Countries which lockeddown early seem to be faring better (e.g. Greece, Denmark, Portugal etc.). This was probably a case where (due to the significant lags involved) a gradual response was wrong and you needed a hammer like approach.

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

But at least the other supermarkets have ramped up, Ocado have not budged, it now seems they have just given up today, twitter awash with cancelled orders on the day today, no site access to anyone. The whole thing is a mess.

Originally Posted by: warrenb 

How can you compare countries with vastly different populations purely on death rate? I asked earlier if there was anything done that compared countries based on population.

Originally Posted by: westv 

Sweden and Portugal look comparable to me - at least the headline statistics, yet Sweden has not locked down at all.

The country the UK should be compared with is France - similar population size to UK - they went for an earlier and tougher lock-down than us, whilst not securing their borders (like us).

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Be my guest

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/covid-deaths-days-since-per-million?country=CAN+CHN+ITA+KOR+SWE+GBR+USA

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

 How can you compare countries with vastly different populations purely on death rate? I asked earlier if there was anything done that compared countries based on population.

Originally Posted by: westv 

Implement rolling road blocks on all motorway routes leading to coastal resorts this weekend. F*ckwits who shouldn't be travelling would have second thoughts if they were stuck for a few hours in their cars.

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

The success of the Greek lockdown is crystal clear

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

I have had a round robin email from the Asda CEO which suggests (and it may be my interpretation) that there is a problem getting food to the 1.5 million classes as 'most vulnerable' and who are shielding for 12 weeks:

The UK Government has identified over a million people in England who have conditions that make them extremely vulnerable to coronavirus (COVID-19) and have advised them to self-isolate for 12 weeks to protect themselves. We have been working closely with the DEFRA and some of our fellow supermarkets for the last couple of weeks to understand how to ensure essentials reach those with no support network. Once we’ve received the information from the UK Government, we will email these customers to offer first access to delivery slots, ensuring they get what they need while they stay safe at home. We’re also working on similar programmes for customers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

HMG announced its food for the most vulnerable programme with great fanfare. This email suggests another debacle is underway.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Well that's very strange, because every time I try to book a delivery slot with 5 different suppliers, I'm getting the message you can't place an order because we're supplying to the 1.5 M the government have identified as vulnerable. If the supermarkets don't have the available infrastructure to do what they say they are doing that's not the Govt's fault is it?

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

Like the one we have here who managed to facilitate the conversion of the excel site in London to a temporary hospital which will eventually have a 4000 bed capacity and all in around 10 days ? Yeah incompetent bunch !

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

I think supermarkets should be closed on Sundays and restrict their opening hours further on other days in order to focus more on home deliveries. It's much safer to bring groceries to people's homes than having them queueing outside supermarkets (esp at city centre locations) and that would also help more vulnerable people.

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

No - it clearly suggests that they have not received the information from the Government which supposedly wrote to all 1.5 million people early in the week. It it was able to do that, then it was surely able to pass these names and addresses onto the supermarket. As Asda says: "Once we’ve received the information from the UK Government, we will email these customers to offer first access to delivery slots". It doesn't say that it has the information and is now trying to plug it into its systems.

While this could conceivably be Asda trying to pass blame onto HMG, it does suggest that this is another case of the Govt overpromising and not delivering.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

You should tweet one of the journos about this - this needs to be addressed at the conference this evening

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

Well that's very strange, because every time I try to book a delivery slot with 5 different suppliers, I'm getting the message you can't place an order because we're supplying to the 1.5 M the government have identified as vulnerable. If the supermarkets don't have the available infrastructure to do what they say they are doing that's not the Govt's fault is it?

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

 Bizarre comment, you can do well at one thing and have messed up numerous other things! Maybe if they had done better earlier on we wouldn't be needing the Nightingale.

Originally Posted by: JHutch 

Also highlights that Sweden has got it very wrong.

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

That sounds like an idea worth pursuing.  If supermarkets are closed there should be much less traffic on the roads and delivery vans should be able to get to customers more quickly.

Originally Posted by: Caz 

FWIW, Morrisons food boxes (which anyone can order) are delivered by DPD, bypassing the usual supermarket home delivery infrastructure. Maybe that's a way out of this? Give up the choice of what you would normally have for the sake of allowing more people to get deliveries?

Originally Posted by: Retron 

I've emailed a couple of them.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Ocado have just replied to a tweet that also states they hope to get the list soon.

Originally Posted by: warrenb