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Coronavirus


Bjornebye

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4 hours ago, Jose Jones said:

He must be taking advice from your posts @moof

That’s what we call a man of the people. Seriously, good to see. I would like to see daily addresses but that might be asking a bit much at this point. I think we would all benefit from it and people need to see strong leadership from him/Labour. Goes without saying but I’ve been appreciative of Corbyn’s work during this 

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LONDON (Reuters) - Schools across Britain were struggling to stay open on Wednesday, with some forced to partially or fully close as staff and students stayed at home because of the spread of coronavirus. 

The closures come amid confusion about why schools are being advised to stay open when the government has stepped up advice to curb social contact to try to slow the spread of the virus. 

 

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders union, said head teachers were saying they were struggling to keep their institutions open beyond Friday. 

“Some very seasoned head teachers have been calling me to say they will not be able to manage much longer,” he told the BBC. “One said he had 17 members of staff call in sick. And I think this will be replicated around the country.” 

Some schools are closing but offering to look after the children of parents who work in key public services like health or social care. 

 

Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, defended the policy before a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, saying that school closures were “on the table”, but not a step the government should be taking at this time. 

This comes as angry parents are refusing to send their children to school and are complaining that other countries were doing more to stop the spread of coronavirus. 

On parliament’s website, a petition calling on the government to shut schools and colleges had attracted more than 671,000 signatures.

 

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-schools/british-schools-struggle-to-stay-open-amid-coronavirus-outbreak-idUKKBN215151

 

 

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The BBC has suspended filming on EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City until further notice because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The number of new EastEnders episodes being shown each week is also being reduced to two.

Filming on all BBC Studios' continuing dramas has been halted following the latest government advice on tackling COVID-19, the corporation said.

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MORRISONS will create 3,500 new jobs as it expands its home delivery service to cope with a surge in demand during the coronavirus crisis.

The supermarket chain said it would be recruiting around 2,500 pickers and drivers, while it will also be hiring about 1,000 people to work in its distribution centres.

 

The move to boost home delivery will see the retailer make more slots available to customers, use another 100 stores for shop picking, set up a call centre for those without access to online shopping and launch a new range of simple-to-order food parcels from March 23.

 

Morrisons also set out measures to help staff, including a colleague hardship fund, a pledge to pay sick pay to all employees and redeployment of colleagues who are vulnerable to the crisis.

David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “We expect the days, weeks and months ahead to be very testing and we are determined to do our bit.

 

“These measures will support our very hard-working colleagues, enable us to provide more food to more people in their homes and create opportunities for people whose jobs are affected by the coronavirus.”

The announcement comes after the chain last week vowed to pay small suppliers immediately to help support under-pressure cash flow.

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Might be useful for some on here/people they know. 

 

What to do if you think you have symptoms:

Visit https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 and follow current government guidance.

Further information is displayed here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

 

Useful Contacts

Age UK

www.ageuk.org.uk

0800 678 1602

@age_uk

Asthma UK

www.asthma.org.uk

0300 222 5800

@asthmauk

British Heart Foundation

www.bhf.org.uk

0300 330 3311

@TheBHF

Diabetes UK

www.diabetes.org.uk

0345 123 2399

@DiabetesUK

MIND

www.mind.org.uk

0300 123 3393

@MindCharity

Scope

www.scope.org.uk

0808 800 3333

@scope

 

NHS 111

111.nhs.uk

111

18001111(textphone)

Silverline

www.thesilverline.org.uk

0800 470 8090

@TheSilverLineUK

Samaritans

www.samaritans.org

116 123

jo@samaritans.org

Other listening services: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services/

 

Financial Support

Information about staying at home, working from home and sick pay: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees

ACAS: https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus

0300 123 1100, open 8am-8pm, Monday-Friday and 9am-1pm on Saturdays)

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA): https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance

Universal Credit: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Citizen’s Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Union Support: https://www.tuc.org.uk/join-union

 

Nurseries, Schools and Other Education

If you have a question about coronavirus related to schools or other educational establishments, you can call the Department for Education's coronavirus hotline on 0800 046 8687, which is open Monday-Friday from 8am to 6pm.

 

Looking after yourself

Kindly supplied by Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing

You might be worried about coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) and how it could affect your life. This may include being asked to stay at home or avoid other people.

This might feel difficult or stressful. But there are lots of things you can try that could help your wellbeing.

This information is to help you cope if:

  • You’re feeling anxious or worried about coronavirus;

  • You’re asked to stay at home or avoid public places, for example if your employer asks you to work from home;

  • You have to self-isolate. This means you avoid contact with other people and follow strict hygiene rules.

 

Hand washing and anxiety

Some mental health problems can cause difficult feelings or behaviours to do with washing or hygiene. If you experience this, you might find it hard to hear advice about washing your hands.

If this is making you feel stressed or anxious, here are some things you could try:

Don’t keep re-reading the same advice if this is unhelpful for you.

Let other people know you’re struggling. For example, you could ask them not to remind you to wash your hands.

Breathing exercises can help you cope and feel more in control. You can find a simple breathing exercise on the NHS website. Our pages on relaxation also have some exercises you can try, and other relaxation tips.

Set limits, like washing your hands for the recommended 20 seconds.

Plan something to do after washing your hands. This could help distract you and change your focus.

It could also help to read some of the tips in our information on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

 

Connect with people

Keep in touch digitally

Make plans to video chat with people or groups you’d normally see in person.

You can also arrange phone calls or send instant messages or texts.

If you’re worried that you might run out of stuff to talk about, make a plan with someone to watch a show or read a book separately so that you can discuss it when you contact each other.

Think of other ways to keep in contact with people if meeting in person is not possible. For example, you could check your phone numbers are up to date, or that you have current email addresses for friends you've not seen for a while. 

Connect with others in similar situations

If you’re part of a group of people who are also self-isolating, you may be part of group communications to receive updates on your situation. This group could also act as an informal support network.

You could join a peer support community. Mind runs an online peer support community called Elefriends, where you can share your experiences and hear from others.

If you're going online more than usual or seeking peer support on the internet, it's important to look after your online wellbeing. See our pages about online mental health for more information. 

If you're worried about loneliness

Think about things you can do to connect with people. For example, putting extra pictures up of the people you care about might be a nice reminder of the people in your life.

Listen to a chatty radio station or podcast if your home feels too quiet.

 

Decide on your routine

Plan how you’ll spend your time. It might help to write this down on paper and put it on the wall.

Try to follow your ordinary routine as much as possible. Get up at the same time as normal, follow your usual morning routines, and go to bed at your usual time. Set alarms to remind you of your new schedule if that helps.

If you aren’t happy with your usual routine, this might be a chance to do things differently. For example, you could go to bed earlier, spend more time cooking or do other things you don’t usually have time for.

Think about how you’ll spend time by yourself at home. For example, plan activities to do on different days or habits you want to start or keep up.

If you live with other people, it may help to do the following:

Agree on a household routine. Try to give everyone you live with a say in this agreement.

Try to respect each other's privacy and give each other space. For example, some people might want to discuss everything they’re doing while others won’t.

 

Try to keep active

Build physical activity into your daily routine, if possible. Most of us don’t have exercise equipment like treadmills where we live, but there are still activities you can do. Exercising at home can be simple and there are options for most ages and abilities, such as:

  • cleaning your home

  • dancing to music

  • going up and down stairs

  • seated exercises

  • online exercise workouts that you can follow

  • sitting less – if you notice you’ve been sitting down for an hour, just getting up or changing position can help.

 

Get as much sunlight, fresh air and nature as you can

Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. It can improve your mood, reduce feelings of stress or anger, and make you feel more relaxed.

It’s possible to still get these positive effects from nature while staying indoors at home. You could try the following:

  • Spend time with the windows open to let in fresh air.

  • Have flowers or potted plants in your home.

  • Use natural materials to decorate your living space, or use them in art projects. This could include leaves, flowers, feathers, tree bark or seeds.

  • Arrange a comfortable space to sit, for example by a window where you can look out over a view of trees or the sky, or watch birds and other animals.

  • Grow plants or flowers on windowsills. For example, you could buy seeds online or look for any community groups that give away or swap them.

  • Look at photos of your favourite places in nature. Use them as the background on your mobile phone or computer screen, or print and put them up on your walls.

  • Listen to natural sounds, like recordings or apps that play birdsong, ocean waves or rainfall. Get as much natural light as you can. Spend time in your garden if you have one, or open your front or back door and sit on the doorstep.

 

Plan for working or studying at home

If you are asked to stay at home and away from other people, it might be difficult to keep working. If you have children, you may also need to look after them if they asked to stay away from school or college.

These ideas might help you plan for this:

For parents of children and young people in school or college

Think about being more lenient with your children’s social media and mobile phone use during their time away from school. Children and young people who go to school will be used to being around other children for several hours a day. They might find it difficult to be removed from this, especially if they're also worried about their health.

Find out from their school what homework and digital learning will be available if they need to stay at home, and what technology they might need. Remember to add time in for breaks and lunch.

If their school has not supplied homework or digital learning, you could encourage your children to select books or podcasts they'd like to explore during their time away from school. You can also think about card games, board games and puzzles, and any other ways to stay active or be creative.

For older teens, there are free online courses they could try out. For example, these could be from FutureLearn and BBC Bitesize. Your local library might also have online activities or resources you can use.

If you plan to work from home, think about how to balance this with caring for your children. Some employers may ask if there is another adult who can supervise your children while you’re working.

For adults in work

Talk to your employer about any policies they have for working from home, if this is possible for your job.

Plan ahead for working from home if you can. Your employer may be able to help you set things up in advance, like any technology you might need.

 

Find ways to spend your time

  • Try having a clear out. You could sort through your possessions and put them away tidily, or have a spring clean. You could set any old possessions aside to donate to a cause you care about, or use online selling sites to pass on things you don’t want to keep. If you do sell anything online, you might want to delay your delivery dates until you can leave the house to send your parcels.

  • You could also have a digital clear out. Delete any old files and apps you don’t use, upgrade your software, update all your passwords or clear out your inboxes.

  • Write letters or emails, or make phone calls with people you’ve been meaning to catch up with.

  • Do any admin tasks that you haven't got around to, for example changing your energy provider.

Find ways to relax and be creative

There are lots of different ways that you can relax, take notice of the present moment and use your creative side. These include:

  • Arts and crafts, such as drawing, painting, collage, sewing, craft kits or upcycling

  • DIY

  • Colouring

  • Mindfulness

  • Playing musical instruments, singing or listening to music

  • Writing

  • Yoga

  • Meditation

Keep your mind stimulated

  • Keep your brain occupied and challenged. Set aside time in your routine for this. Read books, magazines and articles. Listen to podcasts, watch films and do puzzles.

  • Some libraries have apps you can use to borrow ebooks, audiobooks or magazines from home for free, if you're a library member.

  • FutureLearn and OpenLearn have free online courses you could try.

  • There are lots of apps that can help you learn things, such as a foreign language or other new skills.

 

Take care with news and information

  • Stay connected with current events, but be careful where you get news and health information from.

  • For up-to-date advice in English, see the NHS coronavirus webpage and gov.uk coronavirus webpages.

  • For up-to-date advice in Welsh, see the NHS Wales coronavirus webpage and llyw.cymru coronavirus webpage.

  • If news stories make you feel anxious or confused, think about switching off or limiting what you look at for a while.

  • Social media could help you stay in touch with people, but might also make you feel anxious including if people are sharing news stories or posting about their worries. Consider taking a break or limiting how you use social media. You might decide to view particular groups or pages but not scroll through timelines or newsfeeds.

If you're feeling anxious

  • If you have panic attacks or flashbacks, it might help to plan a 'safe space' in your home that you'll go to.

  • You can also find ways to comfort yourself if you're feeling anxious. For example, there are games and puzzles you can use to distract yourself, and breathing exercises which may help.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has more information on how to cope if you're feeling anxious about coronavirus.

If you’re feeling claustrophobic or trapped

  • Open the windows to let in fresh air. Or you could spend time sitting on your doorstep, or in the garden if you have one.

  • Try looking at the sky out of the window or from your doorstep. This can help to give you a sense of space.

  • Regularly change the rooms you spend time in.

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40 minutes ago, davelfc said:

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Fucking hell. Look at the numbers for Spain. They could easily pass the Italians if that trajectory continues.

 

If look at our trajectory for deaths, todays number is going to be a good indicator as where we are heading as there wasn't a spike in the number from the previous day.

 

This site is good for stats:

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/

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