We Don't Care About The Spread Of Covid

[teacake44]

B&Q opened 155 stores today, and I very much doubt it was for selling products for urgent home maintenance, more like the wanted to start selling their stocks of summer garden furniture and barbecues and plants that they'd pre-ordered. the action of these selfish people will kill thousands more.

[shoota]

Please explain the difference between a supermarket and a DIY store that makes it possible to open one safely but not the other?

[diddlydo]

Sorry Teacake but I'm all for more stores opening especially big ones like B&Q where it will be much easier to do social-distancing than in the supermarkets.

[teacake44]

I don't explain, only complain, if you can't work it out then.....

[teacake44]

B&Q Had a good set up near me for the last 5/6 weeks, you order on line, drive up to the store, you stop in the car, and they bring your order to you, Now they've opened the flood gates.

[Mamyalynne]

//I don't explain, only complain//

Should get best answer if only for the truth.

[teacake44]

21.14 I would give myself best answer every time if I could.

[shoota]

Oy vey...

[Buenchico]

"Homeware, building supplies and hardware stores" are specifically excluded from the provisions the Coronavirus Regulations, so B&Q could have continued trading since those Regulations came into force.

However the company recognised that they weren't yet ready to be able to operate in a way that maintained social distancing, both for their customers and their staff, and therefore took the thoroughly responsible decision to close all of their stores until such time as they'd fully got to grips with all the problems. Now that they're happy that they've done so, it seems perfectly sensible for them to to re-open their stores.

Further, their staff will now find it far easier to pay their rent, mortgages and other bills than they would if they were only receiving 80% of their normal income.

Yes, reopening those stores will help to maintain the profits of Kingfisher plc (who own B&Q) but most of Kingfisher's shareholders aren't mega-rich private individual but pension funds that provide regular incomes for vast numbers of senior citizens. If the share prices of such companies seriously plunge, there's a very real risk that hundreds of thousands of people could lose most of their pensions.

[teacake44]

21.19 ok if your having trouble. I'm sure you've heard over the past few week. ( essential, and none essential ) the cracks of greed are opening up.

[New Judge]

// if you can't work it out then..... //

No I can't. Perhaps you can help me (and others).

[teacake44]

21.21 true to a point, but for essential home maintenance products I believe.

[Buenchico]

There's absolutely nothing about "essential home maintenance products" in the Regulations:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made
(Scroll down to Part 3 of Schedule 2 for a full list of all types of businesses which are specifically exempted from having to close).

[New Judge]

//21.19 ok if your having trouble. I'm sure you've heard over the past few week. ( essential, and none essential ) the cracks of greed are opening up.//

Ah, right, gotcha. Well, about 80% of the stuff Tesco, Sainsbury's and ASDA sell is not essential. You don't need jam, you don't need biscuits, you don't need cakes, you don't need fabric conditioner, you don't need ketchup (I could go on, but I'm sure you get my gist). Tesco can sell clothes but Next can't. ASDA can sell pot plants but my garden centre can't. Sainsbury's can sell a screwdriver but B&Q can't. So what's the difference?

[ichkeria]

And quite right too.

They won’t “kill thousands more”
Statistically CoVid 19 spreads most easily among the elderly in hospitals and care homes. Tragically but truthfully.

[Deskdiary]

New Judge, you’re applying logic to a Teacake post.

You’ll never win.

[teacake44]

Not my problem if government can't get it right in the first place, M&S have in store food halls, but have closed off all the rest. Once one starts doing their own thing, then the rest will follow.

[ichkeria]

You’re in for a tough time then teacake (and therefore so heaven help us are we) as businesses that should never have closed get going again and more shops open

[teacake44]

21.33 Now your talking sense well spotted.

[jno]

all the same, there may be ways for younger people to die, ichkeria

https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/world/young-healthy-people-barely-sick-with-covid-19-are-dying-from-strokes/ar-BB13aQ7X?li=BBr8Mk9

Probably not a major issue but an unexpected one

[ichkeria]

Indeed. There’ll be lots of unexpected cases. But it doesn’t really alter the point