COVID-19 Advice - March 20
STAYING HEALTHY, KEEPING OTHERS HEALTHY
In my own time out of doors and buying necessaries in shops, I have noticed that many people are not leaving the recommended two metres between themselves and other people. I have been asked by a constituent to please remind everyone that the person in front of you in the queue at the grocery store may be vulnerable. Even if you are not concerned for your own safety, please have a care for them and stay well back.
Many people who are vulnerable to infection, such as those with suppressed immune systems or asthma, may be young and may not look obviously unwell. Standing close to strangers may increase their anxiety as well as their risk of infection, so please be polite and give everyone else the recommended two metres of space. This also includes other people using the parks if you go there for fresh air and exercise.
Please also stop eating in restaurants, pubs and cafes. We have all been asked to avoid public gatherings, and that includes eating and drinking out. All of these businesses have been told they are now permitted to operate takeaway and/or delivery services without the need to notify the authorities, so it is fine to use them in that way. But please do not ask them for table service, as the government is asking them not to offer this.
The NHS has produced this good short video about the symptoms of Covid-19:
FURTHER DETAILS FOR GCSE AND A LEVEL CANDIDATES
The government has announced details of its plan to award GCSEs and A Levels later this year. The announcement says,
"The exam boards will be asking teachers, who know their students well, to submit their judgement about the grade that they believe the student would have received if exams had gone ahead.
To produce this, teachers will take into account a range of evidence and data including performance on mock exams and non-exam assessment – clear guidance on how to do this fairly and robustly will be provided to schools and colleges. The exam boards will then combine this information with other relevant data, including prior attainment, and use this information to produce a calculated grade for each student, which will be a best assessment of the work they have put in.
Ofqual and exam boards will be discussing with teachers’ representatives before finalising an approach, to ensure that it is as fair as possible. The aim is to provide these calculated grades to students before the end of July. "
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-details-on-exams-and-grades-announced