Coronavirus

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

7 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

I was given some change earlier and considered lashing it in the bin. Got no fucking idea how long the virus can remain on the various different surfaces/materials/etc.

I prefer using cash, but I'm doing contactless payments whenever possible now. 

[Davelfc]

What about the UK opposition?

In response to measures announced today, Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell said more was needed.

"The key is what support will individuals and families get. I'm saying to him we need urgent action to support families and individuals."

He called for statutory sick pay to be increased and for financial support for those losing their jobs.

He also stressed that there was a need to help those who are renting their homes.

 

How is business - and the unions - reacting to the UK measures?

UK business groups have welcomed the government's multi-billion pound support package, but said urgency was required to stop firms having to lay off staff.

The British Chambers of Commerce said "cash was king" for its members and many of them could not wait a week if they were to avoid having to make "difficult decisions".

The New West End Company, which represents 600 retailers in central London, said the loan guarantees, cash grants and business-rate holidays promised would "alleviate" the immediate cash flow and liquidity crunch facing operators.

But the GMB union called for more direct financial help for workers to pay their bills if they have to self-isolate.

 

An unprecedented package with glaring omissions

Dharshini David

Economics Correspondent

This is an unprecedented package for unprecedented times.

We shouldn't dismiss this and it is just a first step.

But there are glaring omissions - most notably the help for the self employed, the freelancers and people working in the gig economy. The big question is - what is going to be done for those people.

And what about benefits and sick pay? We hear about some businesses who are saying to workers that if they isolate they have to do it on unpaid leave.

 

PM: We only have a few weeks to build thousands of ventilators

Asked about the government's plea to businesses to start building ventilators, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says all businesses want "an end to suffering".

"That is why they are working incredibly hard in the next few weeks - and we really only have a few weeks - to build literally thousands of ventilators," he says.

"British industry [is] responding to this challenge with incredible energy."

 

 

Live-streamed funerals 'are changing how we grieve'

As the coronavirus escalates and people are told to avoid large gatherings, the US's health protection agency CDC has urged mourners to drastically change the way they say goodbye to their loved ones - by live-streaming their funerals.

But even before this directive, funeral homes both within and outside of the US had already started offering to live-stream their services, to help their clients avoid putting their living friends and relatives at risk.

Grief counsellor Lianna Champ tells the BBC that the crisis is changing the way we grieve.

 

 

[Barrington Womble]

31 minutes ago, Nelly-Torres said:

Sky are allowing customers to temporarily suspend their Sky Sports subscription, free of charge. 

 

It can't be done online though. You have to phone them. 

Have they sent all the call center staff home?

[Barrington Womble]

4 minutes ago, Nelly-Torres said:

I prefer using cash, but I'm doing contactless payments whenever possible now. 

You still have cash? I can't remember the last time I spent real money. 

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

John McDonnell rocking it in the Commons.

 

Basically going through every single aspect not clarified by Sunak, which basically equates to 90%.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Statistics rising in Bielefeld. 43 people have the virus, that's 15 more than yesterday, 452 in Quarantine which is a rise of 150. Lots of test results still to come in. 

[cloggypop]

We just had 3 minutes applause for the health workers. Loads of doors and windows open with clapping and cheers coming out. Loads of (highly illegal at this time of year) fireworks going off as well. Nice. 

[Grinch]

3 minutes ago, Barry Wom said:

Have they sent all the call center staff home?

 

Nope.   I know a lass who works for them.   If you cough, you're getting sent home for the day, one day.. 

 

They're also being told not to make sales, weirdly. 

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Popped down the corner shop to grab some milk. Fella behind the counter started coughing; I immediately shat myself and started holding my breath.

 

This is only day six.

[Elite]

1 minute ago, Grinch said:

 

Nope.   I know a lass who works for them.   If you cough, you're getting sent home for the day, one day.. 

 

They're also being told not to make sales, weirdly. 

Imagine getting an unsolicited phone call where they don't want to sell you something. Ground breaking.

[Dougie Do'ins]

8 minutes ago, davelfc said:

PM: We only have a few weeks to build thousands of ventilators

"That is why they are working incredibly hard in the next few weeks - and we really only have a few weeks - to build literally thousands of ventilators," he says.

"British industry [is] responding to this challenge with incredible energy."

Not the industries fault but it's fucking ventilators we need them to respond with.

[Dougie Do'ins]

7 minutes ago, Grinch said:

 

Nope.   I know a lass who works for them.   If you cough, you're getting sent home for the day, one day.. 

 

They're also being told not to make sales, weirdly. 

Hard to sell something if you don't have a product to sell.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

So if I phone my manager and tell him I'm self isolating for 2 weeks (even if I don't cough, cough..), I get a 3 month mortgage break?

[Leyton388]

So how come it's only men & women getting killed by this Coronavirus? How come all the other 800 genders aren't getting wiped out?

[Dougie Do'ins]

37 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

I was given some change earlier and considered lashing it in the bin. Got no fucking idea how long the virus can remain on the various different surfaces/materials/etc.

You taken to begging ?

[Strontium]

26 minutes ago, Barry Wom said:

You still have cash? I can't remember the last time I spent real money. 

 

So what do you put in a stripper's g-string, then?

[Josef Svejk]

4 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

So what do you put in a stripper's g-string, then?

 

[sir roger]

A start for small businesses but nowhere near as helpful as some outlets are suggesting as access to help will not be as easy and quick as hoped for. My daughter owns a restaurant , but like a lot of businesses in less affluent areas they are not paying  rates ( 45% are in this category according to the BBC ) so the main thrusts around business rates mean nothing to them. The grant of up to £10k will be useful obviously but will be administered via the local councils and not available for a month or so at earliest , by which time laying off of staff will probably have started. The loans mentioned today needed to be made very simple to access , but reading up on it they seem likely to be similar to the present EFG scheme which is from my personal experience a fucking nightmare to apply for and bring to fruition, and may not be available to businesses unless they can prove desperation. In my view the amounts reaching businesses will be far far less than the headline government figures due to these hurdles. 

 

The lack of help for employees is also striking and John McDonnell has pointed out a lot of the issues.

 

 

[Jairzinho]

10 minutes ago, Dougie Do'ins said:

You taken to begging ?

Nah, it's impossible with the police driving up and down the town every two minutes shouting at people to get back inside.

[clangers]

On a more positive note, CureVac might have a vaccine ready by autumn, Donald Trump was trying to buy the company last weekend.

[Tony Moanero]

59 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

I was given some change earlier and considered lashing it in the bin. Got no fucking idea how long the virus can remain on the various different surfaces/materials/etc.

I read somewhere that it can remain on metal and plastic for up to nine days. No idea if that’s true, though. I suffer from severe anxiety and OCD, so I’m obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness at the best of times. 

[Rico1304]

Woman at work just text me. Her son has likely got it, being tested tomorrow.  He’s quite ill, v high temp.  

[Barrington Womble]

24 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

So what do you put in a stripper's g-string, then?

My tongue. 

[Barrington Womble]

9 minutes ago, Tony Moanero said:

I read somewhere that it can remain on metal and plastic for up to nine days. No idea if that’s true, though. I suffer from severe anxiety and OCD, so I’m obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness at the best of times. 

One of the government experts said a day or so ago, it's about 2-3 days on hard surfaces. 

[sir roger]

2 minutes ago, Rico1304 said:

Woman at work just text me. Her son has likely got it, being tested tomorrow.  He’s quite ill, v high temp.  

Hope he is ok Rico , and yourself by extension obviously. 

 

On a side note I am surprised at how many people seem to feel they have it ( The wife's niece is undergoing tests ) when by my mathematics the government are suggesting it is a one in a thousand plus chance at this stage.