Corona Virus

[z-layrex]

Just now, RumbleFox said:

Yeah it's pretty shit, I'm entitled to nothing right at this moment.  Just feeling bad reading all the "stay at home you idiots" stuff online but I think some people as saying it forget some of us have little choice.  I have a 4 month old, my partner is on reduced wages due to maternity leave and my earnings have suddenly gone to zero.  I feel I have no other choice.  The job itself is minimal contact, I am in an office on my own but it is more the commute.  

No one is saying "stay at home idiots" to people put in your position, it's directed at twats going round their parents' for mothers day dinners and hanging out in groups in the park. What the hell else are you supposed to do?

[RumbleFox]

9 minutes ago, z-layrex said:

No one is saying "stay at home idiots" to people put in your position, it's directed at twats going round their parents' for mothers day dinners and hanging out in groups in the park. What the hell else are you supposed to do?

I understand that, but as someone in a position where having to go out everyday is unavoidable one cannot help to feel a certain sense of guilt.  I was merely asking whether, in my position, folk think going to work (which includes a short tube ride) is advisable?

[Alf Bentley]

16 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

Yeah it's pretty shit, I'm entitled to nothing right at this moment.  Just feeling bad reading all the "stay at home you idiots" stuff online but I think some people as saying it forget some of us have little choice.  I have a 4 month old, my partner is on reduced wages due to maternity leave and my earnings have suddenly gone to zero.  I feel I have no other choice.  The job itself is minimal contact, I am in an office on my own but it is more the commute.  

 

Hopefully something for the self-employed will come out of this, but exactly what or how soon is unclear: https://www.cityam.com/coronavirus-government-plots-further-support-for-self-employed/

 

"The government is exploring ways to provide additional help to self-employed workers amid concerns millions of Brits have been “excluded” from financial support during the coronavirus crisis. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick today said the government was looking at ways to overcome technical challenges relating to supporting self-employed people. “It is more complicated for the self-employed than it is for employees…but if we need to do more, we will do it and the chancellor is keeping this under review,” he told Sky News. Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week announced an “unprecedented” £330bn package of financial support to help shore up the UK economy during the pandemic.As part of the plans, the government will pay up to 80 per cent of wages for employees unable to work as a result of the health crisis.The move was welcomed by business groups, who said it would protect livelihoods, particularly for small firms".

 

"However, there is growing pressure on the government to extend its measures to the 5m self-employed people in the British workforce.Prime Minister Boris Johnson today said the government would be “standing behind” the self-employed as the crisis intensified. “We have been strongly urging the government not to allow the self-employed to be left high and dry, and it is welcome to hear that the prime minister is listening and offering new hope,” said Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses.“This must now be turned urgently into practical and easily accessible support. Time is now running out.” Cherry also called on banks to “play their part” by passing on access to finance for struggling people once billions of pounds of loan guarantees come into effect tomorrow. Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Ministers must now also ramp up support for the self-employed, many of whom have seen their livelihoods vanish in the blink of an eye. “Chambers across the UK are hearing from thousands of sole traders, for whom last week’s measures offer little reassurance.” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today said he had written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for greater help for the self-employed and a rise in statutory sick pay and welfare payments".

 

Edited 23 March 2020 by Alf Bentley

[WigstonWanderer]

2 hours ago, browniefox said:

 

 

I don't know if anyone has seen this before but goes a way to explain the reason behind not going into lockdown early. Helped me explain it to some members of the family that couldn't understand why we hadn't gone into lock down yet. 

Replace the jug with a thimble and we’d be somewhere near the real situation.

[StanSP]

Nice to read. From one of my mates 

 

[WigstonWanderer]

16 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

I understand that, but as someone in a position where having to go out everyday is unavoidable one cannot help to feel a certain sense of guilt.  I was merely asking whether, in my position, folk think going to work (which includes a short tube ride) is advisable?

I’m sure you’ve already considered it, but I assume walking is out of the question?

[RumbleFox]

2 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

I’m sure you’ve already considered it, but I assume walking is out of the question?

It's a 4.4 mile walk to the tube which I do (takes me about an hour and 15 minutes) but the last part goes under the Clyde so no choice but to get tube.  Either that or get bus or train but this current method minimises public transport.

[String fellow]

Nine days ago, I had a routine eye appointment at hospital. The waiting room had folk sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. Everyone would have been in contact with the same optical equipment. And the coup-de-gras was when I entered the doctor's room and he shook my hand! I came way with the impression that they were actively encouraging the now discredited herd immunity idea. 

[whoareyaaa]

Are buildings sites going to shut what sort of cover do CIS workers have I live with my dad who's 70 and I'm still having to go work but risk picking it up dunno what to do.. have a tax rebait in a month which will ride me over for a month or two

[urban.spaceman]

 

[st albans fox]

8 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

 

The only possible silver lining is that either he catches this and dies or that he loses the election off the back of his ineptness in dealing with it ....

[Jon the Hat]

3 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

The only possible silver lining is that either he catches this and dies or that he loses the election off the back of his ineptness in dealing with it ....

How no one has called him out on his "we have very cases, could be only 1 by tomorow" line barely two weeks ago I don't know.

[bovril]

1 minute ago, st albans fox said:

The only possible silver lining is that either he catches this and dies or that he loses the election off the back of his ineptness in dealing with it ....

The US president dying is not exactly what the world needs at this very moment. 

[st albans fox]

1 minute ago, bovril said:

The US president dying is not exactly what the world needs at this very moment. 

In a normal presidency, yes but this guy isn’t normal - pence is an infinitely safer pair of hands than trump and the strong likelihood that Biden would be the next president would give some optimism for the future ....

 

[urban.spaceman]

The most level headed advice I've seen so far:

 

 

[Mike Oxlong]

On a positive note it’s nice being able to spend some quality time as a family and play some educational games with the kids

 

[st albans fox]

Our local waste people have reported post Xmas levels of food waste, up 30% on usual with many items still in their packaging .......

[spacemunky]

Got to Walmart here in Canada for opening at 7am. Was maybe 7 or 8 of us waiting to get in. The woman working there said it was seniors only from 7 to 8. So we stood there for maybe 10 minutes when I said "So where's the seniors at?"

 

They let us in. Got TP and some hand sanitizer and some other essentials, which are mostly for my sisters(who are seniors and can't get out).

 

Such a weird vibe being in the store now, even though it's huge and there wasn't many of us this early.

[purpleronnie]

2 hours ago, RumbleFox said:

Question for the FT hive mind.......

 

I am self employed and my current earnings are pretty much zero in the present climate.  I have taken on some temporary, zero hour admin work (from an agency).  Part of me feels like I should be staying at home but I have no symptoms so far and literally have no way to earn money without this.  Am I feeling guilty for nothing?  I am being reckless?  Or is this pretty much my only option?  X

I'm self employed too and I thought given the Tories manifesto we'd be looked after, just more lies, guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[RumbleFox]

1 minute ago, purpleronnie said:

I'm self employed too and I thought given the Tories manifesto we'd be looked after, just more lies, guess I shouldn't be surprised.

It's genuinely hard to see how we'll manage unless they announce something soon.  

[purpleronnie]

1 minute ago, RumbleFox said:

It's genuinely hard to see how we'll manage unless they announce something soon.  

Hopefully the pressure from their voters and the public in general will be enough.  I'm at a loss to understand why we've been neglected.

[joachim1965]

Just now, purpleronnie said:

Hopefully the pressure from their voters and the public in general will be enough.  I'm at a loss to understand why we've been neglected.

They have to look after sole traders,  madness if they don't. 

[RumbleFox]

Just now, purpleronnie said:

Hopefully the pressure from their voters and the public in general will be enough.  I'm at a loss to understand why we've been neglected.

I think people think self employed people are just unemployed people with good PR.  

[bovril]

[peach0000]

32 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Our local waste people have reported post Xmas levels of food waste, up 30% on usual with many items still in their packaging .......

With restaurants, cafes and work places closing as well as people staying at home it would surely be expected for there to be a massive increase in domestic waste as companies often are forced to use private waste firms.