Companies Using "Because of COVID" As An Excuse For Poor Service

[35B]

You would think hospitals would be glad that fathers, or other relatives of women who have just given birth, are there to provide help

My kids are in their teens, and the hospital maintained visiting hours on the maternity ward back then (the labour ward was obviously different). Part of the reason for that was to try to maintain some semblance of routine for those staying in.

I'd be cautious about assuming a direct connection between Covid and that policy - or the appalling care provided by that hospital.

 

[duncanp]

My kids are in their teens, and the hospital maintained visiting hours on the maternity ward back then (the labour ward was obviously different). Part of the reason for that was to try to maintain some semblance of routine for those staying in.

I'd be cautious about assuming a direct connection between Covid and that policy - or the appalling care provided by that hospital.

But the hospital in the report I referenced was using COVID as an excuse to limit visitors and ban overnight visiting, as per the following sentence:-

We had been warned by our midwife that due to Covid protocol, we were only allowed one visitor and that Ben would not be able to stay overnight.

I appreciate the there shouldn't be a free for all when visiting any type of hospital ward, but you think the hospital in this case would be glad of relatives coming in to help patients when they are so short staffed.

 

[Russel]

Has anyone found a supermarket yet that has taken down all the plastic screens at the tills? Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsburys, Morrisons etc, all of my local ones still keep the cashiers walled in, like they're in an isolation chamber in a hospital. It must be maddening for the cashiers.

My local Aldi still has plastic screens at the till, so does Home Bargains where I was recently served by a woman wearing two masks while sitting behind her plastic screen, needless to say I couldn't hear a word she was saying.

 

[185143]

Train companies who still haven't reinstated "temporarily suspended" onboard catering "Due to Covid".

Yes, Irish Rail, I'm looking at you!

 

[Bikeman78]

Has anyone found a supermarket yet that has taken down all the plastic screens at the tills? Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsburys, Morrisons etc, all of my local ones still keep the cashiers walled in, like they're in an isolation chamber in a hospital. It must be maddening for the cashiers.

I cannot think of any shops near me that still have screens. Wales persisted longer than England but they are all long gone.

 

[kristiang85]

Train companies who still haven't reinstated "temporarily suspended" onboard catering "Due to Covid".

Yes, Irish Rail, I'm looking at you!

I was only thinking today if the SWR service would ever come back. I presume not...

 

[DelayRepay]

I got some new glasses from Boots lately and not a single person was wearing a mask; maybe your Boots has a store manager who is a deluded Covidian?

I also got new glasses from Boots. There was some gubbins about Covid in the email, and a couple of the staff were masked, but most weren't. This particular opticians was part of a large high street store.

I noticed at another branch, which is a stand-alone opticians, they are still taking the Covid thread very seriously. They keep the door locked and you have to ring a bell to be let in. People were waiting outside for their appointments. Very odd indeed.

Has anyone found a supermarket yet that has taken down all the plastic screens at the tills? Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsburys, Morrisons etc, all of my local ones still keep the cashiers walled in, like they're in an isolation chamber in a hospital. It must be maddening for the cashiers.

My local Sainsburys has removed them all. They're stacked up in a pile in a corner of the underground car park!

My local Aldi still has plastic screens at the till, so does Home Bargains where I was recently served by a woman wearing two masks while sitting behind her plastic screen, needless to say I couldn't hear a word she was saying.

There's an odd woman who works in my local Sainsburys. She sits at her checkout wearing a mask, a visor, rubber gloves and a hi viz jacket declaring that she's a 'key worker' and and that people should keep 2 meters away from her! I am happy to keep more than 2 meters away because I think she's a bit odd, so I avoid her checkout. She is the only member of staff in the store who dresses like this!

 

[Russel]

My local Sainsburys has removed them all. They're stacked up in a pile in a corner of the underground car park!


There's an odd woman who works in my local Sainsburys. She sits at her checkout wearing a mask, a visor, rubber gloves and a hi viz jacket declaring that she's a 'key worker' and and that people should keep 2 meters away from her! I am happy to keep more than 2 meters away because I think she's a bit odd, so I avoid her checkout. She is the only member of staff in the store who dresses like this!

There is another one in my local Home Bargains that I avoid, mostly due to hygiene, she has one of those spit guard type of masks that covers the bottom half of your face that she's constantly playing with to adjust it, absolutely disgusting...

 

[185143]

I was only thinking today if the SWR service would ever come back. I presume not...

There's the truly bizarre (to the normal passenger who doesn't know why, at least) situation in Ireland of the Enterprise trains between Dublin and Belfast having catering available... if it's a Belfast crew! I think they crew 2 of the 3 diagrams if I remember rightly.

Certainly led to an interesting discussion when I was on earlier in the year, running late, with an Iarnrod Eireann crew so no catering. A lady asked the guard why the (fully stocked) Buffet car was shut. Guard replied that they hadn't been open for two years "because of Covid".

Passenger then asked how she'd bought a coffee that morning then! To which the guard had to hastily backtrack and admit it was open on some trains.

The situation is, from what I've heard, it's a different catering contractor in NI and ROI. And ROI don't want to pay the rates that the company are now asking for. Hmm.... heard that one somewhere before!

 

[Watershed]

The situation is, from what I've heard, it's a different catering contractor in NI and ROI. And ROI don't want to pay the rates that the company are now asking for. Hmm.... heard that one somewhere before!

It does make a little bit more sense when you consider that the cost of living for someone based in Dublin is much higher than that for someone based in Belfast.

 

[185143]

It does make a little bit more sense when you consider that the cost of living for someone based in Dublin is much higher than that for someone based in Belfast.

Oh I know that. I'm not blaming the contractor at all, I'm putting the blame firmly in the hands of Irish Rail for this one.

Scale it back if needs be, but I can't believe those buffet cars on the busy Cork and Belfast services with decent 1st class didn't make money. At the very least, if they aren't going to use the Buffet cars on the Mk4s and 5 car 22000 units, rip them out and put more seats in.

 

[island]

IÉ catering used to be tremendous until about 2006 when it was contracted out; on the Citygold peak services on Cork-Heuston and v/v would get through three seatings worth of full Irish breakfasts served by a steward who memorised the entire carriage's orders and delivered them a tray on each hand at 90mph.

As it got steadily worse with post-boarding announcements that due to "staff shortages" there was limited or no catering, people started bringing stuff on board from the station, and it caused a vicious circle.

 

[greyman42]

I noticed at another branch, which is a stand-alone opticians, they are still taking the Covid thread very seriously. They keep the door locked and you have to ring a bell to be let in. People were waiting outside for their appointments. Very odd indeed.

Why people are still patronising these businesses is beyond me.

 

[route101]

I cannot think of any shops near me that still have screens. Wales persisted longer than England but they are all long gone.

Still loads of shops in Scotland with screens.

 

[island]

45% of people who have a relative in a care home have reported restrictions from visiting their loved one. One 78 year old was evicted because her family made too much of a fuss about being blocked from visiting her in the home, which charges over £4,200 a month.

Latest news & breaking headlines

The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment.

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[computerSaysNo]

45% of people who have a relative in a care home have reported restrictions from visiting their loved one.

Disclosure, I haven't read the full article.
I can fully understand keeping more restrictions in care homes than in the general country; the residents are typically some of the people most likely to suffer badly from catching the virus in society. If one visitor goes into the Home and spreads the virus to a dozen residents, who then all get ill and die, their families are going to be asking why the Home didn't implement more controls.
Also, this part:

restrictions from visiting their loved one

I don't know if this is a direct quote from the article, but I would say it depends what each person is regarding as a "restriction". Care home staff might say "you must use hand sanitizer before entering the building", some people might classify this as a restriction. Same as with face masks, proof of negative test, etc etc.

 

[duncanp]

45% of people who have a relative in a care home have reported restrictions from visiting their loved one. One 78 year old was evicted because her family made too much of a fuss about being blocked from visiting her in the home, which charges over £4,200 a month.

Latest news & breaking headlines

The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment.

www.thetimes.co.uk

Not all care homes are like this.

My mother is in a care home, and they are fairly relaxed about visiting hours, and don't even insist on masks any more.

All they ask is that you don't come to the home if you are suffering from cold and flu like symptoms (eg. coughs and sneezes) which seems fairly reasonable to me.

I don't know what they would do if there was a COVID outbreak. but the sensible and proportionate response would be to isolate the affected residents in their rooms, and regularly test residents, visitors and staff, rather than issue a blanket ban on all visitors.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Disclosure, I haven't read the full article.
I can fully understand keeping more restrictions in care homes than in the general country; the residents are typically some of the people most likely to suffer badly from catching the virus in society. If one visitor goes into the Home and spreads the virus to a dozen residents, who then all get ill and die, their families are going to be asking why the Home didn't implement more controls.
Also, this part:

I don't know if this is a direct quote from the article, but I would say it depends what each person is regarding as a "restriction". Care home staff might say "you must use hand sanitizer before entering the building", some people might classify this as a restriction. Same as with face masks, proof of negative test, etc etc.

I’d suggest reading the article

 

[island]

Disclosure, I haven't read the full article.

Maybe you should. I have shared it from a paid for Times account, meaning you shouldn't need to be a subscriber to read it.

 

[ATrainSpotter]

My local Aldi still has plastic screens at the till, so does Home Bargains where I was recently served by a woman wearing two masks while sitting behind her plastic screen, needless to say I couldn't hear a word she was saying.

Reminds me of the plastic barrier which is on the assault screens of tfl buses… you have to bellow at the top of your voice for them to hear you… it’s even causing problems when some go on rail replacement, my driver ended up going the wrong way because the lady telling the driver where to turn couldn’t communicate properly!!

 

[py_megapixel]

Reminds me of the plastic barrier which is on the assault screens of tfl buses… you have to bellow at the top of your voice for them to hear you… it’s even causing problems when some go on rail replacement, my driver ended up going the wrong way because the lady telling the driver where to turn couldn’t communicate properly!!

Drivers shouldn't have to rely on members of the public for navigation. For rail replacement they should be adequately briefed beforehand, and ideally provided with a suitably programmed satnav.

 

[ATrainSpotter]

Drivers shouldn't have to rely on members of the public for navigation. For rail replacement they should be adequately briefed beforehand, and ideally provided with a suitably programmed satnav.

The person navigating them was working for them, I believe they’re called “pilots”. They’re not allowed sat-navs in the cabs for safety reasons, so that isn’t an option.

 

[py_megapixel]

The person navigating them was working for them, I believe they’re called “pilots”.

Ah, I misunderstood, sorry.

They’re not allowed sat-navs in the cabs for safety reasons, so that isn’t an option.

If so, it could - and should IMO - be made an option. A well-designed satnav will not pose any greater distraction than someone standing giving directions; in fact it may well be safer if the driver is struggling to hear the directions through the assault screen.

 

[pdeaves]

Ah, I misunderstood, sorry.


If so, it could - and should IMO - be made an option. A well-designed satnav will not pose any greater distraction than someone standing giving directions; in fact it may well be safer if the driver is struggling to hear the directions through the assault screen.

On the other hand, a sat-nav will just talk and possibly display something distracting whatever, whereas a pilot can take an assessment on when it is best to, or not to, speak. The screen issue doesn't help, of course.

===

Where I work the 'covid screens' are still up in the office reception. This, I think, is deliberate, not for any covid fear but because they provide a bit of shelter against 'weather' getting in through the slow-moving automatic swing doors. Not so bad in the summer, but there is an icy blast for the poor receptionist who has to sit there in it in the winter. Once upon a time there was a revolving door that never fully opened to the outside in one go but that was replaced by the swing doors in around 2018 or 2019.

 

[davews]

Tudor House and Garden in Southampton. The Air Raid Shelter in the basement is currently closed due to there being mould down there and unsafe during Covid...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Tudor House and Garden in Southampton. The Air Raid Shelter in the basement is currently closed due to there being mould down there and unsafe during Covid...

Is this a significant part of the visitor attraction?

 

[ATrainSpotter]

Ah, I misunderstood, sorry.


If so, it could - and should IMO - be made an option. A well-designed satnav will not pose any greater distraction than someone standing giving directions; in fact it may well be safer if the driver is struggling to hear the directions through the assault screen.

Pilots can also help customers out it seems, a few asked for help and the “pilot” was adequately answering them

 

[davews]

Is this a significant part of the visitor attraction?

Not sure since I never saw it...

 

[Bungle73]

I also got new glasses from Boots. There was some gubbins about Covid in the email, and a couple of the staff were masked, but most weren't. This particular opticians was part of a large high street store.

Just been for an eye test at my local Specsavers and it was pretty much the same. The lady who checked me in at the front desk had one on, as did the people doing the tests, but others didn't. In the email I got sent when I made my appointment online one of the points was "To keep our customers and colleagues safe we ask you to wear a face covering when you come to see us", but I just ignored it, as did everyone else from what I saw. I got sent a couple of texts in the days prior to the appointment, with a link to a bunch of gubbins about Covid too.

 

[MikeWM]

Sainsburys in Ely appear to have finally stopped closing the pedestrian entrance at 6pm every day - for the last two-and-a-bit years after 6pm you had to trek down some poorly-lit steep steps and walk through an underground car park full of petrol fumes and then go up a long travelator, all in order to end up on the other side of the door you wanted to go through in the first place.

They didn't explicitly say it was 'due to Covid' but they started doing it back when they were counting people in/out the shop in spring 2020 (fair enough, easier not to have multiple entrances open in that case) - but of course they stopped doing that over two years ago, yet the tedious closure of the main entrance remained, for no obvious reason. A (increasingly faded) note on the door claimed it was for 'the safety and security of our staff and customers', whatever that was supposed to mean.

Anyway, they've now removed the note on the door and it appears to be finally back open in the evenings. At last!