Boots are closing stores, putting 4000 people out of work. That's their announcement, I guess we'll see whether that transpires. I guess also that the chance of making four million quid from the Chancellor's scheme wasn't enough incentive. My money's on them hiring a bunch of underpaid 'apprentices'. This will net them 2000 per placement. They won't be on full pay and probably not on full time hours. Theirs will be work structures that 'regular' people (ie not kids) cannot afford to do. Cheap labour, iin other words.
Still those people replaced will be able to take console in a tenner off a meal between Mondays and Wednesdays in August. Who knows maybe they can eat 3 meals a day during that period at the government's expense. So nothing to complain about there. I have no idea how anyone thinks such a stupid scheme is ever going to be any kind of economic boost. But once again the Tories' mates in the hospitality industry get a boost. That is what I think this is all about. I can't explain so lacking a policy any other way. Never mind that a few pubs have reported having to close since Saturday (not even a week) because of the appearance of Corona amid the punters.
This, frankly, is a worry. This is where a second spike could begin. After all how did the virus get here in the first place: a few people, here and there, unwittingly spreading it around. Of course things are a little different now, we are aware and, hopefully, the tracking system, though not ready and woefully failing to meet its targets, should help. Still, it's not unlikely that there will be more pubs closing and more people having spread the virus unknowingly slipping through and furthering the rise of a second wave. I hope that I am wrong. We will not know straight away, and that's the danger. By the time we realise there's a problem following the pubs opening it may be too late. The sistuation is, broadly speaking, getting better, but...
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