Will you go shopping on the high street now?

[Nick_Ips]

Part of the problem was the 3000 Milan fans who were allowed  to watch their team play  Liverpool...   though they weren't allowed to watch their team play at home because Milan was at the epicentre of the initial outbreak in Lombardy . Also, the Cheltenham Gold Cup was allowed to go ahead .. was it 60,000  people went from all over the country.

I'm not sure there is any evidence to support those assertions - the scientists still appear to disagree on the extent to which outdoor events like this contribute(d) to the spread.

In any event, Coronavirus was already in the UK and spreading rapidly when these events took place.  Whether or not they took place would, on the face of it, have made a marginal difference to the outcome.

To put the figures in context, around 2 million people use London's Tube system every day. I'm not sure many of the people objecting to Cheltenham were also objecting to the Tube still being open.

then of course we had the Cummings "Don't do as I do. do as I say"   saga.

Which wasn't publicised until long after the event, so played no part in observance of 'lockdown' during the most critical time.

it occurred to me that  perhaps  Bournemouth Council could  have a word with  one or two local farmers..  suggest  driving a tanker  of silage along the row of parked cars... pity about convertibles,  cars with open windows  but hey ho... it would wash off, but in the meantime the journey home would be   nice!...

Bournemouth Council have powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Acts to close roads and prohibit parking, and the powers can be applied to specific classes of vehicle and driver.  If they were really concerned about people visiting their beach they could simply use these powers to close the area down and keep anyone but residents out.  Why have they not done so?  There is no need for your creative solution.

p.s. Silage is a bit messy, but actually has a rather pleasant smell.

[oldfashionedgirl]

I just don’t understand the mindset of a person who goes to a beauty spot, presumably because it’s BEAUTIFUL    and to be polite, leaves their detritus behind ? Said detritus will be lighter to carry home once drunk/eaten. Or at least put it in the bin or beside the bins if they are full due to the crowds.
Just reading in the Edinburgh Evening News that the beautiful day yesterday ended in a brawl on the Meadows.
The Meadows is a beautiful area of ‘parkland’ on the Southside of the city used by all for recreation.

Apparently a call went out on Facebook for people to meet at 5am to collect the rubbish and make an artwork depicting the current number of Covid deaths to be photographed by drone before being disposed of.
Wonderful positive creative way to hi light several issues 

[pharmaT]

Part of the problem was the 3000 Milan fans who were allowed  to watch their team play  Liverpool...   though they weren't allowed to watch their team play at home because Milan was at the epicentre of the initial outbreak in Lombardy . Also, the Cheltenham Gold Cup was allowed to go ahead .. was it 60,000  people went from all over the country.

I'm not sure there is any evidence to support those assertions - the scientists still appear to disagree on the extent to which outdoor events like this contribute(d) to the spread.

In any event, Coronavirus was already in the UK and spreading rapidly when these events took place.  Whether or not they took place would, on the face of it, have made a marginal difference to the outcome.

To put the figures in context, around 2 million people use London's Tube system every day. I'm not sure many of the people objecting to Cheltenham were also objecting to the Tube still being open.

then of course we had the Cummings "Don't do as I do. do as I say"   saga.

Which wasn't publicised until long after the event, so played no part in observance of 'lockdown' during the most critical time.

it occurred to me that  perhaps  Bournemouth Council could  have a word with  one or two local farmers..  suggest  driving a tanker  of silage along the row of parked cars... pity about convertibles,  cars with open windows  but hey ho... it would wash off, but in the meantime the journey home would be   nice!...

Bournemouth Council have powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Acts to close roads and prohibit parking, and the powers can be applied to specific classes of vehicle and driver.  If they were really concerned about people visiting their beach they could simply use these powers to close the area down and keep anyone but residents out.  Why have they not done so?  There is no need for your creative solution.

p.s. Silage is a bit messy, but actually has a rather pleasant smell.

When calling an international football match and outdoor event we're not taking into account the congregating in bars, restaurants and even nightclubs afterwards nor indeed the use of public transport around the city.  Also how tightly packed people can become in the walkways  and toilet areas of stadia.  Whilst open to the elements it is not as outdoors as say a park would be.

[Nick_Ips]

When calling an international football match and outdoor event we're not taking into account the congregating in bars, restaurants and even nightclubs afterwards nor indeed the use of public transport around the city.  Also how tightly packed people can become in the walkways  and toilet areas of stadia.  Whilst open to the elements it is not as outdoors as say a park would be.

Agreed. But my point was the science on this doesn't (yet?) confirm without doubt that specific events like the football match played a significant role in the spread of coronavirus, which is implied by Jed59's post.

Although it might be superficially attractive to blame 3000 "contaminated" Milan fans for helping to bring death and economic destruction to the country, the truth is we have very little idea how many of the fans were infected, how many were transmitters, and how many people might have been infected through contact (direct or indirect) with a Milan fan.

Although I understand it is a subject researchers are working on, I've not read anything that confirms the 3000 Milan fans are any more responsible than (say) the 2,000,000 people a day using the tube. As such, the finger pointing is possibly premature.

[heywood]

How long will there be a High Street or a Shopping Centre?

[roopat]

Has anyone else seen the report from Italy regarding one of the sewage testers in Milan who, after seeing the story of the French doctor who had treated a patient for pneumonia in December who later was found with Covid antibodies, decided to go back & test frozen samples of Milan sewage & found evidence of Covid-19 as early as January.


Whilst criticising the beach goers, let's not forget the 2 nights of street parties in Brixton, assorted raves & the football fans descending on Anfield en masse to celebrate Liverpool's win - but that was OK because the police said 'it was good-natured'. So it's only nasty people who spread the virus

[Maiden Stone]

How long will there be a High Street or a Shopping Centre?

The company which owns the Trafford Centre, Manchester + other centres has gone into receivership because rental income plummeted.
The mall in my town wasn't doing well pre lockdown. It has a Debenham's. I was in the store 5 months ago, first time for a few years. I bought an item. The mall is the newest of 4. Two have a lot of empty shops. The other is small with small premises; I've not been in it for a long time.

[KGarrad]

How long will there be a High Street or a Shopping Centre?

The company which owns the Trafford Centre, Manchester + other centres has gone into receivership because rental income plummeted.
The mall in my town wasn't doing well pre lockdown. It has a Debenham's. I was in the store 5 months ago, first time for a few years. I bought an item. The mall is the newest of 4. Two have a lot of empty shops. The other is small with small premises; I've not been in it for a long time.

Intu, owners of the Trafford Centre et al, was in financial difficulties before coronavirus.
Sure, the lockdown hasn't helped, but it isn't the source of their woes.

[LizzieL]

Whilst criticising the beach goers, let's not forget the 2 nights of street parties in Brixton, assorted raves & the football fans descending on Anfield en masse to celebrate Liverpool's win - but that was OK because the police said 'it was good-natured'. So it's only nasty people who spread the virus

I think the street parties and raves were far from good natured, judging by the number of police officers injured and probably some of the participants as well.