To ask what on Earth wales are doing?

[Whenismumhome]

I don’t live in Wales but I’ve heard that they’re having a “firebreak” and shops cannot sell non essential items.

AIBU to think that that is just a step too far and completely over the top? Ok fair enough, tell people to stay at home but surely if someone needs to go shopping for essentials they can buy non essentials whilst they’re in a specific shop.

Genevieva it is only a matter of time before England does something similar. Look at what is happening in the rest of Europe right now.

My worry at the moment is the news that the LibDems are calling for a unified approach for Christmas. The time for a unified approach has long passed, it ended when Boris refused to engage with the first ministers. If our firebreak works, and going into December England suddenly realise that their jumbled, confusing messages aren’t working and go back into lockdown, after we have had a crappy half term in Wales and worked so hard to get our rates down, I will be really hacked off if the whole of the U.K. is taken down with them.
(This isn’t a complaint about being locked down now before anyone jumps on it, yes it’s been a shit week here but I still support it)

@pinkearedcow I fear you are right, but this nonsense of essential and inessential products needs a rethink. It would have Monty Python potential if it wasn’t so serious. The current approach isn’t really sustainable and the vaccine won’t be a magic solution either. So really the only answer is to make it easy for people to avoid others if they want to, increase ITU capacity in a way that allows other parts of the NHS to operate properly and let everyone make their own choices over the amount of risk they are willing to take.

@Genevieva thread after thread has explained why everyone making their own choices about the amount of risk they are willing to take is nonsense.
But you’re still repeating the nonsense about essential and inessential products too, so... nobody is saying any of the products are inessential in themselves, just that the vast, vast majority don’t need to buy them for two weeks. Where someone does, there are ways round it.

I would just question why when you don’t live Wales, you have to question what they are doing ? I really believe the average person can manage 2 weeks without a book , magazine even clothes .They can’t shut supermarkets as food is essential but this measure is obviously to cut time length Of these visits down. Unless you’ve been under a shell for the last 6 months we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Il warn you now don’t look what France and Germany are doing !!

Don’t believe everything you read in press either, you can still buy sanitary products .

@cardibach it is perfectly possible to appreciate those points and simultaneously observe the ease with which hard won civil liberties have been brushed aside indefinitely without a proper process.

What are Wales doing?

Trying their best to flatten the curve so that people who need medical attention can get it. As it stands all Outpatient appointments and operations have been cancelled as the wards are filling up again with Coronavirus patients. Emergency surgeries are going ahead but hospitals are struggling where to put the patients after surgery. It’s not a good idea to put ill, weak, post op patients in with CV patients for obvious reasons.

What is England doing?

@SilverBangle

What are Wales doing?

Trying their best to flatten the curve so that people who need medical attention can get it. As it stands all Outpatient appointments and operations have been cancelled as the wards are filling up again with Coronavirus patients. Emergency surgeries are going ahead but hospitals are struggling where to put the patients after surgery. It’s not a good idea to put ill, weak, post op patients in with CV patients for obvious reasons.

What is England doing?

I think England would be very surprised to hear what my Welsh friends and family think of their situation. We’ve all been appalled at the lack of care and direction given to the English public. We all think you’ve been thrown to the wolves, and the rising deaths seems to be supporting that.

I also trust the Welsh government to give us back our freedoms as soon as possible, in a way that I don’t trust Boris to.

I hope you’re okay over there Saes-bach, because I’ve been struggling to see how one metre of social distancing makes a blind bit of difference. I hope things improve for you soon

(If you found that patronising at all then cop on)

The situation for all of us is really serious now, how easily we can buy a kettle is the least of our worries. As someone said, look at France, Germany and Italy. Are people going to start posting faux concerned threads about those countries?

Don’t believe everything you read in press either, you can still buy sanitary products

Exactly. That whole storm was brewed up on Twitter by some stupid covid denier who clearly had an agenda.

It’s the usual story most of us are getting on with it and realise this firebreak needs to be done. The Minority spend their time and energy complaining about their freedom being taken away - as if they are locked up. We are not. For the most part everything is normal. Parks and playgrounds are open. Schools are on half term. Primary schools and years 7, 8 and 11 are back next week. The others to be phased in. Most people are working except the small shops which is very sad as they have only just opened after the last lockdown, after putting in safety measures. Pubs and clubs are closed temporarily.

There is no shortage of food or other essentials. There is no shortage of non essentials either. On-line shops are still operating and if there is anything that is urgently needed from the non essential list the supermarkets will sell it to you - except toys. Toys are definitely not essential and have been wrapped in opaque plastic to stop people browsing for Christmas. It sounds like gyms and sport centres and pubs and clubs will be open on 9th. Only another week or so to go now. Drakeford has said Nov 9th will definitely be the last day of this fire breaker but they will keep an eye on the stats over the next few weeks and act accordingly. Which is only to be expected really. Don’t listen to the gloomers. Things here are really not as bad as people are making out. But you’ll always get those who need something non-essential urgently and complain that they can’t go and pick it off the shelf. Hey ho we are getting used to the I’m alright Jacks - F everyone else.

It’s a sad state for everyone the world over isn’t it? Nobody wants the inconvenience but I think most, in Wales anyway, are making the most of a bad situation. Our biggest problem at the moment is the CV cases have risen, there have been more deaths and our hospitals are really struggling.

Why did you mention 1meter social distancing? Did you think we were down to 1m in Wales or have I misunderstood?

Apologies for the misunderstanding Silverbangle, I quoted your post to agree with it and carried on your point about asking what England is doing

I’ve been baffled by English rules and their lack of effectiveness and evidence for a while now, and find patronising posts about Wales really irritating and colonialist in tone.

I’ve been baffled by English rules and their lack of effectiveness and evidence for a while now, and find patronising posts about Wales really irritating and colonialist in tone.

This! I was trying to explain the tone earlier on in this thread. I don’t think OP intended to be patronising but the tone is ingrained in media reports and conversations about Wales, it’s hard to shake off and it’s hard not to be bothered by it if you live in Wales.

@SilverBangle I completely agree (except about Y11 - they aren’t back. It’s Reception to Y8 only. This is because Y11 are a group with high infection rates).

@SilverBangle I completely agree (except about Y11 - they aren’t back. It’s Reception to Y8 only. This is because Y11 are a group with high infection rates)

Yes of course. Year 11 is GCSE isn’t it? Typical that GCSE and A Level years are unable to access education at the most crucial time. I guess they will be phased back to school.... whenever.

My DS was unable to complete his second year in college this year so no diploma to show for the past 2 years. He enrolled again in Sept for another 2 years and he’s lucky if he gets to go into college for half a day per week.

We have received devastating news today. My GS’s teacher has died from Coronavirus. She is late 40’s/early 50’s. If that wasn’t bad enough my DD’s best friend has been taken into hospital this morning and is on a ventilator. She is 24 and in a critical condition. When is this carnage going to end? I can’t stop crying sorry. I’m taking myself off MN for a while.

I see that SilverBangke is understandably distressed and leaving the thread, so I won’t address her on this, but For anyone else wondering, Y11 (yes GCSE year) won’t be phased back I don’t think. All back on the day lockdown ends Yes, they are the critical year, but they also have the highest risk and keeping them in over the lockdown risks both the lockdown failing and their year group having more isolations.

Oh god, SilverBangle I am so sorry. This bloody virus.

Oh I’m so sorry SilverBangle, that’s just awful 💐

@cardibach, yes that’s right, my DS is affected but they’ve spent the whole term preparing for this eventuality and this time they will have actual classes online for the week they’re off (which can be accessed outside of class time if needed too).

I’m impressed by how prepared the school is.

That death hits home as I teach in a neighbouring school.

Everyone I know broadly supports the 2 week lockdown. It's not great, but neither are rising cases of covid. My son is an AHP and the lock down was put in place to protect the NHS in the lead up to winter. To expect NHS workers to just keep on 'coping' is beyond unreasonable. The non-essential shopping drama was mostly down to overzealous retailers and attention seeking idiots moaning about 'human rights'

Speaking as someone in Wales whose oven managed to break during this firebreak - I don't mind at all (part should be delivered tomorrow)

Our rates are too high, hopefully this will bring them down a little

BTW my son is doing A levels - they are having online lessons from Monday - we were all contacted before half term asking if any issues with connecting online (I believe they have equipment they can lend out) and he's brought home a lot of extra work

@SilverBangle I'm so sorry for your losses. I lost my cousin earlier this year but this current wave seems a lot more locally - a colleagues grandmother died of COVID this morning. My daughter's 18 year old friend (student nurse) got a positive result at the weekend

Interesting how the tone of the news has changed now that England is talking about a lockdown. I’ve just read an article saying it could be a month long because it’s been left so late. I hope it is long enough to bring your numbers down. I hope wales stepped in at the right time (despite ridicule) and we can get on with our Christmas shopping soon (and sensibly). There are no winners here. I genuinely hope all the measures work.

If I was queuing outside asda to get inside for food on a wet autumn day while the people inside fannied about picking paint and knickers and other non essentials I’d not be happy. It’s to cut down people going for stupid items that they could live without or wait for a couple of weeks until they buy them.
Go for your food bang it in the trolley, pay and get out.