Prime minister announcement at 12

[Hugglespuffed]

Is it going to be drastic changes? Or just 'work at home if you can'?

@Redrover87
I expect they will just say you have to claim universal credit.

Xenia - that’s just daft. Either tell everyone to carry on as usual, except the elderly (and who tf is supposed to be looking after the elderly and vulnerable, then?), or close down the obvious transmission places. Why on earth consider banning public events if schools remain open? Who knows a single small child who doesn’t sneeze and cough all over everyone in the vicinity without considering use of a tissue? There is absolutely zero chance of one teacher being able to ensure safe hygiene measures for 60 children rammed into a classroom designed for 30. Besides, state schools are so underfunded, they can’t afford to clean them properly...

Pretty much everyone I know has a cold at the moment.

@mycorona baby shark

We need to be realistic.

Closing the schools = parents having to take time off work = losing money and potentially losing jobs.

Closing shops / restaurants = where are you going to get your food and other essentials?

self isolating = can firemen / paramedics etc self isolate? and who is going to serve you in the shops if they are self isolating? its just not possible for everyone to self isolate.

I think it is likely that Boris will recommend (but not force)

closure of community centres / libraries / leisure centres
cancellations of sport games
cancellation of concerts and similar events
cancellation of business conferences
do meetings via skype etc
hand washing to 'god save the queen'.
restricted travel to other countries

Boris needs to read this while he still can.

medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca

Europe looks lost, but UK can still get through this. But trump has just funnelled a whole load of cv19 through the UK. Boris needs to cut us off, and he needs to do it now.

"Just heard that they are planning to shut schools for 2 weeks, as of next Friday. Not sure how true this is.! "

My friend that is a teacher has been told the same.

I do a part time HNC in college and we were told on Monday to cram assignments now as college will almost certainly not be open in a week or two’s time. I used to work as a teaching assistant and ex colleagues have been told pretty much the same.

@PurpleDaisies it's been suggested that there are links to the flu virus (not sure how credible these are to be fair, I'm not a medic or a scientist), the chances are that they will be covered by something in the flu vaccine. Not necessarily immune but less susceptible to Covid, if this is true then they may well be carrying the virus without obvious symptoms.

I’d take wfh if you can atm

How about just waiting for the announcement?

Stupid idea, I know.

sucking I guess people deal with things differently. I hate the not knowing what is happening and am opening up a conversation about what people think next steps will be. It may not be how you would cope with things but I guess we are all different.

@yatapina it's been suggested that there are links to the flu virus (not sure how credible these are to be fair, I'm not a medic or a scientist), the chances are that they will be covered by something in the flu vaccine. Not necessarily immune but less susceptible to Covid, if this is true then they may well be carrying the virus without obvious symptoms.

Surely if that was accurate then the elderly and vulnerable, who also get the flu vaccine, wouldn't be getting so hammered by it?

The only way to know what is happening is to wait for it to be announced.

Personally I don't see the point in repeating gossip and speculation, as some are doing on this thread. It's likely to make people frightened.

Dear UK
Me and all my millionaire cronies are going to live in the underground bunker for a few months till this wipes you all out. Let the hunger games begin,
Love Boris

Like I said above sucking this is how people cope. You don't have to click on the thread if it isn't for you.

I'd be interested to hear what peoples ideas are about what health care workers should do. Should we also self isolate at a sniffle? (believe me, i would love to, I'm pregnant and would love an excuse for 1-2 weeks curled up on the sofa).

But it does seem one rule for everyone else, another for NHS - which is pointless - as we work with the most vulnerable people etc and so are more likely to spread it. Conversely, if we all self isolate with a cold, the NHS would literally collapse. I have a feeling this won't be addressed....

A friend of mine suggested this morning that even just shutting secondary schools would make a difference as in the main that age group do not need childcare. Here in London these children are travelling across the city daily from various locations too and they make up a massive part of the daily public transport mass. She's a scientist. I thought it made a lot of sense.

Quite concerned about various family members going bust due to all this.

if they want people to self isolate, doesn't it make sense to close schools? Whats the point in adults staying at home avoiding contact with others, if their children are all gathering in one place and potentially spreading by bringing it back home?

would probably need to keep open for GCSE/A-level exam year students

Good point about shutting secondary schools. That is a really good idea.

Cross post yes, not yr11&13.

We provide school transport so if the schools close, we are knackered.

That’s the thing though I already claim universal credit to top up my earnings, I claim the max I am allowed anyway so I’d be 350 a month worse off (earnings from work) I’m seriously worried and I don’t know what I’ll do. My employers are arseholes anyway