Journalist and TV presenter Martin Bashir, most famous for the tell-all Diana interview in 1995, is "seriously ill" with Covid according to reports this morning.

Edited October 22, 20204 yr by Crazy Chris

Chancellor announces more furlough help from November 1st. It'll be 67% this time from the Government, without the employee part.

 

From The Sun:

 

At the moment only businesses in Tier 3 which are ordered to shut - such as pubs which do not serve food - are allowed to claim up to two thirds of their staff's unworked wages under a local furlough scheme.

 

But now the programme - which will come in on November 1 - will allow every business across the country which is still open to get similar help.

 

 

Employees only need to work 20 per cent of their hours rather than a third, which will be a huge relief for employers.

 

Firms will have to just pay 5 per cent of unworked hours - on top of the hours that their staff are working anyway.

 

It means that someone working just one day in five - or 20 per cent of their normal hours - can get up to 73.33 per cent of their total wages. If they work more hours, they will get more pay.

 

And he revealed huge new grants of up to £2,100 for hospitality businesses which remain open in Tier 2 and 3 which face the toughest restrictions - which can be backdated until August as many have been under fresh rules for months.

 

 

Edited October 22, 20204 yr by Crazy Chris

£2.100 is a drop in the ocean. In a major town that won't even cover rent for a hospitality business. Never mind in a large city like GM or Liverpool.

 

They saying the new furlough is more generous that Germany, but that's a half truth at best. It's 60% with no co-pay from the firm if you have no kids, 67% if you have kids (again, with no co-pay) but importantly, the level of support rises to 70/77% and then again to 80/87% on the German scheme depending on how long you have been on short time for

£2.100 is a drop in the ocean. In a major town that won't even cover rent for a hospitality business. Never mind in a large city like GM or Liverpool.

 

They saying the new furlough is more generous that Germany, but that's a half truth at best. It's 60% with no co-pay from the firm if you have no kids, 67% if you have kids (again, with no co-pay) but importantly, the level of support rises to 70/77% and then again to 80/87% on the German scheme depending on how long you have been on short time for

 

Agreed, but then I suppose we have to take in to consideration the extra £1,000 per headcount as well. It's not ideal, but let's pray its short term and hopefully in 6 months we can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Must say, if I was Burnham I'd be extra pissed off. It really does reek of London asking for extra support to get through Tier 2 and the Government caving. If Labour are clever they can really use this to their strategic advantage in the North. I must say, I do not think that narrative is entirely true, but a good spin can make a great case out of this.

 

But as with everything, Track & Trace needs to pull its finger out of its arse as that's why we're failing right now.

Latest:

 

 

SNP landslide continues... I mean mainly Tier 1 - bordering the Tier 3+ that consumes Wales now.

My guess is that give it 4 weeks and most the country will be in Tier 2. Looks to me from the snapshots that the infection rates are slowing down in the Tier 3/2 areas, but slowly rising everywhere else.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/...y-b1251617.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/...y-b1251617.html

The weird thing is that even in Scotland Level 4 restrictions, the top tier, schools will still be open as usual with no social distancing :unsure: The only difference is that shielding pupils will have to stay home. I don't want school to close but it doesn't seem sensible at all

I think there should be compromise. To me, insiting that ALL kids age 4-18 go back immediately for 100% of the time seems like a recipe for disaster. Schools being in at staggered times, or prioritising sending only the very young kids and the kids who'll be doing exams this year in, would be to me much better ways to go in terms of limiting transmission.

So cases in Manchester were on the way down after the student blip and now they're on their way back up again. These measures just don't bring the R down. I do feel a bit sorry as I am not sure what else can be done without a shutdown in places full stop. There's talk of a Tier 4 being introduced too which brings in curfews as per France and Spain.

 

Just don't know where we go from here. No healthcare system in Europe (except possibly Germany) has the ability to cope but it also looks like a whole load of compliance has been lost as well. It's going to be a long winter.

Yeh there’s a circuit breaker here but you wouldn’t think it with the amount of cars on the road

So cases in Manchester were on the way down after the student blip and now they're on their way back up again. These measures just don't bring the R down. I do feel a bit sorry as I am not sure what else can be done without a shutdown in places full stop. There's talk of a Tier 4 being introduced too which brings in curfews as per France and Spain.

 

Just don't know where we go from here. No healthcare system in Europe (except possibly Germany) has the ability to cope but it also looks like a whole load of compliance has been lost as well. It's going to be a long winter.

 

I don't see anything other than total shutdowns for winter now, unfortunately. My time in Italy with work last month was eye-opening in how on it everyone seemed in comparison to the UK — the compliance with masks everywhere I went, how strict the border was, shops and supermarkets taking temperatures at the doors, etc — but it hasn't mattered.

 

@1319534079340122114

 

The numbers in the US are also now increasing again.

Edited October 25, 20204 yr by blacksquare

I don't see anything other than total shutdowns for winter now, unfortunately. My time in Italy with work last month was eye-opening in how on it everyone seemed in comparison to the UK — the compliance with masks everywhere I went, how strict the border was, shops and supermarkets taking temperatures at the doors, etc — but it hasn't mattered.

 

@1319534079340122114

 

The numbers in the US are also now increasing again.

 

I know, but I do think the compliance of masks is pretty strong and do temperature checks have that much of a big effect? The only place I think they might actually be useful is in workplaces. Certainly the effect on the transmission rate must be very low. The problem is we're not going to do a complete shutdown anywhere. I could certainly see mini lockdowns to stall time, especially if we know the outcomes of the vaccine trials in the next month.

 

The situation in Belgium and France right now is grim and they are probably 3 weeks head of us, although perhaps we had a headstand on some of the measures e.g. rule of 6, which lots of countries seem to be adopting now.

The weird thing is that even in Scotland Level 4 restrictions, the top tier, schools will still be open as usual with no social distancing :unsure: The only difference is that shielding pupils will have to stay home. I don't want school to close but it doesn't seem sensible at all

 

This all work and no play strategy is a recipe for disaster. It feels like March again, except this time we’re all back at work and school like normal. Hard for anybody to take it seriously when the current guidelines seem to be based on... what exactly? They’re not working and we’re all just being driven crazy stuck in the house. I have to wonder just who is coming up with these ridiculous guidelines... have they ever lived in society?

Cases haven’t risen in Scotland as much as expected so that’s encouraging at least. Although they have levelled off before then had a massive spike 🙃

 

Sorry for going on and on about schools but a lot of evidence is saying that open schools are driving the R number up. They won’t close again but maybe blended learning?

I know, but I do think the compliance of masks is pretty strong

Is it actually though?

 

From my own observations lately, it seems people are just starting to become more relaxed and thinking 'meh don't need to wear a mask now', coming into shops, supermarkets, etc. without one on, armed with the usual excuses, or having a mask on but not even covering the nose, etc. Obviously a lot of people still do wear masks (the elderly are an age group that have been particularly compliant, and workers, etc) but there's more and more that don't starting to come out of the shadows.

What’s going on in Wales is bizarre. Totally arbitrary... closing the “non-essential” aisles will just force people to crowd together if anything? Seems like they’re just being cruel for the sake of it. What is the logic behind these choices, I am not seeing any justifications whatsoever. We need to stop accepting it at face value, they can’t put rules like that in force just because they feel like it

Is it actually though?

 

From my own observations lately, it seems people are just starting to become more relaxed and thinking 'meh don't need to wear a mask now', coming into shops, supermarkets, etc. without one on, armed with the usual excuses, or having a mask on but not even covering the nose, etc. Obviously a lot of people still do wear masks (the elderly are an age group that have been particularly compliant, and workers, etc) but there's more and more that don't starting to come out of the shadows.

 

It will differ from place to place, certainly I've only ever seen the odd person not wearing them everywhere I have been.

 

The problem with Wales and the quite frankly DAFT photos that have been going round on social media is I get what they were trying to enforce but it doesn't work really. And then it gives the conspiracy nuts ammunition that the whole virus is a hoax etc etc. - the problem is people are bored now and people are beginning to question stuff, and rightly so in some cases. e.g. football fans are not allowed in to an open air space to watch the game but they can go to VUE cinema to watch it instead? Some of the restrictions are just daft

Every day it becomes more obvious this is how they actually do it :wacko:

 

It will differ from place to place, certainly I've only ever seen the odd person not wearing them everywhere I have been.

 

The problem with Wales and the quite frankly DAFT photos that have been going round on social media is I get what they were trying to enforce but it doesn't work really. And then it gives the conspiracy nuts ammunition that the whole virus is a hoax etc etc. - the problem is people are bored now and people are beginning to question stuff, and rightly so in some cases. e.g. football fans are not allowed in to an open air space to watch the game but they can go to VUE cinema to watch it instead? Some of the restrictions are just daft

 

Of course, this is limited experience, but in the three days I was in Milan I did not see one face in the street without a mask. I didn't see anyone without a mask until I was in a restaurant, and that was only after their temperature had been taken to allow them to take it off.

 

In London it's been hit and miss the entire time. I barely see anyone wearing them now — even at the train station there have been people not wearing them. I have been out this morning and didn't see anyone wearing them. The contrast is really stark.

Edited October 26, 20204 yr by blacksquare