The Covid-19 Thread

[Strudel]

I had a similar experience the other day - our nearest big Sainsbury's was completely out of pasta except for the wholewheat varieties which still had quite a few packs left. They're not even more expensive, just healthier!

[Achtung Englander]

how was the frozen pizza section ?

The food chain is not threatened because the Govt around the world know that is the one chain that cannot just be "shut down" otherwise you will have riots. As usual the poor suffer the most as only well off people horde. Its the hording of bog roll I cannot get.

[elgaucho]

Well, Luxembourg, like much of mainland Europe, has been escalating their controls day by day since the start of the weekend.

Closure of all schools confirmed on Friday. Limiting of gatherings to 100 people.
While the supermarket wasn't crazy busy when I went on Friday, a lot of tinned goods, dried goods, cereals etc had gone. there's plenty of stock, but people keep buying it up faster than they can stack.

On Sunday they announced closure of all restaurants and gatherings. Hospitals, public transport, gas stations, supermarkets are about the only things open. People are allowed to go to work, and that's about it.

I work in a building with some 800 people or more (we sublet a floor) and the building was mostly a ghost town. Apparently people even took desktop pc's home to work from there.
The country has further emphasised the restrictions, and you can now only commute in or out (for the hundreds of thousands who live out of the country and commute every day) with a signed work pass, at border controls.

Everyone in the office is paranoid and a bit unsure about what they can or can't do - no unnecessary contact or proximity - call people instead of seeing them, and we've had to put a bunch of pressure on our regulator to allow home working (big no no on privacy in this country).

I've no idea what the state of things will be by the end of the week, but not impossible offices / buildings will be closed. What a world to live in...

[Wrathbone]

Government guidelines are now that anyone who can work from home should do, so I’m taking that as my cue. So long, cruel outdoors!

[Mantis]

They would never be able to implement any kind of curfew controls with work or travel passes here because there is practically zero way to enforce them thanks to pretty much every part of the state being slashed to the bone.

Someone in our office was off with fever on Friday and today and our manager asked whether they were well enough to come back to work tomorrow. Worst of all the employee in question said they would come in because they have a lot of work on!

[Hatredsheart]

Boris Johnson
“We need people to start working from home and you should avoid pubs, clubs… and other such social venues"

Glad I don't work in the hospitality industry anymore.

[Sly Boots]

Yet schools being forced to remain open...

[Drarok]

Yet schools being forced to remain open...

Place bets on them closing from tomorrow once the heads have had chance to meet and plan.

[Sly Boots]

Yet schools being forced to remain open...

Place bets on them closing from tomorrow once the heads have had chance to meet and plan.

My guess is they'll continue this week but close next week to give kids (at least) three weeks off for Easter.

Our school put out a letter today warning that families self-isolating without symptoms will be marked as unauthorised and may incur financial penalties...

[Animalmother]

My place has closed until further notice. Was informed over WhatsApp and basically told good luck and call the dole office to get money. I work for a total sack of shit if that wasn't immediately clear...

[Wrathbone]

Sorry man, that’s terrible news.

[Raid]

That's shit, sorry to hear that. Mind if I ask what industry it's in?

[Animalmother]

It's a very small artist's studio, only 9 of us. No one is buying art when there's a mini apocalypse. Either way my boss was an utter Edwin before all this.

I needed to motivate myself for a new job anyway, silver linings.

[Mantis]

Comments about the PMs announcement are that because they aren't actively banning large gatherings and forcing events to close down, it makes closures voluntary and as such voids the closure for insurance purposes, which means that a lot of businesses and theatres etc. stand to go bust if they close down now.

One of my friends works sound at big festivals and other events and he is totally screwed. He's self employed and generally works his arse off all Spring and Summer and then takes it easy and has most of Autumn and Winter off. So he was just gearing up to go back to work with his funds running low and now he's probably going to have to claim for the dole. I feel so bad for him.

[Mantis]

Meanwhile, France is on a war footing. Gas, electricity, water bills and rents are suspended and Macron has vowed that no company will collapse as a result of the virus, and so will be supported with a 300bn Euro loan package.