Should the 2 metre social distancing rule be reduced ?

I’m surprised at your comment WWM2 as my understanding is that the WHO had always recommended the one metre distance.

Have they changed or is the advice you mentioned specifically for this country?

Absolutely: We’re going to make sure we have ours as soon as possible.

Also there is a push for everyone to have the flu jab this season, to ease the use of the NHS when the second wave comes along.

Given that there’s a huge problem with hairdressers, I don’t understand why they can’t open up outside hairdressers in gazeebo’s: ok they’d only be able to trim hair and not colour, wash and style but it would be safe outside: everyone could wear a mask. I suppose hairdressers that used to go to people’s homes could just stay in the garden. I’ve now started going for walks again but it’s always me that, if there’s someone walking towards me on a pavement that’s less than 2 metres it’s always me that crosses the road (or, in some cases end up walking in the road. Thus far only one person has shouted a thank you to me. My next door neighbour who is incredibly high risk has just had a Ringtons delivery: I know I’m being a nosy neighbour but she has no family nearby so we do help her out so we feel responsible for her. He didn’t seem to go in the house but her certainly wasn’t wearing a mask and after delivering to her spent ages chatting to someone in the street from a distance of a couple of feet. People in this country just aren’t using their heads at all.

I also notice that the virus is beginning to make itself felt again in countries that had reduced it like China etc.

WHO have advised Johnson (not that he takes notice of scientists, but we can) that the 2 meter rule should not be relaxed until T&T is fully operational which it isn’t.

Today I read that even if there is a second wave that another lockdown s unlikely. The young at least risk, have already made the risk assessment and have decided to carry on with their lives as far as they can in a normal fashion.

I think it will be our decision in future exactly how we want to play it. I shall lock myself down each time the virus is increasing to a risky level. I shall take an Exeter’s Professor’s advice and treat everything when I leave the house as if it is covered with the virus and behave appropriately according to the apparent level of risk at the time.

It does seem as if the two metre rule will be reduced in time for restaurants pubs and cafes to open in early July.

It will obviously made life a lot easier for the owners but how many potential customers will be too uneasy to return?

Those places with outdoor seating will probably be very popular!

Something that isn’t happening here but they do in some eastern schools is disinfect shoes (I saw it in a video of children going into a school. I’m sure that in one of DrCampbells latest blogs he said that they had relaxed the social distancing rule in an American state and the infection rate had gone up (need to rewatch it and make notes when I do: so much information to take in). The R rate just isn’t going down enough in this country: as long as it hovers around under one the virus is just going to hang around indefinitely.

Mick and others are right imo, the figures are too high for an official reduction in the two metre rule. Like WWave, I went to the podiatrist two weeks ago, when she re-opened. She was kitted out in the full PPE, including see through full plastic face covering. She disinfected everything before and after my treatment.
Our GP surgery continues to offer on line consultations. They're doing my regular blood tests so I don't have to go to the hospital. The nurses are always in full PPE, wiping door handles etc.
This suggests to me that we need to remain vigilant. Whoops, I possibly should say keep our A Lerts safe.

It’s a balancing act, tying to get the economy moving slowly whilst keeping the R number down.You can’t please everybody as is oh so obvious reading threads on GN.
If the government are following advice by SAGE on the two metre rule would anyone feel safer reducing it to one?
It may come about that it’s reduced in all situations where all are wearing a mask.

I agree with previous poster. New infections are still too high, when this number comes down, then maybe. Also, let's see what the protests have thrown into the mix. If there is no significant rise then maybe one meter is ok. There are So many people not adhering to that anyway, actually think that a herd immunity is slowly building up in the community, maybe that is the underlying plan? However, we still don't know that you cannot get it more than once......and so it goes on and on ......

vegansrock, I don’t see the problem either.
I have lots of face visors, masks and washing facilities, use disposable liners in my pedicure bowls. BUT if I can’t go closer than 2 metres I can’t reach!
My point being that the rules aren’t clear and to protect themselves, understandably, my professional body has a list of precautions as long as my arm.

The government is going to face criticism whatever it does and I shouldn’t think that many who make the decisions have any clue about small businesses.

A 20.4 per cent reduction in GDP during April ought to convince anyone with even the haziest grasp of economics that it needs to be reduced NOW .

I went to the chiropodist this week and she had the full regalia on. Full face mask plus one underneath plus apron and gloves.
I had to use a mask and gloves. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes were also used.
They were cleaning everything when I waited, including chair, floor etc and they did the same as I was paying.

They didn’t wash my feet - apparently too risky but used a spray.

Observing people around here, I think that in order to maintain a one metre gap, the two metre gap needs to continue. Few people actually pass at two metres or stay at two metres, they think of other things and drift closer. Perhaps another couple of weeks to get the rate down just a bit further.

I don’t really see a problem with pedicures/ manicures- there’s lots of hand/ foot washing and you could both wear masks.

Yes JE it is a difficult balancing act. Should they give in to the demands of those who want to ‘reopen their economy’ or listen to those who want to save lives.

Of course if they had listened to the latter earlier we would be in a much better position to ease up restrictions now.

It is not a priority to reopen schools for just a few weeks anyway. Let’s see what the position is in another two months. By then we should know if we are over the worst or seeing a second wave of infection.

The phrase ‘fools rush in..’ has never been more appropriate.

If we look at Germany who has handled the virus and with more rationality than the U.K. they are still imposing a 2 meter rule, and they are in a far better place than us in regard to covid.

I fully understand that it’s a difficult balancing act for the government as it’s important to keep the virus under control, but reducing to 1 metre would make the difference between certain businesses surviving or going under.

It would also make it much easier for schools to reopen which surely has to be a priority.

I see Boris is under pressure now from some ministers.

I see some Back bench MP`s want it reduced , but when you look at the average weekly death race taken over a 7 day period worked out doing Monday to Sunday Figures of deaths released x 7 = divide by 7 to get the daily average .
If that figure does not fall below 100 we are still on a Red Alert, Yellow alert applies between 99 and 10 per week , green 9 to 0 figure for average figure .
It is a form of Biological warfare where the virus is in the air .
Mick

Scientists at Kings College have described this governments handling of the virus as primitive.

We have the worse rates in the world.

I will NOT be reducing the distance.

Yes it should. The WHO says 1m and that would make it possible for many many more places to open, the most important of which is schools.
Nurseries are opening, with no possibility of anybody keeping any distance at all from anybody else, yet 4 year olds at school have to be 2m apart.
This means only 15 or fewer kids in a room, which most primaries cannot do, so most children are still at home and learning nothing. 6 months is a huge chunk out of a child’s life to be without education. Remember all the fuss and fines when parents took a holiday in term time and were told it would ruin their chances for years to come?

I agree with Blinko. Perhaps they’re waiting to see what effect the recent demonstrations have on the R rate. If it has no effect on numbers it’ll be safe to drop the distancing.

Safer countries with competent governments are able to reduce the rule to one metre.

That is not possible here where the Vote Leave government has proved to be the most incompetent in the world and dealing with the pandemic.

EllanVannin that's very worrying. Please say you at least phone NHS 111.

I'm on Scotland and very happy with the slower pace of easing here.