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Britains economy can only restart when bosses ensure their workers are safe.If they fail, they face another lockdown and risk their staff never coming back.

John Allan, chairman of Barratt Developments and president of the CBI, listed steps his business is taking to reopen, in an online presentation to the business groups members.

Step one: social distancing.If workers can be kept apart, they are less likely to spreadcoronavirus.

Barratts, which hopes to restart on some sites next week, will begin with just half the usual number of workers. It will stagger their shift patterns to avoid a surge at rush hour. And the shape of the sites will change.

We are going to widen walkways on our sites the safe walkways people can use to get from one part of the site to another, says Allan.

They are normally quite narrow, probably about a metre wide. We are going to widen those, and when that is not possible were going to put refuges, passing places, so that people can pass safely.

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WW2-style gas masks and surprise inspections: how to re-open Britain's building sites - Telegraph.co.uk

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GAVA/MADRID, Spain (Reuters) Spaniards revelled in a second day of freedom on Sunday, heading outside in time-slots for age groups on the first weekend adults were allowed out since one of the worlds strictest coronavirus lockdowns was imposed in mid-March.

Though Spains appalling COVID-19 outbreak has shrouded the nation in mourning for more than 25,000 dead, there was much-needed relief on a sunny spring day as people at last headed back to the streets, hills and sea.

Surfer Sigrid Cervera, 44, yelled for joy as she jumped into the waves with her board in Gava, a town on the Mediterranean coast outside Barcelona. I have not been able to go surfing for ages so I am very excited, she said.

Joggers ruled the streets early on, before it was the elderly and then childrens turn all under orders to stay two metres apart under continued social distancing guidelines.

We can breathe, exulted one elderly resident of Madrid, Maria Jesus, enjoying a walk in the city centre.

At home, all you can do is open a window, and you open them every day, but it is not the same as being outdoors.

One of the worst-hit nations, Spains death toll climbed by 164 in the previous 24 hours to 25,264, while cases reached 217,466, according to latest health ministry data on Sunday.

But the declining pace of deaths and infections has led Spain to start unwinding its stay-at-home order, with children allowed out under supervision from last weekend, and adults given permission to exercise outdoors from Saturday.

WIFE HIDDEN IN CAR BOOT

Walks and sports are allowed from 6-10 a.m. and 8-11 p.m., while children have the afternoons, and the elderly are given late morning and early evening windows.

This is a great relief to me to get out and run again, said musician Jordi Jornet, 45, who went jogging along the shore in Gava on Sunday after a run in the mountains the previous evening.

Not all were following the rules though: in Logroo, northwestern Spain, police stopped a car driven by a man whose wife was hiding under a blanket in the boot, according to the Interior Ministry. He had said he was taking tools to an allotment.

To prevent overcrowding, Barcelonas city council barred entry to its urban beaches, so thousands converged instead on the beachfront boardwalk.

In the capital Madrid, where parks and other large public spaces remain closed, runners and walkers shared narrow pavements and walkways.

Government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero described the populations behaviour as exemplary.

But newspaper ABC said Madrid police broke up 29 groups of teenagers drinking on Saturday night, and Cadena Ser radio cited police sources as saying a record number of arrests were made for breaking confinement rules on Sunday.

Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The relaxation of exercise restrictions is one of the first steps in a four-phase plan to reopen Spain by the end of June.

From Monday, businesses that operate by appointment, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, will resume limited services.

In the next stage, outdoor areas of bars and restaurants can open at 50% occupancy, while groups of up to 10 people will be allowed in public places and in homes.

(Reporting by Graham Keeley in Gava; Nathan Allen, Julien Hennequin and Michael Gore in Madrid; Writing by Nathan Allen; Editing by David Goodman, Elaine Hardcastle and Andrew Cawthorne)

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Surfing and strolling, Spaniards reclaim the outdoors - Metro US

Although its only been on the market for a couple months, that hasnt stopped the Animal Crossing: New Horizons community from creating some incredibly beautiful islands. The game allows for a degree of freedom not seen in previous titles, and players are letting their imagination run wild and inspiring others to do the same. Thanks to social media, islands of all shapes and sizes are being shared online for everyone to admire.

Weve scoured all corners of the internet to pull together a list of the 15 best designs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. They feature everything from a full-fledged city and a spooky cemetery, to a quaint coffee shop and a simple zen garden. But no matter how unique they are, they all share one thing in common an eye for great design.

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While many beautiful islands in New Horizons rely on rare items, Twitter user @kklilies has found a way to keep things minimal while bringing out the natural charm of the island. Their town is nothing more than well-designed waterways, wooden plank walkways, and carefully placed trees and flowers. If you have plenty of time on your hands but lack some of the more valuable items in New Horizons this is a great island design to try and replicate.

Sometimes you come across an island that looks so different from your own, you wonder if youre even playing the same game. Thats the case with this masterpiece, which is easily one of the most compact, dense, and gritty urban layouts weve ever come across.

Making liberal use of custom path designs, this user was able to recreate the visuals from early games in the Pokmon series. It even features a giant Snorlax that is blocking the villagers path.

Another excellent urban design, this island offers players a bit more space to roam about and includes several city blocks full of shops, houses, and public gardens. The amount of zen fencing in this one is staggering we cant even imagine how long it took to stockpile enough resources to build it all.

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Its a bit on the scary side for Animal Crossing, but this cemetery is easily one of the coolest things weve seen players create. And with the addition of Redds sculptures, its a bonafide masterpiece. On the bright side, Wisp now has a place to call home!

Finding the right furniture to accent your home can be a frustrating experience. However, this designer shows that you dont need fancy items to put together a beautiful room. Using simple tables, a few lamps, and lots of picture frames, you can easily replicate this relaxing aesthetic.

Summer is right around the corner, but this villager doesnt want to wait! Not only is their house just steps from the shore, theyve also found a unique way to use all the seashell-related items in the game to give their corner of the world a washed-out, beachy vibe. Plus, they made great use of custom designs to draw hearts in the sand how can you not like it?

While this design does rely on some rare kitchen furniture, theres no denying how cozy it is. Accenting the corner bookcases with rustic table stands and flowers pulls the room together, and excellent use of the NookPhones camera app makes this shop look incredibly inviting.

Sometimes all you need are flowers, trees, and a place to sit. A simple, well-crafted layout goes a long way and this breezy plaza proves it.

Reddit u/PM_ME_A_COLOR

Its hard to tell what the island looks like on foot, but from the air its a sight to behold. While some gamers are struggling to use the new terraforming tools, this player took things to the next level and turned their island into a massive shrine for their favorite museum curator.

Reddit u/Angel_of_Mischief

Placing sand walkways across the entire island doesnt sound like an easy feat, but the outcome is truly spectacular. Featuring large swathes of barren desert, this island is pockmarked by oases that harbor villagers, shops, and the occasional pyramid.

Reddit u/ImNotChineseOk

Were not sure if this is good island design, but it sure is hilarious. Visitors to this players island are instantly greeted with a series of beds that they need to lie down in before getting to town. All told, it takes an additional 10 seconds to go through the checkpoint something you wont want to do after having to deal with the lengthy load times associated with flying on Dodo Airlines.

The only drawback to this design is that you cant play it! Another excellent use of custom paths, this Twitter user found a way to build an entire mini-golf course on their island. Each hole has its own theme such as Bunny Day, beach, and outer space and all those unique objects probably go a long way toward raising their island rating.

While its not a true replica, this user pays homage to The Legend of Zelda series by crafting a mini dungeon that would be right at home in Hyrule. Players encounter a boss once they reach the end, but it probably wont be dropping any Heart Containers when defeated.

Simple in design yet elegant in execution this tiny zen garden is the perfect place to escape from your daily island troubles. Most of the items seen here can be easily crafted but are arranged in a tasteful way that somehow manages to pack in a lot of content without overcrowding the space.

Excerpt from:
Get inspired by the coolest Animal Crossing: New Horizons islands - Yahoo Tech

Car dealers across the country are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on equipment, signage and promotional material as they get ready to reopen.

One large car dealer group told Car Dealer Magazine it was close to spending 1m on PPE, perspex screens and signage to enable the group to open as soon as the government gives them the nod.

Other dealer groups are spending similar amounts on what they believe could be the steps that would allow them to open, in the next few weeks.

Perspex screens for reception areas, thermometers, gloves, masks and sanitisation products are among the items dealers are snapping up.

Prime minister Boris Johnson will lay out his plans to get the economy moving again and begin easing the lockdown this Sunday, but many dealers are preempting the announcement and getting ready now.

Taking lesson from other retail sites that have been allowed to stay open during the lockdown, rules in place for the workshops that have been running throughout and knowledge gleaned from the leaked guideline documents that are likely to be issued this weekend, dealers have begun to prepare.

Rumours are circulating in the industry that May 18could be the date dealers are allowed to return to work, which would fall into line with theannouncement at the weekend that Irish dealers can get back to workon that date.

Wessex Garages managing director Chris Wiseman who runs Nissan, Mazda, Kia, Hyundai and Renault dealers shared pictures of his dealerships preparing for the return to work online.

In a post yesterday, he said: Aftersales teams are back in and the dealerships are prepped and ready. Customer demand is high with no shortage of bookings.

Service departments are back open fully on May 11. Our colleagues have really stepped up to make sure we are ready to reopen sales when the time is right. Safe and professional is the only way.

Wiseman, who will be chatting to us on Car Dealer Live on Tuesday (May 12) shared pictures of dedicated walkways marked out on the showroom floor clearly marking two metres for social distancing, express drop off zones for keys, hand sanitising stations and clear signage.

In the leaked documents, the guidelines are expected to tell car dealers to set up one entry and one exit point to showrooms, desks so staff face away from each other, and ensure there are no pinch points in corridors or lifts.

Staff maybe required to work in red and blue teams so there are elements of isolation still carried on and those who can work from home will be told to continue to do so.

However, car sales are likely to be allowed on an appointments basis and customers will have to be carefully managed coming into the showroom to avoid crowding.

Adam Turner, sales and marketing director of Chorley Group, which has showrooms in Lancashire and Wigan for Nissan, Kia, Hyundai and MG, also showed off plans on social media this week.

Turner said: Our aftersales departments are back up and running across nine brands albeit with a new normal for now and a reduced team.

This is stage one and we are back on track thanks to the help of our wonderful team, ensuring we can give confidence to our workforce and anyone who visits.

Jonathan Bischoff, group MD of JCB Group, which runs dealers in Kent and Sussex for VW Group brands, Citroen and Kia among others, has also begun to reopen sites for servicing in Medway and Rainham.

The teams have done a fantastic job and Im really pleased to say both sites are busy, he said.

Until the government unveils the official guidelines, many dealers will be holding off purchasing PPE and other products needed to allow them to get back to business.

However, there is likely to be a rush for certain items especially perspex screens that are likely to be required around reception and service desks.

Perrys MD Darren Ardron told Car Dealer Live on April 24 that his group had been busy producing screens for its dealerships in house and had taken orders from other dealers.

The advice in the leaked documents which will be particularly relevant to car dealers is expected to include for offices:

General advice for businesses that car dealerships will want to follow includes:

In retail environments like car dealerships the draft advice includes:

And for those who work in vehicles the relevant advice that is likely to be given includes:

Car dealers with more than five staff will have to produce a written risk assessment.

There is no guidance yet as to whether face masks or other PPE will be needed, but it is believed guidance on this will follow.

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Car dealers spending thousands on PPE and equipment to enable them to get back to work - Car Dealer Magazine

HOUSE builderBarratt Developments North Easthas announced plans to get construction sites up and running from next week, with houses already exchanged or reserved the priority for completion.

The company announced its plans for a phased return to construction, across selected sites, from Monday, followingthe creation of new working practices and protocols for employees and subcontractors to ensure the safe reopening ofsites.

Included in the first phase of reopening is Leven Woods, in Yarm, and Merrington Park and Burton Woods, in Spennymoor, County Durham.

The housebuilder announced the closure of all sites in late March to support Public Health Englands guidelines to slow down the spread of Covid-19.

The implemented changes will includealterations to signage, site welfare facilities and compounds, site access and walkways and also the presence of a nominated Social Distancing Marshal on all sites to ensure policy compliance.

The housebuilder has also said it will also provide induction, training and support for its employees and subcontractors working on site during this time.

Managing director Carl Sobolewski said: The safety of our employees, subcontractors and customers is our main priority so every precaution will be taken when our sites reopen later this month.

"The steps we have currently put in place comply with social distancing measures and are designed to minimise any risk to the health of our workforce.

"We will continually monitor the ongoing situation and respond in accordance with the Governments advice.

I would also like to thank all of our employees for their continued support during this challenging time.

Barratt has said that it will prioritise the completion of homes that customers have already exchanged or reserved.

But sales centres and show homes will not be reopening yet and customers will continue to be served remotely.

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Barratt to resume building new homes; Yarm and Spennymoor sites in first phase - The Northern Echo

Alexandria, Virginia, a port city on the Potomac River, just below Washington, D.C., is often celebrated for its rich industrial history. As early as the 18th century, its lively waterfront became a bustling hub of tobacco trade, hemp and flour exports, and, as time passed, manufacturing. Often overlookedor, perhaps, just told in a separate chapter of the history bookis the fact that Alexandria was also an epicenter of domestic slave trade, with one of the largest slave markets in the U.S.

So when Brooklyn-based artist and architect Olalekan Jeyifous was tapped by the City of Alexandria to create a public installation in Waterfront Park (1 Prince Street), he decided to confront the issue head-on.

Stories that are uncomfortable are often sidelined, explains Jeyifous, who learned about the citys role in the slave trade while researching Alexandrias industries and meeting with local community groups. I wanted to make something that combined these histories into one narrative.

Jeyifous stands beside his work, Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies.

The resulting installation, titled Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies, opened on March 21. At the site, overlooking the Potomac River, four ornate, powder-coated metal profiles with benchlike seating emerge from a colorful ground that resembles the traditional quilts commonly made by African Americans. Icons of Alexandrias industrial history are cut from the profilesrailways, armory, flour, tobaccoand more are incorporated into the floor: fish, bricks and trowels, church windows.

Each figure embodies iconography that pertains to four of the major commercial industrial enterprises that Alexandria is known for, Jeyifous explains.

The figures are strong, noble, and black. Most of the time you see a monument for a historic figure, its for a general that did this or that, Jeyifous says. It lionizes an individualusually male, usually whiteit doesnt acknowledge all individuals.

Another view of the public installation, which has been temporarily fenced off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is still highly visible.

When Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies opened to the public at the end of March, the coronavirus pandemic raged, and stay-at-home decrees were already firmly in place. History was writing a different sort of story for a public art installation. Right now, a low fence keeps visitors from getting up close with the installation, but walking in the park and surrounding trails is still permitted.

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On the day I spoke with Jeyifous, he was sheltering in place back at his home in Brooklyn, while keeping an eye on the project from a 24-hour camera that streams the park. I like to see whos out there, he said. At the moment he could observe three or four people, safely distanced. Im excited to see what resonates with people. At a time when a short walk outside has become a luxury we ration and savor, he certainly has a captive audience.

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A New Public Art Installation in Alexandria Confronts the Citys Ties to the Slave Trade - Architectural Digest

Evalution Flooring has joined forces with Recycle 4 Africa Waste Management (R4AWM), a company specialising in waste recovery, to offer decentralised container systems capable of transforming plastic waste into building materials such as bricks or paving stones.

The two companies have already installed a first plastic waste recovery unit for the Grandwest Hotel in Cape Town. Called the Enviro Brick, the waste recovery system consists of a compartment in which plastic waste is disposed of. The plastic waste is powdered before being heated. After the used plastic is melted, a binder is added and the mixture is poured into moulds, which are then cast into blocks or paving stones. Anyone who has received training from R4AWM in block making can use the machine, explains Evalution Flooring.

According to Evalution Flooring, the container also eliminates bacteria, and thus makes it possible to process non-recyclable or even contaminated waste. The eco-bricks can then be used to build solid and durable single-storey structures, which is not only more energy efficient, but also more cost-effective, as the production process is cheaper, says the South African company.

Such an initiative to use recycled plastic in construction is not a first in South Africa. In September 2019, the South African company Shisalanga Construction started work on a 1.7 km stretch of road in KwaZulu-Natal province using recycled plastic material. For the construction of that section of road in South Africa, recycled plastic waste is used as a binder in the asphalt, thereby replacing bitumen.

However, questions are likely to be raised about the long-term resistance of the materials, but also about the benefits of living in plastic constructions, which would then replace local materials The short-term advantage of this type of solution probably cannot hide the need for a longer-term response to the proliferation of plastic waste in Africa.

Jean Marie Takouleu

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SOUTH AFRICA: Evaluation and R4AWM install waste recovery containers in Grandwest - AFRIK 21

SPONSORED by Beth Hobart, Mainframe Real Estate: This beautifully updated three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is tucked under mature trees, with a landscaped yard, a two-car carport, and great curb appeal.

Refinished hardwood floors are featured throughout the home, and the open floor plan has tons of natural light thanks to a wall of windows looking out to the fully fenced yard.

The updated kitchen features newer stainless steel appliances, slate floors, and white cabinetry.

The master suite has an updated master bath and French doors that lead out to a spacious backyard with an expansive deck; ideal for grilling out and entertaining friends and family.

This home boasts a custom whole house sound system, new HVAC installed in 2020, a newer roof installed in 2016, and updated plumbing and electric.

Located at 308 S. Hampton Avenue [GMap] this home is within walking distance to Carl Langford Park, Dickson Azalea Park, and all the shops and restaurants in the Milk District and Thornton Park. Youd also be a short bike ride away from Lake Eola and have easy access to all major roadways.

The asking price is $345,000.

Click HERE for the listing or contact Beth Hobart, Mainframe Real Estate, at [emailprotected], http://www.BethHobart.com to arrange a tour immediately.

All photos by Gil Levy, Framed Listings.Instagram @framedlistings

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House of the Day: Beautiful 3/2 home in downtown Orlando asking $345000 - Bungalower

Consulting giant PwC is developing a mobile app for corporate clients that can track which employees are in close contact with each other, and alert human resources who may be at highest risk for coming down with Covid-19.

PwC will sell the app to its clients, and will require the app internally as the 275,000-person company returns to its offices. Currently, it's being tested in the company's Shanghai office.

The app is a preview of the type of technology that large companies could deploy as employees return to work. As workplaces re-open, companies are grappling with how to handle future Covid-19 outbreaks and make employees feel safe enough to return.

PwC believes that digital contact tracing can answer those questions. Using signals from user's phones, it can tell how far away and how long two people were in contact. If someone at a workplace tests positive for Covid-19, HR can then look up which other employees are at the highest risk using the digital contact tracing system.

Governments are currently building apps to do digital contact tracing on national and statewide scales, and Apple and Google have teamed up to build technology into their smartphone operating systems that makes these apps easier to build and more appealing to use while trying to guarantee some degree of user privacy.

But contact tracing software works best when it's widely deployed, because the more devices emitting signals the more chances the system has to pick up when two people were in contact. And countries can't generally force citizens to download and use these apps, which limits their effectiveness.

An app that employers require before allowing workers to return to the office doesn't have that problem, and PwC says it has robust privacy, access and retention controls to ensure that only company administrators can access the data.

"I think an employer-led model that can drive adoption to their employees, right now from surveys that we've done, I feel like we'll have a higher adoption rate," said Tom Puthiyamadam, a digital leader working on the project for PwC.

Here's how it works: Workers load a mobile app onto their work phone (or personal phone, with permission). The app asks for the employee's email and instructs them to turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, then runs in the background throughout the day.

Whenever the phone's GPS says it's in the workplace, the app allows the phone to become an "observer" and collect information, like the strength of Bluetooth signals from other nearby phones. The contact tracing software analyzes those signals and figures out how close the phones were for how long, then summarizes that info into a dashboard that company leaders can use to make decisions about office layouts, closures and productivity.

PwC said that company execs and leaders in HR and operations are increasingly looking for tools like these to help re-open workplaces and that it's lined up hundreds of client calls and demos for the software.

One benefit for management is the ability to pinpoint infection so that entire offices or floors aren't shut down from a single confirmed case of Covid-19.

Puthiyamadam explained that earlier this year, employees at the company would get emails about being potentially exposed to Covid-19, and it seemed like an inefficient way to handle the virus in a workplace versus tracing exactly who might have been exposed.

He describes receiving emails with unhelpful messages like "'If you happen to be in the office on these dates and all these floors, you may have been exposed. If you were, you may want to self isolate.' We were getting those notes constantly," Puthiyamdam said. "That's why we went ahead and built something for our clients. And yes, we built something that will also be deployed at PwC when we begin to return to work."

Once an employee tests positive, "then it's up to the HR team to say, 'Alright, who do you want to notify?'"Puthiyamdam said. "They could say 'go in 14 days of isolation' versus saying, 'hey, we're going to shut down this entire floor of the office, and everybody go home for 14 days.'"

PwC, which is privately held, will sell the software starting in mid-May with a subscription fee. It's part of a product called Check-In which also includes tools for remote work.

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Companies could require employees to install coronavirus-tracing apps like this one from PwC before coming back to work - CNBC

CLEVELAND, Ohio The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority will install barriers separating drivers from passengers on RTA buses, and require all employees to wear face masks, the agency announced Tuesday.

The clear barriers, made of marine-grade vinyl, will be on all 350 RTA buses by the end of next week to guard against the spread of the coronavirus, a news release said. Plans are in the works to outfit paratransit vehicles with the same type of barriers.

The barriers, secured with Velcro, will extend from ceiling to floor, and from the back of the bus drivers seat to the farebox, creating a secure enclosure for drivers, the release said.

Beginning May 12, all RTA employees will be required to wear face masks onboard RTA vehicles, or on RTA property, the authority said in a news release. Prior to the requirement, only drivers and workers who face customers were required to wear masks.

RTA is strongly urging riders to wear face masks as well.

Eight RTA employees have tested positive for coronavirus. Two are bus drivers, one is a paratransit driver, one is a police dispatcher, and four are operations staff who do not work with the public.

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Greater Cleveland RTA to install barriers around bus drivers, require face masks for all employees - cleveland.com