Coronavirus: General discussion (see opening post for rules)

[jmak]

One of many tweets from the editor of the Lancet:

 

 

richard horton @RichardHorton1

 

Mar 17richard horton

@RichardHorton1

 

·

 

Mar 17

Laura Kuenssberg says (BBC) that, “The science has changed.” This is not true. The science has been the same since January. What has changed is that govt advisors have at last understood what really took place in China and what is now taking place in Italy. It was there to see.[/Quote]

Edited March 18, 2020 by jmak

[jmak]

In the Ocado virtual queue. Had a look at 6.45 this morning "you are 2246 in the queue. Your wait time will be over an hour".

 

Couldn't hang on at the time. Just retried. "You are position 8963 in the queue. Your wait time will be over two hours."

 

I'm not complaining, as we're not remotely priority customers. Main reason for persevering is that I have a regular delivery booked, but it doesn't have much on it. I want to either cancel it or add more so that they don't waste their time delivering a couple of bags of non urgent stuff.

Got to position ~3000. Answered phone, screen locked. When I unlocked it, the page refreshed. Straight to back off queue - now position 11615 [emoji22]

 

Have changed screen lock time to 30 minutes...

[Andrew_C]

We're sending them home from lunchtime, with two boarding houses staying open for a bit for those with travel difficulties.

 

Distance learning starts Monday (oh boy; what could go wrong...)

[3s-gtech]

"Some staff don't have PCs at home. We'll have to issue them with laptops!"

"We have a trolley of student laptops! Let's issue them with those!"

 

Me: ¬__¬ Right now, I could do without the workload of preparing external use accounts for an unknown number of users on an unknown number of devices, adding unknown software onto them to use with their unknown home provisions and broadband. With everything else going on.

 

I know we've had this debate before ("it'll only cost £xthousand, all staff should have school laptops!") but ours don't apart from SLT.

 

This smacks of "PANIC!" I don't know how staff do anything at home with just a phone/tablet though, and not just work related as we can't expect them to work from home under normal circumstances.

[localzuk]

Tried to do a Tesco online shop last night. Got to the end, only to be told there are zero delivery slots available for 3 weeks.

[caffrey]

Same - I'm being hassled all morning about missing drive letters etc.

 

Maybe this a wake up call to move things from the domain finally - Ideally for staff I want them to have chromebooks too late now though

[Lonix]

"Some staff don't have PCs at home. We'll have to issue them with laptops!"

"We have a trolley of student laptops! Let's issue them with those!"

Me: ¬__¬ Right now, I could do without the workload of preparing external use accounts for an unknown number of users on an unknown number of devices, adding unknown software onto them to use with their unknown home provisions and broadband. With everything else going on.

I know we've had this debate before ("it'll only cost £xthousand, all staff should have school laptops!") but ours don't apart from SLT.

This smacks of "PANIC!" I don't know how staff do anything at home with just a phone/tablet though, and not just work related as we can't expect them to work from home under normal circumstances.

"Sorry they don't work like that and can take about 5 days to setup and due to the how much work I'm being shoved on my plate right now, It'll take two weeks".

 

I've already had one person ask and said no. My patience is wearing thin, we all knew this was coming, I've done my best to preempt a lot but only so much I can do. If other people can't be bothered to plan ahead.. I'm beyond caring. The whole nation is going on about poor teachers that are forced to work still on better salaries and the six week summer holiday they get.................. er.. hello? we're here? hello?

 

And now all of a sudden people remember we exist for home access. All of a sudden they WANT an IT system that is built correctly, reliable and home access to E V E R Y T H I N G. All of a sudden they want to think about a full on school closure and is our system good enough to handle no one on site for a bit.

 

Yes - I'm not happy.

[mikeprice]

The IT Request of the Week thread has (again) got diverted onto the current crisis

I am commenting on the same stuff here to save mods getting annoyed

 

There seem to be a lot of people saying that they are having to issue computers (normally laptops) to staff because they don't have a computer at home

 

I am always a bit dubious about this. Teachers are supposed to spend a lot of time over the holidays preparing resources, including worksheets, Power Points and all that stuff

 

but it turns out that they don't actually have a computer??

"Oh - I use my phone for everything"

Really???

 

somehow I don't think they are all being as totally honest and truthful as they could be

Maybe I am being cynical but I suspect some are miffed that they don't get a school laptop and are thinking this is good opportunity to get one

while they have a perfectly good computer at home but that also is 'needed' for games, shopping, YouTube etc etc by the rest of the family

 

and once they have one at home - good luck getting it back!!

 

When I was a teacher I had to have a computer at home to actually do my job - and that was a while ago - can't see things have changed much

[CHiLL]

Our provisional plan was announced during briefing today. For a full closure, staff are expected to be available via phone or email between 8am and 12pm, whilst students will be given online based work to complete. For a partial closure, the school is open 8am-12pm with Years 7-10 staying at home and completing online work. Year 11 are expected on-site, along with all staff who are not self-isolating. Those who are self isolating are expected to work remotely unless they are actually sick, where normal sick procedure applies. FSM will operate like a take-away service for those who need it.

 

I'm suffering a severe re-occurrence of tonsillitis at the moment and I can't eat/drink properly or speak and in a fair amount of pain. However I've had to come in to finalise some documentation and ensure proof of procedure for the VPN instructions. I've created extensive documentation for my colleagues to follow to enable VPN for staff laptops, which includes scenarios such as out-dated version of Windows 10 that cannot take the VPN configuration, the certificate doesn't install, the VPN fails to connect, how to reinstall it, ensuring SIMS is installed and up to date and other basic configuration. I am currently going through my document now to prove that it is correct and I can hand it over to my colleagues. Then I'm going home to curl up in a small ball and whine for a while.

Edited March 18, 2020 by CHiLL

[smurfomatic]

Announcement from the Head that "the school site will close at 2pm on Friday 20th March". Whole staff meeting after that to discuss what happens, who needs to be in work etc. Fully expecting to be in work on Monday morning!

 

Ironically I'm working from home today - not at all coronavirus related, they're replaceing the gas pipes in my street and I need to stay in so they have access to the property...

[StevieM]

From the HIGNFY Twitter feed:

 

After the Oxford-Cambridge boat race is cancelled, organisers say anyone who still wants to see old Etonians out of their depth can watch the daily coronavirus briefing instead.

[caffrey]

Announcement from the Head that "the school site will close at 2pm on Friday 20th March". Whole staff meeting after that to discuss what happens, who needs to be in work etc. Fully expecting to be in work on Monday morning!

 

Ironically I'm working from home today - not at all coronavirus related, they're replaceing the gas pipes in my street and I need to stay in so they have access to the property...

 

 

Is this an impending announcement for all schools ?

[Andycat]

There are thoughts here that the legislation will go through Parliament on Thursday, announced Thursday evening and it may give powers over holiday opening etc. etc. but all just high level speculation currently. Nobody really knows.

[6Foot2]

Link: Glastonbury 2020: Festival cancelled due to coronavirus [bBC News]

 

Glastonbury's famous Pyramid Stage will remain dark in June, as the festival becomes the latest event to be cancelled due to coronavirus.

 

Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar were due to appear, alongside Diana Ross and Dua Lipa.

 

"We're so sorry that this decision has been made," a statement said. "It was not through choice."

 

Just six days ago, organiser Emily Eavis said she had "fingers firmly crossed" the event would go ahead.

 

But after the government advised people to avoid mass gatherings on Monday, cancellation became increasingly likely.

 

Organisers took the decision before 1 April, when festival-goers were expected to pay the remaining balance of their £270 tickets.

 

Fans who had already paid the £50 deposit will be allowed to roll over that sum to next year, guaranteeing "the opportunity to buy a ticket for Glastonbury 2021", organisers said. Refunds will also be available for those who want them...

[mikeprice]

Just had a phone call from the RSC about our tickets to 2 plays later on this week

 

Very nice lady - gave 3 options

a) git vouchers that can be used to book new tickets any time on the next year

b) donate the value to the RSC to help out

c) full refund back to credit card

 

 

couldn't ask for more really

 

got the money refunded - but we will be re-booking as soon as this is all sorted out

[hardtailstar]

We are now on partial closure due to staffing levels.

 

I bet we will be closed next week

[PlantHead]

We are down 48% of pupils.

It is ridiculous that the school is still being kept open.

[the_quick]

I don't if this is wide issue, but we had VPN and remote support problem with some ISPs

 

TalkTalk

They will not allow VPN, they said to one member of our staff, they just don't support it

They block all kinds of remote support, Teamviewer and logmein rescue doesn't work, chrome remote desktop worked yesterday, doesn't today

 

BT Internet

VPN blocked

Remote support seemed to work last time

 

I guess they blocked remote support tools after lots of Indian scamming.

 

Going back to school, lots of teachers absent - 16. Very hard to get hold of supply teachers. Decision what next will be taken later today, possibly partial closure.

 

Lots of us complaining about sore throat, but I don't think it is Covid symptom - so maybe another bug making rounds.

 

Reception had a phone call from a parent demanding laptop for their kid in isolation - their home one is broken, after they pour water on it.

[Ditto]

Just heard a school in Reading was broken in to and had all the cleaning products and loo rolls stolen. Facilities teams will need to check security measures, but I guess there's a limit to what can be done to counter sc*m.

[caffrey]

I don't if this is wide issue, but we had VPN and remote support problem with some ISPs

 

TalkTalk

They will not allow VPN, they said to one member of our staff, they just don't support it

They block all kinds of remote support, Teamviewer and logmein rescue doesn't work, chrome remote desktop worked yesterday, doesn't today

 

BT Internet

VPN blocked

Remote support seemed to work last time

 

I guess they blocked remote support tools after lots of Indian scamming.

 

 

I know Virgin used to, wonder if there is a list anywhere of ISPs and what they allow saves us getting the grief for a problem that isn't ours

I

[CalmBlueOcean]

Just heard a school in Reading was broken in to and had all the cleaning products and loo rolls stolen. Facilities teams will need to check security measures, but I guess there's a limit to what can be done to counter sc*m.

As per my earlier security concerns, I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of this unfortunately.

"The looting phase" as my Principal referred to it earlier!

[Slarty66]

Announcement from the Head that "the school site will close at 2pm on Friday 20th March". Whole staff meeting after that to discuss what happens, who needs to be in work etc. Fully expecting to be in work on Monday morning!

 

Ironically I'm working from home today - not at all coronavirus related, they're replaceing the gas pipes in my street and I need to stay in so they have access to the property...

This is what I have heard from various sources, a nationwide closure.

[hardtailstar]

BBC Statement

[Andrew_C]

I know Virgin used to,

I'm on Virgin, and can VPN to work.

[LeMarchand]

I know Virgin used to

 

I've used TeamViewer and others on my Virgin connection (and mobile!) and it's worked.

 

They may have revised things since you tried. I know they used to "turn a blind eye" to tethering, but I read somewhere that it's now officially allowed.