This important via science cttee hearing. Sharon Peacock of PHE says govt has purchased 3.5 million tests to find our if you’ve had #coronavirus AND in days rather than weeks, you’ll be able to order them via Amazon & send back, or get them from place like Boots.

— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) March 25, 2020

Reading this, yes.

Definitely heard on the BBC news last night around 6.30pm during a Q&A the chap answering said you could drive to somewhere remote, exercise and drive home again. All I would say is he was either giving out the wrong advice, even he could not understand perhaps or was wrongly informed, or things have moved on with updated information superseding each other.

I fail to see how you will subsequently be able to prove you're positive for the antibodies.  Will you have to carry a used testing kit everywhere you go?

Edit - I think you send them back for results, so certification could be done that way.

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Yes and who determines who gets the 3.5 million tests out of a population of 60m.

If we had some proper testing it would have been easier. How many of those tests are going to get wasted? I.e some people may have had mild symptoms and actually it was something else. That’s one test used.

If there is a cost, how do people on low incomes obtain

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I see Off Licences have been added to the list of essential shops to stay open.

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Reports from Italy and Greece had suggested a big drop in crime and (obviously) a collapse in the number of road accidents. I can't remember the source though. 

I just happened to have a look at Gatwick's arrivals and departures for the 2 hours from 14:30 to 16:30. 6 flights arriving and 4 departing, so on average one movement every 12 minutes.

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Why?? How the [censored]is are off licenses an essential shop?

Alcohol sales = tax

If you "can't wait"  then you have the answer to your last question right there.

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Makes sense - reduces the numbers going to supermarkets if all they want to purchase is booze.

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If they weren't open they'd be looted instead.

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The question of driving to a place of exercise ( country park ) was asked last night on the Beeb, the guy replying said " absolutely nothing wrong with that "

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I'm hearing they will be available in the likes of Boots also, but I hope that's to order online only and not in store or the pharmacy. You will get huge amounts of people queuing up to get one in store putting the boots staff at high risk surely plus everyone else in the same queue?

 

 

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Breaking: Lombardy have reported 296 new deaths a big drop from yesterday when they reported 402.

Breaking: London city airport are suspending all commercial and private flights from today until the end of April

My ex wife works in a company that makes essential life saving equipment (think high tech bellows) that have been in the news recently. I told her she must insist HR gives her a letter today that she can show to checkpoints/police that are beginning to appear on the roads. Preferably laminated so it can be sanitised if she still has hand gel. She leaves I think, not long after 0500hrs and they are working overtime to meet orders first for UK and then other countries.

Unfortunately the company (not allowed to name it), is located on an industrial estate that was being ostracised yesterday in the local media as still being open.

Nick

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You may be right but on other hand how many people have now been made aware of the chances of enforcement just by this anecdote being shared around?

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I was toying with the idea of going to the wolf centre on Saturday (one of the wolves is dying and it'd be the last time I'd see her - having bottle-fed her 13 years ago). Getting stopped would be a problem, of course...

...but as it happens, the wolf centre are now restricting it to just 2 people per day, so I won't be going there for a long, long time. At least I'll get to remember Mosi as she was, not as she is.

Here's hoping those antibody tests come out quickly and have good availability.

 

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New York sounds like a mess.

Sky News
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'We have 140,000 cases needing hospitalisation and only 53,000 beds. And we have 40,0000 needing Intensive Care beds and only 3,000 ICU beds' says Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor.

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Just a reminder of what Trump has done during his disastrous presidency:

• 20% cut in CDC’s emerging and zoonotic diseases program, which investigates and prevents new diseases


• His administration disbanded the national security's council's directorate charged with global health


• drastically reduced a CDC team working in China to identify global health threats


• In late Feb he called Covid-19 a hoax and a week later he said he had fully contained it

 

 

A letter sounds like a good idea. I'm just glad I've got my work lanyard with me at home - a school's ID and lanyard gets you through cordons with ease, apparently!

 

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Don't worry Super Trump will save the day.

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Advice please... we have two cars and one of them is due an MOT by 29 March.  The new government announcement on MOTs only applies to those due from 30 March.  The local garages are now closed.  As I will likely not be driving this car for some time now, am I right thinking that I could SORN it until the garages are open again and then book an MOT at that point?

I assume I'd also have to advise my insurance company?

I had a letter from my employer saying that I was classified as a key worker (security) yesterday.

I keep this in the car

In addition to my ID that I carry when on work travel which confirms my place of work and the nature of what I am supporting (Emergency Service Network) so I am raesonably happy with that.