Corona Virus

[SwanR]

So today was day one of working from home. I used my lunch break to walk round the corner to the Co-op and got almost everything I wanted apart from eggs!!

As my work is with schools we now expect to see a shift in what is coming into us. It's going to be a very strange few months, especially with exams being cancelled. I will be interested to see how that works out.

[YnysMon]

I’m with you Jean. I’m working at home too, but the project that I’m working on has been a bit slow getting off the ground. I’m sure a lot of people would think that’s great, less work, I just find it depressing as I like to be busy. I’ll just have to use the time constructively. Most of our staff training is available online now anyway.

On a more positive note, eldest son has just arrived back from an extended shift in IKEA. They have sent employees who are at risk home. He works in the restaurant, which they closed early today, and I gather will remain closed. The remaining staff have spent their time deep cleaning the place. Chairs have been put through the dishwasher, tables upended and cleaned underneath and their legs cleaned, and then wrapped in protective covering. He’s going in for an extra shift tomorrow too, presumably to cover for other staff.

It’s not perfect (no company/employer is) but I do like IKEA.

[Paul]

I've been trying to determine a method of working from home, though as a takeaway food delivery driver you'll understand it is not so easy. I have designed and built, in CAD at least a trebuchet which is theoretically capable of projecting a large egg fried rice, special curry, sweet and sour king prawn, two pancake rolls and a bag of prawn crackers to any location in the village.

The problem we still have to resolve is accuracy, our so far one and only test "cyber" firing delivered a set meal for two intended for the Old Vicarage to a meeting of the young mothers in the parish hall next door. They were not too upset but apparently a meal for two didn't go far with thirteen ladies in attendance. 

We had a Vera Lynn party at the C&S on Tuesday night to mark it's closure for the duration. The windows had all been taped war style, little union jacks on sticks and Vera Lynn on the valve set. We concluded with a somber chorus of "When The Lights Go On Again" before staggering home. 

We had to take Jamie to the Urgent Care Centre last night, he has a sceptic finger which ballooned up last night. Expecting a late night I was amazed to walk in and find only one person waiting. We registered him and were called straight through. In and out in twenty minutes.  

[vanessan]

Sainsbury’s are doing their bit - sort of. Heard on the radio this morning of an elderly gentleman who took advantage of the first hour of opening (6am to 7am) restricted to the vulnerable. Apparently someone opened the doors to all and sundry at 6.30 causing mayhem within a few minutes! Maybe they hadn’t read the script..........

[Coryton]

43 minutes ago, Paul said:

I've been trying to determine a method of working from home, though as a takeaway food delivery driver you'll understand it is not so easy. I have designed and built, in CAD at least a trebuchet which is theoretically capable of projecting a large egg fried rice, special curry, sweet and sour king prawn, two pancake rolls and a bag of prawn crackers to any location in the village.

The problem we still have to resolve is accuracy, our so far one and only test "cyber" firing delivered a set meal for two intended for the Old Vicarage to a meeting of the young mothers in the parish hall next door. They were not too upset but apparently a meal for two didn't go far with thirteen ladies in attendance. 

That's cheered me up! A good start to the morning.

[grendel]

I have heard that our elrectricians when gong to restore a fault are being advised to stay 2 metres back from the door and first enquire whether the house is in self isolation before entering.

[ExSurveyor]

3 minutes ago, grendel said:

I have heard that our elrectricians when gong to restore a fault are being advised to stay 2 metres back from the door and first enquire whether the house is in self isolation before entering.

That is exactly the guidelines I have issued to my staff. Customers are also asked to maintain 2 metres when they are in a property.

My new routine is to update our coronavirus guidelines every morning, trouble is they are out of date before the ink has dried.

[vanessan]

Yesterday I noticed our lovely postman was unusually keeping his distance. All these things, such as mentioned in grendel’s and psychicsurveyor’s posts above, should help to remind us all to keep a distance between us. 

[Hylander]

1 hour ago, vanessan said:

Sainsbury’s are doing their bit - sort of. Heard on the radio this morning of an elderly gentleman who took advantage of the first hour of opening (6am to 7am) restricted to the vulnerable. Apparently someone opened the doors to all and sundry at 6.30 causing mayhem within a few minutes! Maybe they hadn’t read the script..........

I had an email saying it will 9 to 10 on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays.     I got 99.9% of my on line shop including precious Andrex original toilet tissue , a big pack.  This was from Sainsburys.

 

 

This was the email from Tescos CEO.

It is fair to say that we find ourselves in uncharted waters. COVID-19 is bringing a change to the UK and it’s clear that lots of things are going to have to shift around in order to help us cope.

At Tesco, we have been doing everything we can to keep business as usual, but we now have to accept it is not business as usual. In the last two weeks, we have seen significant and prolonged increases in demand across all of our stores and this is leading to shortages in some products for some customers.

Reacting to the latest government announcements, we have to plan on this situation being the new normal and we will do all that we can to make the food you want available, but we need your help.

In order to protect the core shopping essentials, we are going to implement some changes in our stores. The changes are designed to simplify what we do so that we can provide more of what people need in a clean and safe environment. We ask for your understanding and your support.

From Thursday 19 March we will start to implement the following changes:
To ensure more people have access to everyday essentials, we are introducing a storewide restriction of only 3 items per customer on every product line, and removing multi-buy promotions.

In order to allow Tesco colleagues to focus on stocking shelves, helping to provide the essential groceries you are looking for and to avoid waste, we will close all meat, fish, deli counters and salad bars.

To be able to ensure our stores are clean, that we can replenish stock, and allow our colleagues to rest, we will change our trading hours with all stores closing at 10pm.

To ensure we are doing everything possible to reduce the risk of infection for both our customers and colleagues, we will be introducing some distancing measures at the checkout and, to make it swifter, invite customers who can, to pay by card.

To help free up slots for the more vulnerable, such as our elderly customers and those who are self-isolating, we are encouraging customers who shop online or choose Click+Collect for their grocery home shopping, to prioritise shopping in-store where possible.

To ensure our more vulnerable and elderly customers can shop in-store, we will prioritise one hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning between 9-10am (except in our Express stores) and ask that you respect this.

Tesco store colleagues can't work from home and a good number of them will need to respond to personal or family challenges connected with dealing with COVID-19. So we would please ask that you understand the challenging environment in which we are all working. If you do go in-store and want to say thank you, then I'm sure they'd appreciate it.

So, if you could help us by limiting demand of essential items and allowing us to focus on the core needs of our customers – we are confident that we can continue to feed the nation. We are delivering food daily to our stores, but this is a very challenging time and we will only get through this if we work together.
 

 

 

Thank you for your support.

 

 

Dave Lewis

 

[BroadAmbition]

Today at around 1130 I had to visit my Tile supplier in Donny, about six miles from where I am currently toiling.  So enroute I called in at Asda (Other outlets are available in Donny) to get some red Lentils and Lurpak spreadable - failed on both accounts.  It was unnerving to see so many empty shelves

What was a tiny bit concerning was the state of the traffic leading into Donny, through the centre and out t'other side.  There was hardly any at all, it would normally be buzzing  It was like a scene from some sort of apocalyptic  film.

On the upside it made my journey very easy and extremely quick too

I have informed my MrsG that plenty of bedroom Olympics will keep the CV at bay.

Her reply? - You're gonna catch it then!

Griff

[Regulo]

Had to get shopping today, just essentials. Shoulder to shoulder in Lidl, and queue for 40 minutes to get through the till. If that's the government's idea of "social distancing" the population, it's the wrong way! 

But on the other hand I went to my usual establishment for lunch to find it empty apart from two other people. The staff, outnumbering customers by 4 to 1, were cleaning and disinfecting absolutely everything. I felt safer there than anywhere, especially Lidl! 

[Islander]

 

Nuff said.

Colin 

p.s. Not my house or dogs, poetic justice.

[vanessan]

Innocence personified! 

[YnysMon]

I don’t know...that one on the left has a real mean expression.Either that or it has indigestion from consuming too many sheets of loo roll.

[SwanR]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just trying to keep myself socially distanced from Helen! 

[BroadAmbition]

On way home, called in at a small village store (Finningley) and YES - A packet of red Lentils - MrsG - Brownie points in the bag.  Plenty of milk, no loafs but got some rolls.  didn't even look to see if any bog rolls on t shelfs.  Sadly no Lurpak spreadable but I'm on it. I get our eggs from a local farmer and have 1/2 doz a week put by for me at only £1:00 - Bargain

Griff

[Polly]

Emjoy!

[vanessan]

So that’s where they all are!!

[Hylander]

10 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

On way home, called in at a small village store (Finningley) and YES - A packet of red Lentils - MrsG - Brownie points in the bag.  Plenty of milk, no loafs but got some rolls.  didn't even look to see if any bog rolls on t shelfs.  Sadly no Lurpak spreadable but I'm on it. I get our eggs from a local farmer and have 1/2 doz a week put by for me at only £1:00 - Bargain

Griff

We will be sending you out again.   Well done support your local shops.

You mentioned the roads were quiet.   This pandemic has cured global warming with one swipe and also folks being overweight from takeways as having to cook for themselves.      Saying that last part,  we should also support our restaurants who are doing their utmost to abide by the rules and keep everyone as safe as they possible can.   I know there will be some who disagree with that. 

 

[floydraser]

I hate putting anything like a cv in a thread so this will have to do: I used to work in supermarket logistics.

During a normal week Tuesday and Wednesday are the slackest days then it builds to Saturday, a bit quieter Sunday and Monday. The busiest times of the year are just before Christmas and the Bank Holidays. The slackest time of the year in the food business is between Christmas and Easter – that'll be now then.

So most temporary staff will have been laid off and any new system changes will be actioned, or should be. So this panic buying couldn't have come at a worse time for the industry. There will now be a scramble to get agency staff to cope with the extra work.

Add to that the fact that space is a premium in supermarkets and many have been “refurbished” to make the tiny warehouse space even smaller and increase the selling floor space, putting more reliance on the logistics side to get the stuff in from regional distribution centres at a regular pace. And that pace is dictated by the (averaged) buying data from the tills.

Panic buying sends the system into shock and creates false shortages; the stuff will be in warehouses just waiting to be shipped.

So no shortage of bog rolls, they're just in the wrong place! One genuine issue will be the shortage of hand sanitizer and similar products which we perhaps didn't use so much until now.

Whatever the issues I am confident the system will soon recover as the it catches up.

[scaniaman]

Sanitizer should be getting better,  a local chemical company which does not normally do these types of products have moved production over to sanitizers and cleaners so should? be getting better by the day.

[annv]

Speaking to my grandson who works in a electrical shop there is now a shortage of freezers as people are panic buying freezers clearing all there stock hope the generating people don't get the virus otherwise there will be a lot of food chucked away as freezers defrost. John

[vanessan]

A couple of weeks back I was trying to find  some hand sanitiser in the shops but of course I couldn’t. I did find a pack of 2 x 30ml handbag size available from Amazon so snapped them up. To my surprise the producer is based just 15 miles from where I live! 🙄

[addicted]

Went for our usual weekly shop to our village Aldi this morning. It's always fairly busy but more so today. The only thing we couldn't get was milk - they were awaiting a delivery. The tinned veg' shelves were cleared out, likewise pasta products. I don't use either of these so no problem. There was the usual selection of fresh meat, fruit and veg - plenty of each, eggs  too and bread  so nothing missing from our shopping requirements. We didn't need loo roll so the fact that there was none didn't matter. I suppose we are just lucky - one of the few times I've found  living in the provinces is better than living in London.  Having said  that my daughter who lives in N. London did her usual weekly shop in Waitrose with no hassle at all  yesterday.

 

 

Carole

[Poppy]