Advice that even Owl needs to heed.

@scfgallagher www.independent.co.uk

[Editor’s note: All advice was correct at the time of publication; the government now requires people stay at home where possible, avoid socialising and travel].

Boris Johnson has told the public to avoid all non-essential travel, including working from home where possible and avoiding pubs and restaurants to curb the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Those with underlying health conditions, over the age of 70 and pregnant women have also been told to minimise social contact for the next 12 weeks.

Despite the obvious seriousness of the situation it is important to keep the threat in perspective (during the 2017-2018 UK flu season there were 26,408 deaths and 1,692 in 2018-2019). The UK’s chief medical officer Chris Witty estimates a mortality rate for coronavirus of 1 per cent. [Other earlier estimates have been higher at between 2 to 3.4 per cent]. 

In comparison SARS had a mortality rate of more than 10 per cent.

The World Health Organisation and Public Health England have also warned there is no need to panic-buy face masks, latex gloves or other extreme protective gear if you practice good basic hygiene like regularly washing your hands and covering your mouth and nose if you cough.

Of course for many it is still hard to not worry about what is going on and what the future holds.

Dr Michael Sinclair, a consultant psychologist, tells The Independent: “It is understandable there should be a level of concern. Our minds evolved from cave ancestors to worry: we focus on doom and gloom, we chew it over in our brain and we learn new survival skills. That is our mind just doing what it is meant to do.”

Psychotherapist Silva Neves agrees but warns “panic, too, is contagious”.

So what do you do if health-related anxiety has become overwhelming? 

Don’t always listen to your mind

“Listen to what your mind says is there and then look at the evidence for what is really there,” says Dr Sinclair. “We need to recognise that it is often a story our mind is telling us, not the reality.

“Try to do this by, for example, instead of saying ‘I’m going to get ill’ say ‘I’m having the thought that I’m going to get ill’ to emphasise this is your mind telling you that not reality.”

Mr Neves adds: “We have control over how much we think about it. We do have control over our thoughts, although it is hard work sometimes to control them. Worrying about it won’t guarantee a better outcome. So try to allocate some brain space for other important things too.”

Don’t try to ignore physical symptoms of stress

“Sometimes we can make ourselves feel unwell (and like we might have something like coronavirus) through panic and anxiety – those signs; shortness of breath and heart racing,” says Dr Sinclair. “But when this happens, instead of trying to immediately eradicate or ignore those feelings, which won’t help, make space for them, describe them as you experience them.”

Mr Neves says in moments of panic you should try to take a few breaths; sit down and count your breath in and out for 10 seconds. Then repeat. 

Keep a record of your worries

Elizabeth Turp from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) says you can do something practical – something you can control – to help express anxiety. She suggests writing a journal or notebook.

“Allow yourself to worry, put it down in writing in a notebook, and then put that away. Once you’ve written it down, let it go,” she says.

You can also try drawing two circles – a circle of control and a circle of no influence – and fill them with things in your life that you worry about. This helps you to remember what things you can impact and those that, no matter how much you worry, you can do nothing about.  

Only consume what you can handle

Mr Neves says if you’re struggling to cope you don’t have to keep watching live news, have notifications turned on or use social media, instead limit your exposure to the new information. “You can be strict with yourself, decide to only watch the news and read an update on the virus once a day,” he says.

“I’m not suggesting you [totally] ignore it, it is serious. By all means, keep track of the development. But you can reduce your anxiety by reducing the amount of time you think about it.”

Take some practical steps 

As well as managing your mind, there are simple physical steps you can take to make yourself feel reassured, like following the advice from WHO and PHE. “Do wash your hands with soap and water often, especially before you eat. Or wash your hands with alcohol gel. Follow the medical advice,” says Mr Neves. 

Stay connected to your support network (digitally)

Gerard Barnes, CEO of mental health specialists Smart TMS, says that in times of stress it can be easy to want to isolate ourselves but it is crucial to maintain human interaction online or on the phone to reduce anxiety levels. “Maintaining strong connections will help you to feel supported and surrounded by positivity and good energy. 

“You are also more likely to be able to have an open conversation about the virus with those close to you – being able to discuss the issue and perhaps make jokes about it, will help you to feel more comfortable and overcome any anxiety you may have over the threat.”

Avoid speculation and focus on facts

In a world of 24/7 rolling news and social media updates, it can be easy to get drawn into speculation and hype. But Mr Barnes says: “Try to avoid being caught up in the media storm and avoid reading excessive speculative reports. Stick to respected health-first websites, such as the NHS, to get clear, simple instructions and facts on the coronavirus and how to handle it.”

The pressure on food banks is one of the first holes opening up in British society’s defences against the economic firestorm caused by the coronavirus pandemic. As the Independent reports today in an editorial, charities are warning that food banks are running low because of increased demand and dwindling supplies.

@IndyVoices  www.independent.co.uk

If Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are to make good on their fine words about our “capacity for compassion” in our “collective national effort”, this is something they need to act on urgently. 

There are, of course, other urgent priorities: income protection for freelance and casual workers is needed to put them on the same footing as employees, for example, to prevent them falling through the cracks and needing food banks. 

But there are already too many people turning to food banks, and many charities report that the supply of donations from the public on which they rely is drying up. 

The same message that George Eustice, the food and rural affairs secretary, delivered to shoppers against stockpiling needs to go out loud and clear: please continue to donate to food banks – other people need food too. 

Many individuals, charities and companies are stepping up. The Co-op today announced that it is donating £150,000-worth of food each week to food banks over the next 10 weeks. We need to see other food retailers follow this example. 

As Mr Eustice rightly said, we have enough food as a country to feed everyone, but hoarders and the sudden increase in financial hardship mean that it is not allocated fairly. 

Retailers should be encouraged to try innovative ways of discouraging hoarders. A Danish supermarket tried to deter people from buying more hand sanitisers than they needed by charging higher prices for second and subsequent purchases. A “two for the price of three” policy on goods sought out by panic-buyers might be easier for shops to enforce than simple rationing. 

If the stockpilers can be thwarted, there will be more food for everyone, including the food banks. 

But further action from the government is required. In addition to the increases in universal credit and working tax credit levels the chancellor has announced, the benefits sanctions regime that has driven so many people to food banks in the first place should be suspended for at least as long as the income support measures are in place. 

This is, as the chancellor said on Friday, a test of our decency as a nation. We have to control the coronavirus outbreak; we have to save as much as we can of the economy; but in so doing we have to protect the poorest and most vulnerable first.

(from the Times)

On 20 March Cornwall and North Devon made pleas for tourists to stay away. On 22 March many, but not all, Devon and Cornwall MPs proclaimed that these are not normal times and launched: #comebacklater

(It was North Devon Chief Executive who acted – Owl hasn’t heard a pip squeak from EDDC. We have some very big holiday sites in East Devon)

The BBC have carried the refrain on the news because similar pleas have been made across the country.

Owl fears it may be too late. With infections, currently, doubling every three days in UK – decisions have to be made very, very quickly. This government appears to be behind events, rather than ahead.

It won’t be much fun on a caravan/holiday park in “lock-down”. Nothing to do nowhere to go.

Owl still wonders how a company that makes such a prestigious, quality, product can go bust twice in seven years. Loss of market, no longer fashionable, uncompetitive (unlikely in prestige markets), insufficient investment and saddled with debt as a result of UK businesses’ chronic short termism? The following comment looks hopeful – but it’s only a plan. And all UK businesses will be facing unprecedented problems for years. Good luck.

“There is a plan to implement an employee ownership model so that the local people who have worked so hard over some difficult years can feel part of the resurgence of this proud company.”

By News reporter  www.bridportnews.co.uk

Councillors have welcomed the ‘great news for Axminster’ that the town’s famous carpet company has been saved and will now be owned by its workers.

The company collapsed in February 2020 with the loss of 80 jobs. But now a group of UK private investors, industry leaders and the Dutfield family has rescued it.

A consortium of investors, including the family which restarted the historic business in 1937, has salvaged it from administration and intends to reboot production.

The business, which had amassed debts of nearly £8million, is now well-funded and debt free, the new owners said.

The news has been welcomed by councillors in Axminster, with Cllr Andrew Moulding saying: “It is great news for Axminster, great news for the historic Axminster Carpet industry and great news for those dedicated employees, whose jobs have been saved.”

He added: “It is not likely all the workforce will be re-employed and the council will strive, alongside other partners, to continue to support those who will be seeking new opportunities and alternative employment.”

Cllr Ian Hall added: “This will hopefully go a long way with the excellent support that has been given by East Devon and the Axminster Job Club. This will enable the individuals and their families who have been enduring a difficult journey to come to a healthy decision that must be paramount to their own wellbeing.

“Please remember, there will still be support available on Thursday’s at the Pippins Centre. It is of course excellent news that the future looks far brighter for the Carpet Industry in Axminster.”

 East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for the economy, Cllr Kevin Blakey, added: “We were delighted to learn the news that Axminster Carpets has found a new buyer, which will enable an element of re-employment at the factory.

“We’re keen to support a more productive and sustainable future for carpet manufacturing in Axminster, and we look forward to learning how many staff will remain with the firm and in what capacity. This will help us adapt our ongoing redundancy support to employees who continue to need it.

“Our next support session is opened up to anyone who has been made redundant, be it from Axminster Carpets or more recently from Flybe. It will take place at the Pippins Community Centre in Axminster on 12 March, from 9am to 12pm.

“East Devon District Council and our partners will continue to offer one-to-one guidance and practical assistance for anyone in need of our support.”

Axminster Carpets has a long tradition of making the world’s finest carpets for the most discerning clients and is a holder of a Royal Warrant.

It was founded in 1755 by Thomas Whitty, the creator of the now famous Axminster Weave and Harry Dutfield restarted the business in 1937.

Famous customers include King George III and Queen Charlotte, who also visited the factory, and Queen Elizabeth II.

The new owners say Axminster Carpets is well placed for a successful and sustainable future, and Robert Day, who is leading the private investors, said: “The business has never been in a better position to again become a significant player in the sector.

“There is a plan to implement an employee ownership model so that the local people who have worked so hard over some difficult years can feel part of the resurgence of this proud company.”

Joint administrator Benjamin Wiles, of Duff & Phelps, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to announce today that we have secured the future of Axminster Carpets, one of the best-known British brands, following the successful sale of the business and assets of the company.

“The swift conclusion of this process has enabled Duff & Phelps to secure the future of the business. This deal will provide a stable financial platform, ensuring its long-term viability.”

Seaton Town Council’s by-election scheduled for Thursday, March 26, has been cancelled following Government guidance about Coronavirus.

The authority will now decide whether to co-opt the two candidates who put themselves forward for election.

Owl sees from the Town Council web site that there are currently five vacancies.

http://www.seaton.gov.uk/Seaton-Town-Council/Councillor_Vacancies_12070.aspx

Chris Carson www.midweekherald.co.uk

East Devon Returning Officer Mark Williams said: “My priority is to ensure the wellbeing of the public who were due to vote and the staff running the polling stations.

“In light of the current exceptional circumstances and on the advice of the Association of Electoral Administrators the right decision is to cancel the election.

“I have written to Seaton Town Council and suggested that the council may wish to consider co-opting the two candidates who were standing for the election.”

Any postal votes received by the returning officer will remain unopened and will be confidentially destroyed.

The town council will not be charged for any administration costs in preparation for the election.

For further information, contact the electoral services team on 01395 517402.

The Government has given its full support to returning officers to cancel or suspend elections to prevent the spread of the virus.

The UK expects thousands of deaths, and dangerously mixed messages risk making an already grave situation worse – Guardian Leader

Editorial  www.theguardian.com 

Data shows that the UK’s coronavirus outbreak is following a similar trajectory to Italy’s, with around a two-week delay. While panic will not help anyone, the only rational reaction to this information is serious alarm. On Saturday, 793 fatalities took Italy’s death toll, already higher than China’s, to 4,825. The pattern of exponential growth is repeated in other western countries including Spain.

If the disease advances in the UK as scientists expect, the number of people killed will increase from 281 to around 5,000 in about two weeks’ time. These are the brute facts that led to last week’s switch in government policy, with an approach focused on “mitigation” partially replaced with a more aggressive policy of “suppression”.

Having closed schools, bars and restaurants, the government on Sunday declined to go further – for example, forcing non-essential businesses to close. Instead, the prime minister announced a new programme to “shield” the 1.5 million people at highest risk – who will be asked to stay at home for 12 weeks. The danger is that the policy, which stops short of measures taken by other European governments, does not go far enough, particularly in London where cases are most concentrated.

Those who are able to should take steps beyond what the government has advised. That means working from home, unless this is impossible, or because your job is essential to the coronavirus effort (or the allied effort to support those who are unable to cope on their own). It means shopping rarely, keeping a safe distance of at least six feet from others, and following strict hygiene rules.

It also means being aware that the restrictions do not affect everyone equally. Families in overcrowded housing, for example, face far greater hardship as a result of school and other closures. Single people and those in unhappy or abusive family situations will suffer disproportionately from quarantining. Individuals as well as voluntary organisations and councils can help (for example, by leaving parks to those without gardens, and by checking on friends by telephone and online).

After wasting vital weeks that should have been devoted to preparations, the government has been playing catch-up. The lack of support for the UK’s 5 million self-employed workers in the package of measures announced by the chancellor last week is extremely concerning in light of survey findings that around half of those who are self-employed, or in irregular work, would continue working despite having the virus. Finding a mechanism to enable these people to stop work is a task that should already have been done, along with the ordering of ventilators, testing equipment and protective clothing for medical staff and others on the frontline.

Images of crowded streets and parks over the weekend were disturbing proof that the public has not grasped the fundamental importance of social distancing. Even more disturbing is the extent to which Boris Johnson is to blame. Last week’s suggestion that we could “send coronavirus packing in this country”, and the timescale of 12 weeks, was grossly irresponsible when scientists are clear that policies to limit transmission will be needed for at least a year. On Sunday, he again struck the wrong tone. Lacking the gravity and clarity of his own cabinet colleagues, as well as foreign leaders, he instead conveyed palpable resistance to the stronger measures that may be required to protect people’s lives.

Given expert predictions that the total number of UK deaths could be 250,000, the priority is to save lives. Saturday’s announcement of a partnership between the NHS and the private sector was a rare note of encouragement. A thorough investigation of the government’s decision to aim for mitigation and herd immunity, when the international consensus pointed to suppression, will have to wait.

But questions about Mr Johnson’s judgment and leadership cannot be brushed off. Weekend reports of a policymaking process in which the views of his adviser, Dominic Cummings, appear to have been given greater weight than scientists’, are deeply worrying. In a democracy of 70 million people, this is not how policy should be made. As we career into highly dangerous and uncharted waters, it is right to ask whether our ship’s captain is up to the job.

Owl’s earlier post on this subject has received a lot of interest.

Here is new attempt at discussing possible explanations

Philip Oltermann  www.theguardian.com

Germany’s relatively low mortality rate continues to intrigue experts as Covid-19 spreads across Europe, with some questioning the methodology behind its data gathering while others argue the country’s high testing rates allow a more accurate approximation of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus.

While the pandemic has hit Germany with full force, with Johns Hopkins University noting 22,364 confirmed infections by Sunday morning, only 84 people are so far reported to have died.

This means Germany currently has the lowest mortality rate of the 10 countries most severely hit by the pandemic: 0.3% compared with 9% in Italy and 4.6% in the UK.

The contrast with Italy is especially surprising because the two countries have the highest percentage of citizens aged 65 or over in Europe. If anything, the Bloomberg Global Health Index would suggest Italians have a healthier lifestyle than Germans.

German politicians and senior health officials have been reluctant to comment on the low mortality rate while the situation is developing so rapidly. Lothar Wieler, the president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the government’s central public health body, has said he does not expect there to be a significant difference in mortality rates between Italy and Germany in the long run.

“It’s too early to say whether Germany is better medically prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic than other countries,” said Marylyn Addo, who heads the infectiology department at Hamburg’s University Medical Centre.

One likely explanation for the discrepancy in figures, Addo suggested, was that while northern Italy’s hospitals are being overrun with new patients, Germany’s are not yet at full capacity and have had more time to clear beds, stock up on equipment and redistribute personnel.

“One advantage Germany has is that we started doing professional contact tracing when the first cases were reported,” Addo said. “It bought us some time to prepare our clinics for the coming storm.”

Crucially, Germany started testing people even with milder symptoms relatively early on, meaning the total number of confirmed cases may give a more accurate picture of the virus’s spread than in other states.

According to Germany’s National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, the country has capacity for about 12,000 Covid-19 tests per day, while Wieler has claimed it has capacity for 160,000 tests per week.

While Germany has not tested its citizens at the same high rate practised in South Korea, guidelines have been in place for more than a month for people to be tested even if they have early-stage symptoms but have either had contact with an infected person or recently visited a “high-risk area” such as Lombardy in Italy or Wuhan in China.

The age profile of those affected in the first few weeks has also been younger than in other countries, many of them fit and healthy people returning from skiing resorts in Austria or Italy, which would also help explain the low mortality rate.

“I assume that many young Italians are or were infected without ever being detected,” Christian Drosten, a virologist at Berlin’s Charité hospital, told the newspaper Die Zeit. “This also explains the virus’s supposedly higher mortality rate there.”

Drosten, who has been advising the German health ministry, has also warned that Germany’s mortality rate is likely to rise in the coming weeks as high-risk areas become harder to identify and testing capacity becomes stretched.

“It will appear that the virus has become more dangerous, but this will be a statistical artefact, a distortion. It will simply reflect what’s already starting to happen: we’re missing more and more infections.”

The methodology behind Germany’s data gathering could also play into the discrepancy between Italian and German figures.

If a patient is tested positive for Covid-19 in Germany, the doctor will notify the local health authority, which will then digitally transfer the data to the Robert Koch Institute. The lag in this process explains why the RKI’s daily figures have been consistently lower than those from Johns Hopkins University, which updates its data tables more frequently. By 10am on Sunday morning, for example, the RKI only notes 55 fatalities in Germany.

Unlike in Italy, there is currently no widespread postmortem testing for the novel coronavirus in Germany. The RKI says those who were not tested for Covid-19 in their lifetime but are suspected to have been infected with the virus “can” be tested after death, but in Germany’s decentralised health system this is not yet a routine practice.

As a result, it is theoretically possible that there could be people who may have died in their homes before being tested and who do not show up in the statistics.

Practising medical specialists such as Addo do not believe this number of unreported cases to be statistically significant. “I have yet to see any data that would suggest a large number of untested corona-related deaths that don’t show up in the statistics,” she said.

“Clinics dealing with respiratory illnesses have been on high alert about the virus for weeks, so I would be very surprised if there was a significant figure of uncharted deaths.”

The RKI’s official mortality figures include both people who have died of the virus as well as those infected and with underlying health problems, where the precise cause of death could not be determined.

Yesterday, Owl posted a compelling, but long, account of the screeching U-Turn performed by No 10 last week, from the Sunday Times. It gave an “insight” into the role played by Boris Johnson’s DiC (Disruptor in Chief). 

Now Downing Street has rejected as “a highly defamatory fabrication” a claim that Boris Johnson’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, initially argued against strict measures to contain coronavirus in a view summarised as “if that means some pensioners die, too bad”.

Peter Walker  www.theguardian.com

In an unusual on-the-record denunciation, a Downing Street spokesman said the claims about Cummings’ viewpoint, made in a Sunday Times article, had not been put to No 10 in advance and contained “invented” quotes.

The report claimed that at one private event at the end of February, Cummings outlined then government’s strategy at the time in a way that was summarised by some present as “herd immunity, protect the economy, and if that means some pensioners die, too bad.”

The allegations, which have been widely shared online, connect with wider criticisms that the government response to the virus was initially too weak, based on a notion that rather than limiting its spread, enough people could be allowed to contract it to give population-wide “herd immunity”.

While the phrase “herd immunity” was used by government figures such as Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, No 10 has denied it was ever a tactic. However, the use of the phrase illustrated initial tensions within government over how to balance the economic impact of a full national lockdown against the potential number of deaths from the virus.

According to the Sunday Times report, the key moment came on 12 March when a group of government experts gathered to examine modelling of the spread of the virus carried out by academics at Imperial College London and elsewhere.

This predicted that if no action was taken more than half a million people would die, and that even some limited mitigation efforts would only halve this. The Sunday Times report said this changed the mind of Cummings, who before had been an adherent of the herd immunity idea.

After the 12 March meeting, Cummings changed his view and became one of the strongest advocates in government for tough restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, the Sunday Times said. It quoted one anonymous senior Conservative as saying: “He’s gone from ‘herd immunity and let the old people die’ to ‘let’s shut down the country and the economy’.”

The Downing Street spokesman said: “This is a highly defamatory fabrication which was not put to No 10 by the Sunday Times before publication. The article also includes a series of apparent quotes from meetings which are invented.”

Cummings is already a controversial figure within government. The former Vote Leave strategist is regularly portrayed as an ideologue and hidden power over Johnson.

In January, Cummings’ call for “misfits and weirdos” to work in No 10 led to the appointment of Andrew Sabisky, who soon had to step down because of previously stated views on subjects ranging from black people’s IQs to whether benefits claimants should be encouraged to have fewer children.

It later emerged that in his own prior writings, Cummings had suggested that the NHS should cover the cost of selecting babies to have higher IQs.

Following the government’s new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, pubs, restaurants, cafes and gyms have closed their doors.

With almost everyone working from home, it really feels like the country has ground to a halt, as the need to “flatten the curve” of new infections becomes even more urgent.

From health to the food industry, these workers are on the front lines to keep Britain working in these incredibly challenging times.

www.indy100.com 

But many of these jobs weren’t considered valuable just a few weeks ago. Remember when home secretary Priti Patel unveiled those shiny new post-Brexit immigration controls in February?

Patel’s new guidelines were modelled on the “Australian points-based” system and unsurprisingly, it was awful. Under the proposed new rules, those earning under £25,000 per year were not be allowed entry to the UK unless the government deems there to be a shortage in the particular sector.

But others earning under the £25,000 benchmark were deemed “low-skilled” (this is how Patel described them during an interview with BBC Breakfast). She even admitted, in a later chat with LBC Radio, that her own parents – who migrated to the UK in the 1960s – would not have been able to move here under the new rules. 

It turns out that many of the workers deemed “key” during the coronavirus pandemic were also deemed “low-skilled” just a few weeks ago.

“Low-waged” doesn’t equal “low skilled” at any time. But there’s a significant correlation between jobs on the Department of Education’s new list of essential “key” workers (whose children can still be educated because they’ll still have to work) and jobs that wouldn’t meet the government’s salary threshold according to February’s guidelines.

As Britain embraces this new way of life it’s important to remember that many of the “key” workers on the front lines were deemed too “low skilled” to be allowed into the UK to work just a few weeks ago.

Here’s a list of 10 “key” jobs that wouldn’t have made the cut…

Supermarket worker

Coronavirus had made people behave completely irrationally in supermarkets, snapping up essential items with little regard for anyone else. It’s been very, very grim. But who is on the frontline of this daily battle? Supermarket workers, of course, who don’t even nearly achieve the minimum salary to be considered “skilled” by Priti Patel. If you ask us, keeping Britain fed in a time of national crisis, in hugely stressful conditions, is pretty skilled.

Banking customer service adviser

During this stressful time, people might need advice with money or help sending cash across the world to loved ones who are feeling the pinch. That banking clerk who helps with these things in person on the phone is so valuable that they’ve made it on to the government’s list of “key” workers. But they’re also “unskilled”, according to the immigration guidelines proposed just a few weeks ago.

Midwife

Coronavirus won’t stop people from having babies. And who do we need in this situation? Midwives, of course, which is why they’re very much on the “key” workers list. The midwife starting salary is just £24,000, and according to the government’s estimates this does rise, but who could actually think anyone who helps to deliver a baby is “unskilled” at any time? Let alone in a time of national crisis?

Bus or coach driver

It’s very important for essential workers to get to work, which is why bus drivers are on the “key” workers list. The majority of them would also be “low skilled” salary-wise, though, according to the Home Office.

Carer

Salaries for social carers can start from about £16,000 per year but obviously that doesn’t mean it’s “low-skilled”. On the contrary, social care is a hugely demanding job that involves long hours at unsociable times, massive amounts of empathy and a real nurturing streak. The care sector also has a shortage of around 11,000 staff (that’s one in every 11 posts not filled) so it’s unsurprising they’ve made the government’s list of “key” workers during the Covid-19 oubreak.

Paramedic 

Paramedics. You know them. The people who save lives, particularly in a situation where there’s a global virus that makes people struggle to breathe. They’re considered “essential” workers now, but the starting salary also makes them “low-skilled”, apparently.

Farm workers 

Less than 1 per cent of UK farm workers – that includes roles from fruit pickers to animal herders – are British nationals. Because Brits don’t want to work on farms, apparently. Or perhaps wages are just so low, they refused to. Either way, these people make our agricultural industry go round, even in this time of crisis, which makes them “key” workers. We think anyone who thinks this is “low-skilled” should spend a day outside on a farm, to be honest.

Nursery teacher

Most nurseries, like schools, will be closed for the foreseeable future. But some will remain open to look after the children of the people on this list and other occupations which are deemed “essential”. But most of the teachers (especially young ones) in these nurseries? “Low-skilled”, apparently.

Social worker

Children don’t stop being vulnerable because of a pandemic, which is why social workers are on the governments “essential” list. Sometimes the right interventions from a social worker can be life-changing, but this isn’t enough to make new social workers count as “high-skilled”, according to Patel’s logic.

Nurse

Nurses are key workers at any time, but particularly during a pandemic. Patel’s guidelines do state that jobs where there’s a shortage of workers will have a reduced minimum salary threshold. Given there’s a shortage of nurses, it’s likely this job (like care workers) would qualify for that. But that still, it’s obviously ridiculous that, if there were not a national shortage of nurses, new nurses wouldn’t meet the salary threshold to be considered “high-skilled”. Particularly when nurses (both new and experienced) will be on the front lines of fighting coronavirus in the coming weeks.

As Britain continues to fight Covid-19, it’s important to remember that we should value the people who do these jobs all the time, and compensate them accordingly. Because if the pandemic hadn’t happened, many of the people who are keeping our country moving, often risking their own health and not seeing their families, would have been turned away if they’d tried to move to the UK from abroad.

Let’s maybe​ re​-think that?