Coronavirus.

[JockoT]

Hope you are all staying safe and are still in good health. Covid 19 puts other worries into perspective.

[Draigflag]

Yep, first day of lock down for me, not had this much time off since I was 17 at college, but finding DIY jobs around the house to keep my short attention span busy. Parts of Wales have seen the biggest outbreak outside London, so we're taking it seriously here. Chinese whispers (no pun intended) of a few local cases, one confirmed.

Nice to have the place so quiet as I live in the town centre, but missing the social side, especially as I spend a minimum of 15 hours a weekend in local pubs with my friends. My friend from Spain who lives here has friends and family affected by it back home, two of which are in intensive care. Testing times indeed, stay safe people!

[JockoT]

The family downstairs from me have a sign on their door saying they have it and parcel deliveries just to be left on the doorstep and ring the bell. Too close for comfort.
Glad I have been wiping down the bannister with Dettol every time I go up and down the stairs.

[luv2spd]

The World will be a lot different after this virus passes. I watched Contagion last night and there are a lot of parallels with the current situation. Stay safe out there.

[JockoT]

In England, the government has a database of extremely vulnerable people whom the supermarkets are prioritising for home deliveries, but in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there is no similar arrangement. We just have to get out and shop despite our vulnerabilities. I should not even go out, as my wife falls into the government category of "extremely vulnerable" under the scope of "people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer", but I have no option but to go out and get food for us.

[Draigflag]

This is where all other efforts seem pointless in my opinion. Almost every shop, pub, cafe and restaurant is shut, and we stay at home, so the only place people can mix is in a supermarket, where its busy and there are lots of people touching lots of things. I reluctantly went today, for the first time in 17 days, it was jam packed, the cashiers were sat behind temporary perspex screens and tape divided areas in the que to keep shoppers 2 meters apart. I wore disposable gloves and use sanatiser before and after shopping. I live alone and have done for five years now, I'm not allowed to see any of my friends or family now. It's going to be a lonely few weeks, not going to be easy but needs must.

[JockoT]

When I went to my local Morrisons on Thursday they were only letting 60 people into the store. It was then a case of queuing outside and security was letting one in as one came out. I too wore disposable gloves. Wasn't too bad a shopping experience. People were keeping well apart in the store itself and in the queue.

[Draigflag]

It's a bizzare situation I never thought I'd see. A small glimpse into a semi apocalyptic scenario, or as close as we're likely to get I guess. The police are now stopping people from England on the borders and sending them home. For some naive idiots, this allocated time off seems a reasonable time to take a holiday in Wales, last weekend was the busiest weekend in living history here. Locals are fuming, many have put home made banners over road sign telling the selfish morons to "go home" and rightly so in my opinion. Cases have rocketed in Wales since the mass flocking, thanks a bunch...

[Draigflag]

So how are things in your area now? Here in Wales, an unlimited number of people are allowed to meet and social distance from two households, within a 5 mile radius, but not go in eachothers houses. Typically the weather has changed now after the dryest spring on record. I believe groups of 6/8 are allowed in England and Scotland. Sadly, some of the less intelligent members of society still think Wales has the same rules as England, the police have turned severel thousand tourists home on the borders. We now have an led matrix sign outside our town warning people that Wales rules apply. Also, I'm back in work full time now, so that kills boredom for 5 days a week. Stay safe people.

[JockoT]

Here a maximum of eight can meet but from no more than two households, only outside and 2 metres apart, and you can only meet with one other household in any one day.
Police are closing off roads to beauty spots and turning cars back. In Scotland, you can only travel a maximum of five miles from home for exercise, so the police take action against offenders.