How did this Brazilian variant get into the UK during lockdown when most incoming travel was banned anyway. Must have been 'essential air travel' but are there any set guidelines as to what 'essential' air travel is....At least they all seem to have quarantined when they got home which is good though.

 

 

Essential travel? I know someone in my work who is going hone to Nigeria this week ffs!

So the BBC have published an article saying that there may be a full school return in Wales before Easter. The Welsh Government have given this information to the BBC before they have even given it to headteachers. So many teachers, like me, are waking up this morning and finding this out in the news and without having been given any prior warning. Lots of parents will be contacting me today to find out what’s going on and I don’t know.

 

This is f***ing stupid and bowing to public pressure. I’m so fed up of not being considered important at all.

That sounds just like Johnson and co.

That sounds just like Johnson and co.

 

It’s why I can’t vote Labour at the local elections. They haven’t been much better than Johnson’s lot and at some times (like this) far worse.

Edited March 3, 20214 yr by T Boy

Just had some training in lateral flow testing, what an absolute faff. It would be easier just to vaccinate me.

Just had some training in lateral flow testing, what an absolute faff. It would be easier just to vaccinate me.

 

While vaccinating teachers would be the ideal, I can see why you are getting training though on testing, as testing and tracing is still a vital part of the foreseeable future though even for those who have been vaccinated (because of the presence of coronavirus variants) . That's the one thing that for certain will have to continue even after June 21st. And I certainly hope that after June 21st that our mask rules continue too, or at the very least being advised to wear them, in crowded places like schools where school staff can wear them in the crowded corridors and elsewhere in the school where appropriate, and also in places like supermarkets where most people have to go to including the vulnerable.

Edited March 4, 20214 yr by TheSnake

Surprised nobody has commented on the recent case figures. Down to around 6,000 a day now - phenomenal stuff especially considering record testing figures today (~850,000). I’m hopeful this will continue to decrease, logically you’d expect the comprehensive school testing programme to mitigate any forthcoming education-related rise in infections. A lot to be positive about going into the Spring.

Cases are at a low enough point that schools going back should hopefully not cause a big increase in cases. Another month of vaccination should then prepare nicely for the April 12th date for re-opening of non-essential retail. I wouldn't be surprised if they even bring that date forward.

Another month of vaccination should then prepare nicely for the April 12th date for re-opening of non-essential retail. I wouldn't be surprised if they even bring that date forward.

Although of course that would have the unfortunate consequence of vindicating the ERG CRG

Edited March 4, 20214 yr by TheSnake

Just had some training in lateral flow testing, what an absolute faff. It would be easier just to vaccinate me.

I did the online training today and am due to get some in-person training tomorrow. Don't you just love the test questions along the lines of

 

For how long should you wash your hands?

 

a) 1 second

b) 20 seconds

c) two hours

d) four weeks

 

:lol:

Cases are at a low enough point that schools going back should hopefully not cause a big increase in cases. Another month of vaccination should then prepare nicely for the April 12th date for re-opening of non-essential retail. I wouldn't be surprised if they even bring that date forward.

Yes, I can’t imagine we’ll see much of a spike, especially with the new mask rules in place.

Well, we’ll have to wait and see. We are still getting recorded cases three times higher than we were before schools went back last time and I wouldn’t put too much store in masks. They’re being used in schools in place of social distancing when all other guidance for other places says you should really still keep your distance even with a mask. Also, it’s not a legal requirement, all schools can do is encourage the wearing of masks. If the children choose not to wear one, there’s nothing we can do.

Cases are still very high, we've become desensitised to just how many 10K daily is cos we got used to seeing 60-70k in January. And now with schools reopening they're only gonna go one way!

Cases are still very high, we've become desensitised to just how many 10K daily is cos we got used to seeing 60-70k in January. And now with schools reopening they're only gonna go one way!

 

The 7-day average is down to 8k/day now and recent daily figures have been around 5k. The last time cases were this low was the end of September last year. I think we're in a lot better position now. Especially given the restrictions in place and increased testing capacity. The big question will be just how high cases will go with schools being back. It's possible we could only see a small spike. I'm hoping everything goes well enough to not cause too big of an issue.

Does anyone know how many cases we got around May-June last year?

The case numbers are not ideal, you would want them below 1,000 a day to minimise any risk but the difference between now and the very first lockdown is we have still had things going which have led to cases not falling that extra bit as we would have liked. I think it will rise, but even if it rises to 10,000 a day again it is not the be all and end all. We are going to have to go with some level of risk which isn't ideal but the key thing is hospitalisations and deaths should not increase rapidly if there is an increase in cases. Track and Trace HAS to be better though for this strategy to work.

Does anyone know how many cases we got around May-June last year?

 

You can see all the info regarding cases/testing/vaccinations on a government website: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/testing That's for testing but you can click on the side bar on the left to the other categories.

Just had some training in lateral flow testing, what an absolute faff. It would be easier just to vaccinate me.

I spent today overseeing tests ready for school on Monday. Lots more of the same to come next week!

I spent today overseeing tests ready for school on Monday. Lots more of the same to come next week!

 

We actually can’t start with students just yet as we haven’t been sent enough testing kits, only enough with the staff for now. But, of course, we’re not due a return until the 15th and that week will be Year 11 only. Year 10 will follow on the 22nd with Years 7, 8 and 9 doing a day each in that last week with the full return being after Easter.

 

Today we found out that in the week beginning the 15th we can continue working from home unless we have a lesson with Year 11 on that day. So it looks like I’m not back to face to face teaching until the 19th March.

The 7-day average is down to 8k/day now and recent daily figures have been around 5k. The last time cases were this low was the end of September last year. I think we're in a lot better position now. Especially given the restrictions in place and increased testing capacity. The big question will be just how high cases will go with schools being back. It's possible we could only see a small spike. I'm hoping everything goes well enough to not cause too big of an issue.

And what happened after the end of September? Cases aren't even as low as early September, they are going down yes which is good to see but they're still at a significant level- like others have said just because we're not at January highs doesn't mean things are good.

And what happened after the end of September? Cases aren't even as low as early September, they are going down yes which is good to see but they're still at a significant level- like others have said just because we're not at January highs doesn't mean things are good.

 

Although to be fair we hadn't got 40% of the population vaccinated back in early September.

 

Don't get me wrong, I think the strategy isn't great - the time in lockdowns could have been spent finding additional buildings/space for schools to use and to bring back some teaching assistants to help reduce class sizes and make social distancing much easier, as well as to improve community test, trace and isolate procedures.

 

We'll see what happens anyway - 5 weeks before the next end-of-lockdown phase, hopefully we see positive data.