Petition link to close schools

[Awkward1]

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300403

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[Kokeshi123]

KaptenKrusty

Big shops and restaurants are all open. A lot of smaller places have got their shutters up though. The tourist hub areas are not deserted at all, but looking very quiet by normal standards.

Things have not yet reached a peak hereno way will things be back to normal on the 15th. The schools will "probably" open in early April--supposedly. But nobody is sure.

Your call, I guess! You'll have a quiet cherry blossom season, that's for sure, but it will be a slightly weird atmosphere.

[AlternativePerspective]

I honestly think closing most schools, and only keeping some open for key workers (NHS staff, police etc), would be the best option. I like how most people are expected to put their lives on hold, to descend into poverty, be unable to pay their bills, go without financially because it’s what we should be doing to delay the spread of the virus.

But NHS workers need to be there for everyone else, they need to be the ones exposed to the virus, never mind the impact on their lives eh?

Oh, and not to forget those delivery drivers who are going to bring your deliveries of toilet roll and pot noodle.

[PointlessAddict]

@Jumpingintotheabyss italy has had 2500 or so cases and about 200 deaths out of a population of 60 million people. Concerning and terribly sad for those affected but hardly at “diabolical crisis” level yet. People need to get a bit of perspective

[purplebob]

BTW the petition doesn't have a click link.

It was over 100,00 when I last saw it. So the have to consider the debate.

As if they are not already considering what to do!

This petition isn't going to change any decisions made by the government with regards to how we proceed.

[SabineSchmetterling]

Pointless- that was true a couple of days ago. They’ve now had over 4,600 cases and 191 deaths.

[PointlessAddict]

I'm happy to do what it takes to slow the peak.
With an Easter holiday approaching, I think it's the perfect time to add a week at either end to close schools at least.

That would be sensible, also all workplaces that can implement home working doing so.

[SabineSchmetterling]

Sorry, 197.

[steppemum]

OK, being realistic, you ARE going to get , or at least be exposed to, the Corona virus.

The question is simply when.
The government has pretty much said as much.
The aim is to slow down the spread so that it spreads steadily and slowly across the country, so we dno't have a sudden explosion of cases.
Steady spreading at a controlled speed means the NHS etc will cope with cases as they come, rather than have a huge bulge of cases.

Added to which, if they slow the spread until the warmer weather comes, then sunlight kills the virus, and so the spread will be much lower.

We don't close school for normal flu, or for a chicken pox outbreak, nor even for norovirus, all of which can also kill, so why would we close them for this?

[MarieQueenofScots]

BTW the petition doesn't have a click link

It was over 100,00 when I last saw it. So the have to consider the debate

The petition asked nothing more than the Government to consider closing schools. Which they literally already will have discussed. The petition is the biggest non-entity going, but I guess people like to feel they’re doing something.

[Jumpingintotheabyss]

Steppe.

Every condition you just listed is already doing the rounds. Flu is still here, cp is rife where I am. Same with norivus.

Also, we are coming to a time of year when many dc are struck down with an asthma like condition called a viral wheeze.

It's caused by time of year, something in the air and classical occurs in Oct /Sept.

If the dc usual inhaler doesn't work they will need hospital and oxygen /nebulisers.

I've witnessed first hand, how a normal round of VW hits supplies on dc ward with all dc suffering the same thing...

So in addition to the usual stresses and strains of this time of year, we have an additional problem to deal with.

I'm extremely worried that my dc could be felled again by this condition and no oxygen /nebulisers will be available as a knock on to corona virus.

[Kokeshi123]

I honestly think closing most schools, and only keeping some open for key workers (NHS staff, police etc), would be the best option.

Too confusing and unfair--it means some kids are getting better education than others. A better idea would be cancel school for everyone, and have all-day childcare centers (holiday clubs type places basically) open for those children whose parents MUST work, CANNOT work from home, and have absolutely no other alternative.

As long as you ensured that only the absolute necessary minimum of kids were attending, and made sure that the childcare clubs were fairly small in scale, this would massively reduce vectors compared to having all kids in school.

That's more or less what they seem to have done here (Japan).

If society was better prepared for pandemics, we would have a clear set of criteria established for quickly triaging families into "Must have childcare when school is canceled" versus "Can do without childcare, at a pinch, for a month or so when school is canceled," and would have plans in place for quickly getting the holiday clubs set up and ready at short notice.

[Aderyn19]

I think it was bloody irresponsible of the govt to allow non essential international travel over half term. This had exploded here because every fucker and their dog went skiing over the school holidays!
If we'd restricted travel to essential only, I think we'd still he in stage one. As it stands there seems to be no plans to stop it even now - if you have to go for work, you can't refuse without risking your job. And naturally businesses want to carry on as normal because who can afford to take that financial hit? It would be better if the govt made that decision for companies instead.
Schools here are asking parents to inform them about foreign travel plans in advance, even if it is only the parent and not the child travelling. I think that's sensible. No point in closing schools if you are just going to let everyone go on holiday anyway. And of course people are going to go unless they are guaranteed their money back, so govt needs to pull its finger out.

[belay]

Teenagers will be signing this to get off school 🙄

[Idroppedthescrewinthetuna]

There has been fuck all new cases today - fuck all new deaths

because the numbers are now getting updated between 2 and 2.30pm!

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

But the holiday clubs would spread the virus...

[Kokeshi123]

Yes of course. But not as fast as at school assuming they are a lot smaller (fewer vectors), and particularly if we only put kids into them if there is overwhelming need (Examples: "Single parent who cannot manage without income for a month"/"Both parents work in essential services like electricity, food, healthcare, police etc."/"Some other special needs or criteria that I have not thought of"). The greater part of families will not fall into these categories and can "get by" for a month without school and without childcare. It's not fun and not easy but you can just about manage. If you have as few kids as possible in childcare clubs and the childcare clubs are a lot smaller than school, the virus will spread far more slowly.

[notchickenagain]

Wouldn't closing London Underground be more effective than closing schools? Lots more people arriving from other countries on the Underground. Approx. 3 million journeys taken every day. At least in school you can keep a few inches away from the person next to you. No chance on the Underground!

[BritWifeinUSA]

So, the children of the poor and those of the frontline emergency service employees will be put at risk of the virus (although the good news is it would spread slower as only the poor children and the children of frontline emergency services workers will be exposed in these childcare centers) but the children of the wealthy will be fine because they can be isolated at home and one parent can afford to take time off work or they can afford a babysitter for them?

And what use is it putting children whose parents are on the frontline of the emergency services into these childcare centers where they could catch the virus and transfer it to their parents. But the stockbrokers whose children can be kept at home because the parents can afford it will be fine. Are they then going to take on the work of the NHS and police who are off sick? Totally ridiculous suggestion.

[nellodee]

I'm to the left of Karl Marx, but this isn't about class war, it's about limiting spread. The more people reduce contact, the better for everyone. We shouldn't be behaving like teenagers arguing over whose turn it is to do the washing up.

[Kokeshi123]

"So, the children of the poor and those of the frontline emergency service employees will be put at risk of the virus (although the good news is it would spread slower as only the poor children and the children of frontline emergency services workers will be exposed in these childcare centers) but the children of the wealthy will be fine because they can be isolated at home and one parent can afford to take time off work or they can afford a babysitter for them? "

1. Children are not "at risk"--they aren't getting sick from this virus beyond a few cold type symptoms. The concern is about kids as vectors not as patients.
   

2. What is your solution, then?

[Kokeshi123]

We shouldn't be behaving like teenagers arguing over whose turn it is to do the washing up.

Yes. This.

[BritWifeinUSA]

So if the children are not at risk why close the schools? That’s my point. I am the first to say that the whole situation is ludicrous. The paranoia and hysteria is completely disproportionate to the situation. The company I work for has closed the offices down for 3 weeks because we have had 12 deaths in the same city. It’s ridiculous.

I don’t have to have a solution. I am neither a doctor, a parent, a teacher or a babysitter. I have no dog in this fight. Just pointing out how ridiculous closing schools to keep children in isolation is when at the same time you are wanting to throw them back together again in a daycare setting.

[welshfishwife]

@BritWifeinUSA of course children can catch and spread it, they are just at a much lower risk of becoming seriously unwell or dying from it.

I don't think we should be hysterical about this, but it's clearly pretty serious otherwise the WHO and all associated experts wouldn't be as concerned as they are

(I don't think we should close schools btw, unless that's what PHE deem is necessary)

[Kokeshi123]

So if the children are not at risk why close the schools?

Once again, for those at the back: Because they are vectors.They spread it, big-time, because they run around grabbing each other and snotting on each other and chewing each others pencils and eating each others erasers and so on. I love kids but yes, they are gross!

[Sleepyblueocean]

If you closed the schools where I live you would have most of the over 8's wandering about, getting in everyone's way, congregating outside shops/ inside shops and generally being a nuisance ( without even trying) - and as a bonus spreading the virus even more than if they were at school.