Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Sheilbh]

Our mobility fell faster and harder than Italy's - the lockdown worked very well here. I consider the lockdown a failure of policy rather than a policy itself, but at least it did the job. Dunno about France, but their outbreak seemed pretty localized geographically, this might have played a part?

Regarding transmission rates, you'd be at something like 3% positivity rate? (3,000 positives on 100,000 tests). We began opening up on
2%.

Yeah I don't know about France either, it's really striking though. It was very localised, but then so was Italy. It'd be interesting to know why and it is really striking even in the UK - London had a very sharp decline in hospitalisations and deaths, while other bits of the country have been trending down very slowly. I've no idea why.

That makes sense. I mean England isn't opening up yet (compared to our lockdown which was less strict than in Spain). So people can exercise more than once a day, they can meet one person (socially distanced) and they're being encouraged to go back to work (but, legally, it's the reponsibility of employers to provide a safe workplace). I actually think this is basically going to what the government expected we'd do, because people have been more compliant than expected. Also it's a lot less "open" than some of the media were reporting before the changes were actually announced - it doesn't seem too much to me. I was quite concerned by some of the reported plans in the media, but they didn't come true.

The next stage will be non-essential retail opening, sporting and cultural events behind closed doors, schools re-opening for sort of key years (not all kids) and some more social gatherings allowed. This won't happen until 1 June at the earliest. I mean hopefully by then transmission is lower, we've got contact tracing in place and there's widespread consultation on exactly how to do it. I think transmission will be lower still after another two weeks of lockdown - contact tracing and consultation rely on the government so.... I also think it should possibly be up to the regions but that won't happen.

[Josquius]

Really think leaving it up to regions is the way to go.
It's already dying down in London whilst the north possibly hasn't peaked yet.
The trouble there is I can really see people en masse heading from closed regions to open ones for day trips.

[Sheilbh]

Also, it goes against every instinct of the British state and how we understand it. I mean even mongers, who is following this, was talking about the "UK government" earlier - in health and public health there's no such thing. The UK state's response is just the economic stuff really. And I see the press going crazy at the idea that we won't "leave lockdown as one nation"

Even now apparently the track and trace effort isn't going to be run locally it'll all go through central teams to allocate resources which I think is probably the wrong approach.

I think it's peaked in the North as well, but it looks from the hospitalisation and R estimates that it's declining a lot more slowly:


And that is mainly the North-East and Yorkshire. The North-West is about average, but there's some really weird mini-outbreaks I've read about there such as bits of Cumbria of all places

[Maladict]

I would go on holiday  

So would I, but maybe not to northern Italy.

[Zanza]

Incidentally on lockdown, Italy's plans seem punchy

It seems incredibly rash. I guess keeping tourists out for summer will finish the country off, but I doubt very many will go.

I wonder if I should go to Venice in June. Only ever chance not to see it crowded... 

[Josquius]

If it were possible I'd go to Italy now. Really need a holiday. Was already overdue for one when this stuff hit

[Duque de Bragança]

Incidentally on lockdown, Italy's plans seem punchy

It seems incredibly rash. I guess keeping tourists out for summer will finish the country off, but I doubt very many will go.

I wonder if I should go to Venice in June. Only ever chance not to see it crowded... 

Great, that's what Venice needs. Another German to replay Death in Venice. 

[Zanza]

I actually booked a flight to Venice and a hotel 50 meters from Pizza San Marco now for the last weekend in June. Bella Italia, here I come! 

[The Brain]

I actually booked a flight to Venice and a hotel 50 meters from Pizza San Marco now for the last weekend in June. Bella Italia, here I come! 

Now I'm hungry.

[celedhring]

I'm sure one can get great deals for Italy/Spain holidays.

Possibly not the best time to go visit my Milanese family though (they ask me to go there every summer  )

[Zanza]

I actually booked a flight to Venice and a hotel 50 meters from Pizza San Marco now for the last weekend in June. Bella Italia, here I come! 

Now I'm hungry.

I hope I didn't make the same typo at booking.com

[The Brain]

I actually booked a flight to Venice and a hotel 50 meters from Pizza San Marco now for the last weekend in June. Bella Italia, here I come! 

Now I'm hungry.

I hope I didn't make the same typo at booking.com

I'm sure it's a nice little cheap pizza joint in the outer suburbs. Just 50 meters away!

[Josephus]

Incidentally on lockdown, Italy's plans seem punchy

It seems incredibly rash. I guess keeping tourists out for summer will finish the country off, but I doubt very many will go.

I wonder if I should go to Venice in June. Only ever chance not to see it crowded... 

Are they opening Italy up for tourists?

I was scheduled to fly to Malta via Rome on the 25th. I obviously postponed that. New date is Oct 1. Still not sure if it's gonna happen

[Zanza]

Italy will be opened for tourists on June 3rd as per current plan.

[Tamas]

A coworker living next to a big non-London city park told me last weekend there were several groups of 25-30 people bundled together having picnics, quite obviously from multiple households.

This week will be practically summer, so I am fairly convinced we'll have at the very least a considerable uptick in June.