Covid-19 pandemic

[Fussbudget]

For some reason my spellchecker always changes 'but' to 'bit' which drives me up the wall.

[Patrick Thistle]

Also stay out of Gwent

[G-Man]

South Africa to go into lockdown on Thursday midnight until midnight of April 16, at a point of 400 cases. Three weeks! Livelihoods will be destroyed; all three of us are professionally affected, from total loss of income to existential threat of employment... But it's a necessary action. The president has the nation's buy-in, I think.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Interesting that in Holland all the talk is about 1.5m compared to the 2m in Britain. Not that the inconsiderate bastards I am forced to interact with every day are paying any heed.

I would say that at least half of the people I meet either quite simply do not give a toss or are just plain ignorant. I find myself constantly telling people to get out of my face. I'm afraid the yoof are the worst offenders in general. A couple have told me it doesn't affect them and one made jokes about coughing on oldies like me.

I even lost it a bit today when my bloody boss walked right up to me to show me something on his phone. People were laughing. I ended up shouting across the office that maybe if they watched somebody die from this horrible bug they might finally end up taking it seriously.

I'll admit I was a bit fraught. I'd just informed the same boss that the one tube of alcohol wipes they'd fanfared leaving in each truck had run out in mine and several other trucks, and that there weren't any to be found anywhere on the premises. I'd bring my own but they are sold out everywhere.

McDonalds drives are still open in Holland so we still have a bit of work left but they could and should close tomorrow. Much of my pay comes from weekend work, shift bonuses and overtime. So while I'll be grateful for 90% of my salary, I'll stand to lose at least €900 a month roughly. OK for a couple of months, but if it drags on..

To be honest, I'm getting very fed up putting myself at severe risk just to deliver a few hamburgers. And it must be worse for staff in any fast food place as most of them don't have room to swing a cat behind the counters, let alone allow staff to keep their distance from each other.

I'm pretty disgusted at people's sense of entitlement. Holland, like England, but in a much better organised way, have tried to put trust in people's judgement. But I'm afraid people in both countries have pissed on their chips and deserve a complete lock down immediately. No wonder the Belgians and French are horrified at what's being allowed to go on right next door to them.

My excuses for the rant, anyway. I am genuinely scared for my parents in their 90s in England. And for my niece who is a respiratory doctor. I can't see my daughters because both are self - isolating due to contacts they've had.

I understand that my problems are pretty minor at the moment. And to be honest, what with still having to work outdoors and living alone anyway, my lifestyle has hardly changed at all yet. I do loneliness quite well. But I'll admit that like others on here, I pretty scared at the moment.

[slackster]

Had to go out and hunt for a repeat prescription of blood thinners (got them in the 3rd pharmacy I went to), and drove past a MacDonalds drive-thru, where at least 50 cars were queuing and blocking the road outside. Idiots gotta get that last BigMac fix...

[Paul S]

I'm scared as well Logan. My sister has a (non-covid19) infection at the moment and is asthmatic. My parents are both in their 70's and are self isolating. I genuinely fear being left on my own with no family. I went for a walk today up to one of the local villages and back. Three and a half hours it took me, mainly on quiet roads, but on the seafront here there are loads of people just wandering about. They do not seem to realise the threat they are under. I carry with my now a rucksack with a bottle of water in it and a bar of soap and regularly wash my hands if I have touched something. Yet most young people just don't get it. Not until their mum and dad ends up dead, or their nan is on a ventilator will they realise that these warnings aren't there for fun but are real.

[jefe]

Maryland went to all non-essential businesses closed, but not shelter in place, and law firms count as essential, making my life somewhat easier.

[ursus arctos]

Interesting to see Maryland and New York reaching different conclusions on that question.

Though to be fair, the average NYC firm is much better placed to do remote working.

[Moonlight Shadow]

I can tell you that it was not pleasant listen to my wife relating her day today, they are already taking decisions that are incredibly hard to take...

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Johnson is galloping through this, he's nervous.

[Hot Pepsi]

Great thread here. Essential reading:

[URL]https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1242145766812024838[/URL]

This situation is making me panic a bit. We can't just stop what we're doing in a week.

[Toby Gymshorts]

UK on lockdown. It remains to be seen if this is coming too late.

[Nefertiti2]

Hi Toby nice to see you on here. Hope you're in good shape.

[Eggchaser]

Looks like I will have some time to work on my scrubby beard.

I thought Johnson actually looked competent, for a given measure of competency.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Hi Toby nice to see you on here. Hope you're in good shape.

Getting there, thanks Nef. Slightly worrisome in that my sister's family is on 14 days of isolation (as my niece, who still lives at home, has a boyfriend who tested positive last week), but they seem to be in good health if a little cabin-feverish.

[Satchmo Distel]

Looks like I will have some time to work on my scrubby beard.

I thought Johnson actually looked competent, for a given measure of competency.

I agree with that. The tone was correct, and the writing was good: clear, concise, stern, no waffle. But of course it's been done too late.

Shops closing is huge given that we are the proverbial nation of shopkeepers.

[Satchmo Distel]

This situation is making me panic a bit. We can't just stop what we're doing in a week.

It won't happen, HP. Trump is bullshitting for his base. The need to save lives will drive state and regional politics even if the federal government continues to be AWOL. Even Florida will go into lockdown at some point; no governor of a state containing large urban centres can just abandon them to mass death.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Looks like I will have some time to work on my scrubby beard.

Been working on mine for almost three weeks, and I look bloody awful.

It's at least entertaining me, even if TLMG does not approve.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Been working on mine for almost three weeks, and I look bloody awful.

It's at least entertaining me, even if TLMG does not approve.

Does it match your trainers?

[Toby Gymshorts]

My trainers are generally well-kept, so not really.

[Ray de Galles]

My beard's got shorter and neater in recent weeks. I normally go to a barbers every week to get it trimmed and my head shaved but as that's not the wisest plan right now so I'm doing both with my clippers at home.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Lockdown it is, seeing as we're two weeks behind Italy it's about two or three days late, let's see how late it is.

There's still too much grey in his speech I'm afraid, going out infrequently isn't great language, specify every three days. Allowing people out to exercise as well isn't the smartest.

This is going to be flouted by too many idiots, the same idiots that went to the coast or countryside yesterday.

[Snake Plissken]

Yeah, I reckon Tescos et al are going to be rammed tomorrow.

[WOM]

I normally go to a barbers every week to get it trimmed and my head shaved

Who's lighting your cigars now, Diamond Jim?

[Satchmo Distel]

Enforcement is going to be a problem if people can just lie and say they are taking exercise, walking to work, going to the shop, etc.

However, no gatherings of more than two people is clear enough, and immediately ends the trips to Skegness and other madness.