Covid-19 the second wave.

[Covrich]

About time i hope the rest don't bottle it and bring this in as soon as possible.



Morrisons will bar customers who refuse to wear face coverings from its shops amid rising coronavirus infections.

From Monday, shoppers who refuse to wear face masks offered by staff will not be allowed inside, unless they are medically exempt.
The announcement comes amid concerns that social distancing measures are not being adhered to in supermarkets.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government is "concerned" shops are not enforcing rules strictly enough.
"Ultimately, the most important thing to do now is to make sure that actually enforcement - and of course the compliance with the rules - when people are going into supermarkets are being adhered to," Mr Zahawi told Sky News.
"We need to make sure people actually wear masks and follow the one-way system," he said.

Morrisons said it had "introduced and consistently maintained thorough and robust safety measures in all our stores" since the start of the pandemic.
But it said: "From today we are further strengthening our policy on masks."
Security guards at the UK's fourth-biggest supermarket chain will be enforcing the new rules.

'Please be kind'
Morrisons' chief executive, David Potts, said: "Those who are offered a face covering and decline to wear one won't be allowed to shop at Morrisons unless they are medically exempt.
"Our store colleagues are working hard to feed you and your family, please be kind."
Earlier on Monday, Mr Zahawi stopped short of saying that supermarket staff should be responsible for enforcing rules on face masks.
Enforcement of face coverings is the responsibility of the police not retailers. Wearing face masks in supermarkets and shops is compulsory across the UK.
In England, the police can issue a £200 fine to someone breaking the face covering rules. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, a £60 fine can be imposed. Repeat offenders face bigger fines.

However, retail industry body the British Retail Consortium said that, workers have faced an increase in incidents of violence and abuse when trying to encourage shoppers to put them on.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, added: "Supermarkets continue to follow all safety guidance and customers should be reassured that supermarkets are Covid-secure and safe to visit during lockdown and beyond.
"Customers should play their part too by following in-store signage and being considerate to staff and fellow shoppers."

'Lack of visible protections'
Under current lockdown restrictions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, people most only leave home for essential reasons, such as buying food or medicine.
In a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, supermarkets introduced social distancing measures during the UK's first nationwide lockdown last March. They included limits on the numbers of customers in the shops at any one time, protective plastic screens at tills and "marshals" to ensure shoppers were maintaining a two-metre distance.
But amid rising numbers of infections, some have expressed concerns about a "lack of visible protections" implemented by supermarkets in recent weeks.
The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said on Saturday that he wanted to see stores policed as they were during the first lockdown as people were worried the strict enforcement of rules did not "appear to be there this time".
"Given the fact the new variant is so much easier to catch... we are looking at supermarkets and other places where people leave their homes, to make sure they are organised in a way that keeps their staff and customers safe," he said.

Sainsbury's said: "We continue to have a range of measures in place to keep customers and colleagues safe in our stores."
A spokeswoman said the supermarket has "greeters" outside of its supermarkets to enforce limits on the number of customers in-store, as well as reminding customers of social distancing and face mask rules over in-store announcements and on posters.
Supermarket Waitrose said that it was taking a "cautious approach" to the virus, with marshals checking that customers are wearing face coverings on the door, hand sanitiser stations at its entrances and written communications to shoppers reminding them to maintain their distance.
Shop workers' union Usdaw has also called for firms to apply more stringent measures again.
The union's general secretary, Paddy Lillis, said that it had received reports that "too many customers are not following necessary safety measures like social distancing, wearing a face covering and only shopping for essential items".
"It is going to take some time to roll out the vaccine and we cannot afford to be complacent in the meantime, particularly with a new strain sweeping the nation," Mr Lillis said.
The trade union also suggested that "'one-in one-out" policies and proper queuing systems should be reintroduced in supermarkets.
It added that these systems should be managed by trained security staff where necessary.

I have seen people be abusive to staff asking them to mask up.. The Security will certainly have to keep it tight.

Although a lot of people still wear their mask under their noses

 

[trueblue]

Although a lot of people still wear their mask under their noses

I bugs me when people wear their masks under the nose or on the chin.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

 

[Leon103]

Just to confirm was that the amount administered on the 11th or the total amount up to the 11th?

 

[marshbrewer]

Up to the 11th unfortunately. If they were capable of vaccinating 2.2 million people a day, the whole country would be done in about a month!

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

So then it should say total doses and not daily total doses then!

 

[simon12]

I am guessing its going to be a daily released total from now as it appeared on the .gov daily summary yesterday. Official UK Coronavirus Dashboard

 

[Leon103]

So then it should say total doses and not daily total doses then!

Exactly.
I can see there is issues already with giving vaccines in care homes. They want the care home to be clear of covid for 28 days.

 

[marshbrewer]

Exactly.
I can see there is issues already with giving vaccines in care homes. They want the care home to be clear of covid for 28 days.

Is that new advice? In December, the advice was to vaccinate even when there were cases;

'General principles COVID vaccine should be offered to older adults in care homes and their carers, with the aim of achieving high uptake as rapidly as possible. This includes when other residents have been diagnosed as having COVID-19 infection.'

 

[dad_of_jon]

I only go IN supermarkets during very quiet car park times. I wont tell you what then are in case you all start piling in.

Most shopping is by click & collect apart from fresh stuff or where I need a longer BBE date , cos the pickers don't care about that stuff.

SO obviously any NEIPA's I get myself cos they have to be very fresh**

**(Tongue firmly in cheek here)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Lockdown rule-breakers are more likely to be fined as Covid laws will be enforced "more quickly", the UK's most senior police officer has said.

London's Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida **** said her officers have had to break up parties, despite hospitals struggling to cope with
rising patient numbers.

A minister confirmed her pledge that fines were "increasingly likely".

Kit Malthouse said people have a "duty" to make this lockdown "the last one".

"We are urging the small minority of people who aren't taking this seriously to do so now, and [are illustrating] to them that if they don't they are much more likely to get fined by the police," Mr Malthouse, the policing minister, told BBC Breakfast.

"These current measures should in theory, if we all stick by them, be enough to drive the numbers down so that we can start to move through the gears of tiers from mid-February," he added.

Asked if tighter restrictions for England were on the way - something the health secretary has refused to rule out - Mr Malthouse said ministers were "on tenterhooks" watching the daily figures for Covid deaths, new cases and hospital admissions, as rules continue to be kept under review.

He said the government's ramped-up efforts to give vulnerable people the coronavirus vaccine should help the UK to "get back to some sort of normality later this year".

The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there was currently no expectation that Westminster will impose more extensive restrictions.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she discussed possible tighter restrictions with members of her cabinet on Tuesday morning.

Home Secretary Priti Patel and chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, Martin Hewitt, will hold a coronavirus press conference at Downing Street later.

Fines start at £200 in England and Northern Ireland, and £60 in Wales and Scotland. Large parties can be shut down by the police, with fines of up to £10,000.
Dame Cressida told the Today programme the move towards greater enforcement was "common sense" rather than a show of "dictatorial policing".
She also said Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cycle in east London at the weekend was "not against the law", but added the "stay local" guidance on exercise for England could be made more clear.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55627864

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has been given in the UK.
Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, became the first person to receive the ***.
The government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, following the roll-out of the Pfizer vaccine, which was the first to be approved.


What is the Oxford vaccine and how does it work?
It is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. It has been modified to look more like coronavirus - although it can't cause illness.
When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it prompts the immune system to start making antibodies and primes it to attack any coronavirus infection.
Research has shown it is highly effective.
Unlike Pfizer's *** - which has to be kept at an extremely cold temperature (-70C) - the Oxford vaccine can be stored in a normal fridge. This makes it much easier to distribute.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55302595

 

[Rodcx500z]

I would have left the word chimpanzees out, just in case the flat earthers get the wrong idea

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I would have left the word chimpanzees out, just in case the flat earthers get the wrong idea

I have just read the results posted in November (linked to in above post) lets hope these vaccines are as good as we have been told they are.


The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is highly effective at stopping people developing Covid-19 symptoms, a large trial shows.

Interim data suggests 70% protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose.
The results will be seen as a triumph, but come after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 95% protection.
However, the Oxford *** is far cheaper, and is easier to store and get to every corner of the world than the other two.
So the vaccine will play a significant role in tackling the pandemic, if it is approved for use by regulators.
"The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by [the virus]," said the vaccine's architect, Prof Sarah Gilbert.
The UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and AstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was "incredibly exciting news" and that while there were still safety checks to come, "these are fantastic results".
Speaking at a Downing Street briefing on Monday evening, Mr Johnson added that the majority of people most in need of a vaccination in the UK might be able to get one by Easter.
And Prof Andrew Pollard - director of the Oxford vaccine group - said it had been "a very exciting day" and paid tribute to the 20,000 volunteers in the trials around the world, including more than 10,000 in the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55040635

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Tesco, Asda and Waitrose have become the latest supermarkets to say they will deny entry to shoppers who do not wear face masks unless they are medically exempt. (BBC News)

It follows a similar move by Morrisons, while Sainsbury's says it will challenge those who flout the rules.
Retailers have been criticised for not doing enough to stop people breaking Covid rules as infections spread.
But enforcement of face coverings is officially a police responsibility.
However, supermarkets can deny entry to their premises which is private property, and can call the police if someone refuses to follow the rules or becomes abusive.

Senior police figures have reportedly said there is little officers can do to enforce the rules in shops because they are so busy.
But policing minister Kit Malthouse said that they would offer "backup if things go seriously wrong".
"What we hope is that in the vast majority of cases the enforcement, or the reminders if you like, put in place by the store owners will be enough," he told BBC News.
A Tesco spokeswoman said the supermarket chain had decided to strengthen its policies.
"To protect our customers and colleagues, we won't let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with government guidance," she said.
"We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless they're a carer or with children. To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this."

'Change of tone'
An Asda spokesman said if customers had forgotten their face coverings, it would continue to offer them one free of charge.
But he added: "Should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry."
Andrew Murphy, executive director of operations at Waitrose, said: "We've listened carefully to the clear change in tone and emphasis of the views and information shared by the UK's governments in recent days.
"By insisting on the wearing of face coverings, over and above the social distancing measures we already have in place, we aim to make our shops even safer for customers."


Challenging not banning
On Tuesday, Sainsbury's told the BBC it did not have the power to deny shoppers not wearing masks entry, but that it had found from trials that customers complied more when asked to wear masks by security guards at the door.
The Co-op also said it would not ban shoppers without masks from entering, and instead urged customers to take responsibility for wearing a face covering when visiting its stores, as it was mandatory by law.
Boss of Co-op Food Jo Whitfield said: "We've increased our in-store messaging to remind customers and government guidance does state that the police can take measures if members of the public don't comply with this law."
Iceland said it would take a similar approach, adding the vast majority of its customers continued to shop in compliance with the law.
"In view of the rising tide of abuse and violence being directed at our store colleagues, we do not expect them to confront the small minority of customers who aggressively refuse to comply with the law," a spokesman added.
In England, the police can issue a £200 fine to someone breaking the face covering rules. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, a £60 fine can be imposed. Repeat offenders face bigger fines.

 

[marshbrewer]

Spent the day rearranging our wedding for the third time today. Aiming for mid July now, lol.

 

[Leon103]

Is that new advice? In December, the advice was to vaccinate even when there were cases;

'General principles COVID vaccine should be offered to older adults in care homes and their carers, with the aim of achieving high uptake as rapidly as possible. This includes when other residents have been diagnosed as having COVID-19 infection.'

Not sure just going off what was on the BBC. They did suggest that they can hide all those with positives in one room.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

People have been urged to "play your part" and follow Covid rules by Home Secretary Priti Patel, who says she will back police to enforce laws.

At a No 10 briefing, Ms Patel said a minority were "putting the health of the nation at risk" by flouting rules.

Police are "moving more quickly to issuing fines", she added, with nearly 45,000 fixed penalty notices issued across the UK.

Another 1,243 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid.

And there have been a further 45,533 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

Meanwhile, another 145,076 people have received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 20,768 a second dose, bringing the totals respectively to 2,431,648 and 412,167.


At the briefing, Ms Patel said: "My message today to anyone refusing to do the right thing is simple: if you do not play your part our selfless police officers - who are out there risking their own lives every day to keep us safe - they will enforce the regulations.

"And I will back them to do so, to protect our NHS and to save lives."

Chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council Martin Hewitt, who was also at the briefing, said people should be asking themselves whether their reason for leaving home was "truly essential".

He stressed that police officers had been "putting themselves at risk in order to keep people safe", and said it had been "disappointing" to see some of the behaviour by rule-breakers.

He said some examples of recent breaches included:

• a boat party in Hertfordshire with a bar and DJ booth, where more than 40 people had each paid £30 for a ticket
• a minibus full of people from different households travelling from Cheltenham to Wales for a walk
• and a house party that was trying to claim it was a business event

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55639810

 

[Thonbi]

Sainsbury's told the BBC it did not have the power to deny shoppers not wearing masks entry,

I was under the impression that a private company can refuse service and call the police due to trespass for anything that isn't a protected characteristic?

 

[marshbrewer]

That might well be the case, but as many people who are exempt are so because of a mental or physical condition or disability, then that might well fall under the description of a protected characteristic? Might be wrong but that would seem to make sense.