Coronavirus: General discussion (see opening post for rules)

[XiJ]

We have interviewed today. Everyone asked about corona virus, isolations and plans. It’s difficult when things are changing daily and there’s a lack of authority on what will happen.

[6Foot2]

We are just hearing that our son's university is closing and moving to distance learning.

 

He is under the impression that this will end his first year. I am not so sure right now.

[mikeprice]

Just looked at delivery slots for tesco

 

lots of slots for tomorrow - next after that seems to be April 6th

 

which is weird

 

wonder if they are reserving some slots for people in isolation - if so how to you tell them???

[fiza]

In my area I have checked all the main supermarkets and ocado and couldn't find any slots. Managed to get Asda with delivery on Sunday evening.

[Rob_D]

I think we're booking Ocardo three weeks in advance at the moment.

[googlemad]

my wife's son's brother-in-law has flown off to Amsterdam today - on a stag do - because he is a berk and won't be told what to do

 

just looked for travel advise to Amsterdam and all the bars are closed

 

which is funny!!

 

now just hoping he can;t get a flight home (ribbit ribbit)

 

although that would leave his Dad in the lurch as they work together - but would still be funny

 

most people who get stuck I feel sorry for - but he is an idiot so it is funny - especially as he would be stuck in a place with no bars

 

I went to Amsterdam Friday just gone and returned yesterday, it was pretty much business as usual until 6pm Sunday and then it was suddenly shut down time...which was rather annoying as I had literally just walked into a nice steak restaurant for tea to be told they were forced to close due to the extra measures announced Monday was quite a surreal day, they weren't messing around at all even fast food outlets at the airport were shut! (Supermarkets and convinience stores still open although of course busy)

 

The queues around the 'coffee' shops suddenly grew quite large, but I see today the decision to close them totally has been reversed as they were worried it would just spill out onto the streets otherwise

[jmak]

We are just hearing that our son's university is closing and moving to distance learning.

 

He is under the impression that this will end his first year. I am not so sure right now.

Spoke to a university lecturer this evening and he said their students are being sent home and being told that next term's teaching will be online/remote. They're working on what to do about year end exams, but the urgent thing is student welfare - especially the foreign students who can't get home.

[HPlum78]

My place has essentially shutdown so working from home ish now although connectivity issues have made that interesting for me today. I have carved out a place for me to work and the wife has picked her spot we are far enough away from each other to hopefully avoid ending up in the court house if we both get to the other side of this!

 

I will add this, a large portion of my family work in the NHS (sisters, aunts, uncles. Who have their own families) at all levels and in all posts and at no point have any of them said that they will not put themselves in harms way to help the people who need them most, when they most need it. I think its incumbent on anyone who is able to help them in any way we can while they busy saving people. This means they need someone and somewhere safe to take their kids while looking after other people's families. Closing schools will not help them do that, they cannot do that from home! The government needs time to swing into action and schools will close but they need time to get other things in place.

 

Do what you need to stay safe guys and girls but spare a thought for those people on the front line of this and if you are able and willing, help where you can.

[6Foot2]

One school in our MAT have told Year 8, and Year 9 students not to come in from today (until further notice?)

[6Foot2]

Link 1: Total UK cases COVID-19 Cases Update [arcgis.com]

 

 

Link 2: Track coronavirus cases (mobile version)

[6Foot2]

She gets everywhere!

 

 

[korifugi]

First day in without the majority of staff and students today - it's going to be eerily quiet. I'm still in for the time being as I'm "Business Critical Staff", which is the nicest way I've ever heard of saying "expendable"!

[6Foot2]

Much (most) of our Science Department will not be in today.

 

The real question is will we still be open by the time that the last lesson starts today...

[elsiegee40]

For anyone who is employed as a contractor: the IR35 changes have been postponed for 12 months (No comment on the politics of this one please.)

 

IR35 tax reforms on hold for a year in wake of coronavirus crisis (The Register)

 

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday evening, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay said: “The government is postponing the reforms to the off-payroll working rules, IR35, from 6 April 2020 to 6 April 2021.”

 

He said the suspension is in “response to the ongoing spread of COVID-19 to help businesses and individuals,” but insisted it will still go ahead as planned the following year.

 

“This is a deferral, not a cancellation, and the government remains committed to reintroducing this policy to ensure people working like employees but through their own limited company, pay broadly the same tax as those employed directly,” he added.

[Andrew_C]

And in a similar vein, if you are self-employed:-

just called HMRC on 0800 015 9559 and have reduced my payments on account for July to £0, which means Jan 31st is going to hurt, a lot, but at least it takes the pressure off of the next couple of months. I would recommend any other self-employed friends call this number too, they're really really helpful and human x

[witch]

I'm at home now - I walked with a friend on Mon and her husband (and possibly her) now has it. I will wait the two weeks and see what happens but after that I will just be very careful. I am supposedly at risk because of the asthma but I have looked into it and my asthma is really well controlled so I would be low or moderate risk. My grandson is due in 10 weeks and nobody is saying anything to my daughter-in-law about what is going to happen to her re the virus.

 

All three of my children and their partners are now working from home. My daughter has had to bring her entire work computer home with her as it has some very specialist software on it that doesnt play well remotely, and also as she does some work for the MOD it has all sorts of levels of encryption on it.

 

Just a thought - when this is all over it may change the face of work for ever - more people may decide that they are very happy working from home

Edited March 18, 2020 by witch

[Disease]

I have been told that I would be expected to work in school during any potential closure, as "...there would be no risk to me with nobody on site I would, effectively, be isolated."

 

All of a sudden you have a family member come down with a cough, clears that issue right up.

[jmak]

I'm at home now - I walked with a friend on Mon and her husband (and possibly her) now has it. I will wait the two weeks and see what happens but after that I will just be very careful. I am supposedly at risk because of the asthma but I have looked into it and my asthma is really well controlled so I would be low or moderate risk. My grandson is due in 10 weeks and nobody is saying anything to my daughter-in-law about what is going to happen to her re the virus.

 

All three of my children and their partners are now working from home. My daughter has had to bring her entire work computer home with her as it has some very specialist software on it that doesnt play well remotely, and also as she does some work for the MOD it has all sorts of levels of encryption on it.

 

Just a thought - when this is all over it may change the face of work for ever - more people may decide that they are very happy working from home

I worked at home for years. The flexibility was great and I found it very productive.

 

However, I was traveling 2 or three days per week, until the financial crisis in 2008 when all business travel was pulled. I got very lonely within 6 months. Most of us are pretty social creatures. I hope that lots more remote working carries on - it solves lots of problems (reduced intensity rush hours, reduced fuel use, reduced personal costs), but it's not a panacea.

 

Hope you and your family stay well.

[LeMarchand]

Spare a thought for this group of OAPs who must also be in all sorts of other high-risk groups due to their (previous?) lifestyles and so have had to cancel their plans for the summer: https://variety.com/2020/music/news/rolling-stones-postpone-north-american-tour-2-1203536958/

[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.

[StevieM]

Pupil attendance appears to be dropping by the day (no actual figures - just going on empty seats in classrooms) but only two members of staff out of ~40 have chosen to stay home; both have serious underlying conditions making them particularly vulnerable.

 

The Year 6 residential visit to the Lake District planned for the end of May has been cancelled. I'm really gutted for the kids. It's the big highlight of their time here and they've all been looking forward to it since they joined us in Year 3.

 

On a positive note, a parent - who works for the NHS - came into school this morning and asked the deputy to pass on a message of thanks to all staff for everything they are doing to keep the school open and look after the children.

[elsiegee40]

Spare a thought for those using food banks. Even the food banks are closing.

 

See:

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/behind-red-door/211750-anyone-else-finding-hard-survive-2.html#post1832479

 

When you are shopping PLEASE remember to donate to the food bank too

[Andycat]

We've been told, last night, by the council that we would stay open in some way for vulnerable students, free school meals (not sure how) and NHS/frontline workers "childminding"etc. Probably on shifts with skeleton staff, but it won't be the "work from home all the time" that people are assuming in our case. We (2 of us) would have to alternate being here, either day by day or week by week.

 

The assumption from our SLT is that this may also have to happen over Easter, as the same needs for frontline staff would be there.

 

Obviously, Bojo could completely override this, but the Council Social Services are quite worried.

[MartinT]

If you have Microsoft 365 A3 or greater, you get five 365 installs as part of the licence. So staff may install it on their home machines as well as their phone. If they leave, it just stops working.

[Garacesh]

There's also the A1 Plus license for education (which you have to phone up and get them to add) that is basically a ProPlus license plus a few other bits.