Are we a couple of weeks behind Spain and France?

[BKCRMP]

If Spain is v.likely in a second wave and France not far behind them does that mean we are also heading straight in to one again?

Will schools open regardless this September?

Monkey tennis

that is laudable but you've been losing weight for 4 months with around a month to go and are still both overweight. No offence intended I am dieting and overweight myself.

In a way you have reinforced my point; it can takes months to a year to get to a healthy weight when you are obese or morbidly obese, and there's just over a month left to the school new year.

It gets even harder the older you are and losing the last stone is harder than losing the first one. I am just not in favour of any implication that because someone is overweight currently the onus should be on them to reduce the risk of covid rather than the government put more sensible guidance in place. After all, being older is a more significant risk and my 60 year old colleagues can't do anything about that

@walksen totally agree. It takes months and months to lose weight and yes, we are still overweight and both of us are very scared (being closer to 50 than 40) about being back at school. As I said before, totally agree with you about schools.

Monkeytennis97

Thanks. Nice to not be called a moaner/dementor or similar!

Well done on your progress so far and good luck with your continued weight loss and best of luck for next term.

I live in France. Masks are now obligatory. I've not seen 1 person without. No exceptions. Fine is 135€ for first offense.

We were in the UK for 22 hours over the weekend barely saw a mask except in the supermarket. In that time we were in taxis and buses etc. The plane (easyJet) had a very short turn around time with absolutely no cleaning of any form done between passengers. 140 mins passengers for 180 seats.

I'm a uni teacher. One (private) is putting in place a system where 1/2 students in class 1/2 at home on zoom. But in the knowledge that we will probably end up with distance learning. All staff being trained up for that.

Other (public) university has not really told us anything. Millions of emails about fuck all.

So perhaps the government are acting quickly to avoid the situation we had in February half term with people skiing in Italy?

I think there is an element of panic about that yes.

But i also think there is a degree of political opportunism going on, especially with developments with going tough on the islands after a pretty fair request from the Spanish government to exempt them.

I simply dont believe there is a fair case to be made for refusing to exempt the spain islands based on clinical indicators and the data we have. That means the decision is purely political.

My suspicion is that i think the government is using it as an opportunity to flex muscles at a crucial time in political negotiations and using legitimate covid-19 concerns and policy to cover it up. I could be wrong but the decision doesn't add up to me.

@RedToothBrush - it's certainly interesting to wonder what the UK data said; caution does seem sensible given most seed cases in March are known to have come from Spain, butt the influence of that While it might be nice to know the specific number of cases the UK has tracked back to Spain (including the islands separately), other concerns might be reasonable in addition to known community transmission rates. Opening nightclubs and the general lack of control over noisy bars would be one concern; another would be free travel from certain countries on Spain's list who are not on UK's list as well as from other regions; Romania's surge in cases is clearly far higher than their official figures for example (given how many cases are picked up in other countries).

Sorry, toddler running wild. I meant to say the influence of that history on decisions now is unclear.

I also was surprised by the speed of the decision and assumed there was a political decision to be 'decisive' after all the dithering before lockdown.

I think Johnson went for a 'we didn't understand at the beginning' () fresh start approach.

Expect lots of tough decisions on easy things but absolutely no idea investment and nothing that helps average Joe cope over winter e.g. sick pay raise

Is France potentially going on a second lockdown?

@MadCatEnthusiast

Is France potentially going on a second lockdown?

Potential local lockdowns, like we are doing. Not a nationwide one.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/26/france-could-placed-second-lockdown-cases-keep-rising-pm-warns/

I'm clinically vulnerable teaching staff in a primary school. I'm also on holiday in France having come via Eurostar train.

We've kept safe and socially distanced whilst away, with mask wearing and even more regular use of hand washing and anti bac gels.

In the week before I went away I went out for a couple of meals and a drink with friends - masks, social distancing, etc.

Am I worried about school? Yes of course. I'm happy to be in a bubble but the idea of no social distancing, no protection etc worries me. My job involved teaching approx half a day in each class over the week, so only a school wide bubble of over 270 people for me - and potentially entering a new classroom every half day.

Whilst away, or out and about in England. I have some control over my social distancing and use of a mask. At school I won't have that. As it's infants I will be in close contact with 270 children each week.

It's one of the reasons I started going out again and one of the reasons why I agreed to come away. I need to known the idea of being nervous in doing every day normal stuff before September. For us, regular holidays are part of our normal life - more so than going to a bar is.

Walksen thank you for making what seem like very sensible suggestions to me.

If money is what is needed for cleaners etc then I hope the uk find it. This dire gov is such a car crash - no decent pay rise for nurses etc, not funding safe return to schools etc. I hope people don’t vote for them again.

Good luck on weight loss - with 2/3rds of adults needing to lose weight we are not alone. There is def more we can do before we keep kids of school for months more.

Labrynth I agree it’s not a trivial matter - I hope everyone is taking steps to lose weight, get healthy etc - far better than expect kids to lose out

Guys please let’s not shift the responsibility of our Government’s negligent handling of this crisis into an individual’s need or requirement for weight loss 🤯. Losing weight will not solve this crisis, nor is it in any way connected to the opening of schools 🤦🏽‍♀️

It’s the ridiculous arrangements in schools that have driven me to early retirement. I didn’t want to go, but no way am l working in a situation like that.

Right teachers .. what is the answer..?? As a parent of a child due to sit nat 5 next may (scotland) I want effective teaching of all his subjects.

I don't want a repeat of last term.. With virtually no teacher contact..

If the school building doesn't work for safety reasons..
Then what?? I. Would say proper lessons like you would in the classroom via zoom

Is that the answer.?

That’s a shame but probably a wise decision. Enjoy your retirement, I hear on the grapevine a few at my children’s school are taking the same path, just awaiting the three page letter from the Head about forthcoming staff changes! I hope for their sakes they do!

Oak tree - it IS related. Kids are low risk - we are masking and isolating them to protect adults. If weight is a risk factor which it appears to be, then it is related. It’s uncomfortable but true.

I do agree that the gov is negligent and dire though.

@Newgirls

Oak tree - it IS related. Kids are low risk - we are masking and isolating them to protect adults. If weight is a risk factor which it appears to be, then it is related. It’s uncomfortable but true.

I have two thoughts here.

Firstly as asymptomatic people can have covid health impacts, I do worry that we don't actually know what's going on with all the low risk mild cases, including young adults.

Secondly, it is in children's interests for their parents not to catch this. We can't separate the interests of children and parents, as families are all connected.

Exactly this @labyrinthloafer don’t get the doesn’t affect kids argument at all. Kids need their parents to be ok.

@sunseekin

Exactly this *@labyrinthloafer* don’t get the doesn’t affect kids argument at all. Kids need their parents to be ok.

This.

And whilst it's very easy for ignorant judgmental types to blame overweight people for their obesity, it's very often not such an easy thing to control.

Poverty has a major link to obesity. As does poor MH (and many psychiatric drugs). Also many people gain weight because of mobility or health issues. They can't as easily exercise. Long NHS waiting lists for treatment don't help. I'd much rather Boris improved the NHS than spent tax money on bicycle vouchers.

Plenty of well off, overweight people in the uk. 2/3rds of all adults are overweight.

Check your own ignorance.

Parents are responsible for their health too. It’s adults who voted for this dire gov and got unhealthy - yet it’s kids who are missing out on so many things.

Children are missing out on school, but for my anxious children, I think their mental wellbeing will be worse at school , while there are no proper protections in place. I have no idea what we will do in September. With the study showing that teenagers are the biggest spreaders of the virus, and the other study showing heart problems in 78% of people studied post covid, to send teens back to school, with nothing to stop the spread of the virus seems insane.
What about all the families who are at higher risk in some way ? Many families I know have someone with a slightly raised risk due to health, age, or weight etc.

I'd much rather Boris improved the NHS than spent tax money on bicycle vouchers.

Given that cycling has seen a massive increase in adoption during Covid19 it proves it's an enjoyable and healthy activity that has enabled families to do things together. If people in poverty have to wait for money to be pumped into the NHS (where would one start I wonder, where to make a difference? They need to cut out waste in their processes) then it will never happen in their lifetime.

I think Boris has hit on something with the immediacy of cycling. Let's face it, it's like boiling an ocean trying to tackle obesity.