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?

You mean retired, living rurally in low population density housing and maybe spending more time outside than you would in the North cos its not so bloody cold?

Not everyone is retired living in a lovely Cornish cottage FFS. And it gets bloody cold when the East wind whips up off the sea.

Most rural areas have lower infections even some in tier 2 the rural areas have low numbers but the towns put numbers up
When you think about it all the people that a holiday in cornwall in the summer and everyone being asked to stay away , suprisingly didn't put numbers up , just hope they continue to be cautious as my area was one of the lowest then suddenly we shot up

Cornwall had a huge influx of visitors in the summer and also recently in October half term and yet case numbers still stayed low. They got very lucky that their economy got the tourist boost without it affecting their data!

@RhymesWithOrange

One short border with a county with relatively low infection rates No cities No big towns Rural, dispersed population No massive employers/factories No indoor shopping malls No (open) airports No major rail or road infrastructure - end of the line only. Crap nightlife Hardly any public transport Warmer weather means people can be outdoors more

We're not doing anything differently, it's just a function of our geography and rurality.

Hey watch it! And Truro is a city. Even a small one

I’m not sure we spend more time outside, it’s endless rain down here in the winter.

If anything I think most people local to me haven't been following the guidelines at all and have just used their common sense in regards to social distancing and meeting up with others. I don't think the Cornish have done anything special, they are just benefiting from the spread out population and having plenty of open spaces.

@bestbeforedateexpired

You mean retired, living rurally in low population density housing and maybe spending more time outside than you would in the North cos its not so bloody cold?

Not everyone is retired living in a lovely Cornish cottage FFS. And it gets bloody cold when the East wind whips up off the sea.

My point was more that you can't compare the demographic of a young city centre with a rural countryside area which traditionally has an older profile.

It needs to be repeated that compliance levels haven't varied as much as people think and its more to do with behaviour on the basis of age and to do with how high/low risk your occupation is.

Trying to suggest that Truro is like Manchester cos its a city is just fucking ridiculous.

Nothings near. That's why.

@1dayatatime

The common theme here is posters saying it's down to population density (160 per km2) well the following are lower: Wiltshire 153 Dorset 142 East Riding Yorkshire 141 Rutland 104 Shropshire 100 Cumbria 74

Personally I think it's more to do with the large number of tourists in the summer (tripling the population) that then led to high infection rates over the summer that then led to greater "herd immunity" in the winter. That and the fact the second home owners are finally getting the message they're not bleddy welcome. Kernow bys vyken.

It's not all to do with overall population density, but if you combine it with peninsularity and small town sizes it helps to explain it.

Largest town in Cornwall is c.26,000 people. Most people who live in Cornwall, work in Cornwall.

Comparing e.g. Shropshire - bordered by Herefordshire, Woecestershire, Stafforshire, the Boack Country, Cheshire and mid / north Wales. Telford is 138k population, Shrewsbury is c.75k population. People in Shropshire travel for work - including daily commutes to Wolverhampton, Birmingham etc.

Boack = Black

It's daft comparing Truro to elsewhere. It may seem like a proper city to those of us who live in the wilds of Penwith but going anywhere outside the county (even Plymouth) and you realise just how few people live in Cornwall.

Finally there’s a bright side to having a train line that regularly falls into the sea

Surely the major factor with Cornwall is that you don’t tend to pass through there like you do most other places in the U.K.? I mean unless you’ve a pressing meeting in Lizard or a yearning to jump into the sea at Lands End then there’s very little chance you’re going to be passing through Cornwall on your daily commute is there? Not many other counties in the U.K. can say the same.

@ThursdayLastWeek

Finally there’s a bright side to having a train line that regularly falls into the sea

🤣🤣

@Aerial2020

Hey watch it!
And Truro is a city. Even a small one

You are of course right that Truro has city status because it has a cathedral. It's still much smaller than a lot of towns in the UK

Honestly, there are as many sceptics and moaners and people who don’t behave within the rules here as anywhere else.

It’s geography and sociology innit.

I think whether low rates in some places is due to the elderly residents. Examples on the south coast as well. So more people shielding and being careful in general. Nothing to do with rule abiding.

@Lovemusic33

Devon has more towns including Plymouth and Exeter (city), Cornwall is more rural, though I’m putting it down to them putting jam in their scones before the cream and the secret ingredient in their pasties 😁

Actually making Cornwall tier 1 is all part of a government conspiracy to ensure the population get covid, thus helping to eliminate the whole problem of people who put jam on their scones before cream. They will only get the vaccine if they reveal the secret ingredient in their pasties ...

Truro. Population under 20,000.

Thats not much more than a farm holding compared to some parts of the country!

The nightingale hospital is opening in Exeter

Things like housing density etc will pay a massive part - even in the "deprived" areas of Cornwall that people keep mentioning there will be far less density of housing, than say in large areas of social housing in Manchester. Also Cornwall does not have large communities where intergenerational living is the norm.

@RhymesWithOrange It's a myth that "having a cathedral" is the criteria for being a city.

Glad to see lots of common sense on this thread. When Liverpool were first to go into tier 3 it was very much implied (not just here but various Facebook groups I’m on) that it was because we were just shit at doing lockdown and a bunch of selfish dirty northerners

@Rosehip10 it was a criteria in the past. There is in fact no set "city" criteria and Truro was granted city status before its cathedral was built. But this is a MN thread, not a geography textbook so let's not get too hung up on that.

If you look at the covid map, the darker areas had motorways. fumes from cars damage lungs and block light reducing vit d levels. Things like busses/trains/underground. Airports. And yes surrounded by sea.
Where there are many unis and cities together it spreads out from.
Higher population more schools, more choice of schools.
In our non cornwall village 2 schools, and one in next village so kids might go to any if not others that have spaces. Secondary even more, 2 main ones, but at least another 2 possible.