The Covid-19 Thread

[Mantis]

The Daily Mail led with a huge splash headline today saying that the PM should be forcing office workers back to work in order to save the commercial area high streets, as being at home is obviously stopping them popping out at lunch to buy coffees, snacks, etc.

Is it just me that thinks to hell with the lot of big city high street businesses? This entire ordeal has pushed an already upward trend of remote working into overdrive, and it's certainly given me a new perspective on what I'm actually doing with my time. The last thing I want right now is a return to the old status quo of long expensive commutes on substandard transportation to packed out offices full of people I'm forced to get along with whilst popping out at lunch to prop up the local Costa, Greggs and Starbucks.

There would be a degree of economic hardship, but this situation is the perfect opportunity for us to reset the UK economy in a new, more forward thinking direction. Spread work out across the entire country by encouraging use of technology, downsize huge office spaces and turn cities back into places people can live.

[Wrathbone]

The highstreet was already dying - this was just the nail in the coffin. The solution to stimulating the economy shouldn't be incentives to return to the old status quo. The solution is to find and encourage ways for businesses to adapt to the new ways of living. And that shouldn't be the public's responsibility - we don't owe highstreet shops a damn thing.

It's simple really: give people something worth spending their money on in a way that suits them and the cash will flow. Offer them the same old things they now realise they don't need in a way that's no longer convenient and failure will be inevitable.

[Raid]

As much as I agree in principle, there are just so many jobs involved with operating those businesses. Without introduction of something like a universal basic income, which our government has very much said they won't do, there would be catastrophic numbers of unemployed without enough of an income to survive. I hate the idea that those workers are basically feeding into the misery machine that Mantis is referring to, but I don't think we can just rip the plaster off on this one.

[Mantis]

From a cautious standpoint I would agree entirely. But you've got to imagine that massive unemployment unlike anything seen for decades might actually force the government's hand into implementing some form of UBI. With the gradual shrinkage of the workforce due to automation and whatnot, UBI simply has to happen eventually because the alternative will be pretty unpleasant for the politicians.

Knowing the Tories though, everyone would just end up on Universal Credit. My girlfriend receives £400 a month on it after losing her job just as the lockdown kicked in. It's a complete joke of a system and there's no way that an enormous amount of recently or soon to be unemployed people will be able to survive on it. It would only just cover half my rent for the month if I were forced onto it, let alone other bills and council tax before considering having to buy food.

For a nation which demonises those on benefits, we actually have one of the worst and stingiest systems in all of Europe.

[Raid]

Yeah, that's the problem. UBI is a sound idea that ought to be seriously considered and tested, but our government are diametrically opposed to it. Universal Credit is an absolute bloody shambles that has caused so much misery (and death let's not forget) that it's difficult to believe that it isn't intentional; because who in their right mind would think this is how it should be?

[Hatredsheart]

Local lockdown in my town from tomorrow.
Ah bugger, just when things almost felt normal.

[Me99]

Are you from Bolton Dragon?

[Hatredsheart]

Are you from Bolton Dragon?

No mate, Caerphilly, South Wales.

[Rossell]

[Alan]

Glasgow had a lockdown last week that consisted of dont go to other peoples houses unless they are family or you consider them your extended family. Utter dumb bullshit. The pub across the road is packed every night. To be honest I'm not even sure if its still in place or not its such a non thing.

[Animalmother]

300 new cases in my city, apparently all from dumb fucks having house parties.

[Mantis]

The government are keen to pin this on the young generation but I'm not so sure how accurate that really is. I see people of all ages flooding into bars and restaurants every night. The government has been encouraging everyone to hit the food retail outlets for 50% off all through August, the final bank holiday in particular was absolutely manic in my city as everyone wanted a piece on the last day. The uptake for the offer reportedly increased considerably each week it ran throughout August.

Given that testing figures generally run about two weeks lagging behind initial infection, it's not a surprise at all that we've seen 2500+ cases for four days straight.

Give it another two weeks and we'll see the effects of schools returning, and then early October for university students travelling the country for the new academic year.

[Drarok]

"Go to bars! Go to Pret! The high streets need you, here take 50% off 3 days a week! What's that? The younger demo are taking up our offer in droves?"

(Cases increase in said demographic)

"Well what the bloody hell have you gone and done that for?! Pish posh!"

[elgaucho]

How is the whole restaurant thing being done over there? Here, every table is separated from the next one either by two metres or a plastic barrier so that groups do not mingle. Tables are wiped down thoroughly by staff after every sitting, and it seems to mostly be working. I doubt the few bars we have here are working as cleanly, but at least as far as restaurants go it's pretty well handled imo.

[Alan]

Exactly like that except there’s no barriers and the tables are exactly where they were prepandemic. They do get wiped though but I mean... weren’t they always before? Servers do have masks.

Bare minimum on all fronts.