Coronavirus outbreak

[a.twiddler]

Smoking ban came in first in the 1990s - at first designated rooms - at my trust we have dedicated smoking shelters.

Never been a problem to me or any of my colleagues either smokers or non smokers. YMMV.

It's a long time since I worked in the NHS but certainly when I have been for meetings or training on NHS sites since, smokers had to go outside the boundary of the premises, even to the pavement outside the gate, before they could light up. I am not a smoker myself but it did seem discriminatory to make them do this, clean air requirements and passive smoking issues notwithstanding. It was not particularly an issue to me or my non smoking colleagues otherwise.

 

[Tanis8472]

It's always the same types isn't it.
Why is it being given airtime anyway 🙄

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/to...-for-call-over-public-transport-use-1-6653034

Sorry, i can't name it.

 

[vickster]

St George's in Tooting has a No Smoking policy covering the whole site.

3.1 Smoking is not permitted inside the buildings or on the grounds of all St George’s, University of London premises at all times. This will ensure that staff, students and visitors are protected from the dangers of passive smoking while on St George’s premises.

3.2 Smoking is also prohibited:

• within vehicles owned and operated by St George’s, University of London;
• within private or leased vehicles used during University business to transport a University employee or student who does not smoke any tobacco products including electronic cigarettes

I’ve certainly seen smokers at St George’s, patients and visitors near main entrances. It may be policy but not necessarily enforced!
I spent a good hour in November walking around the whole site while waiting for my mum who was having a procedure

 

[Electric_Andy]

At my hospital they used to have smoking shelters, but very few used them and instead smoked anywhere they liked. About 4 years ago it became a "smoke-free site" so the shelters were taken down. So now there's always an uproar when anyone walks past a smoker and the staff ask the CEO "can't they be fined?", to which the answer is always "we have no power to enforce these rules because smoking on site is not against the law".

 

[PeteXXX]

Change of topic.. A daughter of mine took her 'virus school vouchers', I don't know the value, to Asda and bought a trolley load of shopping.
When they scanned them, the couldn't take them as the hadn't been registered!! Registered with whom, or where, I don't know.
As she had no money with her, she had to leave it there for the staff to put back on the shelves.
By the time she got home, they had become 'registered' and she had a message saying that they could now be used in Aldi. Previously, they could not be used there or lidl.

Any others had, or heard of this problem?

 

[tom73]

What a totally humiliating experience for her and sadly she's not alone it's a wide spread problem.
We've had no end of issues with them the whole voucher thing is a total mess the company asked to run it can't cope with the numbers.
They've no experience and are tiny 150 staff handing out vouchers to 1.3 million families.
Some are still waiting to see any vouchers and are just about getting by with handouts.

 

[PeteXXX]

One child is in Reception, so is entitled to free meals automatically, therefore gets no vouchers.
Other child is in Year 6 (?) first year of big school, and is entitled to free meals, due to income, therefore gets vouchers!

 

[kingrollo]

had the 'how ya doing call" from gp surgery yesterday
She knows about my anxiety and depression issues - she asked if I had thought about harming myself - I almost replied
"no but I thought about harming other people!!!!"

 

[tom73]

Ask the school if any other help is available some schools are still providing meals for collection/ home delivery.
She should be able to get something extra.
As for Aldi it looks they signed up 21 April and went live from 27th.
Other signed up and working are Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrison’s, Waitrose, Mc Colls and M&S.
Coop are not on the list but think they are on board. They hand out vouchers to coop schools long before any else.
If none are local school are able to buy vouchers for a store that is.

 

[tom73]

@PeteXXX this is the Q and A how it works , well how it should work may help.
https://www.edenred.co.uk/Documents/DfE/DfE_FreeSchoolMeals_ParentCarerFAQs.pdf

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Interesting news Re London new daily cases rate as well as regional R values for England:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20..._source=LI&li_medium=li-recommendation-widget

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...infection-is-slowing-say-researchers-11988579

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-05-14...navirus-covid19-highest-north-east-yorkshire/

 

[PeteXXX]

@PeteXXX this is the Q and A how it works , well how it should work may help.
https://www.edenred.co.uk/Documents/DfE/DfE_FreeSchoolMeals_ParentCarerFAQs.pdf

Thank you. I'll forward that info.

 

[mjr]

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/davidrhodesBBC/status/1260876495196688385?p=v


Following MRC_BSU on twitter may interest some who like this sort of data.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Quote from the Independent:

London’s rate of coronavirus infection has fallen to less than 24 cases a day, the lowest in the UK, nearly two months after the region hit a high of 200,000 new cases in a day at the start of the nationwide lockdown.

Research by Public Health England and the University of Cambridge's MRC Biostatic Unit showed the number of daily infections in London now halving every 3.5 days, which means coronavirus could be wiped out there within just two weeks.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...london-lowest-rate-infection-uk-a9515761.html

 

[tom73]

The bigger picture is much more complex so many other things in play than the numbers.
Much of which can't be fixed by current measures it's going to take a lot more than that. Sadly these figure will just get added to LA and government blame game roundabout. The North east and Yorkshire numbers don't leave a lot of room for getting things wrong and that's before government latest mess up.