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Post date: 26-Mar-2020 21:42:13
Lucy has decided to stay in Liverpool over Easter. We're not surprised and, to be honest, it does make a lot of sense. She'll be safer there in the shared house with Mariam, Dom and Ibrahim then travelling all the way down to Oxford, ewither on the train or with me in the car and having to stop at service stations on the way, and then mixing with us here. And there's no point risknig her bringing the virus down here. Ibrahim is working from home now. Fortunately, he can do his computer-aided design on a laptop by logging in remotely. Dominc's school is closed, so he's at home too, but on stand-by in case he's needed to support any vulnerable children from his school or to step in at one of the 50 "hubs" which are being provided for primary school age children of key workers. This seems to be different from Oxfordshire, where many schools are staying open, but only for children of key workers. I don't know what key-worker parents of secondary school children in Liverpool are supposed to do. Perhaps they are assumed to be safe to be left at home alone?
Peter rang Gavin again today. He and Chrissie both seem more cheerful, in a strange way, now that they are both being kept busy coping with the extra work that the COVID-19 crisis enatils for them. Chrissie's main regret seems to be that they can't easily visit Shotover Country Park, where Kenny's ashes are buried. Its a three mile walk from their home, which means over two hours for the round trip. That's quite ambitious as the regulation once-a-day sortie for exercise allowed under the new regulations. It's rather closer for us: one mile and a very pleasant walk through the CS Lewis Nature Reserve.
Gavin's main anxiety at the moment is for the homeless community who are very vulnerable to the virus whether they stay on the streets (which is presumably now technically illegal!) or find a place in a hostel or shelter. He's checked the government website, and it still says "Public Health England will be issuing updated guidance for those working with people who are experiencing rough sleeping and living in hostel environments as soon as possible." Not much help for peop-el who are sleeping rough now! To be fair, the government has announced extra money for local councils to support rough sleepers, but it's not at all clear what they can do with it. Shelters are closing due to a lack of volunteers (many of whom are in at-risk groups themselves, because so many are over seventy). Things are looking very bleak.