Haha class!

Someone my wife knows lost her husband at the weekend. He hung himself. He was very depressed after losing both of his jobs recently. :( Leaves two teenage daughters.

 

Terrible news

Terrible news

 

 

It is. How many others around the country must there be. Losing your job is no reason to do that really as you can always get some state support in this country. Wonder if there were underlying reasons too as it's easy to blame just one thing.

Goodness know but with regards to the benefits system if you aren’t used to it it maybe difficult to judge how it all works and the unknown could be intimidating. I know that’s the case with our housing applicants.

Northern Ireland moving into tougher lockdown from next Friday. All non-essential shops closing, as well as gyms and churches, and restaurants will only offer takeaway. Which means we're in the farcical situation where cafes & hairdressers will be able to reopen from tomorrow, only to close again next Friday.

What’s the point of opening and closing again??

 

I’d say the dup will have a hard time justifying their stance now they’ve given in!

All this kerfuffle because the government don't want to be seen as discriminatory by mandating vulnerable people self-isolate and are supported fully in order to do so.

 

Sure, let's just screw up every industry Britain is strongest in right before Brexit. No problem! Better than spending money to actually solve this just like that!

All this kerfuffle because the government don't want to be seen as discriminatory by mandating vulnerable people self-isolate and are supported fully in order to do so.

 

Sure, let's just screw up every industry Britain is strongest in right before Brexit. No problem! Better than spending money to actually solve this just like that!

 

It is extremely difficult to completely shield the vulnerable especially if the R rate is high for the rest of the population - the vulnerable still have to go out to shops to get food and are more at risk of catching it there if the virus spread gets out of control. Even deliveries would be put more at risk with a high R rate, it only takes one asymptomatic delivery person with Covid.

 

Northern Ireland moving into tougher lockdown from next Friday. All non-essential shops closing, as well as gyms and churches, and restaurants will only offer takeaway. Which means we're in the farcical situation where cafes & hairdressers will be able to reopen from tomorrow, only to close again next Friday.

 

I disagree with the Northern Ireland strategy, although it won't affect numbers in shops themselves because of the covid social distancing customer capacity limits, it will just make shopping centres and high streets around the shops busier both this week and then also when non essential shops reopen which will increase covid spread risk then.

 

Plus non essential shops aren't that big a covid risk anyway because of masks, hospitality industries like cafes are a bigger risk because you can't eat or drink anything with a mask on.

Edited November 19, 20204 yr by Salty Melody

All this kerfuffle because the government don't want to be seen as discriminatory by mandating vulnerable people self-isolate and are supported fully in order to do so.

 

Sure, let's just screw up every industry Britain is strongest in right before Brexit. No problem! Better than spending money to actually solve this just like that!

 

The main issue with that is there are over 8 million people aged 70+ and 3 million people with diabetes who are younger than 70. Those two alone bring it to 10 million+ people who would be classed as vunerable. Once you add in all the other risks factors that class you as vunerable you are likely looking at 15-20 million people (perhaps more) who would need to be self-isolate until large scale vaccine roll out occurs. There are also other caveats such as children who live with vunerable adults etc. Also those who have bill/rent/mortage etc to pay and need to work might not be able to self isolate or work from home.

Granted, if adequate government support was given it might work. But given the government's current track record, I don't think they would provide the support needed to shield that many people.

 

 

The main issue with that is there are over 8 million people aged 70+ and 3 million people with diabetes who are younger than 70. Those two alone bring it to 10 million+ people who would be classed as vunerable. Once you add in all the other risks factors that class you as vunerable you are likely looking at 15-20 million people (perhaps more) who would need to be self-isolate until large scale vaccine roll out occurs. There are also other caveats such as children who live with vunerable adults etc. Also those who have bill/rent/mortage etc to pay and need to work might not be able to self isolate or work from home.

Granted, if adequate government support was given it might work. But given the government's current track record, I don't think they would provide the support needed to shield that many people.

 

100% this. We can't win basically. The virus thrives on social contact and limiting social contact is tough but it just can't work, especially during winter.

 

I do totally agree the long term effects of the pandemic are going to be horrendous and the Government need to invest in better mental health support for the future as there are going to be huge scars. The emotional and mental fallout of this cannot be overstated. We certainly have not hit the peak with the detrimental effects yet. The only good thing to come out of this, is we were due a pandemic. It's been teased for years and we avoided them. The amount invested in to coronaviruses now is ridiculous and people are investigating ways already to prevent this ever happening again to this scale.

 

The concerning part for me right now is the spread in secondary schools is worrying. I know education is vitally important, but I really do think you could make a case for alternating teaching weeks.

Yeh agree the spread clearly came from schools/uni going back and yet they haven't restricted them so children are most likely bringing it home every day and that's how it spreads.

Yeh agree the spread clearly came from schools/uni going back and yet they haven't restricted them so children are most likely bringing it home every day and that's how it spreads.

 

 

What's the answer though? Children need their education and preferably in a classroom setting. They can't just have months and months off.

That's the quandary of the government to solve I guess, its hard to know what to do. One things for sure letting uni open as normal and loads of 18 yo kids move to various different towns across the country was the wrong thing to do and there was issues with the Tories wanting this so their friends in the private landlord sector would make their usually money from the parasitic capitalist sector.

What's the answer though? Children need their education and preferably in a classroom setting. They can't just have months and months off.

 

The data is showing its growing in the older classes - probably Year 10 to Year 13. I'd argue as bad as it is, these year groups, whilst at a pivitol point of their education are also the most adaptable to take up online learning.

 

Whilst I'm typing that, I really do wonder if extending the Christmas break to 3 weeks would be a good option this year.

The data is showing its growing in the older classes - probably Year 10 to Year 13. I'd argue as bad as it is, these year groups, whilst at a pivitol point of their education are also the most adaptable to take up online learning.

 

Whilst I'm typing that, I really do wonder if extending the Christmas break to 3 weeks would be a good option this year.

 

 

Yes I think it would be actually.

That's the quandary of the government to solve I guess, its hard to know what to do. One things for sure letting uni open as normal and loads of 18 yo kids move to various different towns across the country was the wrong thing to do and there was issues with the Tories wanting this so their friends in the private landlord sector would make their usually money from the parasitic capitalist sector.

 

I did post a good article about this in the university funding thread.

I do totally agree the long term effects of the pandemic are going to be horrendous and the Government need to invest in better mental health support for the future as there are going to be huge scars. The emotional and mental fallout of this cannot be overstated. We certainly have not hit the peak with the detrimental effects yet. The only good thing to come out of this, is we were due a pandemic. It's been teased for years and we avoided them. The amount invested in to coronaviruses now is ridiculous and people are investigating ways already to prevent this ever happening again to this scale.

 

Yeah that's true. It's not like OK vaccine now, back to normal etc. it's gonna be a low & arduous process to return to 2019 life. Plus even when we're close to being back to that what about people's mindsets? Some people will take a long time to shake it off.

 

And just to add to the joy, it'll always be on people's minds - when is the next pandemic? I think there's gonna be a huge YOLO atmosphere amongst the young, even more so than now. Travel will be huge, young people will want to travel as much as their budget allows as all it takes is for something like this and that's the golden chance gone forever. So it'll be very interesting to see people's mindsets during next year and onwards...

Yeah that's true. It's not like OK vaccine now, back to normal etc. it's gonna be a low & arduous process to return to 2019 life. Plus even when we're close to being back to that what about people's mindsets? Some people will take a long time to shake it off.

 

And just to add to the joy, it'll always be on people's minds - when is the next pandemic? I think there's gonna be a huge YOLO atmosphere amongst the young, even more so than now. Travel will be huge, young people will want to travel as much as their budget allows as all it takes is for something like this and that's the golden chance gone forever. So it'll be very interesting to see people's mindsets during next year and onwards...

 

It will be torturous as encouraging international travel again will take until 2022-2023. So that whole tourism industry is going to be really effected, as well as aviation. It's the knock on effect too.. hostels and bars etc. have gone out of business so while people may want to travel, it's not the same experience. Not only that it is things like cinemas etc. - movies used to open to £300m-350m - the days of that are over for the short term, it will be a third of that. So you just have this really long and drawn out process. I'd argue while retail has been decimated, this has been coming for years and it has just accelerated the decline. There's still a market but it needs to be a more personable experience. E-commerce is the future for sure and if you don't adapt you get left behind.

 

Just while I expect the likes of Pret, Costa, Starbucks to lose their commuter volume, a new business will inevitably come to the forefront. I just don't think the human cost can be overstated to all this and it will take years for it all to come out as grim as that sounds.

 

I'm less worried about future pandemics. If anything, this has shaped the world up to be more proactive than reactive. Well, I hope!

And just to add to the joy, it'll always be on people's minds - when is the next pandemic?

 

Unfortunately I think the coronavirus will mutate eventually and render the existing vaccines ineffective, then we will have to go back to the restrictions until a new vaccine is made.

 

Yep think you're right on that, which means that this is the norm until the government come to the realisation that its not a sustainable method!