Government announcement

Nothing surprises me anymore
The governments making a mess of it, not clear enough instructions
They locked down too late, then unlocked to early, pubs and cinemas were not necessary?
My sister returned from abroad like hundreds of others had to quarantine for two weeks but the rest of the house could go out to work, school etc? Madness!!
My near neighbours a dr and said this is ridiculous the whole house should quarantine and so much else is so wrong.
I work with the elderly and no thanks to the government that we're just coping again
We need strong leadership, rules made and made to be kept by all, and more thought to our people's health and less about money!!
How many more peeks. deaths and problems will this inadequate government of Johnson cause ?

But hats off to our supermarkets and the like, their working wonders in trying to make it safer

No gatherings of more than 6 then!
Well goodbye to the grandchildren again. They are a family of 6.
The hugs were lovely, but now it's all got to end.
I'll have to be content with waving at them from the garden gate.

The rules make no sense (if you even know what they are). My middle son had a ticket for a gig in an underground small venue last week - (he didn’t go as he didn’t think it was safe). That was perfectly legal.

Standing in a huge crowd at the races this weekend is perfectly legal.

Being in a ‘bubble’ with several hundred others is perfectly legal.

Remember the government is telling us we should all be getting back to work to save the city centres (ahem commercial landlords who donate to the Tory Party). Never mind if that means standing room only on tubes and buses.

And they’re busy shifting the blame onto everyone else.

(Schools being the bubbles with several hundred others).

The Government are hanging on till Monday to placate the racing fraternity. It is the St. Leger over the weekend and they don’t want to upset their rich donors.The testing is a complete shambles and needs to be sorted out regionally.and run by proper health professionals and not by friends of Cummings and co.

Wow * Annaram1 * and Granartisan I love your posts and your sensible suggestions about fighting the virus together, but it’s so much more rewarding to sit here and criticise, point out what should have been done (with hindsight) and say how certain we are that someone else could have done it better.

I don’t understand why gatherings are banned, but “COVID secure” (whatever that means) weddings are allowed.
A wedding gathering of 30+ people who don’t know each other or where they come from seems the height of folly!
Or am I being too careful? At 78 and asthmatic?

Annaram1

I am fed up with people blaming the Government for everything. We all know the basic rules but if we don't follow them it is the Government that is to blame. If we get another Government next time around every wrong thing we do will be the fault of the new Government. As for Cummings, that was ages ago now but people still use him as an excuse...

????.

Cummings is running the show.

Had to be done because we are selfish idiots. Because the stats are always several days behind the facts, they should have clamped down when the direction of the stats changed - not when the change is gaining speed.

They have done this because they WANT the pubs to stay open, they make money from it, they WANT the schools to stay open, so people can work and they can make money from them, what they don't make money from is folk meeting at home...also, they won't bring this in before the weekend as I'm sure (could be wrong!) that there is a big Horse race that a lot of them have a stake in at the weekend.
My Grandchildren have been isolating since March, not seen cousins, family, anyone, excpet my older grandsons who work at schools.
They are only 20, they don't drink or mix at the pub, they go to work, and go home, and one of them hasn't even seen his girffriend since february, mainly to keep his Mum safe as she is shielding as she is on the at risk (which scares me every single day.)
This Govt are playing russian roulette with our lives, and I cannot wait until I can get out there, dodgy hip included, and fight back against them.
And we cannot blame youngsters either. If you tell people with big social friendship groups to go and eat for half price, spend in pubs and shops, they will! They were TOLD to!

The government are to blame. Remember the world class track and trace app"? Could have made a difference by now
Not only that, they are now blaming folk for using 'too many tests when they aren't needed!' (Twatt Hancock)
Rubbish, my DIL had to have the test done three times because TWICE they 'lost' the results, and she runs a childrens home, so had to have it done. Driving 65 miles there AND back to do it while feeling ill with a temperature!
Honest to Goodness, what has this Country turned into...I could sob...Now I can't even see my GC for the first time in months,yet they can go to school, go to work, go to the pub... Utterly shambolic! (Sorry for the rant folk, pls ignore, just nice to let go of some of the pain!!) xxx

My family 'bubble' is 7 - unless I can count 2 small children as 1?

Mollygo

Wow * Annaram1 * and Granartisan I love your posts and your sensible suggestions about fighting the virus together, but it’s so much more rewarding to sit here and criticise, point out what should have been done (with hindsight) and say how certain we are that someone else could have done it better.

But it's not hindsight. Numbers are rising again and the government should have learnt from experience, but it's still bumbling along, dishing out the same old meaningless slogans, being less than transparent about statistics and blaming everybody except themselves.

The trouble with broad brush announcements like this is that until the detail comes out, a lot of hot air is expended and upset caused. Mini you must be in bubble if you are having hugs. I think you may find that if a bubble is larger than six, it will still be able to meet. Let’s hope so

The sooner the better! It will be repeated throughout the day.

The outcome comes as no surprise. I'm delighted though having experienced mayhem where I live on the South Coast, many people will sadlyignore any regulations and continue to behave like the selfish and irresponsible idiots they are.

Fed up with those blaming the Government??? Then maybe they should stop thinking about a bloody Brexit festival (oooh a festival for ruinging the country, wonderful!!!!) and maybe if we had folk that weren't breaking the law, actually interested in the Country they were running, and not only interested in how much they can skim off the top for their mates, then maybe, just maybe, we'd be handling this a lot better!!!
Anyone STILL defending this government needs to wake up and open their eyes to the harm and suffering they have caused and continue to cause!

We can’t clamp down now - schools are opening and people are being told - by the government - to go back to offices. The virus spreads most readily by sustained inside contact.

As for hindsight - I have foresight that the racing this weekend is a bloody stupid idea. I had the same foresight about Cheltenham & was screaming at the TV at the time.

If we want to open the country we need a track, trace & test system that works. Matt Cock in Hands is busy blaming well people for getting tests this morning (which is surely the point- if people Are lying in bed unwell they don’t spread it, it’s spread by people who feel well). One of my children worked for track and trace - in 4 months they had 3 calls.

World beatingly hopeless

All of this is just heading for another Lockdown to last well over Christmas & New Year! I wish all the idiots who think because they are too young, too healthy or know better than the experts would think again! I have family who think that the rules & sensible actions do not apply to them & are off on hols abroad! This virus has taken a lot from so many. Personally after many years volunteering I am no longer wanted due to my age. So I have nothing to do all day & inactivity is killing me. This is happening to so many but is not the government to blame, just our own stupidity in not sticking to the rules, well a lot of us are not! Humanities innate belief in its own superiority over all things. When will we learn?

I heard the announcement on the radio last night. When discussing the peculiar timing, it was suggested that it was to ensure that it was picked up in time for this morning’s newspapers.

Like others, I do not understand why it does not come into force until Monday; plenty of time to get the message out before the weekend

MaggieMay69

They have done this because they WANT the pubs to stay open, they make money from it, they WANT the schools to stay open, so people can work and they can make money from them, what they don't make money from is folk meeting at home...also, they won't bring this in before the weekend as I'm sure (could be wrong!) that there is a big Horse race that a lot of them have a stake in at the weekend.
My Grandchildren have been isolating since March, not seen cousins, family, anyone, excpet my older grandsons who work at schools.
They are only 20, they don't drink or mix at the pub, they go to work, and go home, and one of them hasn't even seen his girffriend since february, mainly to keep his Mum safe as she is shielding as she is on the at risk (which scares me every single day.)
This Govt are playing russian roulette with our lives, and I cannot wait until I can get out there, dodgy hip included, and fight back against them.
And we cannot blame youngsters either. If you tell people with big social friendship groups to go and eat for half price, spend in pubs and shops, they will! They were TOLD to!

The government are to blame. Remember the world class track and trace app"? Could have made a difference by now
Not only that, they are now blaming folk for using 'too many tests when they aren't needed!' (Twatt Hancock)
Rubbish, my DIL had to have the test done three times because TWICE they 'lost' the results, and she runs a childrens home, so had to have it done. Driving 65 miles there AND back to do it while feeling ill with a temperature!
Honest to Goodness, what has this Country turned into...I could sob...Now I can't even see my GC for the first time in months,yet they can go to school, go to work, go to the pub... Utterly shambolic! (Sorry for the rant folk, pls ignore, just nice to let go of some of the pain!!) xxx

Exactly I agree with everything you say..

Some can't get their hydrotherapy treatments etc yet others can sit in the cinemas and go to pubs then give it to those who are vulnerable!!
Madness complete madness !! And costing thousands of lives we need not have lost!! And ruining thousands of others.

Your family going abroad (which they are allowed to do providing they follow quarantine rules on return) will have minor impact compared to schools, businesses, full public transport & racing with thousands of spectators.

The only way to make things safe is to have a functioning test, track & trace system - but none of that is working.

@tweedle24 it was to time it for today’s papers. To keep the government’s law breaking off the front pages.

It starts on Monday to ensure than Dido’s racing in Doncaster with thousands of spectators can go ahead.

Gwenisgreat1 Households if over six people are on the list of exceptions

human nature being what it is there will always be the ones that just dont care, not bothered, they will be ok, all the rest of us can do is the best we can by social distancing and wearing masks

Annaram1

I am fed up with people blaming the Government for everything. We all know the basic rules but if we don't follow them it is the Government that is to blame. If we get another Government next time around every wrong thing we do will be the fault of the new Government. As for Cummings, that was ages ago now but people still use him as an excuse...

There’s much to blame them for. I won’t list everything they’ve got wrong, all the lies they’ve told, all the promises they broke, and all the laws they intend to flout.

Last time I looked the UK was still a democracy with free speech, so if we want to hold the government to account (aka blame them) then that’s the way it goes. However with the clampdown of free speech looking likely on the BBC perhaps this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Yes Deedum - they are desperate to keep the economy going & children in school do the only thing they can clamp down on is ‘fun’ gatherings . Especially family get togethers as People tend not to follow distancing rules well with family (I am guilty of this - don’t hug or kiss, but find myself getting too close.)
Well after this weekend we won’t be seeing them again for ages I guess.
I think Christmas This year will be miserable with no pantos, probably no concerts or singing in church (no carols!) and possibly no family gatherings. How depressing!