Boris doing an announcement at 4.45pm today

[PrincessHoneysuckle]

Think on BBC

How do we know if we are eligible for a flu vaccine? Would we know if we are?

It's a very specific list. Ask your pharmacist if you're not sure.

@TwelveIslands - The government will be well aware many won’t take the advice. They are betting on a certain percentage taking the advice thus spreading the transmission of the virus more slowly. They will carefully monitor the increases in serious cases and when they reach a particular point they will increase the rigidity of the measures.

They aren’t just “hoping” we all do it.

Sorry to say ginger but virus' aren't aware that your DH only works two days a week. Statistically he has less chance of getting it if he only works 2 rather than 5 days but not f he's in close proximity to a carrier then he may catch it regardless of the number of hours he works.

Just look at the other measures and costs mounting in other countries.

Economies recover. Dead people don't.

Those countries will be in a far better state than the UK when they've gained some control over the spread of the virus.

@StillDisappointed - and which individual self-employed people should they be looking at when their job is to protect us as a nation? How many of those who are not self-employed will be spending money at the businesses of those who are self-employed when they have absolutely zero money to spend because we’ve been on lock down as a nation for three months?

It’s not the government’s job to protect individual people. It’s their job to make decisions that protect the majority of people.

I’m not sure why so many people fail to understand the purpose of governments.

Everyone asking what they mean by essential vs non essential contact.

Essential: Food shopping, Pharmacy for medicines, hospital if you need admission, hospital if you work there, military if you are in the services, police, fire and other rescue services.

Non-essential: Everything else.

@Writersblock2 Hi Dom.

It's amazing how people are still letting their own petty self-interests blind them to the fact that this is an unprecedented situation.

I know. Makes me want to self isolate for six months just because of the stupid people who are stomping their feet and saying, "Well, I'm still going to the pub!"

Essential: Food shopping, Pharmacy for medicines, hospital if you need admission, hospital if you work there, military if you are in the services, police, fire and other rescue services.

Schools should be closing then.

Chestoman- it's on sky news taken from the briefing today. Doubt NHS website will be updated for a while.

This is the quote...

"By this coming weekend it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12-weeks," he added.

This may well be being advised not to work, not to leave the house BUT they're not saying that yet. Anyone saying those with asthma need to self isolate is guessing and reading into things that haven't been said.

People on this thread are scaremongering and jumping to conclusions...no wonder people are out there panic buying ffs

Still disappointed,
I'm sorry about your dad , it's so sad his that age and trying to earn a decent living and being penalised. It's horrible and puts a strain on your entire life.
I hope things look up but it's hard at the moment. I hope he can get some help from the state at some stage. He deserves it.
As for the ' daily update' it made sense up to a point , but I can see why people are so upset and confused as well. (I was only half listening to be fair but it seemed a bit muddled. )
We needed some bullet points put up or something.

Writers block.
I don't understand why secondary schools, colleges and uni need to remain open when they are absolute germ pits, in crowded conditions.

I understand why having primary schools on a Skelton staff would be a good idea.

I'm not a primary schools teacher but I am dbs checked and I'd be happy to help out at my dc primary if necessary with few students of emergency workers.

I'm not happy that small dc who are facing many seasonal illness at the moment, all infecting each other and teachers and staff.

Many People can do home learning.

People who were eligible for the flu vaccine would've been contacted back in October about it or told at some point that they need it. If you have to ask you probably don't need it.

You can still go outside for exercise, just keep distance from others.

Q: When is non essential social contact not non-essential social contact?

A: when it's in a school

@Writersblock2 So you agree it is selling out one group to protect another?

I suppose you're not bothered because it doesn't affect you in the slightest.

If the government are putting things in place that mean people are going to be out of work then too bloody right there should be some support for those people.
The government can offer loans of up to £1.2 million to small business who're struggling at this time, but self-employed people need to wait until they have to self-isolate to receive ESA or whatever bollocks they've put in place.

It's wrong.

But I see, for you, it's pull the ladder up Jack, I'm alright.

Nolie has summed the briefing and new advice up perfectly on page 11 of this thread

I would imagine partly because those who have kids in primary will then freak out because their schools haven’t shut. Also, where do you draw the line with secondary? I’m sure many wouldn’t be happy for their year seven to stay alone all day every day. It’s then a slippery slope.

I’d be fascinated to find out about the psychologists advising on things like this. Herd mind is a huge factor when it comes to public compliance.

For anyone who missed it I suggest you actually watch it

@The80sweregreat Thank you for your kind message. I'm apoplectic at the minute.

The thing that's really galling is that he wants to work. He's happy to work. He doesn't want anything from the state.
Yet this is the position he's being left in and there's no support for him.
I don't understand what he is supposed to do.

It's amazing how many selfish people Coronavirus had brought to the surface...

Anyone worked out what is meant by mass gatherings yet? Any specific numbers?

Churches? Cinemas? Theatres? Schools? Colleges? Weddings? Funerals? Any other party? Are these going to be closed/banned or will it just be left to peoples discretion?

Gosh I wish the could have been more specific

@StillDisappointed - That’s a very black and white way of thinking. It’s perfectly understandable to be upset if it impacts you directly. But it’s not the job of the government to look at the people who are upset. They need to look at the reality of the overall choices they are making that impact the country.

And yes, it impacts me. Not self-employment. But I have elderly parents who have very serious respiratory conditions. If my father catches this he will die. And this far my parents have refused to self-isolate. Is that Boris’s fault because he’s not got them on lock-down and threatening fines? Don’t be daft.

Presumably the government will try and put measures into place to help people out off the back of this. But there will be loses of a variety of kinds. That’s inevitable. It’s a pandemic.

It's obvious he's being deliberately vague so those that don't go to work/send kids to school will receive nothing from the government! He's left himself wiggle room so he can say "we never said total lock own, you did that off your own back so no money for you". Fuck, if now is not the time to take matters into our own hands, when is?

What don’t some of you get about this? The government isn’t doing this for FUN or because they are “Tory bastards” who don’t worry about their own pocket

Well yes. But once you have a reputation for being utter, complete 'Tory bastards' who have lied and lied and lied; don't give one single fuck about the poor and vulnerable people in the country and put party, power and personal self-interest above all else, it's little wonder that the electorate find it hard to suddenly believe that Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings et al have their best interests at heart.

@gingerchaos Your DH only works 2 days a week with 3 kids?

@Userwhatevernumber they said the size of the gathering is irrelevant, it is any gathering of people