OT. Schools...normality and Coronavirus.

[swaledale]

Why are you sorry?
I can take the insults over my yo yo team
I stand by what I said many months ago. We never signed that extra striker and it will stop us going up,
Looks correct as well.

But even so. Compared to your season? WOW, just wow

So we are 7 pts behind you after a horrendous season? Mm so how is that so bad? Mind you I know your incapable of understanding complex issues, but this is simple and you still get it wrong. Ah bless.

[Trickytreesreds]

So we are 7 pts behind you after a horrendous season? Mm so how is that so bad? Mind you I know your incapable of understanding complex issues, but this is simple and you still get it wrong. Ah bless.

Really Swale/
Ostrich syndrome perhaps?

From Lampard to drinkgate. Do I really need to list them?
BTW it probably isn't over yet. The EFL have the icing on the cake.
But maybe I've got it so wrong and this season was completely painless for you.

Arrrrh bless

[ramAnag]

Anyway...back on topic...
Anyone else bewildered by our leaders’ latest volte-face?
Overnight it appears they’ve concluded that face masks must be worn in shops...from 24th July!

No problem with the decision...it makes sense...almost as if we’ve looked at the examples of Scotland, Wales, Spain, Germany and others and the ‘penny has dropped’, at last.

But why wait another ten days? If it’s so necessary why not asap...and if it’s a good idea now why were those such as Johnson, Trump and Gove so opposed to the idea when the epidemic was far more virulent than it now appears to be?

It’s just another example of how lamentable the advice and leadership throughout so much of this pandemic has been and begs the question...why, with so many contradictions, should we believe and trust a word they say?

Doubtless Johnson and Williamson will continue to insist that all pupils return to school in September...and I understand how important and desirable this is...but how can people trust that it will be possible to make them all such safe environments for such increased numbers against a background of contradiction where dentists remain closed and theatres and sports stadia are only likely to function at about 30% of capacity?

[Trickytreesreds]

1. on masks, totally agree. The asians have worn them non stop. They don't do it for fashion. I myself was asked why I was wearing one in the early days? "they don't do anything" was the common talk. Well who's fault is that? The so called medical experts have changed direction on it more times than the wind.
Complete bull, anything that catches at least part of a sneeze or cough is a good thing. Get them in, now.

2. Schools?
What is your solution RA?
They have to go back sometime. The country will suffer a decade of hurt with a generation lacking schooling.
The problems on the economy trying to adapt to parents struggling to work at full capacity.
To compare a dentist's job with a teachers is a bit poor. I didn't know teachers have to put their face inches from a pupils and stare into an open gob?
Theatres/sports stadiums do not keep the country going.
Anything that can cut down risk, should be applied. But lets be honest here. Until a vaccine becomes available, this isn't going away however you look at it.
Normality has to return as much as it can. I told you the other week, that 30 000 cancer patients are now expected to die, due to lack of treatment and screening.
More misery will unfold unless we get moving. Can't hide in the cupboard forever.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Anyway...back on topic...
Anyone else bewildered by our leaders’ latest volte-face?
Overnight it appears they’ve concluded that face masks must be worn in shops...from 24th July!

No problem with the decision...it makes sense...almost as if we’ve looked at the examples of Scotland, Wales, Spain, Germany and others and the ‘penny has dropped’, at last.

But why wait another ten days? If it’s so necessary why not asap...and if it’s a good idea now why were those such as Johnson, Trump and Gove so opposed to the idea when the epidemic was far more virulent than it now appears to be?

It’s just another example of how lamentable the advice and leadership throughout so much of this pandemic has been and begs the question...why, with so many contradictions, should we believe and trust a word they say?

Doubtless Johnson and Williamson will continue to insist that all pupils return to school in September...and I understand how important and desirable this is...but how can people trust that it will be possible to make them all such safe environments for such increased numbers against a background of contradiction where dentists remain closed and theatres and sports stadia are only likely to function at about 30% of capacity?

Yawn.

Consider this, if masks had been recommended/mandated earlier, then that would give lockdown breakers a "pink ticket" to do what they wanted as long as they took a mask with them to sneak on when they say a distant rozzer approaching. Much better to keep the fear factor out there as opposed to making people think wearing a mask was a universal panacea.

Why wait 10 days? I'm not too sure but I expect its related to giving retailers and police time to establish process. How will it be enforced? As usual there will be maybe an 85% natural compliance but what of the remaining 15% who think they are invincible or just don't care. There aren't enough police to do it and I'd question their jurisdiction on private property such as in a shop or a mall. I assume non conpliance is a civil not criminal offence?

And what do the shops do? Refuse admission to non maskers? How do they enforce that? Private security staff? Retail needs the business for recovery, but they are being asked to turn it away? Perhaps shops will be expected to supply masks - a quid each with your quid refundable against a purchase over a tenner perhaps?

It isn't and wasn't as easy a decision as ivory towered anti government-ers suggest, and it sure as hell will be impossible to enforce: but it's probably better on balance to require it.

But then again, why not in offices, although there is a more fixed bubble there?

[MadAmster]

Masks weren't compulsory earlier because there weren't enough available to make it a reasonable option. There weren't enough for the NHS. Care homes couldn't get them for love nor money. How on earth was Joe and Joanne Public supposed to get their hands on any?

[Trickytreesreds]

Masks weren't compulsory earlier because there weren't enough available to make it a reasonable option. There weren't enough for the NHS. Care homes couldn't get them for love nor money. How on earth was Joe and Joanne Public supposed to get their hands on any?

Sssssssssssssssh, you'll spoil the bash Boris rant.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Not at all, it's Boris' fault that there weren't enough!

[ramAnag]

Sorry, I forgot...any sort of criticism of how this crisis has been handled isn’t allowed on here because it’s ‘Boris/Government bashing’.

Then again...maybe, just maybe they’ve been shambolic - i.e. less than 48hrs before the mandatory wearing of masks in shops and public transport was announced Gove said ‘no, there’s no need for masks to be mandatory’ - but I suppose some on here think such indecision and lack of clarity is acceptable.

Anyway, at the risk of being anecdotal, consider this. Since the lockdown I’ve picked three separate prescriptions up from my local health centre. On the first two occasions - at the height of the pandemic - everyone working there had to wear a mask but patients/clients didn’t...just had to use hand wash as they entered the building.
Then suddenly...on that Monday (eight days ago?) when we were allowed in shops - other than supermarkets - for the first time I wasn’t allowed in the health centre without a mask for the first time.
The lady at the door was very pleasant and helpful and went and collected my prescription while I waited at the door.
When she returned I asked her - very politely and non confrontationally - why, at precisely the moment that lockdown restrictions appeared to be be being generally eased, the specific health centre restrictions seemed to be being tightened.
She said she understood my point totally, but that the Health Centre was following NHS procedure and advice as opposed to that provided by the Government.

That really is worrying imo.
The Government has an economic agenda driven by the need to get retail functioning again and have all children return to school ASAP, enabling parents to return to work, both of which will help kick start the economy. I understand that...but is it safe or just going to lead to a second wave...and why would there be such an apparent disparity between NHS advice and government advice?

If, GP and TTR, you think that’s all just me indulging in ‘Boris bashing’ then so be it...personally I think it’s a perfectly valid question and one aimed at us receiving some consistent and competent leadership instead of the series of clueless contradictions we’re currently having to endure.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Don't be so bloody defensive and consider the points made as to why hesitancy and conflicting perspectives existed. Its not straight forward in any way, unless you adopt a one eyed response based on political allegiance, as you persistently do.

For once lets take political point scoring off the agenda and consider the practical issues surrounding the mask implementation: because they are central to any decision making process. You cannot just say "do it" with no way to enforce it, and that takes time to consider before coming to whatever decision is selected.

For the last couple of weeks I have been venturing into my local town to visit bank post office etc, some locations are inside a small mall. Wearing of masks might be at 5% take up, social distancing (be it 2m or 1m) rarely observed by kids racing around, almost never by the elderly who seem to view it as everyone elses job to get out of their way even when they are going the wrong way down" a one way street" in a shop. But masks were not mandatory.

Today I visited again, and indeed indulged in a socially distanced solitary coffee.There were a few more masks being worn but, again somewhat curiously, rarely by the elderly who surely are the most vulnerable. So what will it be like when people get used to having to wear them? When hopefully the shops are prepared to deal with the "wont wears" and so on.

Since lockdown I feel Johnson has been like Canute trying to convince the tide to reverse its flow. Given an inch a significant number of people have taken a mile, as you rA have observed yourself on Dorset beaches, in the Peak District, etc etc. With pubs reopening this lack of compliance has got worse with a new dimension.

Is it any surprise that the issue generated (and still does) conflicting opinion and wasnt just a slam dunk?

We will see what happens when what many will see as a backwards step against their freedoms comes into force. I genuinely dont know how compliant the people will be. Personally, the biggest reason I have against them lies in my glasses constantly steaming up, but I will seek to comply although Im not convinced its a practical enforceable decision. Same on trains........

On a more light hearted note, I saw some creativity today from that much loathed group - the smokers. One guy had cut a neat hole in his mask to enable him to hang a fag out of his mouth and thus satisfy his addiction. I am not convinced that the mask would really count as one if he went in a shop between fags, but, nice try.

Unsurprisingly there were still queues to get into many "institutions" - banks, coffee shops etc, but the biggest queue was for Paddy Power! So much for online gambling. The queue at the job centre was...... non existent, although it was open. Clearly its not as bad out there on the job front as I had thought.