My turn to open up this morning

---

On testing it appears in the UK we are still a long way short of hitting 10,000 per day let alone 25,000. The US system for all its faults appears to be able to massively ramp a lot more effectively than the NHS.

---

Morning all! In an hour and a half's time, school will be back on for tens of thousands of children - or at least, those children in England. How long before the government realises this is a mockery of the distancing requests? How long before they tell key workers married to builders and golf course employees that no, they can't send their children in for free childcare? How long before more draconian measures are introduced in the wake of this weekend's excess?

Stay tuned, but don't expect any answers to those today!

Do expect a big increase in deaths, perhaps as much as 30% up on yesterday's figures. And do expect BoJo later on to yet again adopt the "stern father" tone and warn people not to socialise...

(Edit: day 6 of self-isolation here and I've still got an annoying cough early and late. I've been out to get a couple of small bottles of Pepsi, but don't worry - they're from the fridge in my shed! They're normally kept for friends when they come round, but that won't happen for weeks, if not months.)

---

Agreed Darren. I really think this will turn into a shambles

One thing I hadn’t considered and I was thinking about this today.

I usually get the tube to work from Stratford. I’d often be getting on the tube around this time.

The tube was often full of probably 90% builders/labourers. I don’t think building sites have been closed and I suspect the tube remains just as busy for those cohorts of people.

---

What I find astounding Brian is why these figures are not questioned at the daily press conferences. 

The lack of forensic questioning is a massive worry, and it does lead me to believe there is a lot of pre screening going on prior to these. In fact, I suspect some have been told if your questions are out of line you’ll be blocked from attending.

---

They certainly haven't - and judging by the flow of traffic on the main road (which is usually full of white van man this time of day) I don't think the tradesmen as a whole have stopped working. I guess they'd say they have to work to feed their families, not fancying signing on and staying home instead.

That said, there does need to be some corhort of tradesmen available: drain unblockers (especially now some people are flushing kitchen roll), boiler failures, emergency "make safe" building repairs etc will still be needed. Workers on new houses and buildings, decorators who are doing jobs because people don't like the colour of their walls etc - those are the folks who need to down tools. I strongly suspect they won't though!

 

 

---

Me too , why aren't  the press questioning the number of tests also ask the question about schools , its all rather head scratching 

A friend of mine is livid about having to go into school today , his school are expecting between 150 - 350 pupils 

---

5:30am run worked okay. No one about. And seeing the sunrise over a field of radiation fog was pretty cool too.

 

---

Jury trials to be scrapped - BBC 24hr news today. Just shows how unprecedented this is

---

I received written confirmation on Friday that my jury citation (for April) had been cancelled.

---

Looks like the message really isn't getting through... here's the local traffic "hotspot", junction 5 of the M2 (designed in 1962, pretty much all that's happened since is traffic lights have been addded).

Traffic normally goes back to the A2 - the green line at the top left) at this time on a Monday and it's not far off it - maybe 90% of normal traffic? Not good, whatever way you look at it.

EDIT: It's reached the A2 now. Over 2 miles of slow-moving, queueing traffic!

---

i can understand why the government do pre screen questions, but what is to stop a reporter from asking these type of questions anyway? Yes, they will not be invited back, but the question will be out there, and the initial reaction will be telling. Takes guts I expect. 

---

Its all about access. Someone like LK wouldn’t risk it. She is the darling of No. 10

---

I think more people are still in work than we all think. Most probably can't afford to go off, despite the government's promised help, or have the option to work from home. Plus you have the "essential workers" who are probably a larger percentage of the population than you might think.

I work for Royal Mail and so I'm currently classed as an essential worker, so I've got to work 12 hours tonight and 12 hours Tuesday night. I'm only off the rest of the week because, by chance I had taken a few days leave that I needed to get rid of before the end of the tax year.

---

When will the PM get it , until someone is told NO then nothing changes , all retail shops are open and as long as that goes on people will shop.

Its not difficult 

---

The british people are like children. Incapable of following rudimentary instructions.

Weak.

 

---

Seems right, Gooner. This "Phoney Quararantine" is causing national confusion. People still seem unclear what they should and should not do. Can I go for a solitary walk this morning or or not? Can I mow our lawn next to the village green? I intend doing both until otherwise instructed.

Yes - we hear the 2 metre rule - and the fudged 'stay at home' rule - but how does this translate into reality? It is time to ORDER us. The CO-19 virus is not compliant or democratic except in the sense that it will get to us all if we let it.

As for the closed schools that are still open - I don't get that at all - except it undermines grounds for NHS employees to self-isolate unless diagnosed or compromised.

The PM's announcement today should effectively shut up shop except for urgent food and medical supplies IMO.

Roger

---

Just to illustrate my point.

There are many building sites in Stratford. I’ve just been for my morning walk (following correct guidelines) and many cars are full of builders, equally these sites are packed with people on close proximity.

The car issue is a worry. Two people only but who are they then spreading to?

---

Being told to work from home 'if you can' is the green light for employers to call their employees in....simples. 

---

The latest email from the school. Again, it seems they're eyeing up everyone (including admin staff) to supervise children. Methinks they'll get a chorus of "nos" if they try - that should be a teacher's job, not a caretaker or secretary or whatever's job.

Good morning everyone,
I hope you and your family are well. I wanted to send you a summary of what all staff should do tomorrow morning, so that there is complete clarity for everyone.

1. All staff who are able to need to attend school tomorrow morning.
2. Teaching staff, and any members of support staff who are able to, will meet in the quad at 8.20 to review the plans for the day.
3. Teaching staff and support staff (excluding TAs) will then return to their classroom/office (unless they have already been contacted and told their classroom is being used by key worker pupils, or that they are on duty before school. Please note that the normal duty rota has been suspended for the time being).
4. TAs should return to (their area) where (staff) will direct them.
5. Remote Learning begins at 8.35 for all students, so teachers will need to be logged on and ready to welcome pupils on their Goggle STREAM.
6.Staff who are being asked to work with the key worker pupils will be approached directly, if you are not approached - you are not working with the pupils.
7. x will be asking staff to make phone calls throughout the morning, if you are needed for this task you will be approached directly. Again, if you are not approached - you are not needed for this task.
8. At approximately 10.35 I will meet with the Strategy Team and make a decision about who needs to continue working on site and who can leave and work from home for the remainder of the day.

We are currently planning for this pattern/structure to be repeated for the whole of next week, this is so that we can be sure we can meet the needs of the unknown number of pupils who will arrive on site each day. However, as with all decisions at the moment, this will be reviewed once we know more about how many pupils are turning up and when clear patterns start to emerge.

But for now, every member of staff who is able to should expect to be in school at the start of each day.

We need to maintain accurate registers of which staff are sick, so please can I remind you to phone me, between 6.45am and 7.30am, if you are unable to work. You will need to give me your staff code and the reason you can not come to work (illness, childcare, self-isolation, etc). In the case of illness, you will also need to make sure that your Head of Department/Line Manager has been added to all of your classes on Google Classroom (so that they can take over helping your pupils access the work you have set).

Thank you so much for your continued hard work and commitment to providing a high quality of education to all of our students. We have had so much positivity and gratitude from parents who keep asking me to tell you how much they appreciate what you are doing for their children. I will share some of this with you when everything settles down a little. We are living in unprecedented times and your willingness to help and go the extra mile has been genuinely impressive.

---

  It was a beautiful sight wasn’t it!!!  Heavy white frost here too making everywhere sparkle!  I drove to work, and then thankfully back home again, my drive is through beautiful countryside and traffic was very light.  What a way to start the day!  

---

If your not qualified to supervise children then you cant be expected to do it , surely.

Legal implications ???

---

If you're in a school, you're fair game. You don't need to be qualified, other than having a DBS check and deemed suitable by the Head.

---

If I was a caretaker I wouldn't want to be doing that and equally being a parent I wouldn't want that either 

---

Costa Coffee are closing all shops from tonight. Hospital stores will stay open if possible and will be giving free takeaway drinks to NHS staff for the next 2-weeks.