November Lockdown: Mibbes Aye Mibbes Naw

[BlueThursday]

Thread 3!!!!

Oh, I didn't realise that! Ours was (at the time) in a community centre, but although we'd have been the only group there, the council refused to provide their janitor etc to let us use it. There was a lot of swearing at emails in our house over the summer (DH is a trustee of the charity).

Think community centres might be the same, not 100% sure. But certainly most weren't able to access anything beyond furlough whilst closed. I presume they know about the transitional grants btw? It's hard enough keeping on top of this when it's your actual business let along for charity

Thanks @statisticallychallenged! There is an (excellent) manager and she seems on top of all these things and did apply for some grants I understand - possibly the transitional one. I think they are hoping the furlough could come into play over Christmas, but at the moment all the staff are working pretty much full hours even though the capacity has decreased because of the bubbles, and because we are now split over two venues. And up to now we haven't had any issues of staff or children needing to self isolate etc. (touch wood!). Luckily (or not) there has been less demand this year because more parents are WFH or have cut hours (or lost jobs ) so it seems to be working OK. To be honest we have only got DS in there this year as a social thing for him (luckily as it happens, as its the only legal way he can play with other children out of school at the moment!) as I have so little work I could easily collect him at the end of the school day...

That was our thought too, furlough over xmas (we'd top up in this case)

Suspect a lot will be doing the same now.

And there on the R4 news today, April to October in England, 22 percent rise in reports on abuse of children reported - 8 of whom died. Anyone seen numbers for Scotland?

The director of the IFS is taking an anti furlough stance interestingly, so much for being a govt stooge...

'Taken aback by ChX statement.

Basically return to March schemes (dreamt up on the hoof in 24 hrs) as if nothing learnt since.

Wasteful & badly targeted for self-employed. No effort at targeting sectors/viable jobs for employees. Big contrast to position just days ago.'

Imagine this will be the gist of the R4 interview.

What @StatisticallyChallenged was saying eh?

I think at this point something more nuanced is needed to support businesses (separate from supporting staff through furlough) as business costs don't just cease when they get closed. The one size approach was understandable in March but this should have been worked out in the interim. Instead they've stuck their fingers in their ears and gone lalala no second wave here...

Oh look. A wave. Well, bugger.

Self employed should at minimum be able to access grants to cover fixed costs which can't be reduced and which they will continue to incur even if they are totally unable to operate. Tbh I'd say something similar is needed for all businesses - we should be trying to save viable businesses, complete closure for months on end is not a normal event. Instead businesses are being told to take massive loans.

Has anyone seen the softplay owner's videos doing the rounds on facebook? They sound utterly broken. Poor buggers

I've seen the soft play and outdoor learning centre ones, awful. The shake out from this will take years to unravel.

The videos are just heartbreaking.

@waitforitwaitforit

Not being allowed to leave your local authority I think. We're on the border of 2. Hope it's not the 5 mile thing again. There's not much to do with the kids within 5 miles of us.

It's a totally unenforceable rule for so many of us living in smaller local council areas in the central belt. Within 5 miles I could stay in East Dunbartonshire or be in Glasgow, Stirlingshire, or West Dunbartonshire.

It's back to the old "tell them something really bad will happen and then they'll accept the slightly less bad thing".

Could any teachers update on the situation in their schools or what they are hearing.

From my own perspective it seems very quiet with no apparent problems in my children’s school (primary Lanarkshire) but I was looking at the numbers on the government website and..

on 3/11 - 23,000 pupils were not in school due to COVID related reasons. That is a huge number only surpassed by a couple of days at the end of August when it felt like all school children simultaneously caught a cold and needed a test ( mine included).

I am guessing this is mostly secondary school as I am not hearing about as much disruption and people needing to taking time off work to watch children like in August.

Are they isolating larger groups from positive cases or is it mostly colds? Any teachers seeing case positivity going up in their school in the last week or so?

Sorry just seen there is a newish school thread off to have a read.

I’m hoping this thread is quiet because we’re not expecting more measures...?!

Figures are going in the right way, there are no justifications for further measures.

Think NS has other things to fizz about today (re inde ref in the news). Hopefully it’s enough of a distraction from amending the master spreadsheet of doom.

Over the summer the figures kept going the right way, and yet... there was always this doom and gloom being drip fed.

I’m finding it all very wearing.

Sorry to hear that, yes, no news has to be good news on the restrictions front.

I guess we'll find out on Tuesday. TBH, I personally would like the daily press conferences to stop too. Release the numbers, hold conferences when there is something to say - but right now it just feels like every day we're being threatened and I find it mentally exhausting

I agree. It's exhausting and I'm sick of listening to it.

The Glasgow figures are taking the slack for the rest of the country so everyone else is looking fine. I know it's been said before but why are none of the restrictions working here??

I am also finding it very wearing! I really hope there’s a proper update on Tuesday, even if it’s bad news. This feeling like an axe is about to drop is just horrible.

My friend is really getting my hopes up that Edinburgh will be reduced to Tier 2 on Tuesday. Keeping my fingers crossed. Still in the ridiculous position that if they don't change the Tier Level I could go to Tenerife for a break, but not the Borders.

I have never thought the daily press conferences were useful. We get far too many meaningless updates. It's not that fluid a situation 90 percent of the time.

I suppose going to tier 2 has advantages - I think we'll get yet more extreme caution though as that's been the MO for ages.

For politicians and jobs, I'm sure there are studies to be written/written about how constant availability and constant updates are unproductive/productivity sapping.
I'm not sure I want all my policies governed by what sounds good on Twitter.