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Original poster

Is this ok? Will I get fined?

27 replies

Doeeyedcake · 24/04/2020 23:55

Parents live about 10 miles away, my mom is in her 70s and my dad is 69 but has several health conditions that make him vulnerable although not shielded.
They’ve managed to get a delivery the last few weeks every ten days or so but now there’s nothing. I’ve got a delivery and can add some stuff on and drop it to them. Is this still ok? Obviously I wouldn’t go in. I feel really anxious about driving over. We’ve been told to stay in.

OP posts:

LilacTree1 · 24/04/2020 23:57

If you’re dropping off shopping, it’s fine.

Serialcatmum · 24/04/2020 23:57

That’s fine. You are delivering food to family that are isolating.

LilacTree1 · 24/04/2020 23:58

PS this is one of the exemptions for “staying in”.

sherbetmelon · 24/04/2020 23:58

Yes it's fine. It's essential x

LtJudyHopps · 24/04/2020 23:59

We are being encouraged to shop for others if we can so absolutely fine.

Original poster

Doeeyedcake · 24/04/2020 23:59

It makes me feel really on edge but I don’t really want them going to a supermarket either.

OP posts:

Floatyboat · 24/04/2020 23:59

Go for it!

Wheresthebiffer2 · 24/04/2020 23:59

I live rurally. My nearest shop is 18miles. I have to drive farther than you, just to get my essentials. So yes, you're fine.

Pipandmum · 24/04/2020 23:59

You can go out to take care of vulnerable people, including delivering food. My cousin has set up a WhatsApp group of volunteers to do this for her neighbourhood. They do shops and deliver food for those isolating.

LilacTree1 · 25/04/2020 00:00

“ It makes me feel really on edge”

It’s terrible to be feeling on edge about this, bloody government and scientists have a lot to answer for.

Runkle · 25/04/2020 00:06

The Government guidelines stipulate this is OK.

Flaxmeadow · 25/04/2020 00:11

What is being advised is that they ring their local council. There are local volunteers, who are vetted, who will shop for them.

Floatyboat · 25/04/2020 00:15

@flax

So are you advising the op against what she proposes?

LilacTree1 · 25/04/2020 00:19

What’s the point of getting involved with volunteers when their own daughter is volunteering to do it?

Flaxmeadow · 25/04/2020 01:11

Because a volunteer is local and they are allocated to shop for people in their own neighbourhood or even their own street.

Less risk of spreading the virus

LilacTree1 · 25/04/2020 01:34

Flax I’m not obsessed by the virus but I’d have thought that volunteers, going to lots of shops for lots of people, would expose the OP parents to greater viral load, as they’re exposed to more themselves, than the OP, who has been isolating, getting a delivery and dropping it off.

If you feel I’ve misunderstood viral load, I’m happy to be better informed.

A neighbour who was made redundant is now caring for his mother about 20 miles away. She is 90. They were happier with that than having her usual agency carers come in, for reasons of viral load. He’s living alone, driving to hers, and seeing no one but her.

DatingDickheads · 25/04/2020 01:41

I drive further than that to drop my parents shopping to them. It’s fine, it’s allowed.

Flaxmeadow · 25/04/2020 01:49

Flax I’m not obsessed by the virus but I’d have thought that volunteers, going to lots of shops for lots of people, would expose the OP parents to greater viral load, as they’re exposed to more themselves, than the OP, who has been isolating, getting a delivery and dropping it off.

Volunteers don't go to lots of shops for lots of people.

It isn't so much about the parents, well it is but it's also about the risk of spreading the virus to another town or neighbourhood, each way.

Also volunteers are trained in the best ways to shop and deliver safely. Not trained massively but some training. An online course type of thing

It's up to the OP, but that's just the advice we've been told here

LilacTree1 · 25/04/2020 01:56

Flax I live in a London tower block and the volunteers are having to go to different shops, or were at the start, because of item limits. Also I think they’re too nice about getting specific things.

What is the safe way to shop? No offence, but the advice you’ve been given re viral load and travelling in a car to drop off shopping doesn’t seem to fit with common sense frankly.

DeRigueurMortis · 25/04/2020 02:02

That's fine OP - it's absolutely classed as essential.

I'm shopping for my parents (self isolating as over 70) and for an elderly lady locally.

The less "households" shopping the better and in addition my parents and I would rather not clog up delivery slots for those who really need them given we have an alternative.

If you can add your parents shopping to yours then it's a delivery slot available for someone else in need as they won't need to book one.

Frankly, if more people shared shopping delivery slots and delivered to neighbours/family then there would be less pressure on the system.

Flaxmeadow · 25/04/2020 02:02

Flax I live in a London tower block and the volunteers are having to go to different shops, or were at the start, because of item limits. Also I think they’re too nice about getting specific things.

Why would they have to go to different shops? Unless it's a chemist for a prescription

What is the safe way to shop? No offence, but the advice you’ve been given re viral load and travelling in a car to drop off shopping doesn’t seem to fit with common sense frankly.

Just precautions. Taking the money, using bags, dropping it off and other things that are not worth going into

Advice about travelling in a car? Not sure what you mean

DeRigueurMortis · 25/04/2020 02:20

Sorry to add...but I'm a registered volunteer.

Yes, we had to watch a safeguarding video.

I'm not sure every council is doing it the same, but where I am we are being assigned to a single household.

Lots of reasons why:

for the vulnerable/elderly it's (or can be) distressing to open your door to a procession of strangers.

as well as shopping we are getting things like prescriptions so there is an element of confidentiality so limiting the information is sensible

we have been advised to limit shopping by asking for appropriate substitutions if we can't get something, rather than visit 2/3 shops. Dealing with the same household makes this easier for us and them as you don't have repeat discussions about the shopping list/subs.

I'm sure most volunteers have good intentions, but it's sadly the case that some people might want to take advantage, so assigning volunteers to a house makes it easier to track if someone tries to do so.

The household requests our service via the local "hub", who contact us and then we have to report when we've done a drop off so it can be recorded (again for the reasons above) and the "hub" confirms independently with the household we have done as asked.

If for some reason I can't assist (not happened yet) my assigned household, the hub will allocate another volunteer and advise them (giving them and the household a password re: legitimacy).

Drivingdownthe101 · 25/04/2020 02:22

It is absolutely fine OP.

Flaxmeadow · 25/04/2020 02:28

DeRigueurMortis

Similar to here

TimeForChange123 · 25/04/2020 04:19

Absolutely fine. And as a nation we've gone seriously wrong somewhere if you have been made to feel on edge or worry that you'd be fined.

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