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Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

Not sure whats happening in the rest of the country but down here people are being sent to testing stations 50+ miles away when they try to book a test, yet i drove past one of the local testing stations a few times today and each time it was virtually empty. Absolute joke.
 
SaintHacker said:
Not sure whats happening in the rest of the country but down here people are being sent to testing stations 50+ miles away when they try to book a test, yet i drove past one of the local testing stations a few times today and each time it was virtually empty. Absolute joke.
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Isn't the booking system in place to keep the people waiting at the test centre to a minimum?
 
SaintHacker said:
Not sure whats happening in the rest of the country but down here people are being sent to testing stations 50+ miles away when they try to book a test, yet i drove past one of the local testing stations a few times today and each time it was virtually empty. Absolute joke.
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From the stories I've heard, the one requirement of the test booking staff would appear to be having no idea whatsoever about geography. I don't know how they allocate the centres, but I do know that when I last used the NHS non emergency service they wanted to send me somewhere miles from home when there was another hospital much nearer, and both had appointments available. The person at the other end was quite adamant that I didn't know which hospital was closer to my home...
 
We were due to go to Turkey next week, for a week, booked in January before it kicked off
Decided not to go, rates are rising over there and are close to the 20/100000 figure the government are using to quarantine.

If we had to quarantine it would mess up H4H and the Islay trip as well as my partners work

Also didn’t fancy wearing a mask for 7 hours (2 hours at Gatwick, flight and airport other end)

So having a mini mid week break based in Chester instead,

Wooppee
 
We were planning to visit relatives on the Black Isle in a few weeks time. But as my aunt is in her late 80s; one of my cousins we'd be travelling to visit is in a high risk (seriously impacting chemo) category, and her husband is in his mid-70s - we are looking at what is happening on infection levels around the country and thinking that we'll have to cancel our trip. And that will be very disappointing.

But is it really for the best...? Who knows when it'll become 'safe' to visit them, possibly many months?, and who knows what life holds for any of us that could make a decision we make now very regrettable...
 
Kaz said:
I think you're asking a bigger question than I'm raising. Personally, I'm in favour of more restrictions now that cases are surging again but I'm a bit risk-averse and accept there is a balance to be struck. However, banning me from visiting my mum in her house while leaving pubs open just smacks of a government ducking a hard decision.
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This apparent anomaly came up somewhere else and I can't find it . I replied then that the only logical reason I can think of is that, mindful of trying to keep some pub /restaurant trading going, the government is trying to keep a balance. If people meet family (or anyone ) in those places, they will keep SD because they will not wish to be seen to do otherwise.
However, it's a fair bet, that in the privacy of a home, there are a significant number who would hug and kiss and SD would go out the window.
I think the government think that that is an unpalatable fact, hence the home restrictions.
It's a case of accepting that not all people will act as responsibly as you would.
 
PhilTheFragger said:
We were due to go to Turkey next week, for a week, booked in January before it kicked off
Decided not to go, rates are rising over there and are close to the 20/100000 figure the government are using to quarantine.

If we had to quarantine it would mess up H4H and the Islay trip as well as my partners work

Also didn’t fancy wearing a mask for 7 hours (2 hours at Gatwick, flight and airport other end)

So having a mini mid week break based in Chester instead,

Wooppee
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Yeah I'd still be masking up for that ;)
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
We were planning to visit relatives on the Black Isle in a few weeks time. But as my aunt is in her late 80s; one of my cousins we'd be travelling to visit is in a high risk (seriously impacting chemo) category, and her husband is in his mid-70s - we are looking at what is happening on infection levels around the country and thinking that we'll have to cancel our trip. And that will be very disappointing.

But is it really for the best...? Who knows when it'll become 'safe' to visit them, possibly many months?, and who knows what life holds for any of us that could make a decision we make now very regrettable...
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I appreciate that this Covid is a bast....., but surely, it's a no brainier.
The categories of the people involved make the risks extremely high.
The latest news all point to the infection rates ,and so the risks ,getting higher now and towards winter.
The thoughts need to be with what tragedies you are helping to avoid , more than the thoughts of disappointment of not seeing them. Is it possible to use FaceTime or similar?
 
Swinglowandslow said:
I appreciate that this Covid is a bast....., but surely, it's a no brainier.
The categories of the people involved make the risks extremely high.
The latest news all point to the infection rates ,and so the risks ,getting higher now and towards winter.
The thoughts need to be with what tragedies you are helping to avoid , more than the thoughts of disappointment of not seeing them. Is it possible to use FaceTime or similar?
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Absolutely...but the disappointment of not being able to visit someone for a few months is quite different from possibly never again being able to visit them...a very painful conundrum and dilemma currently faced by the relatives and friends of many - especially of those who are in care homes or who are highly at risk.

But I mustn't let my thinking drift out there...I'll do the right thing and not what my personal will might want me to do. It's just that sometimes the right thing to do is not always quite so blindingly obvious :(
 
It's my Mum's birthday today. She's 97. I can't ring her as she's pretty much deaf and so all I can do is get my brother to help me video chat with her but he still has to tell her what I'm saying. I can't really go to see her as I don't want to put her at risk. I've sent over the cards, flowers, chocolates, etc. but in reality it's not easy as I haven't seen her since before lockdown and I'm not sure when I will see her again.
And now we have the number of cases rising in the UK. I have customers I need to see but our company has travel restrictions in place. As I cover the UK, I need to overnight in places because it's too far to drive there and back. Planes, IMHO, are too dangerous, trains seem to be a better option but you could be sat next to anyone for hours on end so driving is the best option.
Until people realise there is still a problem, and that they have to respect the regulations for everyones sake things aren't going to improve quickly. We comply with the regulations but sadly more and more people appear not to.
We have lockdown restrictions taking place in Scotland, including the area in which we live, so it's still having a pretty big impact on my life, and that of my family.
 
Kaz said:
I can see your logic but think that’s a bit of a stretch. All it’s really achieving is making people like my mum and I, who’ve been sticking to the rules, consider ignoring it. And that’s probably the thin end of the wedge for many people.
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Indeed.

My wife's birthday in two weeks time and she was thinking of booking 8 of us for a meal. She asked the restaurant about whether we could do this. They said yes - on two tables of four - but we had to be from only two households on each table and that wasn't going to be the case (5 households in total) . They said they wouldn't ask that question and would leave it to us (our conscience) to decide.

My wife thought - and has changed her mind. Now just the six of us, self and Mrs plus our two children plus daughter's b/friend and wife's bestie. But I'm thinking this is still not compliant - not sure. Though maybe it's OK if we are on separate tables as two x 3s. With each table just being two households. We could have done what my wife really wanted and the restaurant most probably wouldn't have stopped us - but changed to what we think is just about compliant.

But many - I suspect - are not thinking in this way.

We've also cancelled going out with my 90yr old MiL and brother in law next weekend for my BiL's birthday (they are in a household). With rising infections my MiL sounded a bit worried and so we're just having a meal at MiLs.

Oh dear. But so be it,
 
My wife's pregnancy (well the since march part) was very much affected by covid

We found out was twins on 19th march at the 3 month scan .. was the first and last scan I was allowed to attend. Due to twins she was given scans every month so was a real kicker every month not going

Taking extra care coming home from work.. straight into fresh clothes shower and detoling the car just incase


Dropping her off the morning her waters broke with no bags as she just had to take herself and bags to follow if admitted was so weird and just didn't feel right to us

Got lucky with the birth that she didn't get on a ward for hours and they didn't need the room so I got to stay from 8am (when labour started) to 7pm when we said to each other I best go so that was nice

Rules still played a part ...next day one twin in ICU I could go see her but couldn't visit my wife or other twin just 2 wards away lol

When twin 1 moved to in with wife couldn't see any until they came home

Then after twin 2 went back in for one night we had to split them up for a night as we didn't feel right to put twin 1 in risk at hospital for no reason. They even had a room for them so they could be there together with mum

Been a very weird year for sure
 
pauljames87 said:
My wife's pregnancy (well the since march part) was very much affected by covid

We found out was twins on 19th march at the 3 month scan .. was the first and last scan I was allowed to attend. Due to twins she was given scans every month so was a real kicker every month not going

Taking extra care coming home from work.. straight into fresh clothes shower and detoling the car just incase


Dropping her off the morning her waters broke with no bags as she just had to take herself and bags to follow if admitted was so weird and just didn't feel right to us

Got lucky with the birth that she didn't get on a ward for hours and they didn't need the room so I got to stay from 8am (when labour started) to 7pm when we said to each other I best go so that was nice

Rules still played a part ...next day one twin in ICU I could go see her but couldn't visit my wife or other twin just 2 wards away lol

When twin 1 moved to in with wife couldn't see any until they came home

Then after twin 2 went back in for one night we had to split them up for a night as we didn't feel right to put twin 1 in risk at hospital for no reason. They even had a room for them so they could be there together with mum

Been a very weird year for sure
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Must have been very odd for you all. Hope they are both doing well.
 
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