2M ruling could be relaxed

Has the infection rate increased substantially in countries like France, the answer is no. We must get our kids bad to school before most of them become completely comatose.
But those countries got the rate right down before easing up on lockdown. Our rate is still high. Its coming down but only very slowly.

I will continue to stay as far away from other people as I can. (apart from close family) and I have no intention of going into a shop, or on public transport for a long time. The scientists said its all a matter of risk. Being 1 metre away from someone is safer than standing next to them, standing back to back to someone is safer than standing face on, standing 2 metres from someone is safer than 1 metre. Being outside is safer than in. Etc. Having weighed it all up I would not be happy to be in a shop, a pub a bus with someone only 1 metre away from me when at least 1000 people a day are getting infected.

I think that whatever distancing limit is “officially” applied will end up being a nonsense. Has anyone, ever, gone to the pub or out for a meal to help them Stay Alert?

As people relax they’ll forget about distancing. And how, exactly will they eat and drink while wearing a mask? If a face covering is obligatory on public transport, how come it’s not required in a public house?

"2M ruling could be relaxed" Has anyone informed the virus of this? It will be so pleased!

Ridiculous. Herd immunity aka culling of non taxpayers aka pennies before people.

They do NOT have public health as a priority. If they did, they’d be cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion and putting measures in place to protect the public not the wealthy.

It’s a pogrom. Ignore them. Maintain strict distancing until the vaccine is as prolific as the polio vaccine.

The scary thing is how little is known about this wretched virus. I cant envisage ever being safe from it....just balancing risks and freedoms, and wishing we had advice we could trust.

@AJKW the distancing rules vary in France from 1 metre to 1.5 metres. Also population density in the UK as a whole is twice that of France and England three times that of France.
Better to be safe if possible.

If droplets used to travel 2 metres, are they now going to travel only 1 metre?

Seems ridiculous to me. Just done so places like pubs and restaurants can re-open, regardless of health risks.

In all of the talk about reducing the distance to one metre because it will “make things easier”, the emphasis is on the rule, on changing ‘the rule’. This is about health and the risk of death, not the bloody rule!

From what I can make out, it seems as though there is an almost complete breakdown in public trust, compliance or order in England at the moment. A parody of a Prime Minister who was more concerned with propaganda than policy and now that he has, by dint of relying on an unscrupulous anarchist of a senior advisor, got the ‘top job’ doesn’t have a clue how to manage it. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland clearly no longer trust the directives from Westminster, and the public in England appear to be taking matters into their own hands. This is not going to turn out well.... I am so disillusioned with the ‘democracy’ in what was once such a well respected country.

The police broke up an illegal ‘rave party’ in our local country park, the other night. They estimated that there were around 1,000 people there. Many now seem to be taking the attitude that, as they haven’t caught it yet, it has gone away. Either that, or they are finding it exciting to gamble with their own, and their family’s health.

I will still try to keep to the 2 metre rule, not matter what Boris decides, but I fear that another Spike is on the way after all the illegal activities going on.

As for the ‘bubble’ rules......well, one size doesn’t fit all. I feel that the ‘sensible’ people, and there are still some around, should decide for themselves what is safe and suitable for themselves.

Juicyluicy
Why remove ? I enjoy not having other shoppers breathing down my kneck. bliss

It appears there were many who ' stuck their fingers in the air' when it came to distancing as was observed during what should have been PEACEFUL demonstrations for BLM
I refer to those who , clearly were not there to support BLM, but cause as much disruption as possible and distancing being the last thing on their mind.

New Zealand's population is half that of London.

Some island countries have had no cases at all.

Grandad1943

My wife and I are being told, under legislation, we cannot visit our daughters or their families in their homes and also we must keep a two-metre distance from all others wherever we go.

However, we witness now night after night on our televisions large numbers of protesters totally disregarding that legislation while carrying out large scale violence and disruption while little or nothing is done to stop them.

This government appears to have totally lost all control of the Covid-19 restraint situation, and for me now "Enough is Enough."

Someone in authority needs to get a grip.

I agree.

It is extremely frustrating.

JenniferEccles

The risk of catching the virus now is very small.

I read that only one person in 1,700 is infected now.

So that leaves 1699 still at risk or am I missing something?

I feel for all these shop owners that have painstakingly purchased and displayed the 2M rules all around there stores, some of them stuck on there floors and windows. What a cost and complete nightmare for them to get them removed and 1m ones to be displayed.

Like many countries, New Zealand had models that showed that a potential coronavirus outbreak could be devastating if no action was taken. Unlike some other countries, New Zealand responded relatively fast.
When Ardern announced on March 14 that anyone entering the country would need to self isolate for two weeks, it was among the toughest border restrictions in the world. At the time, the country had six cases.
When, on March 19, Ardern banned foreigners from entering the country, there were 28 confirmed cases.
And on March 23, when Ardern announced that the country was going into lockdown, there were 102 confirmed cases -- and no deaths

Gwen The reason there were very few deaths there was because they took action early. We could have done the same.

BUR they really pushed the 2m distancing rule. They had songs/jingles about it for their school children and the police even issued one.

It saddens me that we too could have clamped down hard when infection rates were low... but we didn’t.

4allweknow no social distancing in reception and Y1 and no PPE either. Your childminder might be breaking lockdown rules or there again it could be just another example of Boris-think?

Furret - I think New Zealand took action early, there were comparatively few cases there.

If it helps the economy, I suppose I'd better go with it, but for the main part I will still be self isolating.

Daisymae I too am mystified about the school thing. A childminder I know has been having childrens of all ages come to her house and mix with her own child. Absolutely no social distancing, all play equipment in use and the adults when calling to collect the child/ren sit and have a chat round a small garden table. And, these are key workers! How does that fit with school closures?

In Portugal it is still 2metres apart plus masks have been compulsory since shops started to open on May 4th. It's not difficult to accept the rules when you see the number of infections and deaths really dropping. There has been a small spike in cases in the Lisbon due to some workers living and working in close proximity and this has been dealt with and cafes and takeaways have been closed.

at least 2 metres for me.... keep yourself safe.

If complacency sets in we will relax our guard and the numbers of infections (and hence of deaths) will rise again. We definitely don't want to overtake Brazil again! Let them keep their second place!

The UK is still a very dangerous country as far as the virus is concerned. We had the second highest number of deaths from it in the world until a few days ago when we were
overtaken by Brazil. President Bolsinaro does not believe the virus is anything more than a dose of flu and so any distance between people there is not imposed.
I think 2 metres apart is the safest as this is a such a dangerous time for us.