Coronavirus outbreak

[Pat "5mph"]

News from Rutherglen, outskirts of Glasgow:
local Aldi still no protection for shop workers, no social distancing to speak of.
Local Tesco, a smaller one, all measure implemented, but till operators still don't have a screen to protect them.
Both shops empty of the usual stuff - I found a 4 pack of tp, will do me for more than a week.
Flour of any kind not available, the Tesco boys told me it hasn't been coming in at all.
Local (small shop) chippy not observing anything, enter at your own peril.

For the statistically inclined @nickyboy @McWobble seems a football match vastly contributed to both the Italian and the Spanish coronavirus spread.
Sky news link here, it's on the Guardian too.

@Brompton Bruce guess who is attending the Beatson daily for radiotherapy?
It was nice knowing you all
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news...nurse-beatson-centre-tests-positive-covid-19/

 

[DaveReading]

Though I'm sure that I've seen in a program about the old QE2 that any cruise ship registered in Uk.
Has to have built into the plans the ability to be converted to a troop ship.

You mean with lots of cabins capable of accommodating people on a long voyage ?

 

[Edwardoka]

News from Rutherglen, outskirts of Glasgow:
local Aldi still no protection for shop workers, no social distancing to speak of.
Local Tesco, a smaller one, all measure implemented, but till operators still don't have a screen to protect them.
Both shops empty of the usual stuff - I found a 4 pack of tp, will do me for more than a week.
Flour of any kind not available, the Tesco boys told me it hasn't been coming in at all.
Local (small shop) chippy not observing anything, enter at your own peril.

For the statistically inclined @nickyboy @McWobble seems a football match vastly contributed to both the Italian and the Spanish coronavirus spread.
Sky news link here, it's on the Guardian too.

@Brompton Bruce guess who is attending the Beatson daily for radiotherapy?
It was nice knowing you all
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news...nurse-beatson-centre-tests-positive-covid-19/

Pfft. As if a daft wee virus could possibly harm you. If anything, Covid should be scared of catching you.

 

[Pale Rider]

Footage on Sky News of Boris and a suitably socially distanced Rishi Sunak outside No10 applauding the NHS workers.

Busy day for the chancellor.

Looked to me the help he announced for the self employed is another intelligent and well thought out assistance scheme.

He even found the time to indicate the difference in contributions between self employed and employed will be looked at when the dust settles.

There's no doubt Boris is a buffoon at times, but Sunak is a very sharp cookie.

Good move by Boris to appoint him as his right hand man - at further than arm's length.

 

[kingrollo]

The UK government's reaction has been very sluggish but it's finally starting to get into motion, weeks after it needed to.

The US, however, I don't think they have any concept of how utterly screwed they are.
Just looking at flightradar, you'd think it was business as usual.
So many people there are a hospital visit away from bankruptcy and total destitution.
Many are treating it like it's a joke or no big deal or a sign that Jeebus is coming to save them, or a liberal media hoax to discredit their saviour the Holy Cheeto.

I hate being a worst-case kind of guy but the US's current trajectory looks truly, truly dire.
If I were Mexico I'd be offering to pay for the wall.

Yeah it looks so bad BJ might pull the trade deal ?

 

[Edwardoka]

Footage on Sky News of Boris and a suitably socially distanced Rishi Sunak outside No10 applauding the NHS workers.

Busy day for the chancellor.

Looked to me the help he announced for the self employed is another intelligent and well thought out assistance scheme.

He even found the time to indicate the difference in contributions between self employed and employed will be looked at when the dust settles.

There's no doubt Boris is a buffoon at times, but Sunak is a very sharp cookie.

Good move by Boris to appoint him as his right hand man - at further than arm's length.

You must have been watching a different broadcast to me. This has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. The most obvious one is:

- If you've been self-employed for less than a year, they refuse to help you, join the back of the UC line, because heaven forfend someone gets slightly more money than they'd otherwise be entitled to

There are other holes that people will fall through: if you have been made redundant in the time between businesses being made to close and the relief packages being announced, you are SOL
If you're the owner of a small business that you take a salary from you will not be eligible for any assistance, regardless of whether the business is making any money, meaning that you would need to furlough yourself to get access to the the scheme

Also, you won't get access to these relief funds until June, which is great because as we all know, all self-employed people can survive without eating for 2 months

 

[kingrollo]

Footage on Sky News of Boris and a suitably socially distanced Rishi Sunak outside No10 applauding the NHS workers.

Busy day for the chancellor.

Looked to me the help he announced for the self employed is another intelligent and well thought out assistance scheme.

He even found the time to indicate the difference in contributions between self employed and employed will be looked at when the dust settles.

There's no doubt Boris is a buffoon at times, but Sunak is a very sharp cookie.

Good move by Boris to appoint him as his right hand man - at further than arm's length.

Could be interesting in the years to come - who's more popular BJ or the NHS .....

 

[kingrollo]

You must have been watching a different broadcast to me. This has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. The most obvious one is:

- If you've been self-employed for less than a year, they refuse to help you, join the back of the UC line, because heaven forfend someone gets slightly more money than they'd otherwise be entitled to

There are other holes that people will fall through: if you have been made redundant in the time between businesses being made to close and the relief packages being announced, you are SOL
If you're the owner of a small business that you take a salary from you will not be eligible for any assistance, regardless of whether the business is making any money, meaning that you would need to furlough yourself to get access to the the scheme

Also, you won't get access to these relief funds until June, which is great because as we all know, all self-employed people can survive without eating for 2 months

The Devil's in the detail as always.

Boris more or less opened the other night with "unless it's absolutely essential don't go to work"

But then the guidance appeared - go to work if you can't work from home

 

[Adam4868]

Most of the cars when regs checked came from miles away not locals.
Yesterday they had to deal with a large group near the Snake Pass enjoying a picnic and shisha. They'd come from Manchester, Sheffield and Ipswich. We can afford this level of I don't give a ....

I take your point and the pictures of crowds of people picnicking etc,busy parks,public transport.But a couple walking a dog ? They didn't go there on public transport I presume.Big PR stunt and fail as far as I'm concerned.Fly them.over any park or seafront today and you'd be surprised the amount of people out.

 

[Edwardoka]

The Devil's in the detail as always.

Boris more or less opened the other night with "unless it's absolutely essential don't go to work"

But then the guidance appeared - go to work if you can't work from home

Exactly. Many people are going to be made to choose between starving/defaulting/going into arrears, or continuing going to work, despite the risk of getting sick and spreading it, and self-employed people whose workload has completely dried up because everyone else is on lockdown won't even have that option.

Two months to implement a relief package that requires tons of bureaucracy and means testing to ensure that no povvo gets a penny more than the minimum the system says they should.

I think when the journalist asked Sunak about recently self-employed people who couldn't possibly have filed any tax returns, it was the first time the thought had ever crossed Sunak's mind. At least I hope so, the alternative (that they thought about it but decided that there was no way around it/it wasn't enough of an issue to consider) is deeply obnoxious.

 

[tom73]

Exactly. Many people are going to be made to choose between starving/defaulting/going into arrears, or continuing going to work, despite the risk of getting sick and spreading it, and self-employed people whose workload has completely dried up because everyone else is on lockdown won't even have that option.

Two months to implement a relief package that requires tons of bureaucracy and means testing to ensure that no povvo gets a penny more than the minimum the system says they should.

I think when the journalist asked Sunak about recently self-employed people who couldn't possibly have filed any tax returns, it was the first time the thought had ever crossed Sunak's mind. At least I hope so, the alternative (that they thought about it but decided that there was no way around it/it wasn't enough of an issue to consider) is deeply obnoxious.

Then we've got like many new starts up who even 3 years in have yet to make a profit. They look to be stuffed too.

 

[Julia9054]

If you've been self-employed for less than a year, they refuse to help you, join the back of the UC line, because heaven forfend someone gets slightly more money than they'd otherwise be entitled

My son has been self employed since graduating - 1 year and 9 months. He has 1 year's set of accounts so this is no good to him. As a musician, he has lost all his playing and teaching income and is currently working as many shifts as he can in a care home to make ends meet.

 

[vickster]

My son has been self employed since graduating - 1 year and 9 months. He has 1 year's set of accounts so this is no good to him. As a musician, he has lost all his playing and teaching income and is currently working as many shifts as he can in a care home to make ends meet.

Why? They will look at 1 year of accounts?
It’s if you’ve never filed accounts that you won’t get the support. That was my understanding.
One of my friends who freelances in the same industry is stuffed as she’s only been paying herself dividends and not a salary Her work has dried up due to the area she specialises in.
I’m ok for now as contracted and have ongoing projects

 

[Adam4868]

Why? They will look at 1 year of accounts?
It’s if you’ve never filed accounts that you won’t get the support

Will they ? I thought it was over three years worth

 

[vickster]

Will they ? I thought it was over three years worth

That’s not what was said

Coronavirus: What help will self-employed get from government? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52052123