The Covid-19 Thread

[Raid]

I can't discuss publicly which company I work for, but it's a highstreet bank, and if you're currently locked out of your online banking, now is the time to get it sorted. If just one member of staff here gets symptoms, the branch immediately shuts for two weeks with no relief cover. I don't know whether the same will happen with our competitors, but I suspect it'll be similar. We're already operating without several of our overseas call centres, so phone wait times are interminably long.


We've spent the last week trying to persuade our less mobile customers to at least have alternative channels to get at their money, because you'd be amazed how many of them still withdraw their money by cashing a cheque at the branch counter. Nevermind internet or mobile banking, some don't even use debit cards.

[Achtung Englander]

meanwhile.....

[eny]

Just about to venture forth and scavenge a weekly shop from my local Tesco, and maybe Waitrose after, if it really is dire....Henley-on-Thames, so who knows what's ahead of me... It feels like I'm just off out to do all my Christmas shopping.....at 3:45pm Christmas Eve...

[Sly Boots]

On the more positive front, Morrisons just announced they're recruiting another 3.5k people and stepping up their online orders business, hopefully other supermarkets follow suit.

[Raid]

meanwhile.....

That was weird.

[Achtung Englander]

Just about to venture forth and scavenge a weekly shop from my local Tesco, and maybe Waitrose after, if it really is dire....Henley-on-Thames, so who knows what's ahead of me... It feels like I'm just off out to do all my Christmas shopping.....at 3:45pm Christmas Eve...

how did it go ?

[Hatredsheart]

[Strudel]

The university has been shut until at least the 15th of April (probably longer) and there's a limit to what I can do from home so whilst I should probably work for a couple more weeks, I'm then on paid leave until I'm allowed back.

[eny]

how did it go ?

Pretty much empty of all you would normally weekly shop. No eggs; no meat; hardly any milk; no tinned tomatoes, or any sort of tinned beans; no bog or kitchen rolls; no pasta, rice or flour; Half the freezers and biscuit shelves empty....depressing tbh. They stock up the shelves over night, and the greedy, selfish hoard is there to suck it all up first thing in the morning. Waitrose was marginally better, but not much.

[Achtung Englander]

Right in that case I am heading there from half 8 tomorrow morning after I drop off my son....

I would go for the 6am opening but I can't due to the school run.

It is every man for himself

The financial aid on offer is eye watering. The UK is £330B. The US is 1T dollars. All based on bonds. I am not sure the bond market can take much more leverage. These are huge numbers. It will take decades to pay off, if ever. The level of national debt is beyond comprehension. I do not even want to think about it

Edit - fuck it I will go on Thursday. I think people are still panic buying and I cannot be arsed to join the rush

[Rossell]

My office is now shut and we're working from home until this clears up. Got a week off next week so I can just stay at home away from the madness. Doom Eternal on order to help me through it.

[Wrathbone]

It is every man for himself

Sooner or later we’re all going to have to move away from that attitude and start pulling together to figure things out, because it will be the difference between getting through it mostly intact or causing irreparable damage to society. If everyone heads perpetually down the “it’s me or them” path, the result will be martial law to ensure supplies are properly distributed, and it’ll happen sooner rather than later.

[Achtung Englander]

I was half joking. As I said I will go and get food when the craziness starts to settle down. I have food for another 3 to 4 days.

What we saw is nature taking its course. We horde because we are scared

[Sly Boots]

Kids' school is partially closed today, including my youngest's year group. Eldest is having a shit fit that she has to go in while her sister stays at home. Looking at the county council website a couple of dozen schools are doing similar, due to staff shortages, while a couple are already fully closed.

Naturally, darling eldest is accepting this with good grace...

[Achtung Englander]

same here - my gf is a primary school teacher and she is utterly baffled on the govt advice for office workers to stay at home while kids congregate ?
I think the plan to stretch it as long as they can to the Easter break and than schools will have an extra holiday, maybe 3 weeks.

This sums it up nicely

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/soc ... 0317194616