Covid-19

[Pippedydeadeye]

I think they know official people will be checking up on them. You can’t account for once the customers are wankered, but places are generally starting with good intentions.

[Kleio]

My town was awful today. The amusement arcades reopened and were full to bursting all handling cash and nearly every pub was open and packed. Although, it was all indoors.

I had to pop into a supermarket to use the pharmacy and there was no one on the door monitoring the door.

[Mountain Goat]

I read that the guidance is all advisory only and nothing is enforceable, but can't remember the source or when this was so may possibly be bollocks/ out of date.

[sally maclennane]

There hasn't been a lot of guidance given to pubs in Scotland yet, they can reopen on 15th so its at least mid week. My brother has ordered perspex screens for the bar (costing £££) and his pub is big enough that he can separate tables quite well. There is no chance of bringing in an app though, most of his customers will still have phones with buttons!

The advantage when monitoring pubs is that they have licences so those can be withdrawn for non compliance but I doubt that will actually happen.

[Ruby]

I don’t mean sensible shit like this, by the way. I mean sitting cheek by jowl with four billion other people.

No I get that. I totally agree. What they're doing in the Old Bastard Arms in my dad's village is clearly not what's happening in Soho.

Me and my dad are both quite pleased that it means loads of places have now invested in technology that allows you to pay contactless though. I bet the money-laundering industry is on its knees.

[Ella77]

I read that the guidance is all advisory only and nothing is enforceable, but can't remember the source or when this was so may possibly be bollocks/ out of date.

That’s it, they’re only guidelines, nothing enforceable. I read that too.

[Ruby]

If you are breaching the guidelines though, it's likely you'll have your licence revoked. I think that's happening to a pub in our town that didn't close properly for the initial lockdown.

[sally maclennane]

Yep, pubs are subject to a lot of regulations anyway.

[Morganna]

This was 8.00 AM outside of a less than salubrious pub in Newcastle city centre.

Screenshot 2020-07-04 at 20.06.46.png

Sorry for the poor quality photo, but I saw it earlier, and when I went to the site to copy it, it had been replaced with a thumbnail.

[nineseven]

I genuinely, genuinely can’t fathom it.

Me neither. We have the third highest number of deaths in the world.

I don't know why it's not being pointed out (well, nowhere I've seen) that we have a third of the death toll of the US, but the UK is very far from a third of the size of it. Surely we must have the worst rate of all.

[Kenickie]

I guess it's some kind of not wanting to believe it's as bad as it is, or a kind of ignore it and it won't be real? Or people having had enough of lockdown?

There's a pub near me which has a big lovely beer garden and unless they've added loads of tables, really spaced out seating. I'd consider going there when it reopens but I can't imagine going anywhere inside for a good while.

[purple_dress]

I think councils have the power to enforce businesses keeping to the social distancing. That's what I was told in a work context by the Local Government Association. Whether councils have the means or inclination to do so is another matter.

[Morganna]

The one I posted with the queue has no beer garden. I have never been in it, but there are always dodgy-looking characters standing outside smoking at all hours of the day, so there is clearly no access to anywhere at the back.

It is bang in the city centre, with no residential housing around it, so the queuers must have traveled in to be there for opening time. It's madness.

[cluefree]

I think we do have the worst rate of all, don’t we? It’s shocking.

[Ella77]

I genuinely, genuinely can’t fathom it.

Me neither. We have the third highest number of deaths in the world.

I don't know why it's not being pointed out (well, nowhere I've seen) that we have a third of the death toll of the US, but the UK is very far from a third of the size of it. Surely we must have the worst rate of all.

This has been confusing me too! Everybody’s saying how bad the situation is in America, but it’s loads worse here, right?

[olive]

I genuinely, genuinely can’t fathom it.

Me neither. We have the third highest number of deaths in the world.

I don't know why it's not being pointed out (well, nowhere I've seen) that we have a third of the death toll of the US, but the UK is very far from a third of the size of it. Surely we must have the worst rate of all.

This has been confusing me too! Everybody’s saying how bad the situation is in America, but it’s loads worse here, right?

Mr O and I have been talking about this today and I’ve been trying to look for info as to why the death rates vary so much between the US and UK. There just seem to be so many factors in play but mainly the UK locking down way too late and the US having more intensive care beds so it’s been able to cope with cases much better. How deaths are reported varies so much too and I can’t actually get my head around it.

[FiveO'Clock]

I don't know. Do you wash your shopping packaging and parcels and stuff?

Yes, I thought I was maybe over the top with that. My best guess is that R picked it up during his appointment with the ortho surgeon and passed it to me without becoming sick himself. It's only made me feel more paranoid about whether or not the guidelines in my state (Michigan) are strict enough.

[Morganna]

Is treatment for Covid free in the US? For those without insurance, I mean? I was assuming so, or the infection rates would shoot up, but I don't think I've heard one way or the other.

[FiveO'Clock]

The government is covering uninsured Americans for coronavirus treatment, as far as I know.

[Morganna]

Thanks. I thought they must be, or it would make matters worse.