Don’t go to work but do go to parties

growsruff what do you suggest?

I can see the problems but I am vehemently against full closure of schools again, it was extremely detrimental to the children. As well as being stressful for the teaching staff.

People aren't being ordered to work from home and companies aren't being banned from having their workers on-site. However, they do have a duty to mitigate risk in the workplace, as you have done.

People are being encouraged to work from home if possible.

There's a big difference.

GrannyGravy13

growstuff regarding schools, we have one small local primary school closed this week reopening on Monday due to one member of staff testing positive with omicron.

The largest primary is expecting to close on Monday, not sure if it will reopen this side of the Christmas break, due to the entire admin staff off with COVID.

The big problem with schools is the fact that the government has done absolutely nothing, financially or even by way of advice, to put in place the mitigations which would lessen the chances of the situations you describe happening. We've heard all the nonsensical rubbish about the need to avoid further disruption to children's schooling, but what is this if not disruptive?

Improving ventilation and installing effective air filters, plus requiring mask wearing for all pupils, should have been introduced, and government funded, a long time ago when it be came very clear that schools are a breeding ground for infections which then are spread into the wider community.

Not to mention vaccinating school children..

Shockingly, it seems that the government has been influenced by a well organised anti vaccination campaign focussed on schools and school children. If anyone on twitter is interested I'd suggest that they follow Karam Bales who has all the detail of this. @karamballes

GrannyGravy13

growsruff what do you suggest?

I can see the problems but I am vehemently against full closure of schools again, it was extremely detrimental to the children. As well as being stressful for the teaching staff.

See my previous post. Closure of schools isn't necessary if proper mitigations are put in place.

GrannyGravy13

growsruff what do you suggest?

I can see the problems but I am vehemently against full closure of schools again, it was extremely detrimental to the children. As well as being stressful for the teaching staff.

I'm afraid I can't stand the hypocrisy about schools.

A number of powerful people bleat on about the detrimental effects of school closures, especially on SEND and deprived children.

However, this is the government which cut funding for SEND in schools and CAMHS and adjusted funding formulae, so schools in deprived areas receive less.

Rachel de Souza, the current Children's Commissioner for England, was the former CEO of Inspiration Trust, which was responsible for off-rolling a disproportionately high number of "difficult" (mainly SEND pupils), so that the results from her schools seemed better. She didn't give two hoots what happened to them when she'd got rid of them The teaching unions expressed their concern, but were accused of "playing politics". Don't tell me that she, Zawahi or any of their ilk give a damn about children!

Of course, it's best for pupils to be in school, but not in unsafe environments. Schools haven't been provided with the CO2 or HEPA filtration systems they were promised. Children are expected to attend school, even if family members have Covid. The DfE has had nearly two years to get its act together on ensuring that all pupils have good home IT systems and providing good home working materials. School closures happen because preventative measures haven't been in place.

Call me a pessimist. I think Plan B is an interim plan. Wales, Scotland and NI have already been doing virtually everything in England’s Plan B, and it hasn’t reduced Omicron spread well. The Welsh Covid review is tomorrow, and they may introduce further measures then around pubs and parties.

I think the government hope England will limp on until New Year with Plan B, and will then introduce more stringent measures.

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

growsruff what do you suggest?

I can see the problems but I am vehemently against full closure of schools again, it was extremely detrimental to the children. As well as being stressful for the teaching staff.

See my previous post. Closure of schools isn't necessary if proper mitigations are put in place.

Ooops! Snap! Cross post.

Casdon

Call me a pessimist. I think Plan B is an interim plan. Wales, Scotland and NI have already been doing virtually everything in England’s Plan B, and it hasn’t reduced Omicron spread well. The Welsh Covid review is tomorrow, and they may introduce further measures then around pubs and parties.

I think the government hope England will limp on until New Year with Plan B, and will then introduce more stringent measures.

Just a small point - Northern Ireland has only identified one case of Omicron (yesterday).

Ooops! Snap! Cross post.

It doesn't hurt to say it twice, growstuff

Ref Casdon's post 10.19

The public in my part of the world are clearly willing to comply with mitigations. I went to Sainsburys yesterday, the first time for a couple of weeks. There was 99.9% compliance with mask wearing, 2 weeks ago it was 50%. We're also finding this at the 'heritage' venue I volunteer at. The public have more sense than the PM...

Well folks, I’m just praying that this omicron variant is as mild and less threatening as we have been told it is by some scientific experts! If it’s severity becomes similar to the common cold, well that would be wonderful.

Lucca
Not from me. Go and enjoy ?

I’m neither going to work nor any parties. I’ve just cancelled an appointment for a massage that was to be this afternoon, I’m going in January instead. I’ve got a racking cough, not Covid, I’ve tested several times. So no mixing for me, till Christmas Day at my son’s house.

ShazzaKanazza, it's all to do with supporting the economy - not public health. This is a vital time for hospitality, tourism, retail in general, so the government responds to the unknown Omicron threat with conflicting advice.

Schools must remain open as far as possible. Think about little Arthur. We cannot expect children to pay the price of lockdown any longer. There will be short closures but we can never close schools for months again.

maddyone

Schools must remain open as far as possible. Think about little Arthur. We cannot expect children to pay the price of lockdown any longer. There will be short closures but we can never close schools for months again.

Schools should remain open but not without good ventilation, HEPA filters and CO2 monitors. And masks.

Did open schools save little Arthur, BTW?

Oh, sorry. Strike out my last sentence please. I was thinking on completely different lines from maddyone.

Maizie there are a couple of threads about Arthur so no point in repeating it all on here, but if Arthur had been in school, either full time school, or as a vulnerable child, those horrific events might have been avoided.
I agree with you that school environments would benefit from the improvements you mentioned.

Hetty58

ShazzaKanazza, it's all to do with supporting the economy - not public health. This is a vital time for hospitality, tourism, retail in general, so the government responds to the unknown Omicron threat with conflicting advice.

There's nothing conflicting.

What do you think is conflicting?

No problem about your last sentence Maizie. I was just thinking that schools are a safe space for vulnerable children and as such, shouldn’t be closed again. But the improvements to the environment, a big yes.

Growstuff I wasn’t just referring to Omicron, but the overall position for each of the UK nations. Delta variant cases are increasing. Scotland is using the equivalent of Plan B measures and had 389 Omicron cases yesterday. Wales had 9 yesterday, but that was 4 more than the day before and if it doubles every 3 days, again with the Plan B measures in place already it shows how fast it is multiplying.
I hope I’m wrong.

maddyone

Maizie there are a couple of threads about Arthur so no point in repeating it all on here, but if Arthur had been in school, either full time school, or as a vulnerable child, those horrific events might have been avoided.
I agree with you that school environments would benefit from the improvements you mentioned.

I asked people to strike out the last line of my post. I'm sorry you found it necessary to ignore that. I do realise that , had he been in school he might have been picked up and there would have been less opportunity for abuse.

Oh. Just ignore me altogether, maddyone I'm compounding my first error [blush}

Well my Christmas has just been sorted, about 5 minutes ago. All my family are isolating as one GGS has tested positive. I won't be going there for my Christmas dinner nor will I be seeing any GC or GGC-----again, so another Christmas spent alone, although I'm used to that and will have plenty to go at.

I was originally going to give D a hand with preparations but GS will have to now muck in.

I daren't risk it only having had one jab back in January, which caused me mayhem, so I'm hoping perhaps the pill-type " cure " isn't too far away. Up until then I won't be inviting any germs for the sake of one day.

A large Asda delivery for me next week and that'll be that.

Maizie let’s not either of us worry about it

2 of my friends in England are recovering from covid after having 3 jabs. I don't think that they know where they caught it but my thoughts are from their GCs who are at primary school. It seems as though children can transmit the virus without anyone knowing that they have it.

My friends weren't seriously ill in that they didn't need to go to hospital.