New rules from 4th July just announced,

Suziewoozie-Technically my sons weren't put in the 'shielded category' - we got a letter says 'strictly social distancing' as both got neurological condition.But youngest also asthma.so on steroid inhalers& occasionally steroid tablets.& gastro problems..he's shielded himself as whenever he falls ill he's worse every time, so a long recovery. I understood this and have backed his decision, he left college a week before lockdown. As did other son with Uni. But other son does occasionally leave house fully PPE'd up as he drives.so feels safer in car.Youngest son never leaves house. So i need to try get them both 'acclimatised' as it were, back to real world before education restarts.without them freaking out about it.Now do you see?

I am just going to stick with what I have been doing since lockdown came in. 2 metres apart, and no shopping or pubs or cinemas etc. I think all this will cause a spike in cases and don't want to be one of them as I am nearly 80 and have asthma.

I very rarely go to a traditional pub but can't envisage going there as long as these new restrictions exist. What cold, soulless places they will be!

If this is the new normal, along with the other restrictions on shops. public transport, etc I shall be quite happy to remain in lockdown.

Nannan2, it seems to me that they might be worried about transmitting the virus to you.

My children and grandchildren won't meet, visit or take any risks with my health. It's just too soon.

They wouldn't know how to live with themselves if they caused me harm.

Callistemon, I'm longing for a change of scene too. However, I'll just have to cope with staying put this summer. I'm not vulnerable or shielded - but I don't want the family fretting about me. Staying here, bored silly, is far better than hospital and possible death!

I am so glad I am retired and feel real pity for all the lives turned upside down during this pandemic. Their accumulated debts, job losses, those that have died unnecessarily and the worry caused for all. I never wanted to get old, but don't think I would have coped very well if I'd had the problems that younger people are facing today. My heart goes out to all of them.

It's so weird at the beginning nobody wanted be incarcerated now whatever we are told we are allowed to do we say: "I'm staying in lockdown!" Stockholm syndrome?

I have been out twice in the last week for the first time since ‘lockdown’. Shops generally were well organised and people were ‘behaving’. One shop amused me though. Downstairs there was a one way system clearly marked on the floor and on signs. Upstairs The signs were there leading into the shelves. However, there were none leading back to the stairs. Were they holding hostages, I wondered?

I feel positive and am expecting the numbers to keep going down and people can enjoy the summer. We will spend a little time with family now but won’t go on holiday yet. Every time restrictions have been eased, people have said numbers will go up but they haven’t. Let’s try to look on the bright side for once. Hoping we will have a sunny summer and can all get outside into the fresh air at least for a little bit.?

I am so pleased for everyone in the UK after months of sacrificing they have done,I hope people will be sensible and stick to the guidelines, then things shouldnt be bad.
Here in this country we havent had many things changing, and now nothing at all is happening, the only bad part is, our neighbouring countries,Denmark,Norway and Finland will not let us in, so we are still marooned, wish we had had lock down instead!

It is about time he shelved the 14 day quarantine rule if you leave the UK and return …..that is costing many thousands of jobs. As for children, the school next to me is open and more children are attending every week …..I think a lot of the opposition to school re opening is the parents …..they are fearing their children may catch the illness (those of the ages that are allowed back) but where I live on the coast, there are large gatherings of bored teenagers on the beach with carrier bags full of bottles and cans of beer ..and causing mayhem on public transport and leaving their rubbish in heaps all over the seafront and beach THEY need to get back to school/college ASAP ….the Police are constantly here trying to break up such gatherings …...why on earth can they not go back !

The government suggestions are so woolly that everyone is interpreting them differently I think you should put your sensible head on and do what you think is right for you because I am darned sure the government is making it up as it goes along and have no more idea than we have ourselves

If you are like me and have always gone out but in a much more careful way than usual, walking solo or with friends and talking at a distance going very sparingly to shops whilst following the regulations of the shop, just carry on that’s good enough for now, I am going to the hairdresser (soon) but not being a pub person I won’t be going to a pub If you’re a person that likes pubs and wants to take a risk that’s up to you I think personally they should be the last place to open but then I ve never really used them much so maybe I m biased

If you are shielded Person and feel nervous to try Doing anything more then don’t do it, only do what feels right and comfortable for you no one can make you go out nor should they

We were promised a spike after the May bank holiday when thousands flocked to the beach and after VE Day, then after the protests In London and other cities they didn’t happen maybe, just maybe this one won’t either Fingers crossed

Can chiropodists and beauticians go back to doing home visits please?

I can't find any ruling on this.

At this moment in time I thank god I live in Scotland - Nicola Sturgeon's slow and steady approach makes me feel a lot safer- her daily briefings are a lot more coherent than boris's bumbling antics - you may not agree with her politics but she is steering Scotland through these awful times with a sure steady hand

I do agree that some of the new measures are confusing but the government has such an extraordinarily difficult job in deciding how and when the country comes out of lockdown.

The PM must be pulled in so many different directions as scientists disagree about the best way forward.

One thing that is certain though is that if we don’t return to some sort of normality soon, we will have millions of people unemployed as there won’t be jobs for them to return to.

Just rang my sister in Scotland. We're in our 70s, hoping to meet next month. "Talk about the nanny state, Nicola Sturgeon dragging her feet," she said.
I wonder what others in Scotland are thinking?

jenniferecckes I don’t agree about Johnson his leadership is appalling every country has the same decisions to make but he and Trump are making the worst, probably Putin too but we don’t hear about his mistakes but I do agree we have to start to make a return to normality as soon as safely possible because the legacy from a prolong economic lockdown will be catastrophic

I didn’t understand NS and the Scots broadcast yesterday. One sentence said all children would be back in school full time in August, the next said that this would depend on circumstances and this was followed by comments like, “My child has been offered one day a week in school/ My child has been offered one week in three in the ‘blended learning’ plan” so how can we go back to work?
Does that mean all children will be back full time in August or not?

Think Nicola Sturgeon really seems to have the right balance of integrity, honesty and compassion. Lucky Scots at the moment, methinks.

Quotecallgirl1 - yes theatres will now be called Cinemas. At least they should be able to show films of Live Shows from the West End.
Although I think I'll give the Silver Screen show a miss for the time being.

Wicklowwinnie, Beauty therapists can’t work. Doesn’t matter where. In fact they are less in control in someone else’s house than in a salon.
Don’t know about chiropodists, I think that if there is a medical need that might be different.

But don’t you think folk in other countries have not always been in agreement with everything their government has done BlueBell ? I’m sure there would be.

I certainly haven’t agreed with every decision, most especially the reluctance to reopen schools
which I feel is a bad mistake.

I don’t know though if it is the teachers’ unions causing problems.

I still maintain Boris has an unenviable job trying to please everyone.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I don’t think chiropodist were ever closed. My husband needed an appointment but I made him ask if she worked in care homes - the answer was yes so he didn’t go. He head since made an appointment now that things have calmed down.

Schools not closed on the whole. If you have a sensible plan for how schools can practically reopen for all children I'm sure that many Heads would be happy to read it.