State of Emergency Covid-19 (Part 5)

[Gan Yam]

Cumbria Police

Tourists urged to heed advice and stay home - 'Now is not the time for tourism'

Would-be tourists are being urged not to travel to the Lakes or other Cumbrian holiday destinations as the county urges people to follow Government advice aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus.

Now that pubs, restaurants, cafes and non-essential shops and visitor attractions have been advised to close, the Lake District is no longer conducting business as usual.

Whilst it is encouraging that the Highways Agency have reported fewer vehicle journeys than normal, it is clear that we, along with other tourist areas such as Cornwall, Wales and Scotland, are continuing to experience an influx of travelling visitors.

The message comes from Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Slattery, the Chair of the Cumbria Local Resilience Forum - which is responsible for the multi-agency response to civil emergencies - and follows the Government steps taken yesterday to reduce the spread of coronavirus by closing businesses such as pubs, cafes and gyms.

He said: "Whilst we are looking at all measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, I must urge people living outside the county not to visit. A national emergency shut-down of businesses and schools is not an excuse for a holiday.

"Cumbria County Council yesterday urged people to stay at home as far as possible to protect out NHS and save lives. I reiterate that advice and it is important that we all follow it.
“The health, social care and emergency services in Cumbria are resourced to serve the 500,000 resident population and will be stretched to breaking point by this crisis. Large numbers of visitors will only place an additional burden on these hard-pushed professionals.

"People are safest and their health and that of their families is best protected by staying at home and heeding advice on social distancing.

“These are unprecedented times and our first priority is the protection of life. People's lives must come first."

Would they come if they knew that Cumbria only has 2.5 full sized hospitals, the rest are small hospitals with no A&E or cottage hospitals that are very small.  The two main hospitals are more than 90 miles apart.  If they become overwhelmed due to visitors, this then has a knock on effect for those hospital that take Cumbria's emergencies, usually Newcastle and Lancaster, adding unwanted additional pressure for them.  On top of that one of the hospitals takes some emergencies from the south of Scotland.  I am sure this situation is played out in lots of rural counties and rural Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

[dowdstree]

The Scottish Highlands and Islands have seen an influx of "happy campers" and it had just been on the BBC News that Norfolk is experiencing this too. What planet are some people on

Stay at home please and do not travel to your holiday homes or move around the country in your campervans - what part of that is so difficult to understand.

We have cancelled our holiday at Easter to Aberdeenshire. Apart from putting more strain on a small community if I am going to catch this b....y virus then there is no place like home. 

Sorry but this irresponsible behaviour really winds me up.

Take care,

Dorrie

[Treetotal]

See my reply #2 Dorrie...if the campsites closed, they wouldn't be able to go at all. Time for the Government to enforced closure of all Holiday Parks and Campsites for the safety of all concerned. We will get through this very difficult period but it is going to take a lot more enforcement as many are not listening to the current advice...soon, they won't have any choice!
Carol

[*Sandra*]

National Trust opened some of there houses and gardens 2 days ago for people to "relax and refresh" but have now made a "U" turn to prevent the spread of the virus.  Which of course is the right decision. Even with one way systems and social distancing it didn't work.

Sandra

[JenB]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51994504
Busiest day in living memory in Snowdonia - yesterday.

I suppose they were all the much maligned over 70’s having fun 

[Erato]

The shutdown in Quito seems to be quite effective.  I stepped out yesterday - the alley was empty.  I walked twenty yards out to the street - it was empty, too, though the mini-mart down the block appeared to be open.  I walked up to the corner of a main through street - there were two pedestrians at a distance and one car.  I walked back to the corner of the other through street the situation was the same - a couple of people on foot, two cars stopped at the light.  This is a densely populated commercial/residential area located just two blocks from a major north/south avenue.  It is at the edge of a normally bustling area with lots of bars, restaurants, tourists and young people.

[Lisajb]

My employer has split the company down the middle. Half of us are to come in one week and the other half the next, turn and turn about,

However- I am a Type 1 diabetic and, therefore, on the vulnerable list, I believe. And I have been told on my weeks in work, I am to share someone’s computer.

I am expecting/hoping to get a letter from the NHS. I have been told that they cannot refuse to pay me if that happens. We shall see.

I am terrified. If I catch this, I will probably not survive. I may never see my daughter, who lives a couple of hours from us, again.

There, I’ve said it, 

[sugarfizzle]

Sorry to say Lisajb that you probably will not get a letter.

Letters being sent to people to completely isolate for 12 weeks are for the following groups, on the whole -
Those who have received organ transplants, are living with severe respiratory conditions such as cystic fibrosis and severe chronic bronchitis (COPD) or specific cancers like of the blood or bone marrow. And some – though not all – of those receiving certain types of drug treatments including ones which suppress the immune system – leaving the body less able to fight off the virus.

My husband and I are both over 70 with underlying health conditions, but don't expect to get a letter. We are lucky in some ways that we can keep away from everyone else, and don't have to go to work.

If you have to share a computer, could you use it for a few hours after thoroughly cleaning it, then the other person, or are you likely to be sharing it all the time?

Keep safe.

Regards Margaret

[Lisajb]

I’m expendable then 

Office cleaning there is a lick and a promise at the best of times. I got my hands on one tin of anti bac wipes, gave my own computer and desk a hose down - and it was filthy.

There are two I could use, one desk is less cluttered so easier to clean, although I don’t like the way it’s owner has set it up, it is probably the better one to use. And it’s location puts  space in between me and other people.