The Coronavirus Thread

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So do you not qualify for the 12 month business rates holiday? Must say I know little of how that works and why it'd be classed as a vacant property when it's only vacant because you're not allowed to open

 

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I've had a commercial espresso machine and grinder in my kitchen for years. It's all a matter of perspective. And the correct perspective is "COFFFFFFEEEEEEE GOOOOOOOOD"

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...d-mot-exemption-in-battle-against-coronavirus

Solves one of my problems, though I think I theoretically should have a service next month, and in July on another car.

Not that I'm driving anywhere.

Which brings me to another question - I can't find anything in the guidance/rules about driving for the sake of driving. Like getting in the car, having a scoot around some theoretically empty country lanes, and going back home. I'm not in contact with anyone after all. Thoughts?

EDIT: Urgh... just realised this would mean the Lotus would need its first MOT in January, when it would normally be mothballed for the winter, and weather conditions would likely be inappropriate for getting it to a garage :/

I mean, as far as things go I don't expect anyone to have any sympathy. Just likely to be another lasting PITA.

 

Unfortunately they say no

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/wor...7b335737a1f4065c947e3c&pinned_post_type=share

 

What about a trip to another city to clear my son's room in university halls?
He's home, and if the room's cleared by mid April, he doesn't have to pay the next term's fess as all the lectures and exams will be remote and online.

 

Yeah, kind of what I assumed. On one hand, no risk of transmission. On the other hand, it's entirely non-essential.

There's a farm shop we've placed an order with that's on the other side of some really nice country lanes, and a bit of a trek. We weren't sure because of that whether they would deliver or I'd have to collect, and I would have embraced the drive as a brief escape from reality.

Fortunately/unfortunately, just had a mail saying they can deliver on Sunday

On one hand, that seems like a no.

On the other hand, I've seen something about house moves saying they can go ahead as normal, "however you may find difficulty in finding people to help you move your things" or some such. Suggesting it's less a case of what you are and aren't allowed to do, and more a case of logistics and availability of people. Though I'm not sure whether that was before or after "advisory" changed to "mandate"

 

The guideline is too vague to draw any meaningful line, which is okay which is not.

If there are things that I must get from my home (we've escaped to my parents in North Somerset a few weeks ago, weekend before WFH guideline came out) I would drive the distance to fetch it.

Similarly, when government declared home working. I still gone into work for 10min to retrieve stuff I needed to WFH.

If it's essential deemed by you, and you can explain this to the police in the unlikely chance of being stopped, I think it's fine. They are saying driving for pleasure, no other good reason, is not okay. Probably because it is against the spirit of the guideline.

 

Yeah I think if you're reasonable with it things should be ok.
My brother is moving next week and they're just going to have to try and make do, originally did try to look as postponing things but was going to be a right pain so decided to just get it arranged and try to make sure they're sensible on the day.

 

Thanks guys, I think it'd be wise to get there sooner than later and as we don't need any help, just pile in and empty all his stuff into the car and go.
Maybe start early am and get it over with.

 

At the moment, I imagine not.

I'd contact the university as I imagine there'd be allowance for this as I doubt anybody would be there anyway to open up. Even if there is i'd doubt they'd allow you on site.

Not essential you see. The Government could be far clearer though.

I would imagine even if you can move your stuff it'd only be allowed if it was a case of if you didn't move you'd be homeless.

Again the Government could be clearer. It's what happens when you're doing in a half assed reactionary way.

 

I've just had an email from an estate agent (until last week, was in the market), and they've suggested that in spite of the current conditions, the property market is alive and well - with increased numbers of properties coming on the market and viewing requests... which seems entirely add odds with current guidance.

 

@Mister_Tad are they frickin mental? Estate Agents are listed as not essential now.

Again, viewing is not essential - they'd have to be virtual if anything.

Edit: ah but then what if they're self employed and need to eat, then it'd be ok i guess.

Frickin shambles

 

Our fish are demanding stricter social distance observance

 

One could argue that if they were supporting a key worker though, that is essential.
I think people just need to get used to should and shouldn't, rather than can and can't with regards to what they do.

It's simply not possible to draw up a list of formal rules, with so much nuance to what's "essential" in terms of not only direct functions, but those supporting those in direct functions, and those supporting those supporting those in direct functions... and so on.

I know people that have had the message that they're "essential" and they're left entirely bemused, like - seriously? Well they work at an IT service provider that hosts or provides managed services for transport, telco, healthcare, finance and so on. So clearly essential, right? On the other hand they're in functions that would be hard pressed to claim are essential. On the other other hand, they have the technical knowledge that would enable them to assist with any firefighting on any of those essential functions.

On the other (other, other) hand, I'm sure there are loads of people out there that are in the entirely opposite scenario. I'm rightly classed as non-essential, and yet my team is pretty much at the centre of knowledge around a certain product set my company (IT HW/SW vendor) make, and are getting pulled into critical issues on a few customers that absolutely would be classed as essential.

 

@Mister_Tad it does make me wonder who has actually been sent home on 80% of their wage.

As you point out, non-essential workers, per se, maybe essential in enabling essential workers to perform their essential work.

In that case they are essential.

 

I maybe taking a rather extreme view on what's essential by the looks of what others are saying/doing, my baseline is basically if i don't leave the house to do X am i putting mine or others health or lives at risk, if the answer is yes then it's essential, if not it's not.

Without food I'd starve to death so that's essential and that's about it for me, next time i need to go out is Sunday.

 

The problem is that saying food is essential opens up a huge can of worms:

To maintain food supplies you need everything from fertiliser production to food processing plants to transport to be open, plus all their suppliers need to be open as well (and you quickly end up in a near infinite chain of suppliers to suppliers that can claim to be essential).

 

Isolation was looking up for the kids and I when Disney+ went live yesterday...but there are only two epsiodes of The Mandalorian on there!

 

Yeah, I have picked up some dupes along the way. The best thing about these books is that the kids these days have absolutely no clue what they are and their little minds are totally blown by the concept of writing your own adventure story via options. No screens, manual dice rolls and paper character sheets.

I did toy with whether or not I could host an online session for my little 'un and her mates, but then realised that's a poor second to actual online gaming. With actual video games.

That was hilarious! How they got the tone of voice virtually identical was top notch.