All this and a fine weekend! Stay safe

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Lets see if the weekend lowers the  numbers - I feel many will see the weekend as an ideal time to go out , which is within the guidelines from the government , the trouble is you cant minimise the quantity .

I think the local park will have plenty of people in it , even last night I saw groups of 4 ( youths) walking along the streets and some in town.

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My observations (which are now rather limited to Dover) are that people are generally complying 100%. 

 

The exceptions stick out - these tend to be groups of young people, largely but not exclusively male (under 30) who are clearly non-familial, and who are hanging out or usually walking in groups.  I am aware of other multiple household gatherings that are taking place, in the local area.  These are tending to be in either immigrant communities from what I have seen, and/or the "precariat" - those people living on benefits or who were on zero hours contracts, people living in cramped rented accommodation.

The majority who live in houses with gardens and access to motor vehicles seem to be complying more strictly.  Funny that! 

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I called in on a friend yesterday during my allowed exercise but we kept to his garden separated by the length of a large garden table and a bit more, probably 3m. apart and neither of us touched the other's property. In the spirit of the law, I think, and so much more morale-boosting than a video chat.

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Kuwait report first Covid death

Never heard this term before! Is it a posh way of saying "pleb"?

I have noticed more cars on the road in recent days. And the supermarkets are much busier, perhaps a response to the request to free up online slots

But there isn't much social distancing going on my Tesco. The sort of chavs you find in there are not going to stick to a 2 meter rule!

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It just occurred to me that even if we hit 100,000 tests per week it would still take well over 10 years to test everyone, even if it’s just once each - which won’t be enough.

So, testing isn’t going to solve the problem either.

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That would be all very well if the  isolated and old could  actually get the supermarkets to  talk to them    !!!!

My parents are late 80s and isolating.   Dad is  switched on enough to order on-line  and has submitted to all the  main ones that  offer a preferential  service and has not had the courtesy of even a reply from any !!!

It's a round trip of circa 14 miles  to my nearest   supermarket and  although I'm not in the   high risk group I'm certainly not "relatively young" and I am a key worker.I  would be  happy to shop in the village for   my own stuff (and comply with  avoiding car journeys), but the things they need  and the volume for a 3-person shop   has its own problems if you don't want to be popping in every ruddy day - with is NOT what   we should be doing  either.

I have secured   delivery slots  by sheer bloody determination and perseverance   and I make no apology  for it.   The vast majority of  the   stuff will be taken round to  my parents .  I  wouldn't have   had to do   that if one of the large supermarkets had done what they say that are doing !  If our experience is anything to go by  then  they appear to be  cynically  garnering good PR without actually providing the service !

 

 

 

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Positive news in the Gaurdian. They have a report saying the epidemic in London is slower than expected. Consequently Nightingale 1 isn't yet needed. In fact they may be able to bring in patients from other parts of the country if necessary.

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It was per day wasn' t it ?

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I’ve been walking in my local park every day as I live in a built up urban area, with only a tiny garden.

What get’s my goat are the joggers, who think they have a divine right to the middle of the path, but worse are the couples who use up the entire path holding hands. 

I try and stay as far away as possible, but because of these thoughtless fools, it can be difficult sometimes. 

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Ah, that would be better. That’s what happens when you get a thought whilst still half asleep!!

Still almost two years though.

By then we ought to have a vaccine.

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Yes, I've had to   dive in a hedge to avoid a "loves young dream" couple.  The girl would have actually brushed against me if I hadn't.  She was too busy gazing into the blokes "adoring eyes" to  worry about Social Distancing.  No way were they going to the inconvenience of going single file to avoid "some old geezer" ! They are immortal  so why should they care

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When I looked at the graph by area for England last night it certainly looked as if the London line had flattened - and it wasn’t just London; Midlands was also trending the same way.

 

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Fascinating stuff about Sweden in the Tele today. Their experiment will yield useful results and may - just may - give some hope to those wanting an earlier end to the lockdown. As I said yesterday, Covid-19 seems to act as a "fast forward" button on those who are already ill. Whatever happens, it's a fascinating experiment.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/03/coronavirus-swedish-experiment-could-prove-britain-wrong/

Paywalled, but here are some snippets.

Public health officials have one more trick up their sleeves to dampen down the fears over the virus. The country is also about to start releasing figures that show how many people died "from" coronavirus rather than died "with" coronavirus, as the British statistics show.

...

Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College, has told the UK Government's Science Technology and Health Committee that up to two thirds of deaths of people with coronavirus would probably have happened this year anyway.

So it will be interesting to find out just how many can actually be attributed to the virus, a figure that Britain is unlikely to find out before annual mortality figures are released early next year.

The Swedes believe that changing how the figures are reported will cut the number of people dying from coronavirus by as much as four fifths, and slash the death rate to well below 1 per cent, perhaps even lower than seasonal flu.

So far it appears that men account for the vast majority of intensive care cases, with women making up just 24 per cent of those infected.

Likewise, of those needing intensive care, some 76 per cent had underlying health conditions, with high blood pressure being the biggest risk factor.

In Britain, it could end up being even higher. Just 6 per cent of people who died on Friday, 3 April had no reported health problems.

...

Whatever happens, within weeks it will become apparent whether Sweden's gamble has been a triumph of common sense or a catastrophic and deadly mistake.

And the results of the experiment will be felt throughout the world. If public health officials do manage to flatten the curve it will make it far more difficult for the UK to continue imposing a lockdown that is devastating the economy.

Likewise, if deaths surge, it will give governments the ammunition they need to keep restrictions in place for longer, perhaps even until a vaccine or treatment is available.

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Aren’t all young couples much the same?  ‘In a world of their own’ and nobody else features in their bubble.  I’m reluctant to criticise.

in Tesco in the week a lady was standing in the middle of an aisle, mesmerised by her smart phone and oblivious to the fact that nobody could get past her. She was very apologetic when I politely asked her to move to one side!  So not just young lovers.

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Yes absolute arrogance. 

I’ve had to glare and tut at a number of people (whilst walking through mud, or grass, or puddles). W@nkers. 

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Things still far from back to normal in China. Sky's man is stuck in a hotel room

 

 

Oh god no pls no pic.twitter.com/emS8bM1iFw

— Tom Cheshire (@chesh) April 4, 2020

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Absolutely not. In the current situation it’s just downright rude. 

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And the numbers all across Europe are now falling, even here. We can probably end this by the end of the month and get the pubs open again!

 

 

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Which also suggests they were breaking the rules anyway by meeting up as a couple? Not sure anyone would be in that loved up state outside if they had already spent 2 weeks together confined to their house!

There must be loads of cases of couples who live apart meeting up for some action on the sly! 

Affairs have probably reduced though, less justification for going out! 

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She might have been speaking on the phone to her young lover 

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Today is the first time I’ve actually read the NHS pages. 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

One thing has surprised me - if you have symptoms, the guidance suggests it is still ok to go out and have your daily walk in the park. 

Given my experiences, this is worrying and makes me want to stay in! I thought previous to this that at least if everyone was following the guidelines, nobody with symptoms would be out! 

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Where's the Home Secretary amongst all this?

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Beating her husband up behind closed doors I assume

I have met him, and he is a doormat

 

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