Anti dementors visit the zombie beach

[BarkandCheese]

New thread! Hope the title is acceptable.

Sigh. Local facebook - someone has just linked to a report saying there have been no new cases in our District for the last two weeks, and isn't that great news? Got slapped down - as that could encourage people to think everything is ok, when its not, and it will all go to hell in a handcart when the shops open. According to the ZOE Covid study, the district probably has .2% of people affected. Oh, and we don't have many shops, so I'm not sure what that's going to do!

Happened to me too, @heroku. And with the same result! 13 years self employed!

@TrustTheGeneGenie I'm no expert so someone may know more. But I'd register my interest in voluntary redundancy in writing and then wait a few days before asking for the reference, if you can. Not sure if it'll work, but they might snatch your hand off and commit to paying you (ideally also in writing).

Shop workers aren't dropping like flies at all, are they? My 16 year old dd works in a big supermarket 14 hours a week and they've all been offered washable masks by the company. Not one of the staff wears them, they meet hundreds of people every day (many of whom apparently really lean in when they're asking for help) and not a single member of staff has gone down with the virus.

Thanks allflights Its just hard timing it all right! It's not the end of the world if I don't get the money but we could obviously do with it!

We skived school this pm and went to a ice cream van in the park, got 99s, and then did crazy golf! Going back to try tennis tomorrow too

Trust - if they are looking for voluntary redundancies, they will be happy if you put your hand up to go.

I would express interest first, then ask for the reference.

Ideally you can get the paperwork with the new job sorted before you actually apply for redundancy officially.

They are unlikely to care much why you are happy to go and they know (because this is how VR always works) that they will lose the people with the most options first.

@Orangeblossom78

We skived school this pm and went to a ice cream van in the park, got 99s, and then did crazy golf! Going back to try tennis tomorrow too

We did this on Tuesday. It was a gorgeous day so we met friends in the park and blew off afternoon school. It was fab.

Face coverings mandatory on public transport from 15th June

@MaudesMum

Sigh. Local facebook - someone has just linked to a report saying there have been no new cases in our District for the last two weeks, and isn't that great news? Got slapped down - as that could encourage people to think everything is ok, when its not, and it will all go to hell in a handcart when the shops open. According to the ZOE Covid study, the district probably has .2% of people affected. Oh, and we don't have many shops, so I'm not sure what that's going to do!

Ha. We're at 0.4 AND had no new cases in 5 days but apparently we want everyone to not come here over the summer because we don't want filthy tourists and their filthy holidaymaking ways. I dunno, it's what, two weeks since the Bank Holiday and we're not seeing an uptick in new cases here yet.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says that as of Monday 15 June face coverings will become mandatory on public transport in England.

That all sounds positive @Nihiloxica thank you!

But I'd register my interest in voluntary redundancy in writing and then wait a few days before asking for the reference, if you can. Not sure if it'll work, but they might snatch your hand off and commit to paying you (ideally also in writing).

I'd think I'd suggest this to -but ask how soon you'd know if they accept you for this as apparently it’s up to your employer whether they actually select you if you volunteer for redundancy.

If they're going to take their time deciding it will be harder for you.

I really liked that Lionel Shriver piece. Made total sense. Thanks for that

@Orangeblossom78 have you noticed that he also said the next restrictions will be eased on June 15th?
Not "depending on the numbers continuing to fall" or "following the science" - just will be eased. (Also - that's not 28 days, by any stretch.)
Interestng.

Where on the thread will I find Lionel Shriver? Please and thank you.

I love Lionel Shriver's stuff, will have a look.

"We stand on the verge of a new transport revolution," he says.

"A green transport revolution."

Karl Friston: up to 80% not even susceptible to Covid-19 "Ferguson was right that around 80% of susceptible people would rapidly become infected, and was right that of those between 0.5% and 1% would die — he just missed the fact that the relevant “susceptible population” was only ever a small portion of people in the UK, and an even smaller portion in countries like Germany and elsewhere. Which rather changes everything."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says that as of Monday 15 June face coverings will become mandatory on public transport in England.

Will there be an announcement on the trains crossing the border we are now crossing the seven/going into seven tunnel and face masks are now manatory and vice versa.

For some reason I can never face actually watching the briefing, just watch the summary online. Not sure why! Think it is the questions etc

@MorrisZapp

news.sky.com/story/after-the-pandemic-bring-back-the-old-normal-says-author-lionel-shriver-12000147

Oh Lionel, roaring as ever! Absolutely spot on. Thank god for clarity.

Haha she sounds just like DH

Zoe Williams in the Guardian also bringing a bit of common sense to the table:

However, rejecting the new guidelines altogether and maintaining your own, personal lockdown may not necessarily be the most socially responsible thing either. Prof Carl Heneghan, the director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine in Oxford, says: “We can’t stay in lockdown for ever. It’s too easy to make this about one disease. You’ve got to look at the wide spectrum of health issues, the backlog of other [medical] appointments, the impact of more austerity on people’s lives, the closure of schools and the effect on educational attainment, which we know is linked to health outcomes.” We won’t understand the dynamics of transmission – we won’t even understand how effective lockdown has been – unless we start to come out of it.

Love that Karl Friston story