Coronavirus - Strange times

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tillyoshea
Posts: 364
Joined: Sun 23 Nov, 2003 14.34
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
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tightrope78 wrote: Sat 04 Jul, 2020 21.15What really takes the biscuit is bar staff and cafe staff wearing those stupid splash guard screens. They provide absolutely no protection from the virus on their own.
The Government guidance has more faith in them than you:
"...a clear visor that covers the face and provides a barrier between the wearer and the client from respiratory droplets caused by sneezing, coughing or speaking. There is no requirement for the client to wear any additional protection such as a mask or face covering, when the practitioner is wearing a visor. There is no benefit to either the client or the practitioner of wearing additional PPE to that which they would usually use, beyond the clear visor mentioned above."
tightrope78 wrote: Sat 04 Jul, 2020 21.15...government guidance which is to wash your hands every 15 minutes in any situation where you're in contact with others.
Citation needed.
thegeek
Posts: 858
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2005 12.35

Philip wrote: Sat 04 Jul, 2020 11.39 Anyone off to the pub then?
I'm not in a massive rush, though we are fairly well-served for massive Victorian pubs and not bad beer gardens in this part of the world, so I probably will in the next week or so.

(That said, we also have plenty of pubs near parks which have been serving takeaway pints, but if you're sitting in the park you may as well bring your own cans...)
gottago
Posts: 260
Joined: Thu 29 Jan, 2009 19.50

About 2 people clapping here for the NHS clap, everyone here did it during the weekly applause.

Me and a couple of friends tried a few pubs yesterday near Shoreditch and it was a pretty good experience, didn't book anywhere either. Security very much have the same job as those at supermarkets. Everywhere we went had all tables filled but none of the venues felt uncomfortably full. Much preferred table service to forcing my way to the front of a busy bar so hopefully that's something that can stick around in a few venues long into the future. Only one bar took our contact details, aren't they all obliged to take them?
Martin Phillp
Posts: 1469
Joined: Wed 11 May, 2011 01.28

gottago wrote: Sun 05 Jul, 2020 18.17 Only one bar took our contact details, aren't they all obliged to take them?
It seems to be a mix, depending on the area. From what I was told, some took name and telephone numbers, others took temperature checks, but didn't take contact details and some carried on as normal.

I'm going to a cafe tomorrow, where they confirmed they've reopened the restaurant side and the barber on Tuesday, so will report back.
TVF's London Lite.
cwathen
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Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 17.28

I think the variations on providing contact details are down to another case of the terms 'guidance' and 'rules' being used interchangeably by the government, with it not really being clear what is and isn't law.

Wetherspoons are requesting contact details on paper forms which are held in pubs, but have explicitly stated it is not mandatory. My local pub though has implemented a 'signing in book' and completing the details is mandatory to be allowed in. They believe this is a legal requirement (I don't think it is), whereas I suspect although only trying to do the right thing they're opening themselves up to a huge data protection liability with having a list of contact details on public display. Whether or not contact details do need to be taken, and advice on a GDPR compliant way of doing it for the benefit of smaller businesses that haven't had to navigate this before really should have been made clear by the government.

In these parts I haven't seen any real issue with the pubs being open. I went around a few yesterday and they were more Monday night busy than Saturday night busy, nowhere was rammed. The rules individual premises had were clearly stated on entry, compliance with these rules by the punters was very high, and nowhere was tolerating the tiny number of individuals breaking them.

Actually a really civilised and enjoyable evening. If I was the pubs though, I'd be worried things weren't busier for a reopening night. Every relaxation and reopening thus far has has typically resulted in a few days of maniacal activity, followed by a rapid decline to far less than normal levels of activity. We saw it when the rules on exercise were relaxed, city and town centres are still full of elaborate queuing systems for shops to manage queues which aren't there. My prediction is that next weekend is actually likely to be quieter in the pubs, not busier.
gottago
Posts: 260
Joined: Thu 29 Jan, 2009 19.50

cwathen wrote: Sun 05 Jul, 2020 20.24 My prediction is that next weekend is actually likely to be quieter in the pubs, not busier.
Although I know a hell of a lot of people who specifically avoided this weekend because of how busy they thought it would be and are going next weekend instead, it could snowball if everyone's thinking the same. I've got two bookings in for next weekend with people who avoided this week for the same reason.
cdd
Posts: 2607
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 14.05

The general consensus among my friends/family is to “wait a couple of weeks” before returning so I expect we’ll see a ramping up. With the friends I went with I was amazed how little the places I visited had changed. Haven't seen QR code menus yet, they were everywhere in Amsterdam. For many places the contact tracing is automatic as booking systems record contact details and table numbers.

My local Pizza Express has been preparing for this day for ages, it has a downstairs seating area I have never ever seen used (even on the busiest evenings). I expect quite a few restaurants are not really capacity bound in this way and can use enhanced social distancing as a selling point.

A number of crappier chains not reopening following the Covid Clearout probably helps too - F&B, Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge have been living a hand to mouth existence for some time. I actually think Cafe Rouge could have survived if it morphed into something like Cote but instead they stuck to their bagged croutons and pre-prepared frites.

Speaking of fading chains, has anyone been to a Harvester? I’m interested to know how they’re handling their new salad bar protocol. Everything hinges on that not getting too diluted.
Martin Phillp
Posts: 1469
Joined: Wed 11 May, 2011 01.28

The cafe on Monday had a notice about Covid-19 at the door, with taped off tables and transparent sheeting in the kitchen and serving areas, with a crude square cut-out to give them cash.

The barbers this morning, I was met by a receptionist, a first for what was a walk-in barbers wearing a face shield who confirmed my booking and then did a temperature check. I was asked to wait at the other end of the premises to maintain social distancing. Once i was in the chair, bar the barber wearing a mask and giving me a transparent gown to wear, it was the same process as before.

There was a slight price rise to £13, but I've always found them to be ad-hoc with the prices. I've paid £10 or £11 for cuts there previously, but this is London where it's easy to pay £20 for a dry cut!
TVF's London Lite.
scottishtv
Posts: 743
Joined: Thu 01 Apr, 2004 15.36
Location: Edinburgh

One of the best things to come out of all of this is the fact IKEA now let you take your trolley load of stuff across the car park, freeing you from the penned in pick-up area. Much easier if you're shopping solo.

That said, I went in an hour before closing and it still felt a bit crowded in some parts of the store. It's very tricky for staff trying to stop pinch points developing.
gottago
Posts: 260
Joined: Thu 29 Jan, 2009 19.50

cwathen wrote: Sun 05 Jul, 2020 20.24 I think the variations on providing contact details are down to another case of the terms 'guidance' and 'rules' being used interchangeably by the government, with it not really being clear what is and isn't law.
Thinking about this further, if someone tests positive, informs the pub and then they get in touch with everyone who went that day... what then? Does everyone who went that day have to self isolate for 2 weeks? The place I gave my contact details to don't have a record of when I left so how do they know if there was cross-contamination?
scottishtv
Posts: 743
Joined: Thu 01 Apr, 2004 15.36
Location: Edinburgh

gottago wrote: Wed 08 Jul, 2020 11.44Thinking about this further, if someone tests positive, informs the pub and then they get in touch with everyone who went that day... what then? Does everyone who went that day have to self isolate for 2 weeks? The place I gave my contact details to don't have a record of when I left so how do they know if there was cross-contamination?
No. If someone feels unwell they are meant to stay at home, book a test, wait for the results and any further instructions.

If the person tests positive they will get a call from NHS Track and Trace, who then go into the detail of exactly where they were, who they were with, how long they were at certain places etc. It's the contact-tracers job to then contact people (and establishments) to find out any further contacts and their details, pin down times of who was where and when, do all the tracing and then ask those most likely to have been in close enough contact with the infected person (for long enough) to then isolate themselves. Not everyone in a given pub all day.

I saw on the news last night that a well-meaning landlady had phoned all her customers yesterday to tell them she'd had an infected customer in the pub, but it didn't really help matters. The NHS contact tracers will get in touch (or "are meant to get in touch") to inform people who should do what - assuming they answer their phone. After all, according to today;s Treasury document the "Test, Trace, Contain and Enable programme" is due to cost £10 billion...
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