Covid - news and views

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  • ScottyH56
    ScottyH56 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited July 2021 #1052

     Hello All

    The latest guidance issued by the club has landed in my inbox and I see that beyond a recommendation to wear face coverings everything is more or less back to normal in the toilet blocks.

    What still confuses me is that the Club still makes no reference to the subject of ventilation and I wonder if any guidance has been sent to sites on the importance of keeping windows open. I don't mind internal spaces as long as I can feel a bit of airflow but on my last visit to a site when I went to the block at 8.45 am I saw all the windows were closed - I went around opening them myself.  I noticed a cleaner actually closed the only window in the disabled loo. It was 18C and sunny outside so hardly a winter's day. 

    Patrick Vallance is constantly on about ventilation. Every pub I go to has windows and doors fully open. It seems very strange that the Club is silent on this and again I wonder if advice has gone out to the sites.

    Cheers, Scott (first post!)

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #1053

    Here we go again yell!!!!!!

    UK records 96 Covid deaths in highest daily figure since MARCH as hospitalisations rise by another third - but weekly growth in cases starts to flatten with 46,558 positive tests

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #1054

    Good post Scotty, I would open all the windows too. I've noticed many closed ones in facility blocks this year. Get some air flow through!

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #1055

    It’s a very valid point Scotty (and welcome, by the way😁) However, it would be difficult for Site staff to monitor continuously. Visitors will just do whatever suits them with the doors and windows in facility blocks🤷‍♀️ By far the safest situation is to simply use your onboard facilities as much as possible, but I do realise that not all outfits are equipped with a loo and shower. We saw a good few smaller outfits had a toilet tent on their pitch on some of the Sites we stayed at last year.
    I’m afraid that the Club can only do so much, it’s up to individuals now if they don’t feel fully safe using on site facilities. I would add that having to clean loo blocks (and more than usual) might be a factor in both Clubs starting to experience staff shortages.  It wouldn’t be for me in a pandemic situation, no matter how decent the wage. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited July 2021 #1056

    I take it that when you spoke to the site staff they did not give a reason for having windows closed? ; and if as you say you saw a cleaner? close the window in the disabled toilet was it a cc site as cleaners are not normally employed?

    The doors on the toilet showers on this site are left open after cleaning and inspections, but members it seems close them

     

  • ScottyH56
    ScottyH56 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited July 2021 #1057

    Thanks for the welcome!

    We just have a VW camper so rely somewhat on the toilet blocks but also are pretty confident about manging the situation as regards our own personal safety. But the size of the pandemic as a whole can be affected by if all leisure and hospitality takes sensible measures.

    The Club could replace all the existing Covid notices around toilet blocks with little ones next to each window saying "Keep safe - do not close this window" and the country would be safer.

    My wife is a 62 year old teaching assistant and the situation in her mask free environment is managed by having the school windows constantly open. She walks into a Club toilet block and is aghast that windows are shut!

  • ScottyH56
    ScottyH56 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited July 2021 #1058

    It was a big CC site but this cleaner was from outside. Yes, unusual! Maybe a staff illness.

    I am sure that the club staff gets lots of advice on how they should implement Covid safety measures, much of which will have little effect, but I strongly suspect that the biggest safety measure (ensuring adequate ventilation) is missing.

  • RedKite
    RedKite Club Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #1059

    New Forest has outside cleaning team 6 days a week.  Agree with windows open but sometimes when they are open folk will close them and usually all showers have vents above them to extract steam and air, also some sites have insect screens on them and some make it difficult to open the windows.

    I remember my late mum staying at a relative of my late stepfather near Clacton on Sea and she had all the windows screwed down and my mum was afresh air person windows open all year so a screwdriver was found and windows were open for the first time in about 20 years did caused a few grumbles but she accepted my mum needed air coming in and out, we had a few laughs about over the years, we have windows open most the day here with fly screens on.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #1060

    The problem on some sites is that waste water from showers drains along a shared drain passing through each shower on it's way out and quite a few showers are internal so although there's air extraction a few open windows and doors would clear droplets in the air much faster.. The shower areas on some sites have very cramped old style designs. Not that I'd be using any at the moment! 

     

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited July 2021 #1061

    We went on our weekly trip to Sainsburys today. It was quite heartening that the vast, vast majority of customers, young and old, were wearing face masks. In marked contrast, only about 50% of the staff were wearing them. In fairness I suppose that they would be having to wear them all day whereas it was only for about half an hour for us and other customers. They did, of course, have to wear them all the time before 19th July.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,428 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #1062

    Yes, a trip to the local shops and centre and most if not all were wearing masks and keeping away from others.

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited July 2021 #1063

    Were The Staff on check-outs behind the perspex panels still ??

  • DEBSC
    DEBSC Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited July 2021 #1064

    With Devon being packed with holidaymakers I suppose it was inevitable but a few months ago we were down to nil cases just here, now we are at 582 per 100,000 and rising very rapidly, and Torbay and Plymouth are very much higher. Everyone I speak to seems to have friends or family infected or isolating. We don’t usually go far from home during the six week silly season but I think we will be going back to full pre vaccine precautions for a while.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #1065

    Our rural area of S Somerset is up to 935 per 100,000 (looking at the covid interactive map) we've recently turned the deep purple colour, not seen before. The map changes as it's expanded so local areas can be pinpointed

    Covid map LINK

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1066

    Interesting watching just how things have developed over the last few days re the UK overseas travel policy being in dis-array, it would seem over there is not fairing much better, although the below is not mandatory across the EU and individual countries can choose to ignore or make it up as they go along, pretty much like over here laughing

    "Through the latest update regarding the epidemiological situation of the EU countries, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has decided to place Spain and the Balearic Islands in the dark red category.

    Such a decision comes after the country registered an upsurge in Coronavirus cases, identifying more than 500 infections per 100,000 inhabitants during the last 14 days, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

    Consequently, since Spain has been registering high infection rates, ECDC has advised against all unnecessary travel to the country and to the three islands, Ibiza, Palma, and Minorca."

    be interesting to see what BJ comes up with next to try to stop the variants entering our country winkmaybe he will put all his faith in the vaccine undecided

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,669 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1067

    We've visited Healey's Cyder Farm today, as part of our Cornwall section of the holiday.  Lots of outdoor space where people are not wearing masks, but I reckon about 50% of folk were wearing masks in the indoor areas... a lot less than at home, to be honest.  Carol and I are still wearing masks in indoor areas.  Carol has popped into Sainsbury's at Truro, so I'll get a further mask report when she comes back to the car.

    David

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1068

    Just had the call, or rather, the email to arms.  Volunteers required to vaccinate our 50's plus this autumn.  Qualifications: the patience of Job and tendencies similar to Vlad the Impaler😳.  Okay I made the last bit up 😃 but if you fancy giving a hand with any of the tasks and skills needed to ensure the programme runs smoothly please try to help out.  A lot of very knackered people will be very grateful for your help 🙏. 

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited August 2021 #1069

    The latest figures show how vulnerable we still are to this disease. Some 4700 infected after an event in Cornwall. Here in Gwynedd we have seen a huge rise in cases, but of course the population has increased 3 or 4 fold with holiday makers. Covid now back in top10 of illnesses in UK. We notice much less face coverings generally and difficulty in Social distancing inside and outside of shops.  Doesnt seem that the mass vaccination is as effective as we think.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1070

    Most tourist areas have seen significant rises in infections. I note the government is urging people not to travel to Cornwell or Deven unless they already have bookings. Could  be a few cancellations in the pipeline.

    peedee

     
  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1071

    Yep, Cornwall now has the unwanted prize of topping the English league table for covid infections. People are urged to stay away if they don’t have bookings and to self test before, during and after their stays if they do come.

    Thankyou, Boardmasters😤😤

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,428 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1072

    Could be a few cancellations in the pipeline.

    You mean for the club? well at least they can make that decision based upon health considerations alone and without it costing them any money under the current booking system? An advantage of the club I would say in these times?

    And some others can pick up the cancellation so not too much money may be lost by the club? Of course there may be other as yet unknown. to me anyway, impacts of those cancellations?

  • heddlo
    heddlo Forum Participant Posts: 872 ✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1073

    We have recently had our son and family staying with us from Hertfordshire.    They had a day out in York (with their masks)  and they were really surprised how many people were walking around, inside and outside, without masks compared to their own town.  I wonder if it’s that people are ‘on holiday’, so they don’t bother with masks perhaps?   Personally I think it was a bad call to make them voluntary.  

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,428 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1074

    I noticed a report yesterday that there was forty-five minute queue to reach the summit of Snowdon with record numbers in the region. Now I love the fells but queuing to reach a summit is something I would not do.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1075

    And that’s with the train not going as far as the summit. There are so many other lovely mountain walks in North Wales. I think some folks are just ticking a box to be honest, look at me, I am here. Mind, I don’t recommend Tryfan for an afternoon stroll!😱

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1076

    Masks are mandatory still in Scotland, hasn't stop our figures soaring though. Yesterday was our highest figure for a very long time.

    Children are now back to school up here so more testing going on, more tests more cases.

    Our gkids boarding school went back last Tuesday, yesterday they closed the school for a firebreak as so many cases of covid showed up in their twice weekly testing.

    All children were to do tests before returning to school. It would appear at least 1 family didn't bother. The result is all children now have to go home until halfway through September. As some of these children's homes are overseas its not going to be easy for them.

    Covid has not gone away, it is still very much out there. 

    We will carry on doing the same as we have done since this all started, masks sanitiser, distance.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1077

    We still wear a mask in indoor areas when out and about, and avoid crowded areas. But I feel Covid, the news and the Government has taken a few steps back, gone quiet, and passing the outcome to the public to finalise.

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited August 2021 #1078

    +1, I’ll go further-since Covid became a thing I’ve worn a mask when near others & I haven’t had a single sniffle👍🏻. I will be doing the whole mask gig well into the future maybe even ad infinitum🤷🏻‍♂️

  • SeasideBill
    SeasideBill Forum Participant Posts: 2,112
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    edited August 2021 #1079

    You won’t be tackling Everest then?

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1080

    Agree Rocky. Someone asked me why I was sanitising my basket the other day in a Coop. My response, looking them straight in the eye was “because there are a lot of very dirty humans about” 

    Less colds, flu, gastrointestinal problems.....it all makes sense. 👍

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited August 2021 #1081

    Unfortunately over time less of the common aliments translates to lower general immunity, lower immune response and more severe illness when infected.