This really does say it all.

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/15/uk-covid-19-strategy-questions-unanswered-coronavirus-outbreak?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&__twitter_impression=true

Originally Posted by: NickR 

For all the reasons already discussed. Closing schools for instance - what would it achieve, other than forcing parents (including NHS workers) to chose work or possibly dumping the children on grandparents?

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

so who is going to home school kids for months on end if both parents work? By the way I don’t have this issue as I don’t work so if my kids are home for months on end then so be it. I just don’t see how we can close schools for such a long time when you have kids doing gcse and a levels. 

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

And the final post from me for now - the Tele's lead story includes this:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/15/public-face-prison-1000-fine-refusing-coronavirus-tests/

The Prime Minister will on Monday chair a meeting of the COBR emergency committee, which is expected to discuss plans around shielding elderly and vulnerable people, household isolation and mass gatherings.

Whitehall sources have already indicated that large events could be banned from next weekend, and Scotland is bringing in restrictions of gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday.

Other measures, including school closures, are also being considered as an option to combat the spread of the virus.

Originally Posted by: Retron 

Good  Morning.

This week in the UK marks the start of what future historians might look back at with interest but with their hindsight will understand far better than we ever can. Just as with the Spanish Flu in the early 20th century we now have a better grasp of what occurred even if until recently few people bothered to recall it. But lessons were learned and it is those that we are going to have to use at these difficult times.

Some of us in the next few weeks, months and years will discover wonderful people we never gave time to before. Others we thought we could trust will turn out to be villains and crooks. The freedoms we enjoyed last week may well be swept away by those who think they know better than us but eventually we will emerge from the dark days in better shape than we probably think right now.

When this period is over, the world will be a very different place to what we have known and it won’t all be bad. The value of money will be one, what seemed unremarkable and taken for granted thngs such as cheap overseas holidays another. Many jobs and lifestyles will change and most of us will have to rely on friends either for board and lodging or other kinds of help we haven't even considered until now. Humanity has been through many of these kinds of events before and will do so again so please talk to your neighbours and make every effort to help those less fortunate than yourselves.

Originally Posted by: NMA 

Darren, from your perspective what sort of notice would you need to close a school. I assume from the prep work you’ve done this could be done almost immediately. 

If schools are to close this week, I suspect you’ll would get clearer and something more definitive 

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

Good  Morning.

This week in the UK marks the start of what future historians might look back at with interest but with their hindsight will understand far better than we ever can. Just as with the Spanish Flu in the early 20th century we now have a better grasp of what occurred even if until recently few people bothered to recall it. But lessons were learned and it is those that we are going to have to use at these difficult times.

Some of us in the next few weeks, months and years will discover wonderful people we never gave time to before. Others we thought we could trust will turn out to be villains and crooks. The freedoms we enjoyed last week may well be swept away by those who think they know better than us but eventually we will emerge from the dark days in better shape than we probably think right now.

When this period is over, the world will be a very different place to what we have known and it won’t all be bad. The value of money will be one, what seemed unremarkable and taken for granted things such as cheap overseas holidays another. Many jobs and lifestyles will change and most of us will have to rely on friends either for board and lodging or other kinds of help we haven't even considered until now. Humanity has been through many of these kinds of events before and will do so again so please talk to your neighbours and make every effort to help those less fortunate than yourselves.

Originally Posted by: NMA 

Darren, from your perspective what sort of notice would you need to close a school. I assume from the prep work you’ve done this could be done almost immediately. 

If schools are to close this week, I suspect you’ll would get clearer and something more definitive 

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

Good  Morning.

This week in the UK marks the start of what future historians might look back at with interest but with their hindsight will understand far better than we ever can. Just as with the Spanish Flu in the early 20th century we now have a better grasp of what occurred even if until recently few people bothered to recall it. But lessons were learned and it is those that we are going to have to use at these difficult times.

Some of us in the next few weeks, months and years will discover wonderful people we never gave time to before. Others we thought we could trust will turn out to be villains and crooks. The freedoms we enjoyed last week may well be swept away by those who think they know better than us but eventually we will emerge from the dark days in better shape than we probably think right now.

When this period is over, the world will be a very different place to what we have known and it won’t all be bad. The value of money will be one, what seemed unremarkable and taken for granted things such as cheap overseas holidays another. Many jobs and lifestyles will change and most of us will have to rely on friends either for board and lodging or other kinds of help we haven't even considered until now. Humanity has been through many of these kinds of events before and will do so again so please talk to your neighbours and make every effort to help those less fortunate than yourselves.

Originally Posted by: NMA 

Is it wrong that I read this in my head using the voice of Morgan Freeman? 

(That aside )

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

People on Twitter are saying the UK is underreporting recovery figures because Arteta is feeling better and isn't included. It shows how bloody stupid we as a nation have become. I really despair. 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

None of the published figures mean anything other than as a measure of whether things are descending or ascending. Millions will have been infected worldwide, but since thankfully, most pull through with minor symptoms, the figures don't register - the headline worldwide figure of 170k is a joke, except in as much as the graphic shows whether the contagion is spreading faster or slower.

The real figures which matter on the ground are the hospitalisation rate and the CFR. What is causing the panic and shutdown in some countries is the hospitalisation rate as health services collapse under the strain, but that does not detract from the fact that most people get over this virus without requiring hospitalisation.

The figure I would like the government to publish on a daily basis therefore, is the number of hospital admissions caused by COVID-19.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

People on Twitter are saying the UK is underreporting recovery figures because Arteta is feeling better and isn't included. It shows how bloody stupid we as a nation have become. I really despair. 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

None of the published figures mean anything other than as a measure of whether things are descending or ascending. Millions will have been infected worldwide, but since thankfully, most pull through with minor symptoms, the figures don't register - the headline worldwide figure of 170k is a joke, except in as much as the graphic shows whether the contagion is spreading faster or slower.

The real figures which matter on the ground are the hospitalisation rate and the CFR. What is causing the panic and shutdown in some countries is the hospitalisation rate as health services collapse under the strain, but that does not detract from the fact that most people get over this virus without requiring hospitalisation.

The figure I would like the government to publish on a daily basis therefore, is the number of hospital admissions caused by COVID-19.

P.S. Now really is the perfect time to be getting on with this kind of thing:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-51896816

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Until a healthy high profile celeb dies many in the UK won't take it seriously. 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

Is this a joke or are you being serious? 

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Good  Morning.

This week in the UK marks the start of what future historians might look back at with interest but with their hindsight will understand far better than we ever can. Just as with the Spanish Flu in the early 20th century we now have a better grasp of what occurred even if until recently few people bothered to recall it. But lessons were learned and it is those that we are going to have to use at these difficult times.

Some of us in the next few weeks, months and years will discover wonderful people we never gave time to before. Others we thought we could trust will turn out to be villains and crooks. The freedoms we enjoyed last week may well be swept away by those who think they know better than us but eventually we will emerge from the dark days in better shape than we probably think right now.

When this period is over, the world will be a very different place to what we have known and it won’t all be bad. The value of money will be one, what seemed unremarkable and taken for granted things such as cheap overseas holidays another. Many jobs and lifestyles will change and most of us will have to rely on friends either for board and lodging or other kinds of help we haven't even considered until now. Humanity has been through many of these kinds of events before and will do so again so please talk to your neighbours and make every effort to help those less fortunate than yourselves.

Originally Posted by: NMA 

Good  Morning.

This week in the UK marks the start of what future historians might look back at with interest but with their hindsight will understand far better than we ever can. Just as with the Spanish Flu in the early 20th century we now have a better grasp of what occurred even if until recently few people bothered to recall it. But lessons were learned and it is those that we are going to have to use at these difficult times.

Some of us in the next few weeks, months and years will discover wonderful people we never gave time to before. Others we thought we could trust will turn out to be villains and crooks. The freedoms we enjoyed last week may well be swept away by those who think they know better than us but eventually we will emerge from the dark days in better shape than we probably think right now.

When this period is over, the world will be a very different place to what we have known and it won’t all be bad. The value of money will be one, what seemed unremarkable and taken for granted things such as cheap overseas holidays another. Many jobs and lifestyles will change and most of us will have to rely on friends either for board and lodging or other kinds of help we haven't even considered until now. Humanity has been through many of these kinds of events before and will do so again so please talk to your neighbours and make every effort to help those less fortunate than yourselves.

Originally Posted by: NMA