McDonald's to close all UK restaurants
bbc.com
bbc.com
https://www.google.com/amp/s/fivethirtyeight.com/features/if...
Apparently FEMA no longer uses the Waffle House Index, in any case.
Maybe HN should just automatically rewrite AMP links to avoid these inevitable comments.
In theory drive through should be the best possible food mechanism in terms of risk to the workers (and patrons). If they could arrange for contactless payment (already possible, just affix a tap reader to the side of the drive through window), and some way to serve the food while keeping the window closed (a shelf extending out from the window and a policy that they won’t open their window until you close yours?), drive through could be a real solution to pandemic food supply.
Sure as hell beats a bunch of people in the same supermarket breathing all over the produce and right on the cashier.
Nearly all restaurant kitchens of all types are like this; so I really can't see how any takeout services can operate safely. Maybe very low volume ones with one chef and one person giving out the food. But not sure how possible that is, I assume many require someone preparing food as well as cooking it.
(I say this while eating a hotdog I just got from 7-11)
I see no flaws in this plan.
Dispose of the box carefully and wash your hands afterwards. The pizza is probably fine, though it's fine to cook it a bit longer for good measure too.
You can (potentially) order from a service with contactless delivery to reduce your risk. For example, Little Caesar's will let you leave instructions to leave it on the porch or whatever.
Also many takeaway places don't have a dining room to reconfigure into.
I’ve been in crowds just two times in the past couple weeks, both were at grocery stores.
going to macdonalds twice a day is definitely riskier than getting groceries at the supermarket once a week. most of the food is packaged, and the stuff that isn't can be thoroughly washed before eating it. even for the stuff that isn't packaged and can't be washed, coronavirus isn't known to last longer than three days, so you can just buy it and let it sit.
contrast that to the multiple different staff preparing your food, which you then immediately stick in your mouth.
There is a lot of pressure on supermarkets at the moment which should probably be directed at the larger food industry.
The fact that the sector has not complained in the last month or so, to me says that they are unlikely to have overcapacity issues. This said, most UK restaurants and cafes have shut down only just today, so things might be different in a week.
Sticking the food into your mouth isn't much of a concern, there's no evidence that covid-19 can transmit "foodborne".
The actual issue is an infected food prep worker contaminating the wrapper or the food itself, you touching the wrapper or the food, then touching your eyes or nose prior to washing your hands.
There's not been any documented occurrences of it. But most people probably don't know how they got infected either.
But it seems really unlikely that it immediately disappears when it comes in contact with food. "Not food borne" usually just means that food isn't a better conductor of the virus that the average surface is.
I don’t know if they support this in the UK, but for the US McDonald’s has an excellent mobile app. You can order and pay using the app. You can pick up by going through the drive through and giving the 4 character order code from the app, or by parking in a spot reserved for mobile order pickup and then entering the spot number in the app and they bring the food to your car.
If you do the latter, and roll down the backseat window while keeping the driver window closed, and ask the person to place the food on the backseat, that should be pretty safe as far as person to person transmission goes.
Certainly sir achoo oh excuse me I sneezed in your car, so sorry, good you thing you have a partition between the front and back seats, oh wait you don't?
Fred Meyer, at least, allows you to buy a whole list of groceries and they will bag it all up and meet you outside in the parking lot. Not a bad way to limit exposure.
Not everyone has FM, obviously, but I'm sure there are equivalents across the country. I'd start by checking any Kroger or Kroger subsidiaries.
A lot of Americans are relying on this method of food distribution. It seems inevitable that closures of drive-thrus will begin happening in the US as well. Food shortages at grocery stores are not uncommon today in many cities. It only takes one positive test to shut down a food distribution center.
I doubt many have considered just how precarious food delivery is at the moment.
For HN, we now have a whole new set of problems. We are no longer supporting, enabling or competing with existing institutions and structures - we're building systems that will save them and in the process define new ways of getting food to plate and co-ordinating the people and payments involved.
We have food. We have people. We have new constraints. Solve for X :o)
[0] http://www.ncfh.org/uploads/3/8/6/8/38685499/fs-migrant_demo...
I note that the CEO here basically stepped up because the UK government hadn't -- it's doubtless not easy, but the best thing about this story is that he's said 'we'll match our casual worker's shift pay up until early April' (when the UK relief package for casual workers is meant to be implemented).
I fear a lot of my risk has, and will continue to, come from casual workers who simply can't afford to pay rent or eat if they don't head into work. So far I've heard the UK's the only place so far that's come out with a financial plan to mitigate this risk.
Last I heard it was really for middle-income earners, as there was a phase-in income floor at around $50k/yr and a phase-out at around $75k/yr.
Has this changed?
The article says the Republicans are proposing $1,200 per individual who earns below a certain income and $500 per child, while the Democrats are proposing $2000 per month to all individuals and $1000 per month to all children.
They're apparently stuck on how the corporate bailouts will work.
And seriously fuck Boeing. They did this to themselves. No bailouts, only loans. $50 billion bailout when they spent billions buying back stocks to enrich their top investors and execs. Should have saved for a rainy month. I’m sure without a bailout they’ll learn a lesson and figure shit out. It’s not the first time. AirBus is hit just as hard.
Basically we should ensure people have enough to live by and get through this period. Everything else will take care of itself.
$3000 for family of 4; no mention of income brackets restricting payments.
Using McDonalds as distribution points has been talked about because they have the process and infrastructure. People also feel safe there.
But I suspect like everything, it's just what some government officials think today that matters. So they will react on the fly.