There are no certainties in war.
There is a precipice on either side of you - a precipice of caution and a precipice of over-daring.

Winston Churchill

Is COVID an enemy we can dissuade from attacking by demonstrations of resolve or bravery?