Is no one else shocked that the government have closed schools, but offered no support for working parents?

[StoodonLego]

Ok I know we are in dreadful circumstances, and yes I know school isn't childcare.

But, it's obvious that thousands of people are going to struggle to work now. We've been asked not to send children to grandparents.childcare won't be available as we're all socially distancing.

Well what the hell are people supposed to do?

Many families can't survive on one income.

Meanwhile round here the pubs and restaurants are busier than ever.

I'm also surprised he's not said how long schools are likely to be shut. Is it a month. 6 weeks? 12 weeks? 16 weeks?

Its only elderly parents that shouldn't be used for childcare. My 55 year old mother can.

I work from home so have offered to sit with my friends children while she works.

He can’t say how long for because he doesn’t know. If he said a month but then had to extend then people would complain about time being added. If they said 6 months but all was calming after 3 what do they do?

As frustrating as open ended is it’s really the sensible approach given the lack of knowledge at the moment

I've been out today, my local town and high street were busier than ever. Nearly everyone I know is going out to restaurants and cafes and doing what the hell they like.

That's not due to a lack of childcare or support for working parents, is it? It's people's stupidity and selfishness.

No matter what the gov, or even companies themselves implement, many people will carry on as they are. For example, my local Sainsbury's tried to only allow the elderly in for the first hour this morning, and younger, fitter people were kicking because they couldn't get first dibs their 'essentials'.

I doubt even lockdown will stop the idiots.

@Mummysince15 because it really does depend on how seriously we take it NOW. Understand that nothing is going to be easy about the next few weeks but if we actually knuckle down and accept social distancing and staying in we will do what we need to do - which isnt eradicating the disease it is slowing it down enough to enable the hospitals to cope, and more time to find treatments and vaccines.

Well I work in a fairly underprivileged high school and most of our staff were in bits today comforting the year 11’s who probably won’t get a chance to have closure on their HS experience...no GCSE’s, no shirt signing, no prom...just a frightening, uncertain, abrupt end.
Staff will be in as normal until we assess how many keyworker and EHCP pupils will need to continue needing our service (which have effectively changed from education to childcare). Most of the teachers were offering up their services for over Easter break and the six weeks if necessary.
So that’s my rather different anecdotal take on all this. Take from that what you will.

Kicking off* but I imagine some were actually kicking too

Death rate in Italy has now risen above that in China. Over 3000 dead. We need to take this seriously, children spread disease.

If lockdown is coming then fair enough, but didn't sound like it from today's press conference.

Given Italy’s experience they’re not going to give us any significant notice of lock down. They’d be stupid to give a message which could be interpreted as “hey folks, we’re going to have to ratchet things up here, so tune in this time tomorrow for details of the lockdown we’ll be imposing!”

Schools will be open for keyworkers.

That seems to be a fairly extensive list from the email from ds school.

Also for vulnerable students and those on ehcp.

Pubs and clubs being cosy is what's wrong with the British people - not the government.

People are not taking this seriously. We are having to juggle running the country against a virus trying to wipe it out.

Employers should be offering WFH. I'm sure there is a vast amount of companies who can do this.

There's no denying there will be a group who do not fall into these categories.

But, employers should also be accommodating via their shift patterns etc.

If people do fall into catagory then the DWP had guidance out re finances etc that may be useful?

This is an unprecedented situation though. The government is doing what it can with the vast amounts of info released daily.

I know I'm speaking about two issues. I'm just frustrated. Schools have been closed to slow the spread, but I'm witnessing people going completely against the government advice and no one appears to be doing anything (as of yet), which may only prolong all of this.

It isn't for me to say whether schools should or shouldn't close, but Singapore seem to be managing this well without closures.

Well what do you want them to do?

I want them to properly take charge and do whatever is necessary to limit the spread of this virus while making sure everyone's basic needs are met. Bonus points if they can keep our human rights intact as far as possible.

They are not doing that at the moment. They are telling everyone to 'make the right choices' and 'do the right thing' but they are offering no support.

People need to feed their families and pay their rent and they won't prioritise social distancing over that.

I'm wondering about all the families whose children are known to ss and how theybfeel about their dc being able to go to school. They must be wondering when they can collect their yellow armbands.

It's utterly bizarre and lockdown doesn't work. My father arrived in the UK from Berlin, via Hamburg in 1939.

You're going to struggle. It's going to be difficult and trying but you're most likely going to live through it.

If people dont like how quickly this system is crumbling then it needs changing. Personally I think we will see revolutionary scale change after this. Its shown right up how awful the current system is. How vulnerable those at the bottom are.

” I agree, but meanwhile all I'm hearing about is how "it's only flu" and "people die everyday". Mumsnet seem to be taking this quite seriously but in real life no one is, that I have witnessed.”

Turn on the news - international and local. Look at gov.uk, the NHS website and the WHO website. They seem to be taking it very seriously.

@stoodonlego dont speak too soon about Singapore they did manage to stop the initial cluster but the fact that it wasnt stopped means it is starting to grow again there

www.straitstimes.com/singapore/covid-19-all-time-high-of-47-new-cases-in-singapore-14-day-stay-home-notice-will-now-apply

They've offered no support to people who have had their jobs taken away from them overnight and who now have absolutely zero income either OP.

My dad has had no work for nearly a week now, apparently he's meant to survive on, and pay his bills with, fresh air.

I'm not at all surprised.

I am a travel agent, lone parent to 2 kids (not by choice, exhusband was abusive, had an affair and then disappeared on the kids- no big loss apart from at times like these!) with literally no one around who can help me.
Last week my employer asked us all to take a pay cut but continue working normal hours, today they’ve told us we all have to take some annual leave to cover the next week- who knows what happens after that.
I am not a home owner so can’t take a mortgage holiday, I am in an iva thanks to exhusband and am genuinely facing redundancy and bankruptcy in the coming weeks.
I have never been so stressed and worried in my whole life.
I am truly terrified by the situation now when 8 days ago I was wondering what all the fuss was about

The teachers don't want to work. Funny how they are all self isolating yet NHS and social care staff still manage to go into work.

The schools are still open for key workers kids so the teachers will still have to go in. Oh no, haha. See them soon start to kick up a fuss about that.

Strange, you seem to have forgotten to include me in your comprehensive questioning of all teachers to find out whether we want to work or not.

Oh, wait...