The Coronavirus thread.

[MyQul]

A pub that was holding a "lock-in" for regular drinkers has been shut down under new coronavirus legislation.

The licensee was serving drinks at The Blue Bell, in Nottinghamshire, unbeknownst to its owners, police said.

Nottinghamshire Police officers were called to weekend reports that drinks were being served and, along with Ashfield District Council, shut it.

All stock and alcohol has also now been removed from the premises, in Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield.

Following the government's social distancing measure announcement on 20 March, all pubs were told to close.

• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands

Ch Supt Rob Griffin said this "sends a very clear message" that "police and our partners will not tolerate those people who deliberately break the rules and put other people's lives in danger".

Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, from Ashfield District Council, said the bar manager was "irresponsible" and "drinking with even one friend goes against the government's guidelines".

"It beggars belief why this group of people thought it was acceptable to have a private party when the majority of residents were staying home to help save lives," she said.

Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, reported the lock-in to the police after it was brought to his attention.

He said: "At a time when the vast majority of residents are obeying government advice we have a small majority who think the rules do not apply to them."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-52128883

Wonder if the coucil will revoke their licence?

 

[MyQul]

I don't think any of these measures will affect the eventual infection but may help ultimate death toll. Obviously the need for them I do not dispute but we can't hide forever, optimistic nige.

Well, if we're all inside we cant infect one another

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It's interesting that smokers, at least temporarily haven't been advised to stop smoking. Even though this is a virus whereby the lungs are attacked

I suspect that's partly a question of choosing battles they can win, and not diluting the main advice....

But more generally, although it attacks the lungs, the people who die are more likely to have heart/vascular problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, that kind of thing, rather than lung conditions. Obviously people who smoke are more likely to have those conditions, and things like COPD do feature but less commonly, but the nasty thing about this seems to be the way it goes for your heart.

On other news, this is a must-read on what's happening with testing in Germany - in short the testing labs are maxing capacity and want to move away from the general testing strategy to something more targetted, they're most worried about a shortage of reagents and consumables (and in particular seem to have a problem with reagents needed to prepare the samples for testing, rather than testing itself) and are turning down well-meaning labs that want to help but aren't properly certified (so they're going into the commercial market), on the grounds that they'd rather use scarce consumables in certified labs.

 

[MyQul]

But more generally, although it attacks the lungs, the people who die are more likely to have heart/vascular problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, that kind of thing, rather than lung conditions.

In that case they need to tell all the fat people to stop eating pies

 

[terrym]

There has been a lot of criticism of 'the Government' in this pandemic and how supplies to those at the NHS sharp end are not what they should be. And possibly some of this criticism is deserved. However whilst those who are at the sharp end are undoubtedly doing a fine job in unusual, hazardous and unforeseen circumstances, what about the umpteen layers of NHS management in all of this. The NHS must have one of the largest specialist procurement organisations in the UK. How are they reacting to this situation? Are they hiding behind the Government due their own inefficiencies and weird workpractices, or doing their utmost to support their colleagues in the frontline, maybe by thinking out of the box for a change? And as far as budgets are concerned it seems they have a blank cheque at present, so any financial constraints have been taken away from them. These are the people who should know exactly what is required and doing their best to get hold of them, the folks at the very top only get told these things in outline. I know NHS bashing is the last thing many would want to hear at present, but I feel sure there must be some truth in what I have said.

 

[nige]

Only till we go outside, it's not going to disappear until a vacsine is ready and is there more strains to this. I agree, we have no option but to try.

Well, if we're all inside we cant infect one another

It's obviously more deadly than first stated as all the top people have disappeared into hiding, I did notice nobody even coughed once during their televised video press releases. If I don't die of this I'll die of poverty. As for the front line without ppe it akin to going over the top out of the trenches. They were also called the front line.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Well, if we're all inside we cant infect one another

Per the WHO report on Wuhan "Among 344 clusters involving 1308 cases (out of a total 1836 cases reported) in Guangdong Province and Sichuan Province, most clusters (78%-85%) have occurred in families. "

And in reality lockdowns seem to reduce contact by 75% but not totally (per eg the Imperial modelling)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Well, if we're all inside we cant infect one another

I don't think the owner should lose his business as according to the article he was unaware this was going on, the licencee however is a different matter.

The licensee was serving drinks at The Blue Bell, in Nottinghamshire, unbeknownst to its owners, police said.

 

[MyQul]

I don't think the owner should lose his business as according to the article he was unaware this was going on, the licencee however is a different matter.

That's what I meant, rather than the owner who it seems was oblivious to what was going on

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Only till we go outside, it's not going to disappear until a vacsine is ready and is there more strains to this. I agree, we have no option but to try.

I may have this wrong but am fairly sure i read that if we all keep away from each other the virus can no longer spread and it will die.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

That's what I meant, rather than the owner who it seems was oblivious to what was going on

I am not sure how this works i was under the impression the owner is the licencee i guess having read this article that that isn't always the case.

 

[MyQul]

I am not sure how this works i was under the impression the owner is the licencee i guess having read this article that that isn't always the case.

Im sure someone who knows the ins and outs of these things will be along to explain

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Im sure someone who knows the ins and outs of these things will be along to explain

My money is on Simon.

 

[MyQul]

My money is on Simon.

I didnt want to say but thats exactly who I was thinking of

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Good news on hoods for front-line staff -

Coronavirus: University researchers develop respiratory hood

Hood to help protect NHS staff from coronavirus

 

[johncrobinson]

Lock ins at a time like this !!!!

Heavens above some people.?

 

[MyQul]

Lock ins at a time like this !!!!

Heavens above some people.?

When the government said lock down some publicans heard lock - in

 

[Bevvied]

I always thought...

An owner can be the licensee if they also run it. ie a freehouse.

An owner (like a brewery) obviously can't oversee the bar and the daily running, so an employee becomes licensed to run it. I grew up in a pub, my Dad was the Landlord of it, the Licensee.

Hence the little signs you see now and again 'Billy Bloggs is licensed to sell beer ales etc etc etc within the premises'

I'm more than happy to be put right.

 

[trueblue]

Spoke to my Sister this morning she is a senior A&E nurse of over 35 years experience. Last night she started to show symptoms so is now isolating. She works in a major London hospital and says they have been battling the last few weeks with inferior PPE, she has bought bits herself but not able to acquire the needed equipment with the result being over 50% of her staff are now off work. She despairs when politicians say they have the equipment but there is a logistic problem as her hospitals procurement team were asking for it months ago as they expected London to be badly hit but keep getting fobbed off and despite being a conservative voter is now convinced they are lying just to us so we believe they have it under control . She is also convinced the new Nightingale hospital is more of a PR stunt to show how "well" they are doing as most London hospital have closed wards that could have been reopened but that would have looked bad politically. Her eldest son is a paramedic in Norwich and is also struggling to say safe. She finish by saying most of her colleagues believe we are on course to be as bad or maybe worse than Italy and Spain despite having more warning what was on the way. Stay safe.

 

[MyQul]

She is also convinced the new Nightingale hospital is more of a PR stunt to show how "well" they are doing as most London hospital have closed wards that could have been reopened but that would have looked bad politically.

I've been wondering how they're going to staff these Nightingale hositals. The Excel one needs 16,000 staff. Now I'm assuming a portion of those wont be Dr's, Nurses and other medical specialists but they're still going to need plenty of the above. Surely all the hospitals up and down the country need all the Dr's/Nurses they can get at the moment and cant spare any (especially as their are 10's of thousands of vacancies in the NHS at the moment anyway). Also if Dr's/Nurses are going off sick/self isolating how do they replace them?