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My anxiety is back to where it was back in October when the situation was getting worse. The mental health impact is serious, and will only get worse.
You won't be alone. And there in is the rub.. don't be socially alone, even if physically alone... contact anyone, by any means... phone, text, zoom, facetime, email, social media, forums... keep talking. Everyone you talk to will be helped by you doing so, as well as it helping you. Keep. Talking.
Now... the really glib bit... this is one winter... we can do this... if we help each other.
Kelvin - well said.
We're all in this together.
Plus also a lot of schools are prepared. Our have has the ability via Google classroom since the start of term and Jnr just finishing his first whole week of schooling at home, seems to work well.
The school maybe prepared but what about the kids, Some families don't have the luxury of a home computer or multiple home computers / iPads so all the kids can learn at the same time. Almost 10k kids live in poverty in lewisham (where I live) and even more in places like Tower Hamlets. My neighbour is a teacher in Tower Hamlets and they have a school wide rule where they don't expect any kid to do any at home learning, its offered but some kids are just unable to do it. I understand the need for letting kids home school but we are in real danger of a generation being left behind. Something needs to be done, if its give all kids laptops give them laptops. This virus 100% makes the class divide even starker.
I wonder if Didcot will get crowds from Reading heading this way for their late shopping on Saturday?
Retail remains open even in tier 3 - just checked as we are now in tier 3 in Bucks ☹️
Something needs to be done, if its give all kids laptops give them laptops. This virus 100% makes the class divide even starker.
The government pledged to do this at the beginning of the first lockdown. However, like most things they announce, it appeared to be there purely to grab the next mornings headlines and pretty much nothing has been done to actually deliver it.
If only they'd prioritised it like they prioritised handing PPE contracts out to their mates
I’m down in the Midlands
Sorry Lunge, the Midlands has been steadfastly average porridge :p . Not too hot and not too cold. So little to report there. South West is low, NE/NW high. London is London.
The government has noticed that in some parts of the country, notably the bottom right corner, Tier 2 is not controlling spread. The interesting thing to note is that in this region, rises in cases and admission were seen before lockdown2 ended. Everywhere else things behaved as expected. Why the difference?
Mutated strain that spreads faster - I think this is unlikely. Viruses mutate regularly because the protein machinery is a bit noisy for RNA polymerase. Behaviours? Why is the SE different to the rest of the country? Shopping Lakeside/Bluewater/Public transport?
The truth is I don't think we know. We DO know that lockdown prevents and reduces spread. Tier3 looks like it also reduces spread - see NE and NW. So let's try that and see in the South.
For a few days... I'm actually less worried about the Five days of Christmas than I am about the many days in the wrong Tier before and after Christmas. Expect a rise in deaths in January, but I'm not convinced that we'll exceed Spring peaks. Control measures do work. They are unpalatable, no doubt, but they work. And the vaccine will keep the vulnerable out of hospital.
For some good news - I did say I'd show the excess mortality figures. For Week 49, they fell to 17% above 10-year mean. this is the effect of lockdown2 feeding through. they might have another week or so to go. I thought they would stabilise but they have fallen slightly.
Tier 3 - woop full lockdown... er, except for shopping and hair dressing, but no household mixing in situations that simply cannot be controlled. At least the pub will get a little financial help over the next few weeks. I will go back to drinking my sherry on the park bench, in a big coat, with my five friends.
on the park bench, in a big coat, with my five friends
Is that a euphemism?
So Secondary schools are having a ‘staggered return’ after Xmas. Exam classes to go back as normal, others will be online…..what better time to announce it than lunchtime on the last day of term eh?!?!
FFS I only just finished ordering my practicals and printing for the first week back!!! Not sure if it means doing lessons by zoom or back to setting work, why just a week. WTF is going on? Just as I thought I had all my ducks in a row and could relax over the holiday I get this literally as I walk out the door. Is it happening everywhere? Is it confirmed? Can I go to the pub now (no tier 3) FFS!!
Furlough extended for another month, to the end of April.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55345392
So more people move to tier 3, that lockdown worked then! And rules will be relaxed at Xmas!!
And rules will be relaxed at Xmas!!
It's the gift of an accountability amnesty from Cummings Claus. Maybe Boris took that there is no naughty list Tesco advert to heart. Atleast his MP chums will be able to sleep soundly knowing no nasty front page splash for their Christmas dash.
Meanwhile in my world it's causing all manner of bother as, metaphorically, I have relatives in Great Barrington.
I’m in Herefordshire which is soon to be Tier 1, we’re surrounded by areas of much higher rates of covid. I have a feeling our pubs will be busy this Xmas, but not necessarily with locals. Standing by to go back up a Tier in January. Crazy
kelvin - glad to see that response
you got a bit caplock and boldy boldy further up the last page and had me a little concerned
In Bedfordshire we are going up to tier 3 this weekend, but with xmas am expecting them to need a tier 4 in Jan and I reckon cases will be 1000/100000 here by then.
What odds full national lockdown on 28th December? Looks like NI are joining the Welsh in that already.
in a big coat, with my five friends
I reckon 6 regular sized coats would be more comfortable and safer.
Furlough extended for a month implies to me that they've realised the vaccination programme is behind schedule
What odds full national lockdown on 28th December? Looks like NI are joining the Welsh in that already.
I am pretty confident we'll have a full lockdown, bar schools being left open, here in Scotland for Jan & Feb. In fact seeing as I have the week of 15-19th booked off work, we'll probably come out of lockdown on the 22nd Feb.
Our Christmas dinner with my folks has been downgraded from feast with the finest wines to perhaps a dog walk with sandwiches, if the weather is kind...
Are they handling it well, or have you just not been told about any cases/been advised of the actual bare minimum?
I know my wife’s school are only isolating the absolute bare minimum of pupils when a test comes back positive, not telling teachers who may have taught that pupil and sure as shit aren’t notifying parents of the rest of the class.
It's very difficult to tell what's happening.
As I posted last week.. we get information like "one or more pupils tested positive" WTF does that mean 1, 10, 100?
We're booked 27/12 to 3/1 in the Lakes in our motorhome (both Tier 2) 27th is our first day off work together so I'm predicting lockdown will start 28th!
Are they handling it well, or have you just not been told about any cases/been advised of the actual bare minimum?
We get an actual number, and at daughter's school we get told which year(s).
We - and more importantly the kids - think they are doing a pretty good job in pretty awful circumstances.
Yet again, one rule for us...
35000 cases today 😳
Wooo. Reading Berkshire Tier three. That means its about 8 miles from my house. I hope the virus can read the county signs.
I wonder if Didcot will get crowds from Reading heading this way for their late shopping on Saturday? I’d better get down the butchers tomorrow.
Tier 3 - retail stays open. You just can't get pissed in Weatherspoons even if it is curry club. The great unwashed will still be doing their x-mas shopping in Reading.
Yet again, one rule for us…
We get an actual number, and at daughter’s school we get told which year(s).
We got numbers today...though there is barely anyone left so ???
Unfortunately, we have been made aware of two more members of our school community who
have tested positive for COVID 19 today.
Phew, good job schools are COVID secure... stupid kids must have picked it up at home since it's impossible at school. Thank goodness schools are safe.
We know that you may find this concerning; please be assured that we have acted promptly and
that we will continue to monitor the situation closely. Since being made aware of the positive test
result, we have spoken with Public Health England to seek advice as to how we should
proceed. We have conducted our track and trace process, and as a result, have asked some
students to isolate. The school remains open, and your child should continue to attend as normal if
they remain well.
Oh great...they can hand in the model of Toyko they have just done for English. Without that I'm sure he will barely know how to read and write when he leaves school.
This is additionally unfortunate today, as some of the students who have been sent home to
isolate will have to do so on Christmas Day. We are awaiting several test results from other
students as well, and hopefully they will all return as negative to avoid further students needing to
isolate.
Oh well.... just in time to spread it about really.
If your child should test positive between the Friday 18th December and Christmas Day please
contact either myself CCC.sch.uk or YYY on
XXX.sch.uk or 01483 xxxxxx as the school office will be closed from 12.30pm on
Friday. We are obliged to conduct contacting for any positive cases right through until Christmas
Day.
Ah of course best do as we're told ... and after Christmas day it doesn't matter
There seems to be talk of a staggered start time for different year groups in January. We have no
further information at this time, but I will write in the new year before the return on 6th January to
confirm what this means for us
Ah, so best not then, we wouldn't want to stagger the start of term would we?
Steve, can you start your own school covid thread, please?.
35000 cases today 😳
Does this include the 11000 they missed from Wales? Worrying if not.
Edit - it does, 11,000 cases previously missed in the 'puter added to Wales for the daily total.
**** me, you couldnt make up a bigger shambles if you tried
The National Education Union has now written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson saying the plans for a school testing system are "inoperable".
It said: "Telling school leaders, on the last day of term [for many schools], that they must organise volunteers and parents, supported by their staff, to test pupils in the first week of term, whilst Year 11 and 13 pupils are on site for in-school teaching, is a ridiculous ask."
Teachers were already "exhausted by the unreasonable demands, backed by legal threats, that they have been subjected to this term", said the union's letter.
It added that running such medical procedures was "significantly outside the experience and job description" of school staff, highlighting expert advice that tests carried out by non-specialists were less likely to be effective.
So they want me to test all the kids, get ****ed I'm not doing it.
Oh, just need to make it clear that I 100% agree with and support your "one rule for us" post Kryton... the video was just because it's my earworm... not making fun of your post... you are spot on.
Guilty!
Oh.. now he's on Radio4 telling us fools who stay within the rules that he was "doing the right thing"... the "Cummings defence".
Hang on... now he says it's all down to misinterprations due to to others attending "not having English as a first language"... it's the fault of foreigners... what was all this about "taking personal responsibility"?!?
Does this include the 11000 they missed from Wales? Worrying if not.
Edit – it does, 11,000 cases previously missed in the ‘outer added to Wales for the daily total.
Ah right, cheers for the clarification!
EDIT....what @noobeer said too, PLEASE?!
Oh.. now he’s on Radio4 telling us fools who stay with the rules that he was “doing the right thing”… the “Cummings defence”.
Its bollocks, like Cummings was testing his eyes, he was testing the wine. FFS he went to a Christmas party in lockdown under the rule of six, he should be bloody fired particularly after the Cummings issue. It just tells every one that the Christmas period is pretty much a free for all. ****ers.
Something only actually exists once it applies to the population of London. We all know that.
I am pretty confident we’ll have a full lockdown, bar schools being left open, here in Scotland for Jan & Feb
Hope that doesn’t become necessary but I guess we’ll have to wait and see how the virus spreads through the population over the next fortnight, still no cases in my quiet Galloway town (kirkcudbright) that I know off and I’m thankful that no one I know has had the virus, one of the many benefits of staying in the arse end of nowhere with very few folk. Everyone is wearing masks and behaving so far, apart from the local smackhead who attempted to steal a bottle of wine from the local corner shop and when he was confronted he deliberately coughed into the face of the assistant, not something I imagine he’ll ever try again as a local fishing boat skipper was in the shop at the time.
he should be bloody fired particularly after the Cummings issue
I agree.
I've just read the full article, it was Priti Patel calling for his resignation! My mind is boggling at all the hypocrisy and backstabbing connotations this brings up.
They’ve just added her comment… she was interviewed on Radio4. She didn’t call for his resignation… but she did say he broke the rules, and that his actions were such that he could face a fine (spoiler - he won’t).
I’m in Herefordshire which is soon to be Tier 1, we’re surrounded by areas of much higher rates of covid. I have a feeling our pubs will be busy this Xmas, but not necessarily with locals. Standing by to go back up a Tier in January. Crazy
Ditto. I am in Herefordshire by about 400 metres. Two pubs about the same distance from me, one in Worcestershire, one in Herefordshire. I am sure the worcs one won’t be happy as they are perhaps 50 meters from the border. I would think that there will be quite a few people coming to our village from just over the hills.
People are making sacrifices
The other point of this is lots of people looking for excuses not to follow. People have lost jobs and places to live etc.
For someone like me who isn't that worried about catching the virus themselves we are doing this for the vulnerable but it all seems very pointless** when we are sending kids into virus infected schools especially in the run up to XMAS when they are getting told to make models etc. and then loads will go visiting vulnerable relatives in the break.
***To be honest stark raving bonkers
Steve seriously, can you stop ****ing up this thread and just do your anti education rants on a separate thread please? I speak for several others at least in saying that your posts on this thread with regards to schools are not welcomed or valued in any way at all. I seem to recall that you're having a bit of a tough time currently, so please don't take this as me saying that your posting on the forum should stop, or that I don't welcome you on the forum etc....but on this specific thread we are incredibly lucky with some of the excellent posts from TiRed and others, your rants are really starting to dilute all of that now unfortunately.
Agreed, 100%
do your anti education rants on a separate thread please
It is distracting from the more important aspects of this thread, I'm afraid.
I welcome the posts… but it will be far easier to follow both the schools stuff and the more general Coronavirus stuff, if we keep the school stuff on the other thread…
more important aspects
I disagree with this… but let’s talk about how the mishandling of state schools is the big mistake of the Autumn in the other thread.
I thought I would chip in regarding schools being open.
I have no opinion on if they should be open or closed however I thought it would be of interest...
I work in child protection and when the schools are open I deal with average of 3 incidents a day as a direct result of teachers identifying concerns / bruises etc on children. Sometimes it’s a Kid that had a smack on the bum sometimes it’s a serious sexual crime sometimes it’s kids who saw there mum get battered again but I have never had a day with zero incidents... except
During the March / April lockdown I was averaging 1 incident a fortnight at a push.
I live in a city of 230,000
I guess that’s one reason to have kids in school.