OT. Schools...normality and Coronavirus.

[mistaram]

Speaking personally Im probably taking the same risks as you are at the moment, rA, other than maybe doing more frequent shopping than you, as you are, I believe possessed of a car and hence can stock up with more per visit.

My question (and I suspect yours too) is, is Mac's one persistently coughing woman in a shop more or less of a risk than 16 children in a room?. Evidence suggests that children are minimal to low risk, which seems to be this and a few other countries' stance on the matter. Which I guess is where you are coming at it from - you dont believe anything the government says, so you wont accept their risk assessment.

Sorry Geoff evidence does not point to children being minimal to low risk of infecting adults All the experts say they do not know and that's the case for every country

[Geoff Parkstone]

I'm sure there are many sources of contradictory data on this, but...

https://fullfact.org/health/covid-19-in-children/

[mistaram]

I'm sure there are many sources of contradictory data on this, but...

https://fullfact.org/health/covid-19-in-children/

Yes as it says there remains some uncertainty So instead of be cautionary it's better to send the kids to school ☺

[MadAmster]

4) As I have said before, I am not suggesting teachers should not under any circumstances return to work, but...they do need effective PPE - as probably do the children - and as the return is inevitably going to be partial for the rest of this academic year...why not wait and learn from what happens in Germany and Holland?

So, it's OK for us to be the UK's guinea pig then

Seriously though, We Dutch have been a couple of weeks ahead of the UK all the way in this. Also behind some other countries. We have had the "benefit" of seeing what has happened there. The government has kept the public appraised of what was going to happen and why. Some may not have agreed with the reasoning but followed advice/rules all the same. Inevitable that once the unlocking started we'd also be a step or 2 ahead. From the safety of my home, hearing the reasoning, having read quite a lot of the science and experiences abroad, the current steps seem measured and acceptable.

Health workers, drivers, shop assistants, cleaners, teachers etc have remained in the "front line". One group or anther had to be the next. Considering the general consensus on children and CV-19, allowing them back to school is not an unreasonable step. The stats have them as low risk in regard to a) getting infected and b) infecting others. Having the children back in school will also free parents to go back to work or work more efficiently from home.......

Whether the stats are right or not, time will tell. My hope is that they are right.

[Trickytreesreds]

So, it's OK for us to be the UK's guinea pig then

Seriously though, We Dutch have been a couple of weeks ahead of the UK all the way in this. Also behind some other countries. We have had the "benefit" of seeing what has happened there. The government has kept the public appraised of what was going to happen and why. Some may not have agreed with the reasoning but followed advice/rules all the same. Inevitable that once the unlocking started we'd also be a step or 2 ahead. From the safety of my home, hearing the reasoning, having read quite a lot of the science and experiences abroad, the current steps seem measured and acceptable.

Health workers, drivers, shop assistants, cleaners, teachers etc have remained in the "front line". One group or anther had to be the next. Considering the general consensus on children and CV-19, allowing them back to school is not an unreasonable step. The stats have them as low risk in regard to a) getting infected and b) infecting others. Having the children back in school will also free parents to go back to work or work more efficiently from home.......

Whether the stats are right or not, time will tell. My hope is that they are right.

That is the point Maddy. Time will tell.
Everyone has to come out from under their rock eventually.
I think it is perfectly reasonable for us to get moving with the schools etc.

As you have just highlighted.
We are 2 weeks behiind you, 4 weeks behind others.
Should there be a spike elsewhere, we have an early warning system in place, to stop it all again.

Leave the elderly/infirm in isolation is fine by me.
The young, fit and healthy need to get on with picking the country up off its ass. Before these jobless figures go through the roof and it all gets nasty.

[ramAnag]

So, it's OK for us to be the UK's guinea pig then

Seriously though, We Dutch have been a couple of weeks ahead of the UK all the way in this. Also behind some other countries. We have had the "benefit" of seeing what has happened there. The government has kept the public appraised of what was going to happen and why. Some may not have agreed with the reasoning but followed advice/rules all the same. Inevitable that once the unlocking started we'd also be a step or 2 ahead. From the safety of my home, hearing the reasoning, having read quite a lot of the science and experiences abroad, the current steps seem measured and acceptable.

Health workers, drivers, shop assistants, cleaners, teachers etc have remained in the "front line". One group or anther had to be the next. Considering the general consensus on children and CV-19, allowing them back to school is not an unreasonable step. The stats have them as low risk in regard to a) getting infected and b) infecting others. Having the children back in school will also free parents to go back to work or work more efficiently from home.......

Whether the stats are right or not, time will tell. My hope is that they are right.

I prefer ‘benefiting from the experience of others’ to being our ‘guinea pig’, MA.
The UK government hasn’t covered itself in glory, imo, so far and we need all the help and advice we can get.
There seems to be some sort of ‘race’ as far as certain ministers are concerned so we can boast about how quickly we returned to ‘normal’ and I fear that might be horribly counterproductive.

As you rightly point out, we have been a couple of weeks behind you all the way through all this and I’d also add that the crisis in the UK has been rather deeper than the Dutch equivalent.

You’ve provided return dates elsewhere suggesting that Junior Schools will be returning, in one form or another on the 8th June and Secondary Schools on the 2nd June.
By my reckoning that suggests that in the UK, Junior Schools should sensibly consider reopening on the 22nd and Secondary Schools on the 16th.
That seems reasonable on the basis that by then the situation in the UK will have had another month to ‘settle’ and we’ll have had the benefit of seeing how our Northern European counterparts in Germany and Holland have coped.

Unfortunately I have read this morning in the New York Times, that in France many reopened schools have had to close because of the discovery of seventy new cases of Covid-19 in schools. It’s a relatively small number but points out the need for proceeding with the greatest of care and only with the appropriate PPE.

[ramAnag]

I may be wrong, but by my reckoning it’s now nine days since we last saw or heard from the PM. Any thoughts or explanations?

[Geoff Parkstone]

I may be wrong here but isn't he a new father still on paternity leave? Or maybe he has been furloughed!

Presumably you are very happy that he's not been prominent!

[Trickytreesreds]

I may be wrong here but isn't he a new father still on paternity leave? Or maybe he has been furloughed!

Presumably you are very happy that he's not been prominent!

Corbyns brother has a different view as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjvnLKgKxsQ

[mistaram]

I may be wrong, but by my reckoning it’s now nine days since we last saw or heard from the PM. Any thoughts or explanations?

Yes been baby making i mean sitting