United Kingdom V: Son of a beach

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/06/picnics-and-sunbathing-on-cards-as-pm-expected-to-allow-more-time-outside

Overall, there's less drama in the UK but it's amazing how much of our botched approach mirrors Trumps at times. So, apparently now we're looking at an easing of the Lockdown as soon as Monday with greater freedom to go out and about permitted. It was sunny this afternoon and it's been a long time since I've seen so many kids and adults blatantly ignore social distancing together and all I could see as I drove home around them (because apparently walking in the middle of the road is now a thing) was 'INFECTION'

Economic restrictions are expected to remain in place though.

It's frightening as to just how unmanageable it all is. Wilko's had a queue out its door today that stretched halfway along its large building - it was 6 people maintaining social distancing gaps between them and then only possible because the neighbouring businesses are all closed.

I'm somewhat curious as well about the plan to phase schools back in from 01 June and the subsequent weeks. The ship has sailed by then, no point in increasing everyones risk with the summer holidays inbound. Even then, why not cancel the 6 weeks summer holidays? they'd be caught up by September then and have already had the time off and surely the existing downtime could have been used to plan the teaching around this?

It's mindboggling as to what September onward looks set to bring. This all still feels like a practice run for the real ----show

[fishbowlhead]

School wise, has nothing been organised to keep them learning at home? So literally everything has just stopped on that front?

[cutmymilk]

Where did you read 1st June? I'm a teacher and it seems a headteacher union came up with that date as an example one day and it has stuck as a rumoured back to school date. Nothing has been set. Staff are not on board. Our job would be to manage teenagers social distance and keep ourselves safe at the same time. The effect on learning will be minimal and socially it would be good for pupils but probably isn't worth the potential impact it will have.

[vanpeebles]

I reckon at most it would be year 6 pupils possibly from early June, and maybe Year 10 at secondary from mid June, if not cancelled for summer. That's my guess.

[prinnysquad]

Hold on a minute.

I know I don’t speak for every school, but I’m in 1-2 days a week with key worker kids, setting lessons to do online, doing phonecalls to every parent once a week to ‘check in’, and handling emails. My boss has had us doing loads of paperwork-orientated box-ticking exercises and online training. We have to have conference meetings with staff and the LEA for things like SEN reviews. Other people I know have been using online things to much greater effect, with conference-call lessons, creating teaching tutorial videos and the like. We haven’t just been sat on our arses. Simply going into work is stressful, when schools are cauldrons of illness and snot at the best of times. On top of that, I’ve got a 16 month old. There’s no childcare options, so we have to do it. It’s not been a cakewalk.

If the Summer holidays are cancelled, the term will last from July until December. That’s five months. It’s not a case of playing catch-up. Kids and staff will be whupped to a frazzle after 2 months of intensive catch up. They’re kids, not machines. You can’t simply claim that time ‘off’ already covers any future holidays up until the end of the year. Imagine telling a 5 year old that they’ve got a 5 month term ahead, and the summer holidays are cancelled because they got to spend so much quality time locked in the house.

[cutmymilk]

Don't worry, it has already confirmed that's not going to happen.

I have been working in a hub too but in a school ot 1200 a maximum of 7 attend. Yesterday it was 2! It is nice to get out of the house, though.

Opening schools is a lot more complicated than it may seem. Several of our staff are on the extremely vulnerable list so they can't go to work. Our classrooms are not big enough to hold more than 6 pupils. Half won't turn up anyway. Teachers have children who won't be going to school if only select year groups go back and will then have to rely on grandparents. Great....

[Super Grover]

Apparently (according to the Daily Mail - so take that how you see fit) this is the proposed framework which has ‘been leaked’. I nabbed this off another site, so please don’t start frothing at the mouth at me if it’s well wide of the mark.

Step one: From Monday it is is expected garden centres will reopen, more key workers' children will go to school and more staff to return to businesses that stayed open during lockdown. The 'once a day' exercise rule will also be scrapped and police will be told to stop moving on people sunbathing or sitting on benches, provided they remain two metres from others. Officers will also be told not to stop families travelling to the countryside for walks and picnics;

Step two: From the end of May primary schools will gradually return with smaller classes. Outdoor sports where people enjoy space like golf, tennis and angling could resume.

Step three: From the end of June secondary schools will reopen as well as some outdoor sports and cafes returning. Gatherings of up to 30 people may be allowed;

Step four: From the end of August pubs and restaurants will finally be allowed to reopen - but with strict social distancing rules and reduced diner numbers;

Step five: From October, if the rate of coronavirus cases is low, all remaining areas of the economy will reopen including gyms. Sports fans returning to watch live matches will also be considered;

[Super Grover]

The B of E forecasts that we are potentially about to go into the worst depression since records began. They have a number of forecasts, dependent on various different scenarios, so it’s possible that it may not be as bad.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52566030

[charlesr]

Prediction. Banks will charge private individuals to use them soon. My business account already does (small amount per transaction).

[MartyG]

Apparently (according to the Daily Mail - so take that how you see fit) this is the proposed framework which has ‘been leaked’. I nabbed this off another site, so please don’t start frothing at the mouth at me if it’s well wide of the mark.

Step one: From Monday it is is expected garden centres will reopen, more key workers' children will go to school and more staff to return to businesses that stayed open during lockdown. The 'once a day' exercise rule will also be scrapped and police will be told to stop moving on people sunbathing or sitting on benches, provided they remain two metres from others. Officers will also be told not to stop families travelling to the countryside for walks and picnics;

Step two: From the end of May primary schools will gradually return with smaller classes. Outdoor sports where people enjoy space like golf, tennis and angling could resume.

Step three: From the end of June, lockdown will be back in place due to a large increase in Covid 19 infections;

Fixed it.

I'm very dubious that we're in any position to relax lockdown rules, there's not been a huge reduction in the number of cases each day, or deaths.


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[Super Grover]

Oh! by the way, you know that PPE we bought in from Turkey for the NHS workers? Guess what, it doesn’t meet our Safety Standards ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52569364

Shambolic.

[Neon Ignition]

That lockdown process pretty much sums up how much p---ing in the wind the Tories would be doing. It's more like a How to Guide for how to end up with an even stricter second lockdown come November

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2020/may/07/bank-of-england-interest-rates-covid-19-downturn-us-job-losses-business-live

Bank of England warns of a huge drop off in the economy and is hoping for a quick bounce back, apparently it will be by three times the 2008 Recessions amount

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/may/07/uk-coronavirus-live-boris-johnson-cabinet-meeting-review-lift-lockdown-measures-latest-updates

Johnsons lockdown update will take place at 7pm on Sunday

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/07/virgin-media-and-o2-owners-confirm-31bn-mega-merger-in-uk

Virgin Media and O2 are to merge

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/06/jd-sports-attacks-regulator-for-blocking-footasylum-merger-coronavirus

Whilst JD Sports and Foortasylum have been denied a merger

[Dogg Thang]

Any business called 'Footasylum' should be denied everything, whatever they are looking for.

The economy thing generally is interesting to me because, on the one hand, it's obviously very easy to see the devastating impact that this is having and will continue to have. On the other hand, this is a very unique situation because it's not really something that was bubbling away in the markets or part of any kind of expected stress or boiling point or a cycle of any sort. It is entirely caused by a single external situation, an anomaly. And as simplistic as this seems, it feels to me that if this gets sorted (say with a vaccine or whatever) the societal needs in 2021 will be very similar to the needs of 2019. If it truly gets sorted to a real degree of confidence (I realise that's a big if), some sectors could even get a kickstart boost back as people flock to places or businesses they haven't been able to access for months. As far as I can see, the main thing causing a long-term crash beyond that point is our economic system itself and all the loans that will need to paid off and the austerity or whatever nonsense is put in place - basically just playing the system rather than putting back the infrastructure that was there before. But what do I know, eh?