Westminstenders: No pubs till Christmas?

[RedToothBrush]

Today the news has moved towards acknowledging covid-19 reality: Nicola Sturgeon has explicitly stated that some social distancing will carry on until the new year in all likelihood.

When Matt Hancock asked if this was true for England too, he refused to say yes but he said that Scotland was working from the same framework as England.

In case anyone does still need this spelling out, this means the outlook for the hospitality and leisure industries is bleak.

There are extremely unlikely to be many enjoying a holiday in the sun any time soon, whether it be in Devon or Spain.

We won't be celebrating birthdays in restaurants nor having a pint in the pub.

Conversations on the doorstep from a couple of metres away is as good as it gets.

That means if you can't adapt you may not survive.

To add into the mix changes to customs to those companies who are operating seems insanity. But that's a political not a scientific decision to be made.

Whether reality in this will kick in, in the next six weeks or so before EU budgetary decisions relating to an extension have to be made remains to be seen.

Until then, there is no news but covid-19.

Pmk started life as a typo for place marking that came out as place mat King.

And then place cat King, at one point.

Just generally used for placemarking.

Fingers crossed the antibiotics sort out the respiratory issues DrB.

I can quite imagine all the unknowns and new hypotheses coming out are extremely worrying when you're not improving.

PMK. Thanks. Am imagining a new whizzy MN board with shiny likes and post counts and the like. That said I quite like being permanently in 2003 board wise.

Best wishes to you drb 💐

Given the thread title I thought this link would be worthwhile here
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/23/what-would-year-physical-distancing-mean-for-uk

And yes, the idea some might want to catch it immediately reminded me of Boris' "take it on the chin" herd immunity bantz

@FuckThisWind
Very sorry for your Mother. Bad enough at any time but in the midst of this, it really sucks.

I found this thread when despairing about Brexit. The high level debate, wisdom, insights, and plain humour (looking at you DGR and Mockers) on this thread was a life saver and is now a lifesaver again in the times of the pandemic. and to you wonderful people.

PMK with a Spring picture (actually from a couple of weeks ago)

pmk thanks Red

I hope the vaccine safety trials specifically include BAME volunteers - one might assume there is a risk of adverse reactions from a group that has been shown to be more susceptible to the virus?

Thanks for the new thread and for the pictures, data and informed input. Supportive to those struggling.

In France, education, like much else, is very centralised. They are trying to work out how to ease lockdown, beginning with opening schools.

So far:
Key classes (last year of nursery, first and last year of primary and the last 2 years of secondary where pupils have Baccalauréat exams) will go back first.

Emphasis will be on children identified as at risk of disconnecting from education if they don't go back to school.

On 11th May, the younger kids go back, then the rest are staggered over the following 2 weeks.

Attendance is not obligatory.

Remote teaching will also be provided.

Hygiene conditions have to be met (this will be tricky...).

No more than 10 (or 15, depending on what source you consult) kids in class at any one time, with perhaps alternate weeks/half-days and/or some kids in class, while others do supervised work in another room and yet others do activities provided by sports/culture clubs and associations, where possible.

Schools in areas with higher infection rates may go back much later. Montpellier has already said it can't open schools until after the summer holidays (I don't know if that referred to primary or all schools, as the term école is ambiguous).

Repeated statements that this is what is planned for now, that if it is not deemed workable by 11th May it will be postponed, that the plan may evolve depending on how the stats change, that there will be regional variations, etc.

DrB I came to these threads in the same way as you did, and keep coming back. Eternally grateful to RTB, BCF, AA, DGR, pretty, peregrina, Mockers and so many others for sharing data and info from so many sources (and apologies to the regulars I've missed).
These threads are always ahead of the curve.

Nicotine protects against ulcerative colitis, which is an autoimmune condition.

There’s been a good amount of research into the how/why that, especially as smoking makes Crohn’s worse.

Here’s an example:

Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis

Basically, nicotine suppresses the production of cytokines.

Pmk

Watching. PMK

(Sun)This is serious:

Ministers fear "hairdressers may have to stay shut for another six months" meaning Britain is "braced for big barnets"

(Graun) This is serious and infuriating:

Hospitals have raised the alarm about "failings" at a privately run coronavirus testing centre

(Torygraph) This could be a serious row - BJ may have a relapse until it's over

The Daily Telegraph reports the prime minister will return to Downing Street to "face growing cabinet unrest over the extent of the lockdown" on Monday.

Whatever you think of the UK govt, some have it far worse ....

Top vaccine expert says he was fired for resisting Trump on hydroxychloroquine

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/rick-bright-trump-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus

Rick Bright, who directed key government agency, tells New York Times refusal to embrace unproven treatment led to departure

Remdesivir not looking so good:
www.bbc.com/news/world-52406261

I do wonder whether whoever chose to reference the Bible and healing balm when they renamed that pharmaceutical company Gilead might now be regretting not having read Atwood beforehand.

Didn't put people off a spot of speculation, apparently: twitter.com/KeithNHumphreys/status/1253427187186667539
An investigative journalist should track the Gilead stock selling and buying of everyone involved in the leak of apparently positive data (sending the stock price soaring) one week before these negative results came out (sending stock price plunging).

Human trial of vaccine begins in Oxford:
www.bbc.com/news/health-52394485

Omg! I have just heard on BBC radio 4 Donal Trump speaking and saying they could inject people with disinfectant or some such thing to cure Covid!!!
I thought he couldn't shock me anymore but the devil incarnate just keeps giving! How the hell is this man capable of running anything!

Bojo back on Monday and more traffic in roads and local B and Q opened yesterday. Government worried lockdown too long. God help us all! Over 20,000 deaths not enough then?!

Remote teaching will also be provided

You may not know auld but how are teachers in France doing tow jobs at once?

Thanks for the info; it's interesting.

two

Piggy they've probably plenty of time, after all, teachers usually finish at three

In France, probably finish before they even get there

Wow, some strange French-teacher-bashing all of a sudden.

All the teachers I know here work hard.
Classes start at 8am from middle school on, and can go on until 6pm, and there are up to 35 pupils per class in senior school.

I don't know how they plan to have them do both in-class and remote teaching and I wondered as soon as they said it.
DS1 is a weekly boarder usually and we are looking at at least some days when he won't be able to go in.