To say please don't go to your second home

[Beesisabuzzin]

With talk of London going into lockdown tomorrow can I remind second home owners that Cornwall has one hospital. Devon has four hospitals. Where I live in Devon there is no food in any of the supermarkets. Please, please stay away, our communities cannot deal with an influx.

Last night our regional president made his daily update and pointed out that "a significant number" of those in our region, in ICU are relatives of the people who fled the north of Italy during the mass exodus on the 8th March.
They are also moving the dead out of the original hotspots because there is no longer any room for them.

(we are a small southern area which until the people from the north came down was largely unsffected)

If I lived in London where the risk of getting CV is highest and people are behaving like feral dimwits

Trouble is, they’re behaving like feral dimwits down here too.

I’m on the Isle of Wight and agree with the OP.

We have 1 hospital that struggles at the best of times. Cancer patients, among others, are sent to the mainland anyway. Anything serious is airlifted off to Portsmouth or Southampton as we just don’t have the resources. The hospital is understaffed.

We have a huge elderly and vulnerable population as lots of people come here to retire

Our shops are also stripped bare

I don't have a second home (ha!) but we left London to come to my parents' in Herts. I'm pregnant and we're in a small flat at ours, they have a large house with plenty of room for us and they also have a garden. If I'm going to be forced to spend 12 weeks indoors then I'll be doing it somewhere where I can get some fresh air without putting my unborn child at risk.

Last night our regional president made his daily update and pointed out that "a significant number" of those in our region, in ICU are relatives of the people who fled the north of Italy during the mass exodus on the 8th March. They are also moving the dead out of the original hotspots because there is no longer any room for them.

So bad people are doing this and more here. Very bad at social distancing same effect.

PieceofMaria stay in London. Selfish person. Like so many others.

If I had a gorgeous pile in the countryside- I'd be tempted to go assuming had a huge garden/more isolated walks to go on when kids are driving us up the wall.

But even if I did the practicalities of being in suburbs of London and all that offers for e.g.- we have 4 of the best, biggest, well equipped hospitals in the country within 20-30 min car journey from our house. We have 100s of chemists still open and spilt for choice in supermarkets/corner shops still with supplies. Our WiFi/4G/ are much stronger here then when we've been to say Cornwall or Yorkshire on holiday. Even though the thought of a break from reality sounds so appealing, for longer term- its far better being at home where you have all your supplies/equipment/toys/books etc than being at a holiday house where these would be halved.

I feel safer being here than I would in the middle of the countryside.

@SarahInAccounts
Most second home owners don’t pay council tax, they register their “homes” as businesses, most of the time not reaching the threshold to pay tax with clever accounting. Second homes destroy communities - Many villages are full of second/holiday homes which are empty during the out of season months, meaning key workers can’t afford to buy their own homes, that local services such as shops and post offices, schools, pubs can’t afford to run in winter months for the people who actually live there.

There is one acute hospital in Cornwall, the other hospitals are community hospitals - usual patients are older people who have been discharged from the acute hospital but aren’t well enough to go home, some of them have a limited hours minor injury unit, these would not be the places you go if unwell, it would be to the ONE acute hospital.

So sad and appalling it really is.

I felt Chris Evans was not helping matters talking about this lockdown on his radio show this morning.
He may as well just said All Londoners get out of London now.

I am worried about this.
I live in London, well Redbridge actually which is Ilford Essex, but it's still Greater London.

Hoping they only mean Central and Inner London not greater London.

Although a lot of people have stated to be fanatical about this virus, I have seen some people in the street and shops wearing face masks, and one of my neighbors in on my housing estate is self isolating just in case.
I am not.
I am a 56 year old woman, not young ,but healthy(well I have got the flue at the moment.) But I am going out because I have to.

No online grocerys coz there are no delivery slots at all now.
So have to go out to get food and essentials as I have no family or friends or neighbors who will do it for me.

So got to do it myself.

But when I get to the big supermarkets there is nothing so I have to go out the next day in the hope of finding bread and other things I need.

But I am not isolating or doing any of the things a lot of the others are doing.

Sue I don't go to London or the west End or go on the Tube now, I just go to Romford or Ilford Town Center, that's all.
But I still go out because I have to.
I can't help it, I got to buy my food.

The government are saying silly things like don't kiss people or shake hands and stand well away from another person. In public places like shopping centers.

But this is England and you don't kiss and hug strangers in the street anyway.
So what is the Prime Minister talking about?

Of course I don't do that, why should I hug people in the street?
I don't know them.

I am single don't have any friends I only know aqaintences like my nighbors and the shop keeper.

So I am not asocial animal and I keep to myself anyway.

But I am still going out and carry on as normal as I did before all of this.

I shook hands with a woman I met in the shop down my street yesterday.
I am not going to cover my face and run away from the first person that talks to me like some people are doing?
Why should I?

Obviusly when I go out now, Igo out late in the afternoon or evening when there are not so many people around,and I won't go to London or on the Tube again until this crisis is over.

But I won't lock myself away at home.
That's silly,for me anyway.

Yes I am woried about Coronavirus and I even asked both my GP and 111 NHS direct for a blood test as I have a flue. But they said no they won't test me and said based on y symptoms-
feeling a bit week but no cough or trouble breathing I have not go Coronavirus. And my GP said if I am well enough to come out to see him at the surgery I don't have it.
I suppose that's good to hear that.

Yes I know the risks of getting it but I am not going to let it rule my life.

I could get Cancer, or have a heart attack or get killed by a car while crossing the road. If I get cornaviris I get it but I cannot stop living worying about it.
I have got to carry on living and get on with my life not lock myself away. Which is what I am doing now,the best way I can under the circumstances.

I've just had an email from a holiday company suggesting I "Escape to the Broads".

I’m pleased Scunny isn’t a 2nd home destination now.😂

It's not just about you, MissyJane. Let's home you've not sentenced that woman to death, eh?

to all second homers and norfolk:

behind your backs 99% of us dont like you. Youre just not aware as you do tend to hang out in the tourist bits where gastropubs etc exist for you. The money you spend goes to gastropubs owned by wait for it......ex Londoners lol! The money doesnt trickle to locals. The tourist industry knows youre used to paying london prices for a cuppa. so charge that. locals therefore avoid places like burnham market etc......because we cannot afford to go there lol!! the 2nd homers in "chelsea on sea" are very much a seperate bubble. Come here and youll be disliked more than ever. sorry, but youre argument of bringing money to the area isnt true. Even in ds geography lessons thats examined and found to be the case. so please stay away.

And my GP said if I am well enough to come out to see him at the surgery I don't have it

This is complete nonsense. Super spreaders and asymptomatic people are proven to exist. I find it odd that a doctor would a) see somebody with flu-like symptoms at this time and b) say that.

@thebogrollqueen what has Norfolk done?!

I meant to the 2nd homers wanting to go there

Maybe 2nd home owners will be the ones who need the lack of hospitals.
God help anyone ill in Wales, in particular.

We own a lovely caravan in the IoW.

We will not go there. No way.

And we've ask the site not to allow bookings either. Now is not time for movement!!! Learn from Italy and Spain.

Italy's patient 1 was a super spreader.

Our local caravan park is proudly advertising that it's open for business as usual. I can really see us getting inundated with people over the next few weeks. Our nearest hospital is over an hour away and it wouldn't cope anyway. I do hope people will follow the advice and stay at home.

@MissyJane2 if you had the flu, you wouldn't be able to go out even for essentials. I had it a few weeks ago and couldn't lift my head from the pillow for days. My mum used to say the way to tell if it was proper flu was if someone said there was a £50 note lying outside the window, could you go and get it. I couldn't have. I remember lying in bed thinking if someone had left loads of bags of £50 notes outside I still couldn't go and get them.

I don’t own a second home and am staying in London. No where else to go!

But, a lot of posters on this thread assume that everyone in London can afford to buy a house (ha!) and the hospitals here aren’t crowded (ha!)

Like it or not, we are all in the same boat. Or same crowded little island.