Coronavirus

[Dave2002]

This is more hopeful, but unfortunately you’ll have to be ill first - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52...b-global-en-GB

Prevention (or avoidance) is better than cure.

[MrGongGong]

It seems that the right and moral thing to do if you get the chance
and bump into mr Cummings is to ................

&^%*&^%$£%

[Serial_Apologist]

A spokesman from the WHO yesterday (I think it was) was arguing the (to me) obvious point about requiring people to wear face masks in enclosed spaces: my face mask may protect you more than it does me, but your face mask does likewise. Meanwhile there seem to be increasingly strident calls from within the Tory heartlands for Cummings to resign - Grant Schapps's answers on Andrew Marr this morning inviting derision that he had not been briefed by No 10 and seemed to be making them up as he went. He was complaining about being asked on to answer questions about transport infrastructure!

[Count Boso]

A mutualist symbiotic relationship between Johnson and Cummings. They're both chancers, thriving on flouting the rules of acceptable behaviour. I don't know that they like each other (Johnson said to epitomise what Cummings despises) but they both feel that together they're stronger. And the vegetables rally round making supportive noises.

[oddoneout]

A mutualist symbiotic relationship between Johnson and Cummings. They're both chancers, thriving on flouting the rules of acceptable behaviour. I don't know that they like each other (Johnson said to epitomise what Cummings despises) but they both feel that together they're stronger. And the vegetables rally round making supportive noises.

Hoping something will turnip and let them off the hook?

[MrGongGong]

Hoping something will turnip and let them off the hook?

Has anyone notified Social Services about Cummings's behaviour?

[MrGongGong]

This is from a school in Whitley Bay (via FB)

Dear Parents/Carers

We have been busily working in school to get a sense of what the new normal will look like for our pupils when they start back on 1st June 2020. I want to be as open as possible so I have attached some photographs of what we have started to do in school. You will see photos of 'play bubbles' where children will have their own space, and classrooms where all small toys, books and soft furnishings have been removed.
Our lovely little village school is going to feel very different. We thrive as a community because we love and care for each other. We will do our utmost to show children this care in different ways that do not involve close contact.
HOW OUR SCHOOL WILL OPERATE:
• Children will be with one teacher in one group and not necessarily with the same groups of children they were with in March. They may not be with the teacher or in the classroom they had in March.
• They will have to remain in that classroom for the duration of the day. They cannot mix with the groups of children in the other classrooms (Bubbles).
• They will have set times for the toilet which will need to be cleaned by the teacher/bubble staff after they have been used. Only two children will be allowed to use the toilet at a time; toilet times will be supervised. They will not be allowed to leave the classroom outside of their allocated toilet times.
• In classrooms (bubbles), they will sit at desks, where the chldren will be 1m apart, all facing the same direction. This includes the children in Reception and Nursery.
• Their classrooms (bubbles) will have all unnecessary furniture, equipment and all soft furnishings removed.
• The classroom (bubble) will be cleaned throughout the day. The bins will be emptied and desks will be cleaned and sprayed throughout the day. The classroom (bubble) will be deep cleaned at the end of every day too.
• The children will work at their desks. They will not sit on the carpet.
* Children must have wear clean clothes every day. They do not need to wear uniform. They must have a clean coat every day too.
• They will not be able to bring anything from home except a filled water bottle. No reading books, no packed lunch boxes, no pencil cases.
• They will be provided with a see-through pencil case and equipment that will only be used and touched by them. These will be cleaned at the end of the day by the teacher/bubble staff.
• When any other equipment is used it will then need to be cleaned before other children use or touch it.
• Outside playing equipment like the climbing frame and outdoor gym will not be able to be used as it is recommended these are cleaned afterwards but we would not have that facility or staff to do that at this stage. Children will have an allocated play space for their bubble - they must remain within this space during outdoor playtimes.
• They will have some lessons that involve a lot of independent learning as the teacher will not be able to go side by side or sit next to them to give them targeted support. The teacher needs to keep social distance when teaching (the amount of distance keeps varying – to the public it is 2m but it has not been confirmed yet if this is the case for schools so we are operating on the same basis as the general public)
• Only one parent is allowed to drop off their child, this will be at an allocated time and place on the school field. These will be allocated per bubble and children will assemble in their bubbles, adhering to social distance requirements prior to being collected by their teacher/bubble staff.
• Parents are NOT allowed to enter the school building or have the daily contact or conversation they need or are used to having with staff. Contact will continue to be electronic via email/telephone.
• Lunch arrangements will be confirmed however no hot meal will be provided for children in Reception and Year 1; packed lunches will be provided by school. Should home packed lunches by preferrable, these will be entirely disposeable - no lunch boxes within school at all.
• If they fall over or have a toileting accident they will be encouraged to change themselves and clean their scrape or cut. We have sourced PPE (following the COVID 19 guidance for Educational Settings) which is for use only for staff protection should a child vomit, not for trips, falls or scrapes. If it is not possible for the child to clean themselves in the event of an accident, the parent will be called to collect them so they can do that at home.
• Corridors are split and marked off to save children having to walk past people without a social distance, where possible.

Other factors to be aware of, should the rest of school (years 2 to 4) be asked to return to school in June:

Year 4 will not be able to have a leavers assembly or party
There will be no visits out of school
There will be no sports day
No assemblies
No adult visitors into school

As the situation develops we will continue to risk assess accordingly and keep you as informed as possible.

We never thought as a staff we would be in this position or making such drastic changes to our lovely little school, however we are doing all we can to adhere to the guidance and keep our staff and children as safe as possible.

Kind regards,
XXXXXXXXXX
Head Teacher

[LMcD]

How, precisely, does one deal with somebody who basically doesn't give a damn about anybody else's views?
Government ministers are probably queuing up to front today's (delayed) press briefing.

[Cockney Sparrow]

How, precisely, does one deal with somebody who basically doesn't give a damn about anybody else's views?
Government ministers are probably queuing up to front today's (delayed) press briefing.

Apparently, delayed by one hour..... I'm not raising my hopes though.
ADDED: To be taken by Johnson, not as announced before, Jenrick. Must have needed more time for Johnson to get back from Chequers, Chevening, wherever.

[Dave2002]

I am really not looking forward to my projectile vomiting at our TV screen in 20 minutes.

[Dave2002]

Absolute rubbish. My TV has survived, but it was a close run thing. The evidence will surely come out, if the press keep going, which I hope they will. How this is going to bolster the government’s credibility I can’t see.

One other point, the graph of confirmed cases shows a drop most days, but the daily number is still somewhere between two and three thousand. With an incubation period of about 14 days, that implies between 28000 to 42000 active cases in the population at large. This is still significant, even though things are improving.

[oddoneout]

This is from a school in Whitley Bay (via FB)

If they fall over or have a toileting accident they will be encouraged to change themselves and clean their scrape or cut. We have sourced PPE (following the COVID 19 guidance for Educational Settings) which is for use only for staff protection should a child vomit, not for trips, falls or scrapes. If it is not possible for the child to clean themselves in the event of an accident, the parent will be called to collect them so they can do that at home.

That'll be easy with parents back at work...
This I think is the standard advice schools have been given, as it looks almost the same as the arrangements for a nearby school that I was reading the other day . Three parents I know of Reception and Yr1 children have said they don't want their child going back while such arrangements are necessary - not because of the risk of the virus but they don't think their child will benefit/cope. I don't envy the teachers' situation dealing with young children in these circumstances.

[MrGongGong]

That'll be easy with parents back at work...
This I think is the standard advice schools have been given, as it looks almost the same as the arrangements for a nearby school that I was reading the other day . Three parents I know of Reception and Yr1 children have said they don't want their child going back while such arrangements are necessary - not because of the risk of the virus but they don't think their child will benefit/cope. I don't envy the teachers' situation dealing with young children in these circumstances.

It is appalling and likely to lead to all sorts of deep damage in the future.

About time people stood up to the bullying IMV

[Frances_iom]

Absolute rubbish. My TV has survived, but it was a close run thing. The evidence will surely come out, if the press keep going, which I hope they will. How this is going to bolster the government’s credibility I can’t see.

DC is not exactly known for veracity - he sees no reason why he should stick to the rules if they get in his way (eg the way he avoided funding limits in the Brexit campaign)

[oddoneout]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...m-police-chief

Given that there isn't going to be any real justice
the best option is for some public-spirited individual to kick the shit out of him so he is unable to cause any more damage

Doubt it would do any good - possibly even the reverse, since two wrongs don't make a right, and someone like that would manage to turn it to his advantage - martyrdom beckons and all that. I would like to know what his family have to say for themselves, since they are at least as culpable as far as I can see for making the offer(childcare in Durham) and then enabling it to be taken up(convenient 'spare' property). Are they going to plead ignorance, or get someone to twist the rules round to make black white, as has been done for Cummings - and Jenrick before him. I suppose that's the difference for people at that level of entitlement - do what you want and let someone else sort out the fallout if it transpires that rules have been broken. Meanwhile thousands of 'little people' stuck to the rule at great and continuing cost to themselves - especially those who have had to abandon loved ones at end of life and not support bereaved family members.
'My' MP - no actually rephrase that - the MP I'm lumbered with - doesn't think it's a sacking offence. Wonder what would come into that category...