Tighter restrictions? What else can be "tighter"??

[R2221]

Schools closed, work places closed, nailbars, hairdressers, clothes shops, closed. My high street is dead and a couple of big shops are permanently closing down. We've been totally indoors, going out only to get grocery and exercise.

Oh, gyms are closed, no play dates, birthdays, dinners or even coffee with friends. WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE TO STOP THE SPREAD??? What would "tighter" restrictions mean? To me, next tighter level means no grocery and exercise :(

My local hospital is totally full. I don't understand why.

It is just my opinion that takeaways are not an essential service. I do not lack empathy at all

You do lack empathy if you cant see how some people might rely on cheap takeaways for a hot meal. Aside from that, food is as essential as it gets and if it helps the restaurant stay afloat then what's the problem? Even china allowed takeaways during their strict lockdown. There is no evidence that they are a risk at all.

Please make an educated guess of how many households don't have a kitchen... I'd bet it's a minuscule amount. Ergo: learn to cook.and there is little diff between microwave/reheat meal and takeaway.

In 2017 there were 3.1 million households in England, Wales and Scotland on prepaid electricity / gas meters (i just checked the government's own figures on this).

If you don't have money in the meter, it doesn't matter if you have a kitchen or not. You ain't cooking much.

A kettle will use less energy than a cooker.

This is not an insignificant number of households.

It would strike me therefore, that quite a lot of people really do have a problem on these line.

Why go the chippy instead of putting money in the meter? Youve got £4.50 until tomorrow...

You’ll find Payzones in newsagents, supermarkets and garages. Just look for the logo – you’ll spot them outside all Payzone outlets. Payzone outlets are often open long hours and some may be open seven days a week. Don’t forget you’ll need to top up by at least £5, and you'll always need to top up to the nearest pound. So you can't add £8.50, but you could add £8 or £9.

I think the idea that when you switch the light on, or put the cooker on you will always have energy really is something so many take for granted. They don't even think about it going off, because its not a reality connected to their life. They therefore can't comprehend what it means in practice.

Payzone outlets are often open long hours and some may be open seven days a week.

Not if the curfew/shut everything brigade get their way. Who needs electricity anyway?

@HazeyJaneII

And yet I have to walk up to the Post Office tomorrow to drop off my test

My mum's test was picked up? Have they stopped doing this?

I looked and it said only if you can't get to the priority postbox without using public transport, or if you can't get there regardless, so I assumed I'd have to do it myself. I wore a mask and avoided people more than usual when I posted it earlier.

I'm still trying to understand how takeaways are an essential service.

Perhaps, for someone who's just worked a 12 hour+ night shift on a covid ward, really doesn't have the energy to cook and just wants something nice for dinner?

Are you really seeking to deny a shattered key worker a nice dinner when there's no real risk associated?

You may also underestimate what a boost a delivery of nice food can be. I have delivered food through lockdown and have had grown men literally jump up and down in excitement on the doorstep because I've just delivered naice food to them. It's the little things in life that get us through.

Takeaways are food. Expensive food but still food, which helps to keep people alive. And has the added bonus of keeping those who sell it alive.

Whats interesting is how few people have mentioned that off licenses should be closed.

Nope its B and M.

Takeaways are food. Expensive food but still food, but it isn't eveb always expensive, that's one of the differences between essential and a luxury really. I can get a bag of chips and a battered sausage for about £2.50. decent portion. Certainly two of those could feed the 5 of us if we had no money in the metre / cooker was broke

I assumed off-licences that didn't sell food were shut?

The food supply problems in lockdown 1 were in part because everyone who used to eat out or get takeaway food suddenly had to buy that food in supermarkets instead. At the same time wholesalers and restaurants were throwing food away.

Let's not repeat that.

And why do people, and many governments, think curfews do anything useful for covid? A curfew is just control for the sake of control.

Why are off licenses open??

Why are off licenses open??

Probably so that people who are dependent on alcohol don't risk dying and put hospitals under even more strain. And also, why take away any sort of pleasure ffs.

why take away any sort of pleasure ffs
I can't go to the cinema. Theatre. Gigs. I couldn't go on holiday to Wales. I can't afford in Starbucks with a coffee. My kids can't go to soft play. We can't go to the pub or the library. I don't think "you can't close the off license cos they're give me pleasure" really works, do you?

Yeah why not? And also the people who could literally die without alcohol but you just ignore that part. Guess its their own fault, like the people who can't always afford or are able to cook and rely on takeaways. And even those who just like takeaways ffs. They are not a huge risk and neither are off licenses or supermarkets if social distancing rules are followed. Taking them away won't change a thing other than make you feel better

Your main aim seems to be "well I feel shit about not being able to do the things I personally miss doing so I want everyone to be miserable" tbh

Our local off licence is independent, so I tend to use them instead of giving yet more of my money to one of the big supermarkets.

I’m trying to be more aware of just where I spend my money.

And the odd G&T helps...!

Yep im in favour of offies being open.

But my point is that there is definitely a certain snobbery going on here too.

@Quaagars

Please make an educated guess of how many households don't have a kitchen... I'd bet it's a minuscule amount

So those in the "miniscule amount" figure you've just plucked out of thin air - what do they do, then if they rely on takeaways sometimes for some hot meals?
There'll be plenty of people who do have a kitchen but limited appliances - maybe only a microwave/kettle/toaster but not a full oven,
PP was right - empathy has indeed gone out the window, and some just can't see out of their own privileged bubble or understand that not everyone has the same.

I have a cooker. I cannot use it without supervision because of autism and mental health issues, meaning I will forget I am using it and cause a fire. I have a few hours support a week but due to covid lockdown the support worker cannot enter my home. People keep suggesting only one person should enter a supermarket, but I could not enter one without my support worker. I am on the priority list for supermarket delivery but the slots are usually full up weeks in advance so I can't get one. To those suggesting making public transport available to key workers only; in those circumstances I would be unable to travel to the supermarket to meet my key worker. All these suggestions scare me. In the first lockdown they severely limited our bus services. The remaining buses were frequently full and wouldn't stop to pick you up. The support I had at the time didn't drive so I had no practical support for six months

@FromEden no I just commented on the ridiculous part of your post. Alcohol is fun, is must be allowed

Not to mention that there are lots of general stores that sell alcohol and I didn't say we should block the aisles. Which is why I don't understand why shops they just seem alcohol are open.

Did Wales bam alcohol? There's pretentiously away around it that night see people actually seen help rather then just continue to slowly kill themselves.

However none of that explains why shops selling alcohol are open

Guess its their own fault, like the people who can't always afford or are able to cook and rely on takeaways actually you'll see I defended takeaways staying open

@FromEden

Your main aim seems to be "well I feel shit about not being able to do the things I personally miss doing so I want everyone to be miserable" tbh

No I'm saying "but I like it!" Is not a train to keep it open. People like gyms, they're good for their mental and physical health. Closed for pandemic reasons. "But I liiiiike it" whine isn't enough to keep it open

@MoonlightFlitwick who do you shop with? We get priority slots with Tesco and I've on occasion even had next day delivery. They're 8 hour slots but you should be able to get over weekly.
Any restrictions will have to allow for people who need support and making buses key worker only is such a ridiculous idea that couldn't be checked so please don't worry

@FromEden

Why are off licenses open??

Probably so that people who are dependent on alcohol don't risk dying and put hospitals under even more strain. And also, why take away any sort of pleasure ffs.

This. Surely it's going to cause even MORE problems if you just suddenly cut off alcohol if it's hard to get and you're dependent?! Also a lot of off licenses also sell essentials such as toilet roll, food, cleaning products etc. Pretty essential, and also probably a lot safer than supermarkets (eg ours only lets one person in at a time) Or would you rather everyone just piled into the same few open shops?

I have a cooker. I cannot use it without supervision because of autism and mental health issues, meaning I will forget I am using it and cause a fire
I have a few hours support a week but due to covid lockdown the support worker cannot enter my home
People keep suggesting only one person should enter a supermarket, but I could not enter one without my support worker
I am on the priority list for supermarket delivery but the slots are usually full up weeks in advance so I can't get one.
To those suggesting making public transport available to key workers only; in those circumstances I would be unable to travel to the supermarket to meet my key worker.
All these suggestions scare me. In the first lockdown they severely limited our bus services. The remaining buses were frequently full and wouldn't stop to pick you up. The support I had at the time didn't drive so I had no practical support for six months

Please try not to be scared (easier said than done, I know) That's all it is at the end of the day - randomers on the internet stuck and scared at home, and saying what THEY want to happen. There's too many different circumstances out there, and half of these "solutions" suggested are just ridiculous. It's scaremongering and helps no-one.

Also a lot of off licenses also sell essentials such as toilet roll, food, cleaning products etc. No that's a perfectly reasonable answer, Eden was just too busy on their "you want everyone to die and starve" rant

@KelpieK9

Sorry if this was mentioned previously but I don't get why landscape gardening and decking supplier/installers are allowed to continue to work. Can't see that that is essential!

It might not be an essential service but it’s an essential source of income to landscape gardeners and decking installers. If the risk of spreading covid whilst doing it is low enough, I can see why the government would prioritise saving those businesses over finding public money to cushion the fallout from their closure.

I imagine their thought process is along the lines of:

1. Is it an essential service?
2. What impact is it having on the R number?
3. Is the cost and human impact implications of closing it worth it?

We need to get the R below 1, so hard decisions will need to be taken, but they need to be taken sensibly.