Coronavirus

[oddoneout]

Where did you get that from, johnb? I had the Pfizer.

There seem to be different systems in place even here in Bristol: I got a phone call from my practice with a specific date, my brother got a letter from his, allowing him to book both online and choosing his dates (now 12 weeks after not 21 days). I was told nothing about my second.

The wheels on the national roll-out are not round so progress is erratic and subject to delays...
The handling requirements of the Pfizer vaccine were always going to impose limitations, but as more GP and other smaller, truly local, sites are able to use the less demanding vaccines things should improve. I noticed yesterday in the local press that one of the two large town practices says it will be getting vaccine shortly; my own surgery is saying nothing other than posting a generic NHS announcement to the effect " don't call us, we'll call you", with no mention of whether they are due to be getting supplies.

[Serial_Apologist]

My brother (ambulance driver) has already had his vaccination (Pfizer). There's no need to remember which particular vaccine you've had as you are given a credit card sized card to keep in your wallet which details which vaccine, date of vaccination, batch number and so on. You are also given a small badge sized sticker stating you've been vaccinated together with a comprehensive fact sheet. It all seems to be a highly professional and well run operation.

Useful to know that - thanks!

[french frank]

you are given a credit card sized card to keep in your wallet which details which vaccine, date of vaccination, batch number and so on. You are also given a small badge sized sticker stating you've been vaccinated together with a comprehensive fact sheet. It all seems to be a highly professional and well run operation.

I didn't get a sticker or fact sheet, but it did give the impression of being a very smooth operation. This was only a local GP practice (not mine but very close and our doctors were working there), not one of the national hubs.

[Serial_Apologist]

There are some arguments about how far one should be permitted to travel for outdoor exercise in the wake of Boris Johnson's 7 mile ride to Stratford yesterday. Many parks or areas of woodland are now reported to be so crowded as to deny social distancing - and in response to those arguing that surely BJ had any number of parks in the vicinity of Westminster in which to exercise his pedal power, many London parks (not sure about the St James's, Hyde and Regents Parks) forbid cycling. I myself now have to avoid them. I for one cannot see good reason for forbidding exercise over longer distances, other than for the above reasons. Outside exercise is one of the few options I have for remaining sane. If some limit does have to be set - I for one thinking it ridiculous if the journey is made alone to an uncrowded outdoor location, and/or with the one other person allowed as company - surely the best option is to place a circle around one's place of abode. I would settle for 6 miles, as that would put both London's geographical centre and countryside within reach.

[Dave2002]

There are some arguments about how far one should be permitted to travel for outdoor exercise in the wake of Boris Johnson's 7 mile ride to Stratford yesterday.

Personally I wouldn't want to cycle round London, though in the past I have cycled round some of the less central areas. However in my youth - now a distant memory - I regularly used to cycle at least 20 miles in an hour or so for exercise/fun - though not in London, and the radius from my starting point was very likely to have been 7 miles or more. Serious cyclists may be used to doing much longer rides. For once I am not in disagreement with BJ. If he wanted to go that distance for exercise, why not? As long as it doesn't create more problems - i.e. outdoor, and low risk.

I am assuming that cyclists wanting to do long rides will avoid other people as much as possible.

Also I have heard from other people in the GLC area - some living very close to parks - in which they could walk, that the parks are now so crowded that they deliberately don't go there.

[teamsaint]

I didn't get a sticker or fact sheet, but it did give the impression of being a very smooth operation. This was only a local GP practice (not mine but very close and our doctors were working there), not one of the national hubs.

Didn't we get a lollipop at one time ? Or was that for being brave when having a filling ............

[Serial_Apologist]

Didn't we get a lollipop at one time ? Or was that for being brave when having a filling ............

That was for opponents of A Woman's Right to Chews!

[cloughie]

Didn't we get a lollipop at one time ? Or was that for being brave when having a filling ............

Or was that a gobstopper?

[Old Grumpy]

Personally I wouldn't want to cycle round London, though in the past I have cycled round some of the less central areas. However in my youth - now a distant memory - I regularly used to cycle at least 20 miles in an hour or so for exercise/fun - though not in London, and the radius from my starting point was very likely to have been 7 miles or more. Serious cyclists may be used to doing much longer rides. For once I am not in disagreement with BJ. If he wanted to go that distance for exercise, why not? As long as it doesn't create more problems - i.e. outdoor, and low risk.

I am assuming that cyclists wanting to do long rides will avoid other people as much as possible.

Also I have heard from other people in the GLC area - some living very close to parks - in which they could walk, that the parks are now so crowded that they deliberately don't go there.

A 7 mile bike ride seems entirely reasonable to me. I was under the impression he must have driven 7 miles and then got on his bike and ridden - hence the fuss.

[oddoneout]

A 7 mile bike ride seems entirely reasonable to me. I was under the impression he must have driven 7 miles and then got on hide bike and ridden - hence the fuss.

Downing St's refusal to deny the ride and drive version does rather suggest he wasn't doing 14 miles on top of whatever he did once there. I'm not sure his entourage would have welcomed having to ride there and back with him, and I would have thought someone might have noticed such a group, even in the current rather deserted version of London, making its way through the streets.
It will all be explained as being perfectly above board and within the guidelines, completely missing the point that it just reinforces the whole 'one way for them, another for us' swell of resentment and disinclination to cooperate.
There were rumblings in the local rag over the weekend about visitors flocking to the pretty seaside towns for their fresh air and exercise - and fish'n'chips and hot drinks and walking in crowds of people along narrow streets... It was felt that the definition of local was being stretched to say the least, but again it's undefined guidance not enforceable limits. It was telling though, in my view, that so many were going to the towns rather than simply to 'the coast', of which there is quite a lot and nearer to the city and many of the towns than the destinations being chosen.

[oddoneout]

Oh, and in my book going to Bristol to get in the way of people trying to deliver the vaccine isn't 'essential travel'. He'd be better off spending time at home doing his homework.

[johnb]

Talking of Bristol, tonight I went to my local Tesco Express because I was almost out of milk. I left it until the last half hour before closing as when I've done that an a couple of previous occasions the shop has been very quiet.

What a shock tonight. There were too many people in there for comfort (in spite of the man at the door regulating the flow in). Most of the shoppers were in their 30s and although everyone was wearing a mask they were definitely not keeping two metres apart. I should have quickly walked out but I stayed and got my milk.

I was extremely uncomfortable in there and it was by far the most "risky" situation I have been in since the start of the pandemic. Never again.

I now have my fingers crossed that ......

[DracoM]

'More or Less' is back on R4 - hurray!

[french frank]

Talking of Bristol, tonight I went to my local Tesco Express because I was almost out of milk. I left it until the last half hour before closing as when I've done that an a couple of previous occasions the shop has been very quiet.

What a shock tonight. There were too many people in there for comfort [ …]
I was extremely uncomfortable in there and it was by far the most "risky" situation I have been in since the start of the pandemic. Never again.

Coincidence. I went to the Coop this morning for the first time since March because my shopper said she couldn't get some things I asked for in Tesco: Dettol, spare light bulbs, rechargeable batteries. I went at 8am when they opened and it was very empty, everyone masked (and I wore disposable gloves too), plenty of space and directions clearly marked. But I still went in and out as quickly as possible.

I had two tubs of 70% isopropropyl wipes delivered yesterday, and wiped everything I'd bought before removing my gloves.

My scare was that my regular shopper (saving me from going out) emailed to say she thought she had symptoms - the afternoon that she'd delivered my groceries in the morning. She did get tested the next day and was negative but decided to self-isolate anyway.

I now have my fingers crossed that ......

Me too …

[Cockney Sparrow]

'More or Less' is back on R4 - hurray!

Not sure if Tim Harford's other series has been mentioned here before. I've finished my shelf painting but when I was listening at length to "Sounds" I thought this episode was particularly interesting - in that vaccination doesn't provide a simple return to 2019 freedoms :

How to Vaccinate the World - Larry Brilliant
Epidemiologists don’t often hang out with rock stars, and not many of them can say they’ve played a part in eradicating a disease as deadly as smallpox. But Larry Brilliant isn’t your run of the mill public health official. He’s been warning about the dangers of a pandemic for years, and now that one is upon us, Tim Harford sat down to talk with him about how the world has handled the pandemic of 2020 and what we can hope for in 2021.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qz3p