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So - about half our staff are at home now - some isolating, some home working, many left today because they are parents and schools have now closed. The number of people actually able to work from home is still small - they're testing a virtual call centre for the rapid crew, and 3 of our Specialist Team are trialing new laptops and company mobiles - they are in process of building our systems with a view to moving all the specialists to home working but we dont have a date for that yet - optimistic guess is end of next week.
I'm in a high risk category (asthmatic) and also smoke (trying hard to cut down) - advice for my category is social distancing to the degree I am able, and to make decision on how strict that shold be based on my own particular circs (how severe is the condition, how under control, feeling otherwise healthy? etc). Work have made it clear anybody in a high risk category can go home and self isolate until homeworking is available, but...we are so thin on the ground. There already arent enough of us to deal with stuff - and now it not a good time for someone to have a disaster at home and not be able to access help.
We're doing what we can to minimise the risk - hand sanitisers dotted about, cleaning staff coming round disinfecting everything through the day, strict zoning - you stay in your area don't go to other areas to talk to friends, use the chat system - people spreading out more since there are more empty desks etc.
The team leaders are providing snacks and treats to boost morale and the atmosphere is a weird mix of fear and dread with humour and good cheer
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Meanwhile - the two Js came back from Hanoi for a 3 week visit to be there for the birth of Janet's first grandchild - and now they cant go back. Their current tenancy is due to cease in 2 days and their new tenancy due to start - and they are not there to move their stuff. More importantly - their 2 dogs (Carrpt's bro, Merlot and his new little Vietnamese brother Biscuit) are now semi-permanent residents of the boarding kennel - at least for the foreseeable future.
Had a scary 24 hours where the kennels didnt respond to their email and facebook messages - but they have now made contact and are absolutely fine with the dogs remaining there for £400 a month. They sent pictures and both dogs look happy and healthy.
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Meanwhile - my SiL is head of the community nursing team in the village doing home visits etc - they only just got masks.
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Meanwhile - My eldest niece, Amelia and her boyfriend, currently working windfarms in Australia have been laid off and can't come home to the UK - they are driving their camper van to a remote camp site and waiting it out.
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Mum is still weakened by her recent operation- gall bladder removed - and more so by 4 months of almost zero fat diet while waiting for the op because even a small amount of fat could have triggered it into an emergency at any time. Was only supposed to be a 5 week wait but got cancelled and then the Christmas season was in the middle of that and so on - eventually had the op 1st feb by which time she was down to a little over 6 stone (about 88 pounds)
She is social distancing as much as possible - we mainly only see each other for dog walks or dropping stuff off atthe door. can't fully do it though, as some stuff needs us both in the car so when we do that I wear a decorators mask to try and lessen her risk.
Shopping is a nightmare. Selfish bastards stockpiling for a possible future shortage and leaving care workers and socially isolated elderly unable to get what they need. The advice is to have enough to last 2 weeks - but people are having to shop every couple of days because they can only get a few things - the shops get stock and whole sections of essential items have been emptied within an hour or so.
Supermarkets are doing what they can - bringing in stuff like the first hour of the day reserved for elderly and vulnerable - but there are stories of young healthy people going in pushing old people out of the way to get to stuff.
Home shopping systems are crashing and people cant get delivery slots at all or not for a month and even then half the stuff you order is out of stock by the time you hit the checkout button
There are enough food and necessary goods in the supply chain, but people panic buying and acting like selfish cunts is overloading it. This is before we have massive numbers self isolating and needing to shop online and before restaurants and pubs shut increasing home cooked food and therefore food shopping by several percent
People are also looking out for each other though - there's some good to be found as well.
Strange days - just generally kind of weirded out.
Enough rambling from me. I hope you all are safe and well and remain so.
X D
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