PMs message

It seemed quite clear and reasonable to me but then I listened with an open mind not trying to nitpick and disbelieve anything said by Boris. He was quite precise and clear.

Going to be a long haul but, hopefully, things can start to move forward though it’s all going to be closely monitored.

No one said you can’t use public transport if you have no other choice but he did suggest driving, walking or cycling if possible. I guess staggering travelling times would help as well.

I remember helping out in DDs class and I was puzzled as the teacher kept repeating over and over that the children needed to put their coats on at playtime because it was very cold. Despite this one little girl still asked if she should put her cost on. I get the same feeling from some posting on here.

You can drive to anywhere in England...and Scotland and Wales IF those countries have the same rules as here regarding exercise, driving with members of your household but not to break a restriction in that country which is allowed in England.

telling people they can go out more be it supposedly for excise will just have young people roaming around

It will have people of all ages roaming

Can they drive elsewhere to enjoy the outdoors?

Yes, you can drive to parks or beaches within England but only with members of your own household.

People are not allowed to cross the border to Wales or Scotland for leisure activities if different restrictions are in force.

''Forward planning in place gives peace of mind'...
pity the government didn't take your advice earlier this year...

He didn't. Over 70s to do 12 weeks solitary.

notanan2
Such a sensible approach. If more people had your and your DH's mindset, there would be no company bosses running around like headless chickens with a fox in the run.
Forward planning in place gives peace of mind. ??

For lots of not most people nothing will change re work.

What about people with compromised immune systems? Are they expected back to work? Is Parliament back then?

no change to the shielding list.

people at risk who were deemed not highest risk have been at work all along (e.g. asthmatics)

If you can hear and understand English it's clear that you can meet up as long as you are 6ft+ apart as many have already been doing. If you are 70+ with no underlying conditions which mean you should self isolate, there is no reason for you not to walk in the same area as your daughter or anyone else, so long as distance is observed.

But surely employers shouldn't be 'mulling over different work practices'. There should be clear guidelines for employers shouldn't there?

why not? how you apply the guidelines isnt one size fits all. Jow you reopen a small sole trader shop isnt how you reopen a vast chain.

Hairdressers (when they open) will need to do things differently to garden centres where there can be "no touch"

Of COURSE businesses should have been mulling over all the possibile ways to make their business/field compliant all along.

No the government cannot publish guidance for every single type of business that exists

They can tell you generally what you need to put in place, but they cant tell you how as an individual how you will put it into action.

e.g. a solicitor with a pokey waiting room may consider opening up a conference room to use for more spaced waiting. Or they may ask you to not come in and wait until exactly your appointment time.

A solicitor with a vast waiting room only has to spread out their chairs and maybe get rid of communal coffee table books.

The gov cant say "all solicitors must do X to their waiting rooms" can they?

What about people with compromised immune systems? Are they expected back to work? Is Parliament back then?

But surely employers shouldn't be 'mulling over different work practices'. There should be clear guidelines for employers shouldn't there? I've just seen someone local to me asking if there are any nurseries open nearby as she will now have to go back to work and she needs a nursery for her child.

Also, back to work Monday, information for businesses available on Tuesday???

How does that work then?

We own a business. DH has been planning for how to safely reopen from the day he closed. He ordered the extra things he will need for distancing and has been mulling over different work practices with his professional peers

This is not short notice. Everyone who closed should have been thinking ahead to reopening from day 1.

Any business claiming to be caught on the back foot re reopening frankly isnt worth having opened.

Thank goodness I am not confused as I live in Scotland. We still need to ‘stay at home’. Our only change is that we can go out more than once a day, but not to sunbathe or picnic.
As we are not supposed to take unnecessary journeys but now English people can go out on trips what will happen at the border? Will English day trippers be sent back?
One other thought is that this lack of clarity will help the Scottish government see the pitfalls and hopefully will give us clearer information when our time comes.
I do think it was pretty poor that Boris ignored the older population in his message.

Also, back to work Monday, information for businesses available on Tuesday???

How does that work then?

From The Guardian:
’Unlimited exercise, some sports and meeting one other person outdoors to be allowed from Wednesday
As widely expected, people will be formally allowed to go out for exercise more than once a day. In addition, people will be permitted to meet and sit down with one other person, outdoors, if they remain two metres apart. The new rules will start on Wednesday, when people can undertake “unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise”, and sunbathe or drive to destinations for exercise. Sports including angling, swimming in lakes and rivers, tennis and golf will also be allowed, but only within household groups.‘
Looking forward to more detail tomorrow - how far can I drive to a beauty spot for example? Haven’t got many round here!

SIL is a car mechanic, who clearly cannot work from home - but going to the workshop will be a problem as they will be working close together - let us hope some proper measures are put in place for them.

If the statement had been as clear as some are saying, how is it we are all having a discussion about what exactly he meant!!??

I am assuming that nothing has changed as far as over 70s are concerned. But....can I now meet my DDs at a social distance, e.g. at the local common where you do not see a soul even when there is no lockdown? We could walk two metres apart.

I'm afraid the idea that, for example, my son-in-law can go back to work tomorrow is unreasonable. His employer (a small business) is totally disinterested in the 2 meter spacing and will expect his staff to go back and "be sensible" just as he did before the furlough came in. My son-in-law was sufficiently worried that he took holiday leave for two weeks to get out of the environment.

It's not the big businesses with lots of staff (and probably unions) that will be the concern, it's more likely to be the small ones where the corners will be cut. What we need is enforcement to make sure there are proper distancing measures in place before the staff are allowed back in.

I heard nothing to celebrate, and frankly, nothing very clear about working.

If Boris had covered all the small points some on here appear to need answers to, his speech would have been over two hours long.

He couldn’t possibly have covered everything, and let’s face it a lot of points raised on here can perfectly well be sorted out by individuals and/or with their employers/employees.

I am sure tomorrow’s newspapers will provide some fleshing out of the PM’s guidelines.

Given that fines have been increased for those that break the rules we'd better work out quite quickly what the rules are.

I thought he came over well. But I think by encouraging people to go out more often for excercise some will take advantage and places will get swamped. How can people go back to work where public transport is necessary. All a bit woolly.

Brilliant speech, I could see him rousing his groups into battle..I do think we need more definite directives as really people are being asked to be responsible and sensible but many are not. I think for a lot of people to be ready for work tomorrow and get there by bus if they can’t drive and it’s too far to walk would be Extremely worried by the new guidelines. Also where does that leave over 70’s?

Clear as mud !