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Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

November Lockdown: Mibbes Aye Mibbes Naw

990 replies

BlueThursday · 31/10/2020 17:06

Thread 3!!!!

OP posts:
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titsbumfannythelot · 05/11/2020 10:58

Just looked at the Zoe app statistics this morning and it is say the r number here is less than 1

November Lockdown: Mibbes Aye Mibbes Naw
StatisticallyChallenged · 05/11/2020 10:58

@WouldBeGood agreed. We seem to have a national case of whataboutery!

NotAnActualSheep · 05/11/2020 10:59

But many of us can't do "the things we can" and haven't been able to for ages and have no hope of knowing when we will be able to. Yes, we can go to a shop (who-hoo) but not outside of our council area and being frowned on if we can only go by public transport. Yes, we can go to the gym, but can't do classes, and our children still haven't been able to start their coached sessions (week after next fingers crossed). Yes, we can go to a restaurant, but we can't have a glass of wine with the meal, and we can't eat after 6pm... I'm not sure pubs would say they are doing "better" either. Pubs in England are closed for 4 weeks. Pubs in the central belt have been closed for 4 weeks and are still closed, with no hope that they will reopen in the foreseeable future.

I'm not saying the restrictions we have had, which are less strict/ universal than the ones England now has are "better" or "worse" in terms of controlling infection. In terms of the economy, the burden seems to be falling more heavily on hospitality than other sectors in Scotland, and for a longer timescale. I can't see that being great in equality terms, but it's the strategy the Scot Gov have gone for vs the shorter but more total approach the UK gov is applying in England. We can criticise both, surely?! I'm sure both approaches have benefits too, but both are still shit for people going through them. Ours isn't necessarily less shit because we can "do more".

Personally I'd sacrifice a load for being able to visit my parents in their home for a cup of tea, but that's out now wherever we lived. Likely for at least 4 weeks in Scotland (though we don't know...maybe it will be allowed next week in Highland if level 1 becomes what we were promised level 1 would be?). So exactly the same as England. Well done us.

rookiemere · 05/11/2020 11:05

@titsbumfannythelot that's good news about the R rate , it would be reassuring if the infection numbers go down today from yesterday's increase.

anon444877 · 05/11/2020 11:09

My life isn't materially different here than lockdown - can I meet a friend for a drink in the evening? No. Can I have anyone round for adult conversation? No. Can my kids have play dates? No. Can I book a family swim session? No they're all booked up as soon as they come online.

Can I go on holiday? No. Can I make any plans with friends or family that have to travel to us? No.

I know we ought to feel grateful we are still alive but really, freedom it isn't.

As I've said many times, no country is handling covid brilliantly and no country has a good long term plan.

anon444877 · 05/11/2020 11:11

And now the scot govt is thinking about actually ditching freedom of movement - it all feels a bit hysterical. We've been complying with massive restrictions on our freedoms for a long time now.

IwishIwasyoda · 05/11/2020 11:13

For those who are interested just found a Scot Gov publication about the testing strategy

www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-review-of-testing-strategy-october-2020/

Recommends there needs to be an expansion of testing of health and care workers in high risk settings / supporting vulnerable groups among other things

WaxOnFeckOff · 05/11/2020 11:18

Life in Sweden is apparently pretty normal...

Anyway, the issue I have now is that the high numbers in specific areas are still not coming down enough or being dealt with, and by that, I don't mean by increased restrictions. I mean that after all this time, they either haven't identified why these areas are higher and addressed it, accepted that they are going to be higher because of X and move on, or they have identified and they don't want to tell people/deal with it so they'd rather just impose restrictions on everyone - for whatever reason.

The reason this is important as it's obviously just going to keep happening and we are going to be stuck in a loop for the foreseeable future and with astounding affect on society.

And they can stick the removal of free movement up their arse.

WouldBeGood · 05/11/2020 11:27

It is ironic that I was considering voting for them to continue my freedom of movement in Europe 😂

anon444877 · 05/11/2020 11:29

It is genuinely terrifying to me that sturgeon thinks that rights come with a 'but not when...' clause.

Bytheloch · 05/11/2020 11:32

If only we’d had a joined-up nations strategy from the start, perhaps not led by politicians who clearly didn’t rub along well even before the handmaids tale chic of 2020.

WouldBeGood · 05/11/2020 11:50

@Bytheloch I think this would have been by far the best approach.

Bytheloch · 05/11/2020 12:23

U.K. furlough scheme extended until March 2021

Next steps: our tiers will be shifting. If employment not if you’re self employed, freelance or own a small business where you are ‘the staff’can be financially secured, why wouldn’t the highest tier be imposed now?

anon444877 · 05/11/2020 13:09

Great news about furlough - but that means they think these restrictions are going to go on til at least then...

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 05/11/2020 13:12

I think tier three will be bumped up to four come Tuesday now they have the funding. Hopefully the rest can stay where they are - I can't see any moving down a notch.

WouldBeGood · 05/11/2020 13:16

It’s really unfair to bump us up with businesses doing their best to adapt and no evidence of spread from them 🤷🏻‍♀️

And no evidence that theses restrictions work.

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/11/2020 13:18

They have also removed the job retention bonus scheme. We were really hoping to get that to build up a bit again. Bastards

dementedpixie · 05/11/2020 13:23

If they're saying R is around 1 in Scotland then what would the justification be for going to Tier 4

Rae36 · 05/11/2020 13:26

They have also removed the job retention bonus scheme. We were really hoping to get that to build up a bit again. Bastards

Oh really? I'd missed that. Bastards. We were counting on about £7k to tide us over a quiet January and February.

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/11/2020 13:26

Same, 15k here just washed away.

NotAnActualSheep · 05/11/2020 13:40

@Judystilldreamsofhorses

I think tier three will be bumped up to four come Tuesday now they have the funding. Hopefully the rest can stay where they are - I can't see any moving down a notch.
God, I really hope not. I was worried about this if the furlough extension had only been til December, but now I think they will (at worst) keep us where we are, to consolidate the falling numbers. Though now they have the flexibility to "level-4" any rising areas up til March. Think they'd have difficulty justifying further restrictions now if the R is hovering around 1.

Still secretly hoping Edinburgh is moved to level 2 next week...there was a graph on the BBC this morning showing that it's per 100000 numbers in the last 7 days were the lowest of any council in level 3, and lower than some in level 2.

Bummer about the job retention bonus. Our after school club was really hoping to be able to use that. They've been pottering along with lower numbers just about breaking even, but the extra few thousand would have allowed them to have topped up the staff wages to cover the time they haven't been able to work, and also push back the inevitable price hike for the parents. Ah well...

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/11/2020 13:58

We are an after school club, funnily enough @NotAnActualSheep. Childcare will be one of the big losers from this.

NotAnActualSheep · 05/11/2020 14:35

Yy statistically. Ours was struggling over the summer when theoretically childcare could open (they would usually run a holiday club) but in practice councils etc were making it impossible for them to do so! And all the usual things they would do (day trips, joint days with other clubs, having external people in to lead activities etc) couldn't be done anyway. We did get some funding from the council (that was a non covid thing because of something else they'd messed up, I understand) and without that I don't think it could have continued once the furlough payments dropped and staff needed top ups.

I agree it is a sector that seems to have been forgotten about in all the "schools" furore. The "schools aren't childcare" argument seems to conveniently forget that many parents need appropriate childcare outside of school regardless (which they would usually pay for), but this option wasn't available for many either...hence parents couldn't work full time whether or not schools were open full time.

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/11/2020 14:37

And most after school clubs weren't able to access the grants either, because they're mostly in non rateable premises - schools and churches primarily!

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/11/2020 14:41

We did 3 weeks of holiday club over summer. It was quiet and we are normally trip heavy so it was a big challenge. Plus those three weeks were bubbles of 8 which was interesting. As was trying to partition a church hall...

I think - not 100% - that it will be the more flexible furlough scheme that continues rather than the rigid three week blocks which might create some options for rotating furlough or similar so that people are kept on but the number of staff working is more in line with demand