Heatwave and lockdown

[Marilyne]

safe travels everyone and have a nice quarantine!! 

 

M.

[tomisitt]

On 13/08/2020 at 09:18, Andy davidson said:

Re the water, we were thinking about the logistics of that, and dealing with the heat during 1916 and beyond, I just can not imagine how they dealt with it all, beyond respect......

On the Carso (Italian Front) the Italian 3rd Army needed 750,000 litres of water every day. On a battlefield with no natural water supplies, where temps were routinely in the 30s. The logistics of supplying them was truly extraordinary.

[Andy davidson]

2 hours ago, tomisitt said:

On the Carso (Italian Front) the Italian 3rd Army needed 750,000 litres of water every day. On a battlefield with no natural water supplies, where temps were routinely in the 30s. The logistics of supplying them was truly extraordinary.

Very hard to imagine these facts, and the fact that's it's not just a one off, wow

[sc-em]

Drive through test  when  got back and less than 48 hrs for result. Al good. No need for 14 days. 

[Frajohn]

5 hours ago, sc-em said:

Drive through test  when  got back and less than 48 hrs for result. Al good. No need for 14 days. 

 

I am somewhat confused as to your statement. My understanding is that there s no alternative to quarantine  when returning to the UK from France. Spain,Belgium etc.

Which country did you travel from and which port, airport or train station did you return through.

 

 

[jonbem]

Over the weekend I watched a film from 1996 on Amazon Prime. Not particularly good but it passed a couple of hours.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115571/

Then saw this on the news website

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53788018

Any conspiracy theorists out there wish to comment?

[sc-em]

On returning from France, we booked, via phone, a drive through test that was held at a centre near where we live. The process was we drove through and were told to keep windows up and all communication was done via phone and held up cards. The only thing passed through the window was the bag containing swab etc with which you have to take a sample from the back of throat and nose. Sealed in a medi bag and then handed back. That was done at 7 pm Saturday night and we had the results (negative)this morning via email and text to say we were free to return to work.

It's ridiculous that we had to find this out for ourselves as there was no information forth coming from the Euro Tunnel, which was a surprise as there system had proved very good with informing us about things.

[slick63]

1 hour ago, sc-em said:

On returning from France, we booked, via phone, a drive through test that was held at a centre near where we live. The process was we drove through and were told to keep windows up and all communication was done via phone and held up cards. The only thing passed through the window was the bag containing swab etc with which you have to take a sample from the back of throat and nose. Sealed in a medi bag and then handed back. That was done at 7 pm Saturday night and we had the results (negative)this morning via email and text to say we were free to return to work.

It's ridiculous that we had to find this out for ourselves as there was no information forth coming from the Euro Tunnel, which was a surprise as there system had proved very good with informing us about things.

This doesn`t seem to tie up with guidelines on the gov. page which say that c19 can be dormant for 14 days..... Covid guidleines

It would be interesting to know if the contents of the text act as a sort of "get out of jail free card" if there are any comebacks.

If what you say is true then it really should be out there in the public domain, as I imagine quite a few people will have cancelled their holidays at some financial loss due to the inability to self isolate (loss of earnings etc.)

 

EDIT: Just found this NHS page which seems to back up what you said.... Get a C19 test

Edited 17 August , 2020 by slick63

[Michelle Young]

I don't see anywhere here that says you can just rock up for a covid swab on return and not have to quarantine. 

 

https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-UK-and-French-travel-and-quarantine-measures

[Frajohn]

Thank you SC-EM for your reply. I understand that you have been tested and the results were negative.  However, I cannot find anywhere online where this test is a legal alternative to quarantine. I cannot see on the NHS site any reference to the test being a replacement for the 14 day quarantine period. The reference from Michelle does not offer testing as an alternative.

 

Obviously the introduction of the14 day quarantine has had a major impact on visitors to the battlefields. Like other businesses here we have received a large number of cancellation over recent days. We have checked with a number of transport, rail, air and ferries. All have said the same, that there is no alternative to the quarantine. 
 

We would like to be able to tell our clients that they can travel to France without the need to quarantine on return. Of course, we would need to be able to show that this is indeed permitted by the UK.

 

Would you please let me know where you have found a government site / document which clearly states that having a negative test the day of return to the U K  negates the need for the 14 day quarantine.

 

Thank you

[keithfazzani]

I too am puzzled. It was made quiet clear that there was no alternative to quarantine. Indeed there have been many demands from politicians for a testing solution. Even these proposed test solutions would only shorten quarantine not remove it. You may prove free from Covid today but might develop it in a few days, a single test solution doesn’t sound right. 

[chaz]

would be nice to have a test on the day,this would help industries and businesses, my employers would not be happy having a week off then 14 days quarantine. But, getting a clear test on your return, then no quarantine, means you could stand a chance of picking it up from others .

[Steven Broomfield]

Heatwave?

Tomorrow, some Regimental Association chums and I have arranged to visit the London Regiment memorial at Hazeley Down with a view to a small ceremony there next year.

 

Have you seen tomorrow's forecast for southern England?

[Michelle Young]

I was up at the Dover Patrol memorial yesterday,  nearest I will get to France for a while! Lots of ferries in and out of the port of Dover, presumably ferrying people who can afford to quarantine for two weeks. 

[Moonraker]

I've just opted out of an annual custom which this year would have entailed my driving across town to be chauffeured by an old mate to Kent (2.5 hours either way), for a third mate then to drive us to a fish restaurant in Hythe, followed by our ambling around Dover.

 

Neither Dave nor I were keen on wearing masks for so long in the car and he and John have both been mingling with relatives (fair enough) and I've had close contacts with a couple of friends. And I don't fancy eating out at the moment. We're all in our 70s. Until Michelle mentioned the ferries, I hadn't thought that, apart from other day trippers, there might be a raised infection risk because of ferry passengers (not to mention those who have crossed the Channel in rather more primitive forms of sea transport).

[Andy davidson]

Well, that's my 14 day quarantine completed, had my on line form for travelling checked at Calais, was told would be checked again at Dover but waived straight through. On the Ferry lots of folk ignoring the one way systems, but hey ho, just hoping the worst is over, will be back in Ypres early summer hopefully.

[Moonraker]

I guess that the title of this thread has become outdated, with the departure of the heatwave.  Last night I had to put on a pullover for the first time since April when watching TV.

 

Yesterday my walk took in part of the Ridgeway near Swindon. It's a track I normally avoid on Sundays at the best of times because it's popular, but I needed to use only a short stretch.  I had no problem socially-distancing with other users in their ones and twos but then I encountered a group of a dozen or so spread out across the track  deep in conversation in three separate sections, each of which merely moved slightly to one side allowing me to pass, but certainly not  two metres away. Not that I'm worried about outdoor proximity, but I'm still trying to observe the guidelines.

 

 

[Marilyne]

Same on this side of the Channel... heat (in waves or not) is over I guess... although September might hold a surprise or two... just hope the WE will be a little bit OK, as the Little Crazy Pony Band has it's second gig... all within safe distances of course... 

 

M.

 

 

[sassenach]

1 hour ago, Moonraker said:

Yesterday my walk took in part of the Ridgeway near Swindon. It's a track I normally avoid on Sundays at the best of times because it's popular, but I needed to use only a short stretch.  I had no problem socially-distancing with other users in their ones and twos but then I encountered a group of a dozen or so spread out across the track  deep in conversation in three separate sections, each of which merely moved slightly to one side allowing me to pass, but certainly not  two metres away. Not that I'm worried about outdoor proximity, but I'm still trying to observe the guidelines.

 

I get the impression that most people have more or less abandoned any attempt at distancing, except in settings where there is a degree of enforcement, such as shops. Outdoors, nobody, certainly not the young, seems to bother. I suspect many don't even know it's still necessary.

 

I can't help being a tad sceptical about outdoor proximity. So far we've been told officially that masks are useless/worse than useless, and that quarantine would serve no purpose. Now masks are compulsory in many settings, and quarantine is imposed widely. How long before someone says "Actually, we got it wrong/fresh evidence has emerged. You can easily get it outside after all."  

Edited 31 August , 2020 by sassenach

[Steven Broomfield]

2 hours ago, sassenach said:

I get the impression that most people have more or less abandoned any attempt at distancing, except in settings where there is a degree of enforcement, such as shops. Outdoors, nobody, certainly not the young, seems to bother. I suspect many don't even know it's still necessary.

 

I can't help being a tad sceptical about outdoor proximity. So far we've been told officially that masks are useless/worse than useless, and that quarantine would serve no purpose. Now masks are compulsory in many settings, and quarantine is imposed widely. How long before someone says "Actually, we got it wrong/fresh evidence has emerged. You can easily get it outside after all."  

 

Well, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer person said last week that there was no conclusive evidence, either way, on the efficacy of masks; I noticed this morning that, out of three people in the shop when I picked up my paper, I was the only one bothering to wear one. The other two were both female; one elderly (i.e. older than me), the other rather younger (by about 40 years, I suspect).

 

For me, the most nonsensical thing is coffee shops who won't stamp loyalty cards. The NT won't, and neither will an independent in Winchester. Caffe Nero, however, are made of sterner stuff - they happily stamp. I wonder when someone will look at the death rate amongst Caffe Nero baristas and ring Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Runne.

 

And on the subject of the heatwave, I see the temperature today is expected to be a maximum of 18 degrees in Southern Hampshire. Today being a Bank Holiday in Englandshire, that compares to 33 on the last August Bank Holiday Monday.

[sassenach]

32 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said:

Well, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer person said last week that there was no conclusive evidence, either way, on the efficacy of masks;

Yes, Dr Harries, former star of Hancock's half hour at No 10. Her dithering doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the medical establishment. You'd think they might have managed to form a view on masks at some point before the pandemic actually arrived so that whatever was decided could come into immediate effect. Ditto quarantine.  

[keithfazzani]

Anyone would think science was based on facts rather than theories. 

[Moonraker]

5 hours ago, sassenach said:

... I can't help being a tad sceptical about outdoor proximity. So far we've been told officially that masks are useless/worse than useless, and that quarantine would serve no purpose. Now masks are compulsory in many settings, and quarantine is imposed widely. How long before someone says "Actually, we got it wrong/fresh evidence has emerged. You can easily get it outside after all."  

I'm not much worried about social proximity outside provided some athletic type doesn't breeze close by exuding breath, sweat and saliva But I'm still inclined to try to practice it myself. I think that I may have mentioned that this Saturday I'm foregoing an annual meet-up with two mates of the 1970s-1980s that included a meal out. I would have spent a lot  all the time glancing around suspiciously and glaring at any one who wasn't being careful and wondering if the waiters had been wearing their masks all the time.

[Marilyne]

we're trying to respect the rules as much as possible, but the problem in Belgium is that the making of the rules has been given to the cities... example: last week we were in Nieuwpoort on Sunday. Boyfriend wanted schrimps for his dad, and just when I parked the car in the center came up with the brilliant idea of driving to Nieuwpoort bad for some Australian ice cream (big sigh from my side... oooohhh kay... off we go!) 

arriving in Nieuwpoort: MASK MANDATORY EVERYWHERE!! 

but then: in the town adjacent to Nieuwpoort (Middelkerke), mask only on the dyke... 

mask mandatory for walkers... runners are exempted... so one in two persons on the dyke are people huffing and puffing around like steam locomotives... and they DO NOT need a mask... makes sense???? 

then you get to the Australian... in the "piétonier"... read: one street, shops on both sides in the middle of sales, impossible to keep social distance. The rule: yes, you can take off your mask when eating your ice cream but keep your distance. HOW???? 

 

So I just stopped trying to make sense out of it... might be easier... 

 

M.

[Steven Broomfield]

2 hours ago, keithfazzani said:

Anyone would think science was based on facts rather than theories. 

 

My wife having worked with scientists for many, many years, has the view that two scientists could easily come up with at least five theories, all of which can change according to the size of the fag packet available to do the sums.