Open for tourists / visitors or not?

[whole diary]

[CyclingSid]

I sincerely hope that if I was unfortunate enough to be taken Ill anywhere in the country I'd be taken care of irrespective of where I live, and I'd hope that applies to all universally.

I think the important thing for people to remember is that the capacity and capability of hospitals in London, Birmingham etc is far greater than in the more outlying/tourist areas of the country.

[TaplowGreen]

I sincerely hope that if I was unfortunate enough to be taken Ill anywhere in the country I'd be taken care of irrespective of where I live, and I'd hope that applies to all universally.

I think the important thing for people to remember is that the capacity and capability of hospitals in London, Birmingham etc is far greater than in the more outlying/tourist areas of the country.

I'm sure we are all aware of that, but let's also remember what the "N" in NHS stands for?

[ellendune]

The population of Cornwall (by way of an example) in the winter is around 250,000 and in the peak of summer it is around 7 million!  I am guessing that its medical facilities are geared rather more to the winter population than the summer population. If there is a massive increase in population with the virus, then it would be impossible to cope.  Our big cities have medical facilities geared to the normal populations they would have more of a chance of being able to cope.

Also take Italy where the a large number of people from the North fled to the south just before the lockdown in the North.  Many of the cases in the south now are linked to that population movement. 

The message is and should be clear - stay at home!  A recreational walk near your home is fine.  Moving to the other side of the country is not!

[TaplowGreen]

The population of Cornwall (by way of an example) in the winter is around 250,000 and in the peak of summer it is around 7 million!  I am guessing that its medical facilities are geared rather more to the winter population than the summer population. If there is a massive increase in population with the virus, then it would be impossible to cope.  Our big cities have medical facilities geared to the normal populations they would have more of a chance of being able to cope.

Also take Italy where the a large number of people from the North fled to the south just before the lockdown in the North.  Many of the cases in the south now are linked to that population movement. 

The message is and should be clear - stay at home!  A recreational walk near your home is fine.  Moving to the other side of the country is not!

Spot on - but it's important that this message is communicated in the appropriate way - the last thing we need just now is to start sowing division.

[Marlburian]

... A recreational walk near your home is fine.  Moving to the other side of the country is not!

Firstly, there's been a backlash from tourist areas about people moving there thinking they'll be safer. This extends to those opting to use their "second homes" - not a popular group at the best of times.

Yesterday I posted on another forum an account of a 9.5 hour walk I'd just done in open countryside. I mentioned that I'd sought permission from one pair of parents to overtake them and their children, briefly chatted at a distance with a couple of other walkers and had a close encounter with another who warned me that the road ahead was flooded. (I confess to twitching when he got nearer to me than was necessary.)

This brought a civil rebuke from another poster and an implicit comment from another that I wasn't taking the situation seriously.

Yet I saw family groups clustered together, people chatting to each less than the recommended six feet apart, couples walking closely.

I think that I'm taking the situation more seriously than most, but am not being absolutist. I'm still having to shop for myself, and confess to having in my kitchen 48 hours' more essential items (not that all were available) than usual.

Now I'm off to see if I can book an on-line groceries delivery for May. (My next is scheduled for April 21.) The website wasn't responding at three o'clock in the morning the other day. And I gather that so many people are working from home that Internet speeds are stuttering.

[bradshaw]

Yesterday afternoon the Waitrose website was reporting online delivery slots unavailable!

[Marlburian]

I know. I tried it around 0330 one morning, with no luck. I'm afraid that next week a lot of vulnerable people will not be staying at home but venturing out to replenish - and not keeping six feet apart.

Shh! Yesterday morning I ventured into a convenience store two stone-throws away from a certain station and found the shelves reasonably well-filled - there was even milk - with just two other customers. And the doors were automatic.

Easter looks like being a complete washout, whatever the weather.

The next problem will be people questioning, perhaps forcefully, other people's interpretation and implementation of the guidelines/advice/instructions.

[bradshaw]

One gets the impression that local stores have not been predated like the supermarkets. So it is worth exploring. Some our local shops are offering free delivery over £20 for regular customers

[rogerw]

I had an email from "Visit Dorset" today with a message from the County Council asking people to stay away and criticising the large numbers of people who visited the beaches and promenades over the weekend