A lot of reccomendations, warnings and "you-musts" in the speech but no actual enforcements, although they mentioned something about new stricter rules for pubs. This speech is going to restrict travel, movement of people and put of companies sending their employees back to work which is not good for us. That's all fine but then government needs to continue the furlough. If all this is going to stop my clients form visiting me (which it will) and hugely affect my business, as a tax payer I expect the government to continue furloughing me as a self employed person.

Boris is doing a TV address tomorrow at 11 for the rules and enforcement info. Today was just part one of this.

They reckon that if nothing is done NOW then in a month's time we're looking at 50,000 daily new infections.

As a self-employed person with a couple of health issues, I am not going to be taking any bookings from now on. I can't afford to be ill, and I don't want to be seriously ill/disabled/dead.



EDIT: Boris will be in the Commons for his statement at 12:30 Tuesday 22nd and doing a televised address to the nation at 8pm Tuesday 22nd.

Don't want to push my luck or jynx it but I have been quite busy.  So hopefully that won't change.

I think the fact I was off 6 months apart from 5 mornings June/July has helped business.

I dont believe a word they say any more. We lockdown, I cant work, and guess what, it will just come back again, we are just kicking the can down the road..

Same here, I've been told by a couple of clients  in the financial world that the government is borrowing money from the banks and  the latter ones are charging them a commission, so the banks seem to be profitting nicely from this mess and it's in their best interest to keep the furlough going. And guess who runs the country? Definately not the government.

Thanks for the clarification cat, I hope Boris gets back in time from Italy for his TV address because he seems to be getting an incredible amount of holidays this summer while the rest of us can't. Regarding your refusal to take any bookings that's fine, I mean... if you can afford it all the power to you.

edit: "Rishi Sunak to extend emergency Covid-19 business loan schemes till end of November" (today's newspaper headline). I hope that includes the self-employed?

Regarding Italy - it's being reported that it was Tony Blair in Italy LOL

The loans are open to us all I think? Whether or not you're accepted is another thing. I would like to see furlough and self employed grants extended/added to.

I can only afford to not take booking because I do camming. It doesn't pay much (for me) and is hard work with so many more ladies online now, but it's better than zero income. I just can't get ill, I would likely be seriously ill and perhaps left long term physically disabled, which would mean my long term earning prospects would be severely curtailed. Short of being able to lose 13 stone in about 4 weeks, there's not much I can do about the short term situ 

I am back to normal work wise and I have worked since July no clients have caught it who I have seen, and most of them are regulars I know well and would tell me if there were any issues.  The economy will collapse if they carry on doing this, where does the money for all these furlough schemes and NHS come from? no magic money tree, its tax payers, which is all of us. 50,000 infections, really? I dont believe a word they say any more.  We lockdown, I cant work, and guess what, it will just come back again, we are just kicking the can down the road.

I want to work as I am fit and healthy, let the vulnerable be protected and be paid to stay at home.

50,000 is basic maths. If the current daily infection rate is doubling every 7 days, it doesn't take much to go from the current 5,000 a day to 50,000. About 3 and half weeks. They're working with that premis. And these were the scientists, no gov ministers on screen.

"Kicking the can down the road" is precisely what they're trying to do. So that the NHS isn't overwhelmed and there are ambulances and beds available if (god forbid) us or a loved one has a heart attack or stroke or car accident etc during this period.

It's worth a watch anyway. One very important thing that was said 'You cannot in an epidemic take your own risk - you are taking a risk on behalf of everybody else.' and went on to explain that if you go about your day taking your own risk, you bring that risk to everyone you come into contact with, and eventually that risk will fall upon vulnerable people.

Anyway, I'll stop there as this isn't strictly about how it's affecting bookings and I've posted what I can about this morning's broadcast. It's definitely worth a watch, as it's the prelim to tomorrow's Boris statement (the measures they're taking going forward).

Jesus Christ, it’s not rocket science that infection rates will increase following the lifting of national lockdown, it’s completely to be expected. As it now transpired, vast majority of people will survive it if they get it. Why people keep acting as if this is the Black Plague. I have been working, I will continue to be working despite restrictions and won’t participate in any of this idiocy. People have bills to pay and I’m very concerned that economy has been ruined over a disease with such high survival rate. Good 80-90% of those who died have been 65+ and yet we lock everyone else out it’s utter madness.

Yes, it’s not the Black Plague, and yes, it probably won’t kill you. However, it can damage your health permanently. Who fancies Pulmonary fibrosis? Cardiovascular issues? Liver and kidney dysfunction? This is just a few things.

Personally, I’d rather not impact my health long term, but that’s just me.

Yep, and cognitive issues, too.

Also, it's not just about whether you contract it yourself, but about being a spreader.