Do you reckon the uk will go into an official lockdown?

[orangedasies]

Just that really. I understand theirs a lot of suggesting going on but will they officially make people stay in or take responsibility?

I honestly think the people carrying on as usual don’t know anyone who is ill at the moment or they don’t have friends and relatives who are frontline NHS staff having to deal with “query corona ?” patients and all they have to deal with it is a bit of hand gel. Once you start hearing about the reality then you start to worry about how we will cope as a country and start wanting to avoid all germs.

Yes.

So many people are being selfish fuckwits living in their own little dreamworlds that it's a necessity.

The NHS is struggling NOW, and this is a time of relatively few cases. There will be many many more.

Just a question. How are other countries handling necessary shopping?

Shops are open, but depending on area, limited opening hours, limits as to how many in the shop at any one time, queues outside keeping a few feet from each other, some smaller shops have the owner taking orders at the door not letting people in, etc. So people can buy supplies, but they are limited.

^ in China beer/fags are essential of course :)

I see that even Sweden is now closing down colleges and universities (16+ age group), making the UK the least proactive country in Europe in this regard - the closure of schools/educational establishments.

Yes I think it will happen in 1-2 weeks

My eighty year old mother is coming for tea tonight. Not going to bar the door

So you're okay with potentially passing on a lethal virus to her just so you don't have to cancel your plans?

These are exactly the kind of interactions we should be stopping!

But surely if they are going out (even one person per family might pick up the virus and take it home) whether they are buying essentials or doing a full on trolley shop, the risk is the same? And someone is serving hundreds or thousands of people in a day, and therefore liable to be passing the virus from one customer to another if people are asymptomatic?

Unless you can automate the shopping procedure, then isn't the person behind the counter at the shop just going to be a vector for disease? We don't have self service tills...

I hope so. Because at the minute my self-employed dad is having to keep working the empty streets of London (Black Cab Driver) as there's no support set up to help people like him.

If Boris imposes a lockdown then I'm sure he'll have some recourse.

As it stands my nearly 60yo dad is working 18 hours a day for less than minimum wage (£9 in 3 hours yesterday.) He's got chest pains because he has no idea how he's meant to pay his bills, keep a roof over his head and eat; even with my help.

Just made worse by the pathetic, feeble suggestions our PM put forward to avoid having to pay out any money I'm sure.

And I have absolutely no sympathy for those over 70 who are choosing to go out and live their lives as normal.
If they get it, it's entirely their own fault.

I can see where I live that people are behaving very differently today than yesterday. The street where I live is a through road to the shops, and usually all morning there's a steady stream of my elderly neighbours who like to walk there daily for exercise, newspapers, pint of milk. It's deserted today.

The trouble is half the population think they are too special to follow guidelines and have some magical immunity to the virus. The next couple of weeks are going to be a shock to them but by then it may be too late. The people who are moaning that their mental health will suffer if they don’t have their daily bloody run, why can’t they realise that this is so much bigger than their non essential needs.

If we do go into lockdown I hope they bring the army in to make sure people comply, fines for people that flout it.

@Zaphodsotherhead
Its not "that" easy to pass it on. You need to be next to someone for 15+ minutes, unless they directly cough on you. If you keep a reasonable distance, keep the time of contact to a minimum, preferably wear a mask, and wash hands thoroughly when you get back, you're pretty damn safe I believe.

In China, one person per family. Wearing a facemask. Once or twice a week. Absolute essentials only. Pretty straightforward.

Are face masks available in supermarkets? I've only seen them in places like b and q here and have no idea if they are medical grade.

Some people really enjoying their moral superiority here.

I saw my mother three days ago. If either of us has the virus, the other almost certainly already does.

It's too late.

This will pass. There is actually little we can do about it. That's hard for modern people to accept. Might also explain some of the generational divide 🧐

My daughter's dance school is staying open,

I am a Brownie and Rainbow leader - we have now stopped all meetings. DDs dance school is still going at the moment, but has put things in place to teach the older students remotely, and was testing it last night. Her drama school are still calling them in for extra rehearsals for shows they have planned for Easter - but have said they may end up cancelling, if the advice changes still further. I do feel for them, as they have just spent about £1mill on a huge new building which they want to grow into an arts complex- - official opening due any week now - and this comes along...

People who are ignoring the advice are the ones that will be complaining the most when it gets so bad it’s uncontrollable. They don’t realise they have a social responsibility towards others, not just their own selfish desires

I think there will have to be stronger measures in place and soon.
It's all very well telling people to avoid social contact and stay out of restaurants, bars and shops but if those places are still open, people will go to them.
I'm in Austria and the majority of shops are closed. The only places open are those selling groceries, pet food, pharmacies, post office and tobacconists. We've been told we have to stay at home apart from shopping for essentials from the shops which are open, helping others, essential work. We are permitted to go out for exercise but only alone or with the people you live with.
Other than that, we are not permitted to leave the house and there are heavy fines for those breaking the laws.

In the area I am living in, the number of new cases each day is going up, but the rate of increase is slowing considerably already.

The Uk will have to get tough soon if they want to avoid complete catastrophe.

Its not "that" easy to pass it on. You need to be next to someone for 15+ minutes, unless they directly cough on you. If you keep a reasonable distance, keep the time of contact to a minimum, preferably wear a mask, and wash hands thoroughly when you get back, you're pretty damn safe I believe

Really? I thought the virus could stay on surfaces etc??

One person I know continues to send their son to nursery despite him having had a temp yesterday. Am I being overcautious in thinking that's fucking selfish?

I think individual clubs are concerned, my DP cycle club has closed as has my canoe club, no turning up for a quick go on the machines or training in the gym. We go to work, while its still open and straight back home, the exposed part is going to the shop for milk, bread etc.

There is actually little we can do about it.

Rubbish! There is lots we can do, starting with avoiding social contact if at all possible.

No, @rabbitsnose

Enjoy your moral indignation- you deserve it 😜

Zaphodsotherhead our local supermarket in Italy has erected screens between checkout staff and customers. Small shops you leave the money on the counter, step back, then the shop assistant goes to the counter to sort your change. Queues outside at least 1m apart, very few people in the shop at one time, and you wipe down goods and of course hand wash when you get home. Trollies, key pads etc disinfected regularly.

Restaurants and small food shops taking orders via text, phone, Facebook. They will leave food on your doorstep so no interaction. Lots of volunteers getting shopping for elderly or disabled people and doing the same. Relatives can also deliver supplies to the vulnerable.

You can't eliminate risk of infection anytime people interact, but you can dramatically reduce it by cutting contact.

I saw my mother three days ago. If either of us has the virus, the other almost certainly already does.

It's too late

The more you see her, the more the risk increases. But you clearly think you know better than WHO, so crack on