Corona Virus Concerns
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Doesn't happen much these days, TG.
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The only beds I'm aware of that are more than 2 metres wide are full of flowers ... [and the odd crisp packet]
Steve
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Confusion reigns here. I had a text this afternoon telling me that I was in the extremely vulnerable category, mustn’t go out for 3 months and could arrange food deliveries by logging onto the given website.
I am possibly the least vulnerable human in our little unit of four. However, doctors always phone my number when they want my OH, who has had two lots of cancer and a heart attack, yet is still possibly the fittest person of his age that I know. Or could it be for my 91 year old Mum, who is linked to my phone contacts as I am her joint carer? The plot thickens (but only three weeks into this somewhat deadly crisis!) So we await a letter that might (or might not) tell us who this vulnerable one is. Call to Docs did ascertain that I shouldn’t be on list, but beyond that they couldn’t say. Our money is on Mum, so thank heavens we took this seriously from very early, and kept her fully protected, sanitised and free from visitors.
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Evening
Shouldn't this thread be renamed "the supermarket delivery" thread?lol
Anyway, I was walking round in Tescos today and I coughed. Four people turned round, I thought, Christ I'm on The Voice!
JK
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Coughing is as effective as a bicycle bell round here. Some folks take up the whole of a three metre wide path for their walk in the park. No idea of sharing space effectively, ringing my bell had no effect whatsoever first time around but the cough, cough behind them didn’t half shift them! Half the time I had to take to the grass.
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Not a concern, just the opposite in fact, as the inability to travel has seen the postponement of the "Hunting" season in places such as Botswana, and I would think the same applies to lots of other places too where the killing of wild life is considered a sport, such as fishing & shooting.
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But TG, I'm not concerned about supermarket deliveries. There's surely more concerns than that? I've only been on this site a week but have managed to get fresh veg, dairy, bakery and booze delivered online by local shops, obviously more expensive and probably not available everywhere but what about other concerns?
I'm still concerned by the continuing flouting of the distancing rules. Just this morning a group of eight people walked past the site, all within touching distance of each other. Makes me want to shout!
JK
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And I’m really concerned about the likely prospect of tourists arriving next weekend!
Supermarket deliveries - Pah! They don’t live up to the hype and not worth bothering with while local shops are bending over backwards to be helpful. They’re not much dearer either.
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Depends what they are selling for me...
cups of coffee................no
nail bars.........................no
charity shops..................no
phone shops...................no
takeaways.......................no
barbers............................no
department stores............no
overpriced chemist...........no
pound shop tat..................no
Only town of any size I have seen thriving in the last few years is Totnes. Independent quality shops offering huge variety and a very diverse range of goods. It’s got a reasonably affluent hinterland boosted by tourists, and little take over by other cultures who tend to cater for their own specific market. Although i suspect even there most shops are only a couple of months takings away from implosion, it’s just so difficult for small shop keepers. 😕
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Interesting question. Wouldn't be surprised that once the whole crisis is over, which may not be this year in its entirety, people will probably continue to use them to a greater or lesser degree. However I imagine once people are free to travel without fear of infection old shopping habits will return. There may be some who will remain loyal out of appreciation. It may also depend where you live. In large urban areas large supermarkets tend to be the place for main shopping perhaps with the occasional use of the local Co-Op for the odd thing that runs our between big shops. However people who live out in the sticks may well continue to use the shops that are local to as they do now. At the end of the day people will shop where they feel they will best get what they want, be that based on price, be that based on choice or be that based on service or be that based on nearness to where you live or a combination - so many factors. Whilst we appreciate the convenience (but not the stress!) on online shopping I will be looking forward to going back to our regular shopping habits where we have a relaxing coffee and pastry before tackling the weekly shop.
David
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We are registered as vulnerable requiring shielding, think its a different form for Scotland. We are not able to get out to exercise as they are not mobile. But there is on BBC Radio 5xtra a programme "10 for today" 10 minutes gentle exercise seat based or standing for the older person, just fine for our son as well !
Today a young chap from the council arrived today with 3 boxes of food supplies.
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JK , you might not be concerned, as it happens I'm not concerned but clearly others are concerned. Things are now getting better in the shops, so those that can get out and about like myself are doing so. For some though that are at home for 12 weeks getting a slot for shopping is important.
Remember we are all in this together.
Flouting of the rules are a concern but a we all know there will always be the 'special' ones around that rules don't apply to them
Stay safe, stay well.
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At the moment, when we old people are advised to stay home, go out as little as possible, there is a link between supermarket deliveries and distancing rules.
If we cannot get shopping delivered, one of us has to go out and shop, and as you have commented, not everyone is observing the rules on keeping apart from others.
We do have a few local shops, within a 5 minute walk we have a Lidl and a Farmfoods, neither deliver.
A couple of miles away, in opposite directions , we have a butcher and an M&S one way, and a butcher, fishmonger, baker and M&S the other way, none of them deliver either.
Then we have Aldi, no deliveries, Waitrose, Tesco and Asda, where we cannot get a slot for 3 weeks, and Morrison's who have a queue just to get onto the website, and Sainsburys who will not even let us register.
At the moment our biggest concern, like many others, is obtaining supplies of fresh food via a delivery.
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The way I see it some people still want what they could get before this crisis, why not forego some of the fresh things that are difficult to come by, just open a can or dig around in the freezer and become a little inventive.
Life is not normal anymore, moaning about food slots and lack of toilet rolls (me included) last week, is now trivial to say the least.
It's time to stay indoors and change the eating habits, and leave the filled up food slots for the people that actually need them. No one is going to starve, are they?
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Actually its the tinned and dried food that's in short supply in certain areas if what we read on here and on other forums are accurate.
Fresh food is in plentiful supply from many avenues, as has been said on here many times farm shops, butchers, fish mongers etc. Freezer centres are also now restocked.
As to your last sentence, are you really sure about that. According to those who run food banks that is a distinct possibility.
I personally don't order online, neither do I have a problem being inventive with meals, however there are some out there that have very little income, they cannot shop for weeks in advance and with everything else that is going on FOOD or the lack of it is a very real concern.
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We are on day 20 of self isolation and whilst I had a good-ish store cupboard and reasonably full freezer, not as a hoarder but always been that way. It laxed a bit over 2019 due to OH health, the reason for strict self isolation now, as I didn't have the physical or emotional energy for what was once considered normal living (in using the glut of fresh fruit and veg) - prior to his poorilness let alone this new normal.
With almost 4 months in hospital and some very expensive operations and implants I witnessed first hand how stretched and strained the NHS was THEN let alone NOW. I have no desire to add to their woes. It would also be reckless, ungrateful and irresponsible to waste their hard work last year by going against current guidelines on exposure now.
By the time we receive our 1st delivery on 21st April we will be on day 33 of self isolation. We have managed well on store cupboard and freezer with top up of fresh items from wonderful friends and neighbours. I have now managed another for about a week later. The 1st shop has a restriction of 80 items- sounds reasonable until you consider how depleted our stores are. However large a size you order, you can't be sure you'll get them, you need to be able to decant and store or freeze the surplus if its fresh eg milk.
I prefer not to use the store I've got a delivery with but beggars can't be choosers! The equivalent of making do and getting by!!
More and more smaller local shops, those that are left after they were battered by supermarkets, another issue, are organising themselves to help those such as us and I am going to use them for the items they offer, but it all takes time. Maybe I'll be able to cancel a shopping slot??? But for now I'll take my chances on an online shop and be very grateful that I've secured one.
Please remember we are all in this together and all doing our best to get through being as unselfish as possible in most cases 😉
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Moving away from shopping and online deliveries to other concerns.
Have you seen in the news photos of farmers having to pour their milk away? Because processors are not able to collect in some cases.
See here - LINK HERE
While our milk is always collected, the price paid to us has dropped. And the cooperative that we supply cannot guarantee prices for the coming year. Our inputs remain the same and we just have to hunker down and survive the best we can until life returns to normal.
But what is normal? And how far away is it? I can't see it in the near future.
At least I don't have to go to the shops for milk!
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I read an article in the Irish Times yesterday stating that supermarkets want a lifting of the social distancing requirements.
'Britain’s big supermarkets fear they won’t be able to supply the country’s 60 million people without longer opening hours or a relaxation of social distancing rules introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus.Industry executives speaking on condition of anonymity said they expected a jump in demand once Britons under lockdown had worked through supplies amassed at the start of the crisis and as shoppers stocked up for the long Easter weekend holiday.'
The supermarkets argue that they expect a surge in sales for the easter weekend and that the earlier 20% increase in food and necessities as people stocked up will be repeated as folk shop for the easter weekend and replaced used stocks. Personally I doubt that many have dug into any extra stockpile and that they are generally still available in peoples homes. As for extra sales for Easter I suspect that there will be no more surge than normal and the shops could have deferred that by announcing their staying open for the bank holiday weekend.
I certainly see no reason to reduce social distancing but some increase of the normal 8am to 10pm presently in place at our local asda might help such as opening earlier perhaps. I notice that Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Monday they are open 8 'till 8 but closed Easter Sunday as normal.
The one main thought that I have about supermarket shopping is that, for many, that is the most likely place to pick up this virus. I saw a chap pick up a net of easy peel oranges or similar, turn them over in his hand and put them back. Just consider that as an easy way to spread an infection! Fingers and hands still touch the fruit in the net, purchaser takes home and drops into fruit bowl, along comes a family member, picks up an orange, peels and without washing their hands puts segments into mouth. It is my firm belief that shoppers entering a store should be given a mask, told to disinfect hands and given gloves. No store's mask or gloves and no entry. Automatically add £1 to bill at check out to cover cost and if that exceeds cost put the rest into local food banks. That to me is a sensible action. In the present situation I search with my eyes and if I touch I buy.
Yes I know that procurement of the PPE might be problematic but at the very least supervised hand sanitation before admission would be a start
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@ EasyT .... The one main thought that I have about supermarket shopping is that, for many, that is the most likely place to pick up this virus
Spare a thought for those like SWMBO then who are supermarket staff/workers 🤔 She's subject to Joe Public every time she goes to work, people who walk up to the till holding their scratch cards/lottery ticket/cash in their mouth while fumbling in their purse/wallet and then get into a huff when she refuses to accept it from them.
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Our local Aldi have a sanitising station outside their store great, not so well thought out though is that you have to go and collect said trolley from elsewhere, so if you don't have gloves, tissue or something in which to hold the trolley handle you have already touched it by the time you get to the sanitising area. What would be better is to also offer a 'hand' sanitiser as well. Tesco have the sanitising area where the trolleys are just outside the store, supervised by a staff member.
Molly, please give your OH my thanks for all the work she and her work colleagues are doing.
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Goldie no I haven't. I'll check the link in a mo. As if you don't have enough of a tough time - not being political but thinking of those who earn silly money 🤐. That may well explain why there's no milk or eggs in the shops. Cows will go on needing to be milked and hens will continue to lay.... Our daughter in law is doing her best to provide wheat for a well known bread producer as well as other crops for us all to have later in the year.
Like you I don't know when normality, if as we knew it, will ever return, but we just need to get by.
Ps not easy to post milk through the post 😂. But if you start let us on here be the first to know 😂. Although I remember my grandmother receiving clotted cream through the post from someone on holiday in the southwest! It arrived very edible. But then that was soon after a postcard sent in the morning arrived in the same town in the afternoon. We had several examples in the archives, saying things like I'll be/not be there for tea. Mind you the directories gave times of postal collections for each post box where as know even the post box only hints at collection times!
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The one main thought that I have about supermarket shopping is that, for many, that is the most likely place to pick up this virus. I saw a chap pick up a net of easy peel oranges or similar, turn them over in his hand and put them back. Just consider that as an easy way to spread an infection! Fingers and hands still touch the fruit in the net, purchaser takes home and drops into fruit bowl, along comes a family member, picks up an orange, peels and without washing their hands puts segments into mouth
Hence some of us have acquired OCD in wiping EVERYTHING in mild bleach solution. But I need not be a member of the public infecting things!!
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