From The Times..

 

 

 

ALMOST 500 people have applied for just two jobs at a pub as tens of thousands of workers are left unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Mick Dore, general manager of the Alexandra pub in Wimbledon, South West London, advertised for two £9-an-hour bar jobs at his pub.

 

In just five days, he had 484 interested applicants apply for the job.

 

“I don’t want to alarm anyone about the economy or anything, but I advertised two bar jobs at 4.30pm on Thursday,” he posted on Twitter.

 

Mr Dore, 53, had applications come in from former air stewards, restaurant managers and shop workers who were recently made redundant, The Times reported.

 

Rob Fisher, another pub owner who runs the Fitzrovia Belle and Hotel in central London, said he had 400 applicants for a few roles.

 

“The quality of people looking for work right now is as good as it ever has been. Unfortunately it’s because of the situation people have found themselves in,” he said.

 

The number of paid workers dropped by 649,000 between March and June, including 74,000 in the past month.

 

Searches for “supermarket” roles on jobs website Indeed have jumped 589 per cent compared with this time last year.

 

Maintenance job searches were up 440 per cent and forklift operator searches were up 239%. For people aged 18 to 24 the most searched jobs were bartenders, digital marketing and research associates.

 

 

From Sky News and other US sources.

 

 

According to top US economist Prof. Richard Wolff, thirty five million houses expected to be repossessed in the next few months in America.

 

He said "Millions upon millions more homeless jobless hungry Americans looking for welfare also coming soon .... it started some weeks back so don't tell me this is scare mongering.

The biggest economic collapse in history is about to be unleashed not just in America but across much of the world.

I think Europe China Russia will fare a bit better than America and the UK but better is still going to be extremely tough.

A lot of people will be burying their heads in the sand ...it isn't really happening.

It won't happen.

It won't be that bad .....

IT'S HAPPENING NOW."

Edited July 20, 20204 yr by Crazy Chris

Some analysis here on why the protests and crowds on beaches have not been responsible for a second wave...

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/s...ab-global-en-GB

Some analysis here on why the protests and crowds on beaches have not been responsible for a second wave...

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/s...ab-global-en-GB

 

I worry that that article might lead to complacency, it can still spread outside, maybe not as much as inside. Especially the fact it is suspected that Covid 19 can be spread through small droplets as well as large droplets that the 1m social distancing rule is based on.

 

Yes we are lucky there wasn't a second wave but it doesn't mean crowds outside can't cause the virus if people aren't wearing masks plus one or more people in the crowd have the virus. That's why a big increase in testing is needed before even outdoor events can take place again.

 

 

I worry that that article might lead to complacency, it can still spread outside, maybe not as much as inside. Especially the fact it is suspected that Covid 19 can be spread through small droplets as well as large droplets that the 1m social distancing rule is based on.

 

Yes we are lucky there wasn't a second wave but it doesn't mean crowds outside can't cause the virus if people aren't wearing masks plus one or more people in the crowd have the virus. That's why a big increase in testing is needed before even outdoor events can take place again.

 

Not at all, it's based on evidence. We know that there were large crowds in many places through early June, of course most wearing masks, but some were still complaining about the protests and how it wasn't the right time and that this would inevitably lead to a second wave, and yet the infection rate has halved since early June. The same people had apparently no problem with us piling into enclosed supermarkets whilst the community transmission rates were several times higher.

 

The safest place to be is outside where it is well ventilated and there is high UV, come the winter we won't have that luxury.

Not at all, it's based on evidence. We know that there were large crowds in many places through early June, of course most wearing masks, but some were still complaining about the protests and how it wasn't the right time and that this would inevitably lead to a second wave, and yet the infection rate has halved since early June. The same people had apparently no problem with us piling into enclosed supermarkets whilst the community transmission rates were several times higher.

 

The safest place to be is outside where it is well ventilated and there is high UV, come the winter we won't have that luxury.

 

I think it is different contexts. You need food to survive and certainly when the supermarkets were a little chaotic in March/April none of us really knew what we were prepating for.

 

It appears as a nation we have probably done a bit better of supressing the virus more than we thought we did, be it through lack of testing, dodgy data and numerous gaffes. Totally agree now is not the time for complacency, which I don't think it fully setting in. My concern now is a bit of the free for all with international travel as various different pockets of outbreaks are happening all over Europe and the encouragement for people to work in the office, as shown by the outbreak in Scotland.

What outbreak in Scotland? There was 7 cases there today and in the past 10 days there’s been 1 death.

 

 

The gov held off on loosening restrictions in parts of D&G over Like 5 cases. The restrictions lasted an extra 2 days while test and trace was finalised. That was it. No community spread. No outbreak. An isolated linked couple of cases that was snuffed our fast because north of the wall has decided to listen to actual scientists

What outbreak in Scotland? There was 7 cases there today and in the past 10 days there’s been 1 death.

The gov held off on loosening restrictions in parts of D&G over Like 5 cases. The restrictions lasted an extra 2 days while test and trace was finalised. That was it. No community spread. No outbreak. An isolated linked couple of cases that was snuffed our fast because north of the wall has decided to listen to actual scientists

 

The outbreak related to the contact centre of track & trace. Obviously in this case it is needed for the employees to be in the office, but it serves as a reminder how easy the virus can spread in the workplace and why I don't think companies should be in a rush to bring back their employees.

8 people is hardly an outbreak.

 

 

Ironically it’s at the NHS England test and trace centre, who are now having their contacts traced by the Scottish equivalent. A whistleblower from the site says they’re making 1 to 2 calls a day per person. England’s Test and trace is non-functional

Went back to work yday in the office one day a week and it was hugely pointless as I had to cart my tablet back and forth and along with face masks it was quite stressful and I coulda done it all at home anyway.

I coulda done it all at home anyway.

this is 90%+ of all office jobs yet employers don't trust the people they THEMSELVES HIRED

 

:')

Good article from The Independant.

 

Brian Hutton died this week at the age of 88. He was the judge and peer who carried out the inquiry into the death of David Kelly, the government scientist who killed himself after he caused the BBC to accuse Tony Blair of interfering with the intelligence case for the Iraq war.

 

Lord Hutton’s report is a reminder from another era, 16 years ago, that public inquiries do not always come up with the answer that everyone first thought of. His exoneration of the government was described at the time – by The Independent – as a “whitewash”, but its findings were supported by two later inquiries by Lord Butler and Sir John Chilcot.

 

It cannot be assumed, therefore, that the public inquiry into the government’s handling of coronavirus, which Boris Johnson confirmed this week would take place, is going to confirm what “everyone knows”. It may seem that “everyone knows” that the prime minister is guilty of ordering the lockdown too late and that lives were lost as a result.

 

Both those assumptions seem questionable. According to the minutes of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), the government responded immediately to its advice at each stage in the critical week in March.

No one knows what would have happened if the government had done nothing – Sweden, for example, kept bars and restaurants open and suffered a lower percentage of excess deaths than the UK. But if social distancing is effective, the question then becomes: why didn’t Sage advise more of it before 16 March? The answer is mostly to do with how the assumptions among scientists about a flu pandemic took time to adjust to a coronavirus. Although, certainly in hindsight, there also seem to be questions that politicians should have asked in February about why tens of thousands of deaths couldn’t happen here.

 

It is interesting, but possibly pointless, to speculate about how other prime ministers might have responded differently. Would Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown or Tony Blair have asked more searching questions earlier? (No, no, yes and yes would be my guesses.)

 

It is important for the historical record to know the truth, but it is more important to focus for the moment on the lessons that can be learned to prepare for a second wave, if there is one, or for a different pandemic. In this, I would suggest that select committees of MPs, especially that on science and technology chaired by Greg Clark and on health chaired by Jeremy Hunt, are performing a more valuable role than a judge-led independent public inquiry could, especially one that took place in a media firestorm in which politicians are presumed guilty even if they are proved innocent.

 

Those who are sure that “everyone knows” Boris Johnson is guilty of wilful negligence leading to thousands of deaths should remember Lord Hutton’s inquiry of 2004.

 

I don't really agree, counterfactuals are always difficult to prove but there were some pretty obvious failings here on PPE and measures that moved potential Covid-19 cases into very vulnerable care home settings. You could have argued that it was unlikely the Supreme Court would rule that Boris Johnson's suspension of parliament was unlawful in 2019, but they did.

No one knows what would have happened if the government had done nothing – Sweden, for example, kept bars and restaurants open and suffered a lower percentage of excess deaths than the UK.

Sweden is incomparable to the UK for many reasons. Chiefly though, Sweden has the highest percentage of single occupancy households in Europe. Also helping was that they went on strict social distancing and work from home rules early - that were very well complied with because they are very good at following rules.

 

 

Unlike in the UK if Johnny Swede caught it, he didn't have anyone at home to spread it too. In the UK when Johnny Cityslicker in LDN caught it, he spread it to the other 84 people living with him in a converted 4 bed victorian terraced share house. You see here in Germany that outbreaks are often driven by poor and cramped living conditions. Their outbreak happened in a way that was fundamentally different to how the UKs unfolded.

this is 90%+ of all office jobs yet employers don't trust the people they THEMSELVES HIRED

 

:')

 

Tbf in my job we work better meeting the people we assess but it was pointless because the building is only open to the public for appointments so our work is still done on the phone and I'm all set up at home for that.

 

Think they want to wean us back in!

Mandatory mask rule from tomorrow has been made clearer regarding restaurants:

 

If you go somewhere like McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. you don't have to wear a mask if you're sitting down and placing your order from your table but you have to wear one if you go up to the counter to order. If you go to a restaurant like Nando's to collect a takeout order, you have to treat it like a takeaway order and wear a mask when queuing for your order. The government have given mixed signals about these rules. To make it easier, how it should have been done is that you have to wear a mask in any restaurant or takeout place when going up to the counter to order but not while you're sitting at a table

Edited July 23, 20204 yr by Hadji

So according to ITV this morning major retailers Aldi, Sainsburys, Asda and Costa Coffee, say they won't enforce the wearing of masks in shops. They say it's not thir staff members' job. Lidl say it's nothing to do with them and up to the customer. :rolleyes: Iceland won't refuse entry without one but hopes everyone will abide by the law. Tesco says you can enter without one but can't shop without one. WTF does that mean? Even the Police Federation have said it's unfair and they haven't the capacity to deal with it. Seems like they've given up already then.

 

All seems a bit of a mess. They were asking people out and about early, as Sky and the BBC are, if they'll wear one and a lot said no way.

In an ideal world, they wouldn’t have to enforce anything because people would just do the right thing. Unfortunately, due to the fact that many people are exempt from mask wearing, many more people will decide that they should be exempt because it’s just a little too inconvenient for them.

 

What is frustrating is that the masks aren’t there to help the wearers but to help everybody else.

I can understand retailers not feeling comfortable asking staff members to enforce mask wear. However surely those stores with security should be asking people to wear a mask?

 

Personally for me I believe the compliance of mask wearing will be pretty high. I was not too keen on the idea, but it's a complete mind over matter experience. I'd like to think that the Average Joe/Jane will shame people in to wearing a mask in stores.

Shops have had people stood on the door to assist with the queuing systems for months now, in some cases in my area (not sure how common it is across the country) it often is security rather than a staff member who would normally be on the checkouts or stacking shelves, so I don't get what the big deal is about telling someone without a mask that they can't enter, in the same way that they've been telling people they can't enter when the shop is already at capacity :unsure:

 

Is it also not the job of staff in Sainsburys or Aldi etc. to challenge customers purchasing age restricted products, is that also up to the customer these days