Are you watching the Prime Minister speaking live on news channels?

Haven’t seen you on here since the General Election WW
But predictably you are back with comments that will surprise nobody.
Bash a Conservative government, bash Johnson, bash Brexit,
And all in one post.
It would obviously be too much for some posters to stop political point scoring both with regard to Parties and leaving the EU, now is not the time for it!
Rather, we should follow the government’s advice in pulling together because this pandemic transcends all petty ‘digs’ as regards politics.

Whitewavemark2. UK scientists are making good progress with a vaccine. (Imperial College website).

John Redwood is calling for loans, tax breaks and help with the payroll for businesses.

It comes to something when even the hard right are calling for massive spending. We shall see what the chancellor says later.

Business leaders met with Johnson yesterday to discuss the possibility of manufacturing necessary equipment like ventilators. They were appalled that he could not stop playing the clown. One of his comments they were particularly sickened by when he suggested push for thousands of ventilators could be called “operation last gasp”

The EU are working closely together to assist each other in this time of crises. One plan is to move vital equipment around as each country reaches its peak.
They decided that in humanitarian interest the U.K. should be included in this scheme.
We should get down on our knees to thank them for this utterly generous act.

Let us hope that they do the same when the vaccine and other medicines are available as the U.K. has left the EMA etc. We have no trade agreements regarding medicine. The only country in the world. Dear oh dear.

Why are people being asked not to go to pubs, theatres etc but those businesses are allowed to stay open? Could it be they are trying to prop up the insurance industry? Or just hoping they’ll all close anyway when no one turns up. What happens to pregnant women who work in schools? Should they stay at home? What happens when half the staff in the school are sick? Can a school be forced to stay open? The government needs to be clear and not so wish washy.
Lots of mixed messages from this government.

How odd that a Doctor who has symptoms is wondering whether or not he should go to work.

Really?

Fake news I would think.

Apart from that, you are right, how on earth do we know what is happening without testing? As for testing afterwards to see if we have had it, how will that work? Who will do the testing , where will it be done?

I don't understand why people feel Johnson and his government are doing such a good job. This virus has been known about since December last year yet it appears it is only now that there is a mad panic to try and source the hundreds of new ventilators that it was quite evident would be required.

My understanding is that only those with very serious symptoms are being tested. A petition has recently been started by a doctor who says he has symptoms which may indicate he has the virus but he does not know for sure because he has not been tested. His dilemma is: should he self-isolate for seven days and leave his already seriously pressurised colleagues to try to cover his absence or should he go to work? Although this case is especially grave, as it involves an absolutely vital worker, this issue can arise for many working age people who may, for financial and other reasons, be reluctant to self isolate if there is no indisputable evidence to confirm they have the virus. How can a coherent plan be made to try and manage this crisis in the most effective way when there is no proper information as to who definitely has - or definitely has not - got the virus, and so no true figure to indicate the rate at which it is multiplying and in what situations it is multiplying?

MerylStreep , that's a very large assumption to make. You have no idea why I was unlikely to be listening. At the moment, I am popping between my home and that of my terminally ill neighbour! I knew there were to be medical experts with the PM but the bulletin is available for me to listen to when I have the opportunity. Why I have to explain myself to you though really I don't know, you know nothing about me or what I do in my life.

Grandad.

Yes I heard Fiat Chrysler, PSA Group and Renault are closing manufacturing facilities across Europe, so far is it 2 in the UK?

Scary days for sure.

I think it will be more difficult to get over the economy world wide tanking than COVID 19 in many ways.

What is required I believe is flexibility in employment? Several vehicle manufacturers have today announced they are ceasing production at their plants in Britain and elsewhere. Those LGV drivers now without work from those plants can easily transfer their skills into the food distribution and help in replacing the ravages we have seen in the supermarkets over the weekend.

The same could open happen with employees in other industries such as hospitality, catering and education that are closing down or will in the near future close down. Those workers could well be temporarily re-employed in food and medical distribution centres where there will be a huge shortage of labour in the coming weeks.

The above may well require government action to bring such a large temporary transfer of labour about quickly in the face of the current crisis.

Grandad

Thank you very much . You too.

Thank you Grandad. It's good to hear how positive everyone is being. We may see changes for the future come from this.

Interesting listening to Trump. It appears his people have been talking to our people and he said the modelling (ours, it sounded like) shows that the most effective action showing in it at the moment is the whole household 14-day isolation.

CherryCezzy
If you had listened more closely you might have heard that he had 2 of the countries experts in this field. But you didn't want to hear that, did you?

I'm with Grandad and POGS. I don't know enough to criticise Mr J and his advisors. Of course, I'm worried, I'm in a high risk group and wish we had more ventilators, testing kits and spare capacity in our NHS. What we do have though, are regular updates from the Prime Minister and his team. Their information and advice is bound to change as circumstances change.
We and our family/friendship group have been anticipating advice and for several days now, been reducing any unnecessary social contact. From this weekend, we'll be self isolating. We have several groups locally, including our Labour CLP setting up support for people in isolation.

I'm ok with schools remaining open. Large numbers of children in our town are on breakfast clubs and free school meals. We donated a number of items to the food bank when we did a supermarket shop. The boxes were full, so other people were obviously being more generous than usual.

It isn't all about "them", it's about us - we all have our part to play to try and reduce the pressure on the NHS. Hope the government puts in place some support for the economy

Thanks Trisher - look forward to hearing more tomorrow. I do hope there’s something in there about legal obligations on workplaces to introduce remote working and adjustments for at risk workers.

Thankyou POGS, the world must be changing in a major way when you and me keep agreeing on so many matters.?

Stay safe POGS and everybody.

Well said Grandad.

It will allow larger class sizes, detention of people, closure of ports etc. More here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-uk-emergency-law-detain-police-immigration-matt-hancock-boris-johnson-a9404706.html

No, they don't vegansrock but that is in the eye of the beholder.

Leaving politics to out of all this, being involved in industrial and workplace safety I have been amazed at very positive and "can do" attitude that has been adopted by a huge number of employers and business owners in the face of this crisis.

We have been overwhelmed by queries from employers who wish to enable their employees to work from home and in that the regulations, safety problems and liabilities all could face in such working situations. However, despite all the complex problems that both the employees and employers incur in setting up what is in very many cases a completely new system of working there is everywhere at this time in British industry and commerce a positivity that all the problems can and will be overcome.

Those employers that have no alternative but to have employees actually attend their places of work there is enormous effort to keep them as safe and healthy as is practically possible while at the same time training up those existing employees, especially in the distribution industry, for duplicate duties such as forklift driving, powered pallet truck handling and even for HGV distribution centre shunting operations.

The whole emphasis in the above is to see companies perform to optimum efficiency in the face of all the present problems and even larger problems yet to come in what is an ever-changing situation.

Tonights series of announcements by the government will once again change many things, but in the last few weeks, one thing I have become very sure of is that we will get through this as a nation because of the positive attitude being adopted by so many in our country's businesses and workplaces.

So, let all on this forum adopt the same attitude, for it is not about politics, but about reaching and passing that light at the end of the tunnel.

Interesting. Did it say what the emergency legislation might be?

There is apparently emergency legislation in the pipeline which will be announced tomorrow. I wonder why he didn't expain that?

A lot of people have not got common sense though have they?

Who cares who not in charge - doesn’t make the current incumbent better. Still, I’m glad they are including the Mayor of London in the Cobra meetings, which they weren’t initially. Let’s hope they’ve got it right. The fact that people are panic buying perhaps illustrates that not everyone is. trusting or sensible.

Unlikely to watch it, heard a 'brief' on the radio. I will be putting my trust and faith in the medical experts, the WHO and Public Health Wales and the other UK Public Health bodies. It's also like Sentia said, it's about using common sense too. Okay, some people, we've all met them, don't have much of that but there's no need for the rest of us to go flying with sheep.

I had my doubts about him when he first became PM but I think Boris is doing well in a very difficult job. He doesn't try to micromanage everything himself but brings in the experts.

One of my daughters used to dislike him when she lived in London but we had a conversation earlier and she also thinks he is doing a good job.

Thanks heaven Corbyn and Diane Abbot aren't in charge at the moment.