Not much happening today for me!
Despite Honey’s annoyance, this morning walk she remained on the lead, with me explaining to her that until the canal is totally melted this will continue! I don’t want to risk her falling through the ice.
I spent a big chunk of today reading about the legal responsibilities to be a landlord, joining the Scottish Association of Landlords!
This is a great website with loads of fact sheets and information.
A layer of water has sat on top of the canal all day, as it slowly melts.
I heard that one girl tested the ice with her foot from the towpath and the ice broke.
This afternoon, I decided to go for a run, although I’d had a big lunch, so just a short 6km run to the start of Arthur’s Seat and back. Most of it, Honey was on the lead again !
This evening I had a meeting about some possible work and then did some emailing.
Lockdown Restrictions Corner
Over the last couple of weeks I have been including details of the new quarantine rules in government hotels – see Day 329, Day 317, Day 318 and Day 323 for more details.
Today these new rules took affect.
England
In England, 4,963 rooms in 16 hotels are secured, with another 50,000 rooms on standby. There has been suggestions that rooms may run out due to the strict criteria for participating hotels and the potential unwillingness of some to take part. Quarantine Hotels must not accept other guests, so companies have to weigh up whether it is better accepting quarantine groups or sticking to usual bookings. Also, there maybe some stigma attached in the future if the hotels become branded as ‘quarantine hotels’, which could affect future bookings.
Hotels taking part have to provide 3 meals a day and a laundry coping with guests staying for 10 days – so many smaller hotels lack kitchen and laundry facilities.
Novotel will begin to accept guests from tomorrow at Heathrow airport. Hotels are charging the government £80 a night (£800 for the 10 days), with the additional £950 that guests have to pay going towards security and transporting people.
This link from BBC New includes some reports of people in their quarantine hotels.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56064759
I also found this YouTube link from The Telegraph, with a reporter showing what a room will look like –
the
There were reports of passengers arriving from the ‘red list’ countries mixing with non-‘red list’ passengers at the airport, before separating to their hotels. However, some airports (e.g. Heathrow) have created segregation measures in the immigration hall.
Scotland
Scotland started the same scheme today, but for all international arrivals, not just from the 33 ‘red list’ countries.
However, there is a loophole in this system, in which people can arrive in England and then travel to Scotland on public transport, to avoid the 10 day quarantine.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56060220
The two suggested solutions is for the whole of the UK to follow Scotland’s policy or create border checks between England and Scotland.
I heard on the radio today, that unless passengers are travelling direct from ‘red list’ countries, they have to self declare that they their journey originated from a ‘red list’ country. I am sure this will lead to a lot of people not self declaring to avoid the £1750 bill and 10 days quarantine.
Readers Corner
Just one post today.
Maverick
Maverick posted a comment on yesterday’s blog (Day 328) saying:
“The Tunnocks Taxi No way!!!!!!”.
Thanks for that Maverick!
“No Way” that taxis are back or “No Way” that it is Tunnocks??!!
As I come to the end of this blog, it’s super short and not even 10pm, at last I can make my blog curfew 🙂
Today is the first time for a long time that I haven’t worn my thermals, felt weird not having them on. It’s certainly a lot warmer today, although chilly tonight. I have had the fire on and off most of the day, but at a much lower temperature. If it’s too hot it makes me sleepy.
It hasn’t rained today, just cloudy and warm. Tomorrow, it’s forecast to be sunny and warm. This is the point in our winter, which happens every year, that the Spring plants start to think it’s time to come out – buds appearing on the trees, daffodils appearing – then get killed off with another winter spell a few weeks later…will see if that happens again this year!
Hope you’ve had a Magical Monday 🙂
Stay Safe!
Jim xx
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