Coronavirus update - NO MORE RESTRICTIONS

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Coronavirus update

Drakeford has been saying that early indications are rhat people have been complying with the firebreak as far traffic is concerned. As it turns out, I've had to use my car a fair bit more than I usually would in the past ten days or so and there was less traffic about last week, but I was thinking that could be down to the schools being off. I was stuck in a queue yesterday morning, but the main roads are so narrow up here that it only needs a school bus to stop for a while, as happened yesterday, and you're guaranteed quite a long tail back. That said, the roads do seem to be a bit more busy this week and, based on what I've seen, I'd say the firebreak has had an effect, but maybe not as much as had been hoped for.

[lisvaneblue]

Re: Coronavirus update

Absolutely. As long as they are "held under the control of an individual or an organisation who takes all the steps that the law requires in Wales to make sure that that activity is run, or that setting is organised, in a way that minimises the risk".

Can you keep a social distance of 2 metres from everyone whilst playing bridge, lisvaneblue?

Well the winks and nods should be OK but no more touching knees and kicking shoes under the table. Takes a lot of the fun away

[Hilts]

Re: Coronavirus update

I honestly don't know. The restrictions have become so complicated, the messaging is so blurred and much of the population is simply sick to the back teeth of the whole thing, so I've no idea where we can realistically go from here. The so-called experts don't seem to be able to agree with one other, let alone the members of the public, while the politicians on all sides have made a complete mess of things since day one.

It's a grim situation and it looks set to get significantly worse in the coming months. If the Welsh firebreak lockdown has had a genuinely positive effect I think it would be a huge bonus as I reckon it would give people a bit of renewed optimism and focus minds a bit, but my hopes for that aren't high based on my own experiences.

Its going to be a long Winter for sure.

One hope is with all the social distancing and restrictions and hopefully an increase in people having the flu jab then the number of flu infections and therefore deaths from flu should be down.

I think a lot of people are also setting into a new normal. Could be a long time before we are back to where we were last year.

Hopefully Trump getting booted out will lift some of the gloom.

[lisvaneblue]

Re: Coronavirus update

This sort of thing has been my main concern during the firebreak lockdown and why I'm wondering how effective it will prove to be. Firstly, I'm not sure what percentage of people have understood the rules. But perhaps more importantly, I'm certain a significant percentage haven't really cared.

During the first lockdown, I thought most of the public reacted remarkably well to the restrictions. I live in a relatively quiet and secluded street, so you tend to notice visitors arriving. We were something like four or five weeks into the first lockdown before I saw anyone at all visit any of my neighbours. This time around we were just a day and a half into it when one of the neighbours was visited by her son, his partner and their kid. She's a nurse, incidentally. Meanwhile, other neighbours have also had visitors of one sort or another at various points during the last week.

I think ignorance of the rules is a significant factor, but I think lockdown fatigue is far more significant. Way back in March the experts predicted that the government could only expect the public to adhere to social restrictions for a limited amount of time before people started bending or ignoring the rules and I'm certain they were correct.

I agree with your concern. A week into the lockdown a neighbour of mine took his 12 year old son away to England for a short break. His wife didn't go with them but decided to go and stay with her elderly parents in Caerphilly for a few days.

[goats]

Re: Coronavirus update

Its going to be a long Winter for sure.

One hope is with all the social distancing and restrictions and hopefully an increase in people having the flu jab then the number of flu infections and therefore deaths from flu should be down.

I think a lot of people are also setting into a new normal. Could be a long time before we are back to where we were last year.

Hopefully Trump getting booted out will lift some of the gloom.

As soon as we get the mass home testing going, the hour test, we can begin to live. The vaccine January time for the 2% of the population who need it most will be another massive boost. A new political system in a Spring and we can all go disco

[Rjk]

Re: Coronavirus update

Only 4 deaths today, and the numbers are usually higher on a Tuesday as they're catching up from the weekend - could that be a tentative sign that the lockdown is starting to work?

[Rjk]

Re: Coronavirus update

It'll be interesting to see the weekly hospital admissions data as I think that should be updated tomorrow, as that was starting to rise rapidly.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Coronavirus update

Only 4 deaths today, and the numbers are usually higher on a Tuesday as they're catching up from the weekend - could that be a tentative sign that the lockdown is starting to work?

I'd say the new cases figure of just over 1,100, while not great, may be a sign of encouragement. As you say, Tuesday isn't normally a good day for the stats, so that figure may be a sign that things are improving, but it'd need two or three days of similar figures before any conclusions could be drawn. Four deaths is good by recent standards, but that figure would be the last one to start showing any firebreak influence and I fear it'll be something of a one off.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Coronavirus update

Only 4 deaths today, and the numbers are usually higher on a Tuesday as they're catching up from the weekend - could that be a tentative sign that the lockdown is starting to work?

No. It's way too early for the deaths figures to be affected by the firebreak.

[xsnaggle]

Re: Coronavirus update

No. It's way too early for the deaths figures to be affected by the firebreak.

The positive test figure was still going up late last week.

[Rjk]

Re: Coronavirus update

I'd say the new cases figure of just over 1,100, while not great, may be a sign of encouragement. As you say, Tuesday isn't normally a good day for the stats, so that figure may be a sign that things are improving, but it'd need two or three days of similar figures before any conclusions could be drawn. Four deaths is good by recent standards, but that figure would be the last one to start showing any firebreak influence and I fear it'll be something of a one off.

yes good point

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Coronavirus update

More great work from the WAG:

From 9th November, groups of four people from different households will be allowed to meet indoors at pubs, cafes and restaurants. Larger groups of people who all live in the same house will be allowed to eat and drink out together. However, Drakeford has confirmed that meeting people from outside a household bubble in a private garden will not be allowed.

Genius. Absolute genius.

[Tuerto]

Re: Coronavirus update

More great work from the WAG:

From 9th November, groups of four people from different households will be allowed to meet indoors at pubs, cafes and restaurants. Larger groups of people who all live in the same house will be allowed to eat and drink out together. However, Drakeford has confirmed that meeting people from outside a household bubble in a private garden will not be allowed.

Genius. Absolute genius.

I presume that it'll be the same inside a house as well?

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Coronavirus update

I presume that it'll be the same inside a house as well?

No idea. It's all about household bubbles and extended household bubbles.

[Hilts]

Re: Coronavirus update

I presume that it'll be the same inside a house as well?

Yes.