Do we all just need to be more like the Cornish?

[User158340]

Cornwall in tier 1 and have coped admirably with the pandemic.

There's the perception that they're just much better rule followers in Cornwall, but is it just a better sense of community and they look out for each other more.

Is it wrong to say other parts of the country could learn a lot from Cornwall and the way the leaders and the people there have handled this pandemic?

@DobbyTheHouseElk

I’m wondering if Cornwall is in tier 1 for a political reason. Their rates are higher than where we live too.

We'll soon be out of it after Christmas too, not because we need to be, but it'll be spun that mixing at Christmas means it has to be done.

Cynically, I wonder how many MPs/ MPs mates have second homes in Cornwall that they want to visit over Christmas.

If you look at the hospitalisation and death figures and the tested positive figures even from a few months ago, it's clear loads of cases are being missed.

Things may be a bit better than the rest of the country because of the low population density and lack of cities, but the testing figures also aren't showing the true figures.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

I've just looked at the area I spend a lot of time in. My neighbours were very cautious, and wrote us emails saying that if they saw us there during lockdown, they would call the police. We wouldn't have gone anyway, but you know... twits. I've been there longer than all of them.

Right now, the rate per 100,000 is 176 there, and 34 where I am in Oxfordshire.

I haven’t seen the rate per 100k go over 90ish on the Beeb website.

What source are you using?

@FuzzyPuffling

Cynically, I wonder how many MPs/ MPs mates have second homes in Cornwall that they want to visit over Christmas.

I felt the same in the summer.

Wouldn’t it have just been simply awful if our ruling class weren’t able to have Steins fish and chips in the break?

@ThursdayLastWeek

We’re currently on 51per 100k, down from 90, the highest it’s ever been last week...

That’s on the bbc and guardian website.

Also, there was a definite peak in cases 2 weeks after half term, so the Christmas holidays are likely to be a problem.

The rate in our local town is over 200 per 100,000. In our rural area it is 95.
For the whole county it is 47.
(Figures from gov't and Zoe)

I think there should be more localised tiers reviewed frequently.

Slightly off topic ( but not) I get annoyed by the constant trope of "tourism is Cornwall's sole source of income and you all need us". Tourism represents around 12% of the county's income, whereas agriculture is over 80%.
Not everyone's job is reliant on visitors.

[quote Whirlwind14]@ThursdayLastWeek

We’re currently on 51per 100k, down from 90, the highest it’s ever been last week...

That’s on the bbc and guardian website.[/quote]
Yes, that’s what I’m seeing too.
I haven’t ever seen is getting as high as 176 per 100k.

Lots of people in Somerset rely on tourism. Although it’s not seen as that. Very similar demographics to Devon and cornwall.

I agree Fuzzy. I just did a scan in my head of the jobs of my closest friends...and I am the only one with a job that relies on tourism! Ditto their partners/husbands.
Teachers, NHS, accountants, they all exist down here too!

@FuzzyPuffling

Slightly off topic ( but not) I get annoyed by the constant trope of "tourism is Cornwall's sole source of income and you all need us". Tourism represents around 12% of the county's income, whereas agriculture is over 80%. Not everyone's job is reliant on visitors.

Yes, but a lot of jobs rely on tourism. Even just seasonally. Farming is done with a small workforce (working damn hard), but the retail and food trade can employ many over the summer.

I don’t know anyone who works in tourism in Cornwall either.

I work in tech & most people I know are in banking / wealth and finance

Very entertaining thread and lots of great points as to why Cornwall is in tier 1 (though we were slightly surprised by this as other people have said, cases are rising.) To add a few bits of Cornish info:

The local secondary has 1450 students
34% of children live in poverty in this area
The foodbank has never been so busy

We are super lucky living in Cornwall. I just didn't want you all to think we are all in high incomes. Cornwall is one of the poorest areas in the EU.

Also, it's jam before cream

Also, it's jam before cream

Now that is sacrilege, I might be an emmet, wit an emmet brother married to a woman from Devon, but it is cream first.

Or that it’s not as densely populated as other places maybe? Let’s have a look at the areas where the virus has been worse shall we. Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester etc...what do all these places have in common and that Cornwall doesn’t?

Far easier to blame people rather than the fact that they way they unavoidably live is a perfect environment for the spread of the virus.

Is it at all possible (I am no scientist!) that Cornwall has a milder strain of the virus?

I am absolutely convinced that if we had mass testing - we’d be going into another tier.

but then, I am no scientist. It’s just many people don’t think the virus is prevalent here so aren’t getting tested when they do have symptoms.

When will we have mass testing? I’ve seen the jobs advertised in Truro on Indeed for mass testing so they’re pondering it

Full disclaimer: I’m not a scientist, nor a medic and I could definitely 100% be absolutely wrong.

@sashh

Also, it's jam before cream

Now that is sacrilege, I might be an emmet, wit an emmet brother married to a woman from Devon, but it is cream first.

Go and stand in the corner and reflect on your actions for a few minutes!!!! 😀

Think of all the camp sites and holiday parks around. They need lots of staff- cleaners, maintenance, entertainment, life guards, admin/reception. Extra waiting and bar staff for restaurants, hotels, pubs etc. The b&bs that have lost so much trade this year, The attractions that need more staff over the summer. Gift shops, ice cream kiosks, car park attendants!
Yes, it's not all tourism in Cornwall, but a hell of a lot of people are reliant on it one way or another.

Cornwall is one of the poorest areas in the EU.

Is it? Bloody hell, I didn't know that.

@userxx many of the children in some towns have never been to the beach....

it was like this back in the 90s and nothing has changed

Wow, I'm shocked. I always think of Cornwall as a very up market place.

I’m in north Devon, next door, according to our head 40% of kids at one of our federated primary schools have never been to the beach MrsHarryKane

There were 10 people in hospital "with" Coronavirus last week. 7 of those were in Treliske and the other 3 were in other hospitals (there are other hospitals, despite media reporting).

During the first wave Cornwall handled cases quite sensibly. A lot of the routine stuff was sent out to the community hospitals and so Treliske could concentrate on the more high needs Covid cases. A customer of mine who's a critical care nurse at Treliske told me this.

10 people in hospital does not seem to be reason enough to place a whole county into Tier 2. I doubt it's because of MP's second homes.

There are several logical reasons why Cornwall hasn't (touch wood) had the kind of community outbreaks that other areas have had:

• low levels of high density housing
• not much multigenerational living
• not many "intense" workplaces (many people are employed in SMEs or self employed)
• no covered shopping centres
• outdoor lifestyle. It really does strike me when I go elsewhere how much time in comparison we spend outside. Possibly because there's not an awful lot else to do.
• It's windy. Very windy!

And yes, a lot of Cornwall is deprived as fuck. Watch the first episode of the recent Simon Reeve documentary.