What can we expect from tomorrow's announcement?

The suggestion by some that the rises in covid have nothing to do with students returning to uni is absurd.

I agree with Sparkefizz on people not keeping to rules, particularly bubbles including some on GN, it does not mean having one group of friends/family round one day and another later. A bubble (singular) is for single people or single parents to have contact with one other group, exclusively. Unfortunately I know of some in my own family in their 20’s and 30’s who are socialising, not partying necessarily with their peers and children like normal. Ditto elderly people, some of whom wear the same, tatty, disposable mask week in and week out. The only time the majority did as they were asked was in lockdown, unfortunately I don’t have any answers. As with most of us I’m good at using hindsight and pointing out my perceived deficiencies.

Trisher. I take exception to your comment that Northerners won’t follow the rules. My friends & I have abided by the rules. I retired at the end of March after over 40 years in the NHS. Not the way I intended to enjoy my retirement. I assume you are one of those people who don’t think there is life beyond Watford Gap.!!!!! ???

Some of the comments here about 'students' have been just as uncalled for as those about 'the north'.
Young people socialise standing in groups (distancing difficult) chatting for hours on end. Of course the virus can be spread this way and they should not do it. But large amounts of alcohol are not necessarily involved; it is not necessarily 'partying', and those running around the streets shouting late at night are not necessarily 'students'. As a 'cohort' they have had a rotten spring and summer and their future looks pretty bleak. No need to demonise them. Give them a break.

Thats offensive Trisher to those of us in the north who ARE following the bloody rules! Where are you?down south where the rules are being made to keep the Politicians, the Royals, and the rich happy?

I have to agree I think the university cities are the main problem I'm in the north west we have a number of large universities in the regions liverpool and Manchester are very big party cities it doesn't take a scientist to figure out why our infection rates have gone up since September

My sons a uni student and still lives at home- no running round partying for him- nor for any of his 'study group' some of whom live in halls or near campus(theres only 5 of them) one left this year 2 have now referred for a year with other 2 trying to do so as well.most of young folk on his course are in same boat and are going home.

My youngest is in college and has been ill already despite all the 'regulations' hes followed- yet they bloody well wont close it down and hes supposed to return.its bloody madness!- the kids dont want to go back and 'mix' but theyre making them do so!

M0nica. ?you are my breath of fresh air! To all you have said may I say "Me too"?
Thanks.

weird ? crept in at beginning, sorry! eyes not great for keyboard or screen at times.

Nannan2. its bloody madness!-. Yup! You said it!

Very sorry about your poor youngest. Much worse for younger generation, missing out, worrying, Horrible, all of it.

Try reading my comments. I'm in the North. I've seen people who don't abide by the rules. I'm not blaming the students. I'm not blaming anyone. It's just a fact. There are a lot of students in the North. A lot of them party. I was told the other day that one reason for Freshers week was to get them all socialising so that they mix and share the germs they bring with them and get over any infections in the first few weeks. It couldn't happen this year but you can see what is going on in student areas. And all those who are protesting I'm following the rules so are my friends/relatives, try looking at the wider picture.

I'm expecting the same statements that will then get changed or some government officials will ignore. I live in an area that is relatively low but our case numbers are increasing like elsewhere. We do have a university on the edge of town and they are trying to contain a recent outbreak. I did venture into town last week and was shocked at how many young people were not wearing face coverings (there is a college near the town centre) and were not keeping their distance. Do they think they are invincible?. We know full well if they get ill and need to go to Hospital they would be horrified if they were turned away for being too relaxed about the rules. The rules are there to protect not only the vulnerable (I'm one of them) but ordinary people too. The more this virus spreads the worse the impact on the economy. I just wish people would be more sensible and less selfish

It can’t just be students as my old home town of Brighton has about 40,000 students and seems OK and Knowsley has no students and has a high incidence rate.

Well regardless of what is announced later today, I am now restricting myself further than I have been. In the last 7 months I have not been inside any homes except twice to use the loo. I have met up with family outside only. I only go shopping for necessities, and pick times when it is very quiet. We have deliveries for most things.

My church choir has restarted but even though they are very strict with the rules and distances etc, it is still indoors, so sadly I am not going to go again for the foreseeable future. I still go for short walks but rarely encounter anyone.

Now my grandson has to self isolate as a boy in his form in Year 8 has tested positive, so I am avoiding him and his family as well.
We are lucky. We have a warm comfortable home, are not short of money, have plenty to occupy us at home. But we are both over 70 and DH has health conditions which put him at greater risk.

trisher You forgot Nottingham! Beautiful Nottingham is only a small city but quite compact with 2 very important Universities.
Interestingly Nottingham University was the only Uni with a campus in Ningbo, China (across the sea inlet from Shanghai, kind of, same part of China as Wuhan) where its students study part of their degree and then come over here to finish. It is built to look identical to the main part of the Uni here. Last Jan before things were bad here, the Chinese Students returned. My neighbour who worked closely with them, first had a very bad cough and chest infection lasting 3 weeks which her husband then had for about 4 days. I had it for about 5 days towards the end of Feb. All before we were told anything or knew anything at end of January through February. Since then we have been very well barring existing health stuff. We did not go to the Doctor, but that is how we are.
In case this looks like a blame-game on the Chinese Students it is absolutely not! Anyway they would have had no idea and probably did not carry the virus anyway! They are a very delightful asset to our community - I live in their post-code - and we are really proud to have this connection with China!
P.S. I have lived in South Eng and North and Mids. They are different! The Uni cities are filled with life in far more cheerful (yes, not objective!) way than south as I remember. Love them!! Also people living there are so much more friendly and warm-hearted and the people I know in my part I left in Home Counties are so filled with arrogant prejudices about midlands and North! They have no idea! I'm sure these people are not on GNet though, really.

I live in the north i am from Liverpool but live across the Mersey on the Wirral now , we do follow the rules my family and friends look after each other and our neighbours and have done what was asked of us nobody on Merseyside would leave another in need or put them in danger and we might take a bashing but we carry on I am proud of our North, take care everyone keep safe.

I agree with winterwhite. I get tired of the stereotyping, too - in fact that has depressed me as much as anything else in this crisis. The young, the old, students, Northerners, Londoners, so it goes on and on. It's always someone else's fault, and as often as not the stereotypes aren't based on anything close to reality.

I do think that opening Universities to the extent that students were encouraged to move into accommodation was a mistake. Not because I expect them to be marauding about city centres, but because a sudden influx of bodies from all over the place is always going to cause infection rates to rise. Every year there are more cases of colds, chest infections, glandular fever, meningitis and so on amongst students when they arrive in cities, and even with social distancing measures this is going to be true of Covid, too.

A slightly separate issue, but whilst I do feel for this intake, I also get tired of hearing how they are 'paying £9k for an experience they aren't getting' (on TV, and second-hand via friends with student children or grandchildren). They are getting the education they are paying for, and it is not (and never was) the responsibility of the University to provide 'an experience' beyond that.

As has been said, it is very difficult for staff, and costly for Universities, to provide online learning, and whilst this in itself doesn't make it good, it should be remembered that it actually suits some students better than attendance in person.

If students are so concerned about 'the experience' they could have left it for a year, and gone later. I know it's more complicated than that for some, but anyone expecting a social whirl in the middle of a pandemic is going to be disappointed, aren't they? Of course they aren't going to get 'the student experience', but none of us is getting the sort of experience we'd like just now. It was disingenuous of Universities to take rent from them for accommodation that it could have been predicted they wouldn't need, but again, deferring for a year would have prevented that - if the Universities could have predicted it, so could the students and their parents.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I do get fed up with all the moaning. They knew it was going to cost them £9k, which it would have done if they'd gone any time over the past few years instead of this. They are not missing out on their education, but on social things which are not included in the fees, and the rest of the country is unable to socialise either.

Lock people up for 14 days and then let them out to be in contact with COVID 19 and so lock them up to isolate for 14 days then let them out to be in contact with Covid 19 then lock them up . . .
We are mad!!!!
Are there any brain cells within current cabinet/Public Health?

Tillybelle Also people living there are so much more friendly and warm-hearted and the people I know in my part I left in Home Counties are so filled with arrogant prejudices about midlands and North!

What a cheek! You are being equally as" arrogant and prejudiced" as you claim Southerners are. Come on! We have university cities too.

I think everyone just has to go with it whatever it is and stop being negative. It is what it is. No one can change this damned pandemic. New to us all including the government.

Trisher..people in the north not abiding by the rules......naughty.. because people in the south haven’t abided by the rules either!!!

Margliz.... couldn’t agree more.. 35 years with the bus for me too

"If students are so concerned about 'the experience' they could have left it for a year, and gone later. I know it's more complicated than that for some," Doodledog it is more complicated than that..if you have even 30% more students deferring for a year what does that do for the next cohort applying next year etc etc. A brave government could have pushed the academic year to start in January....

Well put Whitewave2
We also need those idiots who ignore covid rules to realise it`s them that are making covid last whilst killing those poor people.