Coronavirus

[Matt N]

We might not necessarily have a second wave; distancing restrictions will be kept very stringently in businesses when they reopen, and countries like Germany that have reopened have not seen a second wave thus far (Germany’s R number still only lies at around 0.7-0.8).

 

[RoyJess]

Christ. I cannot think of anything worse than being on a rammed beach at the best of times, never mind with the current situation we find ourselves in. Looks like it has been the same around the county; I saw it reported that there was a 40 minute queue to use the one public toilet that was open in Skegness.

Have you seen the queues of traffic for people wanting a KFC or MacDonald's? If I saw a traffic queue like that for a takeaway, I'll rather turn around and go home and it would be quicker to cook my own burger and chips.

This is one of many reasons I won't be venturing out anytime soon, I'll stick with our garden for the time being

He comes the spike.

Anyone see us going to covid state 5.

I know i have been a bit naughty by sitting 3 metres away from my mum in her back garden ( there is an alleyway). However i am allowed to go in to care for her, wearing the correct PPE

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I don't blame you, Jess hasn't seen any of her family this year and I have only seen one of my daughters, officially she lives with us, but she is staying away as we are shielding and she was still working at MacDonald's so she had a choice to shield with us or to stay with her mother. She has popped over to bring us groceries which is allowed, again she has not been allowed inside our home and viewed us from 3 metres plus away in our back garden as well as we have a side gate. We ourselves are not taking any chances.

I do feel that those disrespecting the social distancing rules is a real kick in the teeth not only for us obeying the rules, but I also feel for our NHS workers who are on the front line witnessing the effects of Covid-19 on patients.

If the R rate goes up again and it will, then this lock-down could continue with stricter rules in place, but then again, this government is also determined to get the economy going again as it is costing them.

I should imagine by the time Covid-19 does it rounds, there will be less Pensions and Disabilities benefits for the government to pay out, so probably a win win for the government . I'm just making sure that Jess and myself don't become one of those statistics.

 

[Alsty]

Won't be so bad when people start going back to work. It is being treated as a holiday for some people. They won't be at the beach if they are working, and at least employers will be enforcing some level of social distancing due to their legal responsibilities.

 

[delta79]

. They won't be at the beach if they are working, and at least employers will be enforcing some level of social distancing due to their legal responsibilities.

Some employers won't enforce SD as it will damage productivity and therefore profit.



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[Alsty]

I think most employers would do a better job of enforcing it than the public do of it themselves at the beach.

You're also forgetting employers have responsibilities under Health and Safety law. They can be prosecuted if they don't have adequate processes in place.

 

[Islander]

I see that lock-down social distancing rules are going down well at Southend

https://www.itv.com/news/london/202...-of-sunseekers-struggling-to-social-distance/

Whilst clearly social distancing has indeed gone out the window in Southend, when looking at photos like that, it's always worth bearing in mind that the photographer always has a powerful ability to compose the picture to show more or less what they want it to show - worth looking at this article.

 

[Benzin]

No idea what my company have done for social distancing aside from limiting the numbers of staff in the office/factory.

Not every workplace has the ability to do that though. Too many variables especially when some spaces are tiny for the amount of people working there.

 

[Islander]

No idea what my company have done for social distancing aside from limiting the numbers of staff in the office/factory.

Not every workplace has the ability to do that though. Too many variables especially when some spaces are tiny for the amount of people working there.

Problem is they have a legal obligation to, if they are to reopen. If they can't provide adequate social distancing, then they are not permitted to open - essentially the lockdown continues on for them unchanged.

 

[imanautie]

Can't speak for the operations side but my work are now arranging things for some people to return to the office with social distancing.
A few weeks ago they asked everyone if they want to remain working from home or return to the office so I'm guessing the plan is to have people wanting to remain working from home doing so and those who want to return to the office to do so to limit numbers .

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[delta79]

For the last week i have had numerous call, emails and meeting about covid secure planning for the site.


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[RoyJess]

Won't be so bad when people start going back to work. It is being treated as a holiday for some people. They won't be at the beach if they are working, and at least employers will be enforcing some level of social distancing due to their legal responsibilities.

Really? Haven't you seen the pics and video footage of the commute to work where people are jammed packed onto the trains, no social distancing and many not wearing mask?

Whilst clearly social distancing has indeed gone out the window in Southend, when looking at photos like that, it's always worth bearing in mind that the photographer always has a powerful ability to compose the picture to show more or less what they want it to show - worth looking at this article.

I'm fully aware that you can give the illusion of things being closer than they are with camera angles and the use of the correct lens. This is how soaps will be filming using social distancing, the actors will be 2 metres apart but will look like they are standing together on screen.

The crowds at Southend yesterday were reported independently by the BBC and ITV, they are not in the business to create the illusion of crowds and fake news. You only had to see the recent new report on Durdle door where people were passing each other up and down those steps not social distancing. We are shielding here, different rules to social distancing, we are not allowed face to face contact with the outside world, I've measured 2 metres on the ground for deliveries and it is surprising that 2 metres is actually further away than what you imagine.

Despite being over the peak, this virus is still out there and there is more of it going around now than when when we first went into lock down, back then everyone went out panic buying defying the social distancing recommendation as well as people still went to the pubs despite being advise not to. I can only see that this is all going to end with another spike sooner than later.

 

[Rob]

Really? Haven't you seen the pics and video footage of the commute to work where people are jammed packed onto the trains, no social distancing and many not wearing mask?

Indeed, the biggest problem with returning to work is not necessarily the workplaces themselves but how people are getting to those work places. Not everyone lives a distance from their workplace where walking or cycling is possible. And many city centre workplaces offer no parking for employees unless there is a specific need for that parking.

I usually get the park and ride to work but that won't be happening for a while seeing as the whole site has been turned in to Covid testing facility (and an impressive looking one at that). If and when I do have to return to the office I would like to hope I am offered some free parking somewhere, but I am not hopeful.

 

[Alsty]

I don't dispute that the commute will be the biggest obstacle to getting people back to work safely, but I find it incredibly hypocritical when people say it's not safe to go to work; to go on the train, tube, bus; or for their kids to go back to school, but are then happy to sit on a packed beach surrounded by strangers.

 

[pluk]

Really? Haven't you seen the pics and video footage of the commute to work where people are jammed packed onto the trains, no social distancing and many not wearing mask?



I'm fully aware that you can give the illusion of things being closer than they are with camera angles and the use of the correct lens. This is how soaps will be filming using social distancing, the actors will be 2 metres apart but will look like they are standing together on screen.

The crowds at Southend yesterday were reported independently by the BBC and ITV, they are not in the business to create the illusion of crowds and fake news. You only had to see the recent new report on Durdle door where people were passing each other up and down those steps not social distancing. We are shielding here, different rules to social distancing, we are not allowed face to face contact with the outside world, I've measured 2 metres on the ground for deliveries and it is surprising that 2 metres is actually further away than what you imagine.

Despite being over the peak, this virus is still out there and there is more of it going around now than when when we first went into lock down, back then everyone went out panic buying defying the social distancing recommendation as well as people still went to the pubs despite being advise not to. I can only see that this is all going to end with another spike sooner than later.

Yes, it was clearly quite busy, but the itv report has been mostly derided by locals who were there as hugely exaggerated. Clips like this one show the real situation better; lots of groups of people all about 2 meters apart from other groups of people, exactly as we are being asked to do. Taking footage at a distance makes everyone look bunched up, you get amongst them and they are not. That isn't particularly busy for Southend beach on a hot day, usually much more packed in.



I don't doubt there will be some level of increase in infection as measures are slowly reduced, that's only natural and to be expected, but the vast majority of people are being sensible and sticking to the guidelines. I don't see any huge disaster coming.

 

[RoyJess]

Yes, it was clearly quite busy, but the itv report has been mostly derided by locals who were there as hugely exaggerated. Clips like this one show the real situation better; lots of groups of people all about 2 meters apart from other groups of people, exactly as we are being asked to do. Taking footage at a distance makes everyone look bunched up, you get amongst them and they are not. That isn't particularly busy for Southend beach on a hot day, usually much more packed in.



I don't doubt there will be some level of increase in infection as measures are slowly reduced, that's only natural and to be expected, but the vast majority of people are being sensible and sticking to the guidelines. I don't see any huge disaster coming.

As reported on the news yesterday, social distancing was being observe well at Southend at the start of the day until more and more people turned up. Even if you are sat in a group 2 metres from another group, how do you get to and leave your group (for toileting, going into the sea or getting some refreshments) without breaching the social distancing rules. You will have to walk in-between groups that are 2 metres away.

As for you don't see any huge disaster coming, sorry but you only have to take a look at our current death rates, 2nd to the world and top in Europe, this figure don't take into consideration the fifty thousands excess deaths this year. This crisis has already been disastrous and the scientist and the government has already said that a second wave or lock-down will be detrimental to our economy.

A government minister was commentating on the Southend beach scene this morning and reminded the viewers that we are still in lock-down and that people should not be crowding on the beach like they were, Piers Morgan then pointed out to the minister the irony that it was his government that said that we are now free to travel where ever we want to exercise and sunbathing on the beach was also allowed

 

[Matt N]

The R0 in Germany is still below 1, and they’ve eased a substantial number of restrictions now. Same with countries like Austria, Denmark and other countries that have eased.

Provided the distancing measures are kept, I don’t think we will have a second wave. The government will have factored a certain percentage of rule-breakers into their decision making, or “science” as they like to call it; remember how the reason the government changed the slogan was because people were obeying the stay at home advice better than their modelling predicted?

The vast, vast majority of people in Britain are in support of social distancing and will follow the measures. On my permitted walks recently, I’ve been trying to visualise a 2m distance in my head so as I know the sort of distance I need to keep when I start to come into more contact with those outside my household again.

One question, though; is it OK to be within 2m of someone for a very brief period (like only 1 or 2 seconds)? Because I have had 1 or 2 instances where people have come closer than 2m to me outside of my household for very brief periods, and probably not even intentionally, but I was only wondering so as I’m not breaking the rules.

 

[Alsty]

The rule is to keep apart 2 metres as much as possible. Sometimes it can't be helped, but it should be minimised as it does increase the risk.

 

[James]

I think the 2m rule has been taken quite literally by most of the public. I walked past a couple yesterday, probably around 1m away from them (as far along the edge of the pavement as possible), the husband saw me, grabbed his wife with his arms and dragged them to the very opposite side of the pavement and stared at me as if I was wearing a bomb vest...

@Matt N General rule of thumb, as long as you're maintaining as much of a distance allowed, and they aren't coughing or spluttering on you, or trying to kiss you, you will be OK.

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[Islander]

I think the 2m rule has been taken quite literally by most of the public. I walked past a couple yesterday, probably around 1m away from them (as far along the edge of the pavement as possible), the husband saw me, grabbed his wife with his arms and dragged them to the very opposite side of the pavement and stared at me as if I was wearing a bomb vest...

@Matt N General rule of thumb, as long as you're maintaining as much of a distance allowed, and they aren't coughing or spluttering on you, or trying to kiss you, you will be OK.

I dunno if it's unique around my area (almost certainly not), but there's this interesting phenomenon when I'm out walking around my neighbourhood - if you pass people on the pavement, one or other of you checks to see if the road is clear, and if so moves into the road to pass one another at a distance. Nine times out of ten, there's a warm smile exchanged between parties as you pass at distance, kinda knowing, like "yeh, we're fighting this damned this together". Almost community building.

I dunno. Sounds ultra-weird when typed out like this, but it just feels nice walking around. Definitely like we're all in this together.

 

[Vik]

One question, though; is it OK to be within 2m of someone for a very brief period (like only 1 or 2 seconds)? Because I have had 1 or 2 instances where people have come closer than 2m to me outside of my household for very brief periods, and probably not even intentionally, but I was only wondering so as I’m not breaking the rules.

You maybe over thinking things a bit much?
There’s nothing wrong with passing someone briefly for a second at less than 2 metres. The chances of them or you passing something on is pretty much 0.
Surely much better to pass within 2 metres than walk in to the road and be flattened by a bus? Seems plenty of people seem to think walking in to the road is more preferable though.
Usually I will give as much space as is practical given the width of the pavement I am on. Usually the same is reciprocated and we pass at a nice safe distance. Though in some instances when there are a group of people heading the other way walking 4/5 abreast and won’t move over then we pass within centimetres of each other but I’m not giving way to a large group who can’t move in to single file for a few seconds