United Kingdom V: Son of a beach

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/jun/22/coronavirus-live-news-covid-19-update-china-us-uk-brazil-latest-updates

Global cases broke records again yesterday according to WHO. Global cases have now passed 8.9 million.

[nakamura]

It's madness. As a person not quite shielding but more vulnerable than others, I feel completely let down by this government. No idea where I am going to be in 6 months.

[Soundwave]

I went shopping both days over the weekend & it was fine, plenty of people out & about, but it was fine
Our town centre have implemented one way systems & for the most part people were sticking to the lanes & it was working with no effort.
Few people in masks & gloves but majority of us not worrying
All shops had sanitising stations to use if you wanted to & the shopping centre had them located at a few points.

Think we need to start getting back to this kind of thing, keep staying cooped up hoping for a cure is getting to much
As it's a virus I'm still admant we won't ever see a vaccine & it will just be a cyclical thing.
Think the best we'll ever manage is something like a flu jab where it just helps protect against getting it but will never stop it & we'll just have to carry on as we are & get back to something resembling a normal life.

Just need the government now to stop being so pathetic & let up on the restrictions on seeing people in your houses

Neil

[fishbowlhead]

No house parties with a few close friends now guys. Oh but its fine to go to lakeside shopping centre wheres there’s thousands of potential virus spreaders and filthy people around.

BUT NO HOUSE PARTIES!!!!

[Lebowski]

I think the current governments plan is to let the lower educated and lower classes go out and about and infect and kill off each other by getting them flocking to the pubs and shopping centers in a spending frenzy. giving the economy a nice bump and killing off a big lump from the lower classes in the process, it's a double win for the conservatives.

They haven't met any of their targets but it feels like their is a growing tide of people who couldn't give two ****s about anything but returning to the way things where post lock-down and don't want to learn or move forward or learn anything form this regardless of who dies.

[Neon Ignition]

It's all really simple now going forward as these latest loosenings change things to a point where anything else left in place is utterly useless as a measure. The lockdown is completely over now and people can now just freely do what they want meaning that those who want a return to normality have exactly what they want and can go and enjoy their summer.

But from October it's now an unavoidable certainty. The second wave is going to be a tidal wave, tens upon tens of thousands of families are going to be burying loved ones this Christmas, virus control will be non-existent in the winter months now that all Government control has been lost, the NHS will be drowned and in disarray, mass fear of every cold symptom in the public will devastate the retail sector and huge swathes of businesses will collapse overnight as we enter the new year with millions of newly unemployed people facing a new year in a jobs market where new hirings have completely ceased as the remaining businesses are buffered and bruised into increasingly desperate measures to protect themselves from the crushing effects of the virus and the distant rolling thunder of a third wave.

It sounds dramatic but it's what's coming just because people absolutely have to have an £6 top from Primark and a burger from Maccies.

[cutmymilk]

I really hope you are wrong and even if the death rate goes up slightly, full lockdown is enforced until the virus is eradicated. It's just not worth it. I'm having to send two babies to nursery tomorrow but around here there aren't many cases at all. I can't imagine that feeling in London or Manchester.

[Dogg Thang]

I think you're right. I think it could be devastating in the UK. For us here, I think it's going to be a big second wave and it's such a huge shame because we've finally got it really well contained (less than 5 daily new cases over the last couple of days, I think) and it feels like we're going to throw that away. For the UK? Well it's barely a second wave because that implies you got it right down. At the figures you're at right now, throwing everyone out there together and opening up? Yep, that sounds like a tidal wave.

I really hope it's not the case for any of us. At this point, I'm hoping that some natural inhibitor or mutation will minimise its reach because I don't have much else to cling to. Countries have decided that the economy matters more than lives.

Do what you can to stay safe, guys, in spite of what a government might tell you. Listen to the experts and stay updated.

[Soundwave]

It's all really simple now going forward as these latest loosenings change things to a point where anything else left in place is utterly useless as a measure. The lockdown is completely over now and people can now just freely do what they want meaning that those who want a return to normality have exactly what they want and can go and enjoyu there summer.

But from October it's now an unavoidable certainty. The second wave is going to be a tidal wave, tens upon tens of thousands of families are going to be burying loved ones this Christmas, virus control will be non-existent in the winter months now that all Government control has been lost, the NHS will be drowned and in disarray, mass fear of every cold symptom in the public will devastate the retail sector and huge swathes of businesses will collapse overnight as we enter the new year with millions of newly unemployed people facing a new year in a jobs market where new hirings have completely ceased as the remaining businesses are buffered and bruised into increasingly desperate measures to protect themselves from the crushing effects of the virus and the distant rolling thunder of a third wave.

It sounds dramatic but it's what's coming just because people absolutely have to have an £6 top from Primark and a burger from Maccies.

You imply there will be a second wave?
There will never be a second wave because this wave won't end, we won't go a single day without a Covid death or new infection, it's not going away at all like we never have a day without a death from another virus (I'd actually like to see comparisons between daily deaths from this & normal flu virus) & will just be peaks & troughs, some days will be higher & others lower just how it's going to be.

Staying locked away ad infinitum will not work we all know the economy is crippled but locking us all away for the foreseeable future isn't the answer to any of it, people who want to get out & return to normal can do & those who want to stay away can, no one is forcing anyone to adopt these new lockdown easings, everyone is free to do what they feel comfortable with now

I'm firmly in the comfortable to go out & go round my brother & parents houses, I've always been happy to have Chloe back in school as well as I feel normality for her was important & luckily with Katie being key worker meant we could do that for her from the beginning.
I'm glad I can get a hair cut at last & I'm looking forward to them getting gyms set up again

I'm under no illusion it will come back up again but it will just have to be, in the meantime I'm going to make the most of being able to live "slightly" normally again & maybe just stock up on some home gym equipment, hair clippers & toilet roll in the lull

Neil

[Lebowski]

The government knows now that they have lost the public so why not just reopen fully and wait for the second wave, like Neil says we can't stay inside forever and currently looking at the parks and shops most aren't staying in and from what Ive seen of people on my weekly shop nobody seems that fussed about following the the guidelines anymore.

I really do wonder though How can places like hairdressers and gyms could operate safely. Hair dressers your in close proximity to a stranger that's touching 30+ people a day. where as Gyms your in an enclosed indoor space sweating and breathing more heavily surely with 20+ other people in there all doing the same the 2 meter rule will do bugger all.

[Soundwave]

The government knows now that they have lost the public so why not just reopen fully and wait for the second wave, like Neil says we can't stay inside forever and currently looking at the parks and shops most aren't staying in and from what Ive seen of people on my weekly shop nobody seems that fussed about following the the guidelines anymore.

I really do wonder though How can places like hairdressers and gyms could operate safely. Hair dressers your in close proximity to a stranger that's touching 30+ people a day. where as Gyms your in an enclosed indoor space sweating and breathing more heavily surely with 20+ other people in there all doing the same the 2 meter rule will do bugger all.

When you think about it from the beginning once you got into shops the distance rules went out the window anyway...at least until you were queueing to pay
Only time you distanced was queuing to get in, free for all when you start mooching down the aisles

To be honest the fact that cinemas is opening surprises me.
2+ hours stuck in a warm room with recirculated air & loads of unknown people strikes as a breeding ground for the virus.
You can argue that hair dressers are maybe a 20-30 visit but if they are implementing measures like face masks for the stylist then it might not be all that bad.

Gyms is very much the unknown I wear training gloves when I go so in most circumstances I'm not touching the equipment with my bare hands & I'll just pack my own wipes in my gym bag & clean before & I after I use the weights.
My gym is also very quiet, at best we only have around 6-10 people at a time & once it closed for lockdown I actually wondered if they would open again as membership is so low...it still might not lol

I am hunting round though for a bench & weights & found this kit that comes back in stock in July that I will probably get to have in the garden & then not worry with the gym again for a while

https://www.gorillasports.co.uk/weight-bench-white-100kg-vinyl-weight-set

Does what I need & will be easy to add too weight wise over the months

Other than that just be comfortable & do what feels right for you, it's all anyone can do in these times
Until it all goes to pot again though I'll be making the most of seeing everyone I can

Party round mine...only one of you at a time though

Neil

[kryss]

Distancing measure, etc. are only pointless when we see others not doing it and then follow suit because "everyone's doing it".
If you want to actively do your best to avoid getting the virus, then do what you need to. "Oh but what's the point when etc.etc." just translates to "I'm afraid of what people will think if I do something differently". At our age we're supposed to be over things like that.

Not directed at anyone in particular but ffs you know how stupid people can be, just be better.

[Lebowski]

Distancing measure, etc. are only pointless when we see others not doing it and then follow suit because "everyone's doing it".
If you want to actively do your best to avoid getting the virus, then do what you need to. "Oh but what's the point when etc.etc." just translates to "I'm afraid of what people will think if I do something differently". At our age we're supposed to be over things like that.

Not directed at anyone in particular but ffs you know how stupid people can be, just be better.

Its not about not bothering or feeling like your looking silly its the people who lean over you or push past to get to the shelves rather than wait or the people that don't keep their distance in queues, its not rocket science stand on your bit of tape and don't move to the next one till its clear. theirs no way to combat selfish behavoir of this manner bar starting an argument every five seconds or just not doing a weekly shop.

take last night I was Picking up some bits for the week and Mr tattoo leg and his wife where trying their damnedest to get me to move forward into the marked out empty space by standing pretty much on my heals.

[kryss]

Pretend you've forgotten something and leave the queue. That's my avoidance technique of choice. I do it enough without some a****** behind me anyways!

I'm not trying to preach, it's just the pure selfishness on my part of wanting this over as soon as possible.

[Neon Ignition]

I think part of it comes from my work falling within the social care sector so it's been long transparent that the government figures are an outright lie and it's worth remembering that just a few weeks ago over 1,500 died in a single day - and that figure is from the official figures which are a whopping great big lie and peanuts next to what is coming. Whilst I get the anxiety due to the mental toll isolation can take it's nothing next to burying loved ones from something completely avoidable. Too much emphasis gets placed on things like it being safer to go out now because the infection rates and deaths are much lower now compared to the peak but they're like that specifically because of the restrictions that were in place. Lifting the restrictions for the sake of the economy is a false saviour, when things snap back again in the winter it'll be twice as hard because lifting the lockdown is simply trying to force a return to the old normal rather than use the time to adapt for the new normal. Basically the Tories have no excuse next time and their cheap trick of lifting restrictions each Monday based on very low weekend numbers then ignoring Tuesdays when it bounces back up (171 today) will cost them.