keitha
Member of DD Central
2024, hopefully the year I get out of P2P
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Post by keitha on Oct 27, 2020 10:50:39 GMT
Well living in Wales is fun with the Dear Leader and his sycophants declaring what we can and can't buy in those shops allowed to remain open
Electricals are deemed non essential ( tell that to someone who had just had a kettle break ) Magazines such as Penthouse are essential, The bible isn't Ready Meals essential, Saucepans to Cook in aren't at least one supermarket using the rules as dictated decided sanitary products are non essential !! Clothing and shoes not essential Alcohol ( but not gifts containing Alcohol ) Essential Smoking products essential, Vape products not essential
Supposedly this makes it fair on the small shops that have to close as we will all go shopping after the lockdown is over, they don't realise many people will go shopping online and that people may permanently switch to online shopping.
Update
Store staff have been told to use common sense !!, so leaving low paid workers to argue with customers
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benaj
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Post by benaj on Oct 27, 2020 11:36:13 GMT
www.aib.gov.uk/services/essential-itemsThis is not intended for COVID, just an illustrations of essentials items according to Scotland: Conclusions: Medicines over the counter, Cigarettes, Drinks (ANY), Clothes, masks, face-coverings, flowers and plants, stamps, books, magazines, pets, cars, mobile phones, game consoles, tablets, contraception items are not essentials.
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jo
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Post by jo on Oct 27, 2020 12:57:27 GMT
Flexing your devolved muscles for the sole purpose of 'owning the toarries' must be exhausting.
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firedog
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Post by firedog on Oct 27, 2020 17:07:55 GMT
www.aib.gov.uk/services/essential-itemsConclusions: Medicines over the counter, Cigarettes, Drinks (ANY), Clothes, masks, face-coverings, flowers and plants, stamps, books, magazines, pets, cars, mobile phones, game consoles, tablets, contraception items are not essentials. Well not for the purposes of insolvency, obviously. I'm not sure of your point.
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travolta
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Post by travolta on Oct 27, 2020 17:47:27 GMT
Well ,we all know that bread comes from Heaven in Wales , not the Co-op.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Oct 27, 2020 18:14:04 GMT
Here's the actual Welsh "essential" guidelines. gov.wales/coronavirus-covid-19-closure-businesses-and-premises-html"The products and services which can be sold (or hired out) in stores are any products which would normally be sold in:
* food and drink retailers (including off licences) * newsagents * building supplies and hardware stores * pharmacies and chemists * bicycle shops * petrol stations * garages and vehicle hire businesses * post offices, banks, building societies and similar * pet shops * agricultural and aquacultural supplies shops; and * livestock markets and auctions"It's nowhere near as clear-cut as being made out by those against the firebreak. Kettles and saucepans would normally be available in hardware shops, so would be available. The most likely shop in my nearest Welsh town to stock a good selection of both is remaining open. Sanitary products are clearly listed as being available, and the supermarket in question admitted they were wrong to close that aisle. And if somebody has suddenly decided that buying a bible* is essential NOW, and can't possibly wait a fortnight, then I rather suspect that they are not somebody who consults it regularly, and is merely somebody trying to make a melodramatic point. * - or, indeed, any other self-help manual...
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benaj
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Post by benaj on Oct 27, 2020 19:37:50 GMT
So, shopping bags, cameras, books, fashion accessories, tablets, Lotto scratch cards, game consoles, eyewear , mobile phones, clothes, sport gears, makeup, flowers, shoes and party supplies are not essentials
Oh yes, it's certainly "reasonable" to visit Conwy Castle for eye test but have to wait to get eyewear if needed.
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09dolphin
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Post by 09dolphin on Oct 28, 2020 3:42:07 GMT
Adriac As a very elderly person who has exercised almost complete isolation since March I have to ask: Which shop does the Welsh Government suggest I go to during the rest of the "lockdown" if my mobile phone "dies" as I no longer have a landline. Obviously a mobile is essential if there is an emergency and to keep in touch with friends and family. I have a combi-microwave (oven grill microwave). Which shop is the Welsh Government suggesting I use to replace it if it fails? Note I use this appliance daily to reheat and cook meals. Thank the lord I don't live in Wales as I would be very worried if I did. Note the large supermarket nearest me sells both mobile phones + combiovens.
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firedog
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Post by firedog on Oct 28, 2020 7:39:50 GMT
The Welsh Government put this rule about non-essential items for a good reason: to seek to prevent the spread of coronavirus. I hope it's successful. And having to seal off areas of supermarkets also has some thought behind it – that's to try to protect small businesses who would otherwise be unfairly affected by the rule.
I understand the logic of it. I think it's admirable that the Welsh Government are taking decisive action. Of course, when you're making binary decisions about what people need, you'll find flaws. It seems to be fashionable to nit-pick about what's deemed essential and what isn't. I find it boring.
In your case the answer is dull. You'd either order a replacement phone or microwave online – it isn't difficult, and you know that. Or you could ask 'the large supermarket' nearest you for such non-essential items in exceptional circumstances. That's allowed too.
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Greenwood2
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Post by Greenwood2 on Oct 28, 2020 8:35:15 GMT
Adriac As a very elderly person who has exercised almost complete isolation since March I have to ask: Which shop does the Welsh Government suggest I go to during the rest of the "lockdown" if my mobile phone "dies" as I no longer have a landline. Obviously a mobile is essential if there is an emergency and to keep in touch with friends and family. I have a combi-microwave (oven grill microwave). Which shop is the Welsh Government suggesting I use to replace it if it fails? Note I use this appliance daily to reheat and cook meals. Thank the lord I don't live in Wales as I would be very worried if I did. Note the large supermarket nearest me sells both mobile phones + combiovens. If you haven't already you should contact your local council, who should put you in touch with the local Covid support (or whatever they call it) they should help you with any problems you have and get someone to do shopping for you if necessary. If you only have one mobile phone in the house, particularly if you think it might be a bit dodgy, I would get a cheap back up just in case. I would be more worried that if I fell ill (or had a fall) and the phone didn't work I wouldn't be able to contact anyone or be able to get out to purchase another phone.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Oct 28, 2020 8:44:03 GMT
Which shop does the Welsh Government suggest I go to during the rest of the "lockdown" if my mobile phone "dies" as I no longer have a landline. Obviously a mobile is essential if there is an emergency and to keep in touch with friends and family. It was, I presume, your choice to not have a landline...? Round here (not Wales, but a mile away), we do not have such fripperies as a mobile signal suitable for making calls at all. If I need to receive a text message, I have to leave my mobile outside for a few minutes, and it might arrive. So, no, a mobile is not an essential unless you have chosen to make it so. In the meantime, I am sure members of your local community would be able to provide you with a short-term spare phone as a stopgap without breaking social distancing guidelines. You can buy a replacement cooker at your local building supplier, still open.
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Post by bracknellboy on Oct 28, 2020 8:46:00 GMT
The Welsh Government put this rule about non-essential items for a good reason: to seek to prevent the spread of coronavirus. I hope it's successful. And having to seal off areas of supermarkets also has some thought behind it – that's to try to protect small businesses who would otherwise be unfairly affected by the rule. I understand the logic of it. I think it's admirable that the Welsh Government are taking decisive action. Of course, when you're making binary decisions about what people need, you'll find flaws. It seems to be fashionable to nit-pick about what's deemed essential and what isn't. I find it boring. In your case the answer is dull. You'd either order a replacement phone or microwave online – it isn't difficult, and you know that. Or you could ask 'the large supermarket' nearest you for such non-essential items in exceptional circumstances. That's allowed too. Agree there is too much nit picking and people wanting to 'game' the rules. Although perhaps not overly helped by confusing messaging from different bodies at different times.
However, not sure how strong the evidence is for transmission in shops vs. say hospitality and simply mixing with 'knowns' from different household. Both tend to involve extended period of times in proximity to the same individuals rather than brief 'passing through' encounters.
It may have been more simple and nearly just as effective to just keep shops open, shutdown hospitality, and have the restrictions on household mixing. There is something a touch bizarre about saying you can go to the supermarket/hardware store but some things they stock you can't buy for the next 14 days. In an age when nearly everything can be bought online, I'm far from sure that 'protects' other businesses: people will just resort to more online shopping. And in terms of protecting local jobs, having them go online vs. buying their new iron in the supermarket is hardly a +ve.
Still, with it being half term, and with other forms of entertainment off limits, I do concede there is logic to wanting to stop families flooding shops as a result of resorting to retail as a form of therapy/entertainment.
There you go: I've just shown once again that I can hold 3 conflicting views at the same time.
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firedog
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Post by firedog on Oct 28, 2020 9:36:54 GMT
Absolutely: the winners out of this (as has been the case the length of the pandemic) are online retailers, particularly Amazon. It's awfully sad.
But the Welsh Government can't do anything about that. All that's within their powers is to make the rules as fair as they can across physical retail and I think they've done what they can. (Or at least it's better than the other way: what would be the reaction if the big retailers were allowed to sell everything but small shops had to shut?)
I don't know the science (or the psychology), or the evidence behind the decision, but I assume it's done after lots of discussion from sensible people about the best choices. I think the aim about non-essential items is to discourage people going out and shopping when they don't need to.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Oct 28, 2020 9:47:11 GMT
Absolutely: the winners out of this (as has been the case the length of the pandemic) are online retailers, particularly Amazon. It's awfully sad. However, the small "non-essential" retailers can still sell online, too...
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Oct 28, 2020 10:20:24 GMT
...and this is probably a good point to mention Hive. www.hive.co.uk/Books, DVDs, CDs, eBooks sold online at Amazon-esque prices, but every single sale supporting your local independent bookshop - and you pick which. You can either have them delivered to that shop, or to your home. And all by a company that pays corptax in the UK... www.hive.co.uk/WhatsHiveallabout
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