Covid-19 Megathread

[CAREBEAR LUVVA]

Our latest update from management just came through - written today but based on figures from last week, which is no use at all. The number of new cases and the general infection rate have both almost doubled round here since then... They also admit (without explicitly saying so) that staff have kicked off about the risk assessment we all had to do, which recommends everyone to go back to work regardless of how much risk they might be in. HR will be contacting people directly to discuss "other options". Working from home for me, please. Can't be arsed putting proper clothes on again. I'm not sure if most of my work stuff will even fit any more.

[CAREBEAR LUVVA]

Found out at 4pm today that I'm back in class tomorrow morning. As much as it'll be good to see everyone after nearly 6 months, I've properly wound myself up now reading about schools reopening then having to close immediately. Might call in sick in the morning.

Edited September 7, 2020 by CAREBEAR LUVVA

[tiger_rick]

It's going to be a nightmare. I've had a kid in primary school for most of the last 12 years and every single September we end up with a house full of cold and mild flu symptoms.

[Bus Surfer]

I live in the County of Caerphilly and we're being locked down from 6pm tonight until October at the earliest. Its being blamed on house parties and people returning from foreign travel, but no talk of the carnage within pubs and bars... The videos of people crammed like Sardines queuing for Cardiff pubs for the last few weeks have been brushed under the carpet.

So we can meet family members at pubs but not in our own homes. Madness. Wales seemed in a decent place a few weeks ago but the lack of mandatory mask wearing has really pushed us back. 

 

[LariatTom]

I'll throw in my stuff about school. Been back since last Tuesday for inset with pupils starting Wednesday. I had a few kids in my form who didn't come back because they're still shielding or isolating because family tested positive. I'd wager that around 10% of pupils are wearing a mask, and most of them aren't wearing them properly or spend half the day fiddling around with it.

The caretakers put tape on the floor in every room to signal the "teacher zone" where pupils can't enter. We are meant to stay in that all lesson and if we want to leave it to help a child, we have to wear a visor. It's a pain in the arse, but it seems to work.

If schools make it to October half term without mass closures, I'll be very impressed. 

Edited September 8, 2020 by LariatTom
Edited for typos

[SuperBacon]

All very clear.

 

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

This government really don't know their arses from their elbows do they? So from Monday I can work in close quarters with my colleagues and friends mingled in with customers and my mum likewise with her colleagues and patients but she has to go back to picking and choosing which of her grandkids can visit us?

[Joe Blog]

2 year old has just woken up with a temp of 38.2. 

Tried to book a test and none available, have to keep checking is the only message.

Hopefully it's just a minor bug she has picked up from being back in nursery after so long off. 

And of course, fuck the Tories. 

 

[Max Power]

40 minutes ago, Ralphy said:

It is my grandads funeral next Friday I guess I won't be able to go now? 

I think funerals are exempt, along with weddings and something else I can't remember.

My Facebook feed is now full of people quoting #scamdemic and #plandemic

This bunch has basically fucked it up so badly that people don't believe it exists.

We're fucked.

[Guest]

Yes, funerals are exempt:

• Social gatherings of more than six people in England will not be allowed in law from Monday 14 September

• The new rule applies to private homes, indoors and outdoors, and places such as bars and cafes

• The rule does not apply to schools and workplaces, or weddings, funerals and organised team sports

• A full list of exemptions is due to be published before the law changes

• People who ignore police could be fined £100 - doubling with each offence to a maximum of £3,200

[Hannibal Scorch]

This is up there with the most idiotic decisions made during this pandemic. So after spending the last month tell us to eat out to help out, telling us schools, universities and work places were safe and to get back to them, legally we can’t be with more then 6 people. My daughter is at school mixing with 120 kids due to lesson classes being split for fucks sake. This not only makes no sense, but people won’t listen. 

[Jazzy G]

I think on top of this HMRC are also going to start investigating furlough pay as they claim up to £3.5 billion of it was paid out fraudulently? 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-54066815

[Chest Rockwell]

No, they don't claim that:

"We have made an assumption for the purposes of our planning that the error and fraud rate in this scheme could be between 5% and 10%."

 The article headline is misleading.

[LariatTom]

57 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

This is up there with the most idiotic decisions made during this pandemic. So after spending the last month tell us to eat out to help out, telling us schools, universities and work places were safe and to get back to them, legally we can’t be with more then 6 people. My daughter is at school mixing with 120 kids due to lesson classes being split for fucks sake. This not only makes no sense, but people won’t listen. 

This part is utterly insane and where the system is going to fall apart within weeks. Kids are in year groups of hundreds in some schools. My school is 150-180 per year which each are their own bubble. They're in one zone per day, have to use toilets for that zone and have a designated inside and outside zone for break and lunch. KS3 and KS4 have different school days, so the older years have an earlier finish, fewer lessons per day and a short lunch. 

But I'm teaching MFL, Music and Computer Science this year. I'm crossing bubbles during the day, 3 days a week as well as having my form group. 3 kids in my form haven't come back and we've now got kids off because either they're showing symptoms or a family member is.

I'm not actually crossing bubbles at the moment. My wife started showing symptoms on Monday night so I'm sat at home converting my classroom lessons into cover (and being shit at Fall Guys). Getting a test ordered was incredibly difficult and I think I got very lucky by managing to order a home kit. No walk-in facility near us and we don't have a car so completely reliant on home kits being available. Their guidance was a home kit is accurate within 5 days of showing symptoms, anything after that needs to be a drive-in. Yet the confirmation email she received said to not post it back until next Monday. By the time she gets her result, my 14 days will be up so we could potentially both be back at work if she's feeling better. Its a load of bollocks...

[quote the raven]

Wtf happened to the testing? My local test centre always had slots a week ago now the web site bulks before it even gets past the loading page. 
 

A week back I would log in after work and get a slot 30 minutes later.