Seems we are not unlocking.

So sorry to hear that JaneJudge and I completely understand why you are anxious. Please don’t worry about your daughter being refused medical treatment, I feel sure that would not happen. When I was in hospital with Covid, there was a young woman in the bed opposite to me. She had lots of problems, obviously I don’t know what they were, but I suspect severe learning difficulties was one of them. Anyway, she was given exemplary treatment all the time I was there. She had been in ITU too before. I hope that eases your mind somewhat.

Lucca

“ My point was that if you can't see your children (in my case because of shielding) it doesn't matter if they are next door - you are still not seeing them. ”. Of course but you know that you will be able to see them as soon as restrictions are lifted, with relative ease as opposed to an expensive 24 hour flight!!

But I am unlikely to take that flight again Lucca. All sorts of things restrict our lives. My family have been coming over every 2 years roughly but it is likely to be only my son on some visits now as the one GC is in secondary school and the other will be soon and the time zones contrive to make it difficult with their holidays. That's life and we make it work - most people can if they choose to.

I think most of us, if not all of us have our motivations surrounding restrictions and travel which are influenced by our own feelings and circumstances. I must admit feeling a bit at some woman on the radio saying how she had had to cancel her wedding and how stressful it all was but reminded myself I booked and married quickly and had no pre set idea on how it should be, I certainly hadn't thought about it when I was a little girl type stuff, so maybe I am not the best to comment on it iykwim. You would all most probably think I am ridiculous but the thing I am most worried about is my daughter with severe learning disabilities either being refused medical treatment or being admitted to hospital on her own, so with that in mind I've tried to keep her as safe as we can within the limitations we have to (ie. I am unable to care for her full time at home so she has to live apart from me with care, which again increases risk) It is a minefield really for lots of people

MayBee70

Callistemon

Just remind me of how many people in Australia have died from covid please?

Through locking down and restricting travel, quarantining those returning, the rate in Australia has been low compared to other countries.
However, what worries me, Maybee, is what will happen when the world opens up again, Australia is being very slow with their vaccination programme and Covid is still around.

I am very concerned about that.

Yes. Me too. They really do need to get the whole country vaccinated before they open up. The virus thrives on complacency. What I had forgotten about, and this is going back to a knee injury I had a few years ago, is how advanced Australia are in things such as sports injuries, skin cancers etc. They’ve done so well with covid I’d hate it to all go wrong for them.

I've just been talking to my son Maybee - not really about covid but he did mention that they had been hoping to fly up to see the children's other Grandma but covid has been found in the sewage there so they don't know if they will be able to go.

I think they have got things under far better control than we have (although we do test the sewage too, I believe) and both my son and DiL (early 40s) will have been vacinated by the end of July. Only one example but I think Australia is moving very much in the right direction but they will need the rest of us to be on top of it to open up.

Urmstongran

Daily UK heart disease deaths, last 7 days data

Monday 462, Tuesday 503, Wednesday 465, Thursday 498, Friday 451, Saturday 472, Sunday 512.

Daily UK 'with Covid' deaths for last 7 days

Monday - 4, Tuesday - 8, Wednesday - 8, Thursday - 7, Friday - 4, Saturday - 6, Sunday - 4.

What are you trying to tell us exactly?

Callistemon

Sarnia

GrannyGravy13

It’s double standards PippaZ sportsmen/women, actors, politicians and now sports fans are apparently given the green card for travel, but the general public no!!

I completely agree with you. Football, the Olympics and Ascot, to name just 3 events could have waited another year. The general public have all, to some degree, had to make sacrifices during this pandemic. The rules and guidelines should apply to everyone no matter who they are. If this state of affairs is allowed to continue, people will start to ignore the rules and who could blame them?

I've just seen some photos from the Cornwall smugfest. I had no idea that it got so intimate, with all of them crammed close to each other with no masks on. Official photos demonstrate social distancing - but other than that? No

As someone (Australian) asked on another social media site, accompanied by photos of the G7 - "Is the pandemic over now, then?"

I'm not saying they were not too close - I don't know - but how do you tell from a photo?

maddyone

Pippa
Hysterical

Perhaps you aren't. However, you totally misrepresented something that was said and then attacked the person for saying what they hadn't said.

I can think of other reasons why you might have done this but I assure you they would be less polite.

Thank you Maddyone.

The 56.6% is a proportion of the adult population, and is equivalent to 44.7% of the whole population. Our World in Data is a reliable site.

The government’s own site says 56.6 are fully vaccinated in the UK. I’d have thought that was more likely to be correct, so not sure about Australia now.

Callistemon
A site named Our World in Data (found through Mr Google) claims Australia has fully vaccinated 2.7% of its population. I can’t vouch for this site’s reliability. It claims the UK has fully vaccinated 44.7% of its population. I thought it was higher than this actually but I may be wrong and this may be correct.

I suspect that those who advocate patience probably don’t have beloved family abroad. Many on this site have already waited for the best part of a year and a half, and have no end in sight. I really feel for those Gransnetters. I’m lucky because my daughter only left a month ago, so we were able to see them when allowed over the past year and a half. In addition they moved in with us for two months prior to their departure after they had sold their house. Some Gransnetters have had grandchildren born abroad that they’ve never been able to meet, and are already over a year old. Sadly some are called selfish because they would like to be able to go to see their family. They are not selfish, they are loving parents and grandparents who are following the law but eager to be able to see their family. And no, it is not the same as not seeing your children who live next door and choosing to not even see them over the garden fence. That’s a choice, not being able to travel to Australia, Africa, or Canada isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity.

They're not doing so well with the vaccination programme as far as I know and I had heard that there is a lot of reluctance too, possibly due to the production of the vaccine that they were developing having to be halted.

It's all very well people saying that we must wait for a couple of years, stop being impatient to see family, but not everyone is fit and well and ill health or a sudden death in the family does remind us all that we don't know what is round the corner for any of us.

Just as well, perhaps.

Callistemon

^Just remind me of how many people in Australia have died from covid please?^

Through locking down and restricting travel, quarantining those returning, the rate in Australia has been low compared to other countries.
However, what worries me, Maybee, is what will happen when the world opens up again, Australia is being very slow with their vaccination programme and Covid is still around.

I am very concerned about that.

Are they being slow with the vaccinations Callistemon?

I admit to not knowing apart from the fact that my son aged 42 had his first jab a few weeks ago

“ My point was that if you can't see your children (in my case because of shielding) it doesn't matter if they are next door - you are still not seeing them. ”. Of course but you know that you will be able to see them as soon as restrictions are lifted, with relative ease as opposed to an expensive 24 hour flight!!

Callistemon

^Just remind me of how many people in Australia have died from covid please?^

Through locking down and restricting travel, quarantining those returning, the rate in Australia has been low compared to other countries.
However, what worries me, Maybee, is what will happen when the world opens up again, Australia is being very slow with their vaccination programme and Covid is still around.

I am very concerned about that.

Yes. Me too. They really do need to get the whole country vaccinated before they open up. The virus thrives on complacency. What I had forgotten about, and this is going back to a knee injury I had a few years ago, is how advanced Australia are in things such as sports injuries, skin cancers etc. They’ve done so well with covid I’d hate it to all go wrong for them.

Biscuitmuncher

Urmstrongran it amazes me how people stick to the rules that make absolutely no sense. Everyone seems to forget that we were told masks serve no purpose and now you see people on their own in cars wearing them!

Who told us masks serve no purpose ?? Someone on Facebook ?

Urmstongran

Daily UK heart disease deaths, last 7 days data

Monday 462, Tuesday 503, Wednesday 465, Thursday 498, Friday 451, Saturday 472, Sunday 512.

Daily UK 'with Covid' deaths for last 7 days

Monday - 4, Tuesday - 8, Wednesday - 8, Thursday - 7, Friday - 4, Saturday - 6, Sunday - 4.

At the risk of repeating myself....

In a 7 day period last September (8th to 14th) 83 people died with 28 days of a positive test. Quoting weekly death figures is irrelevant, unless we are taking into account the ratio between deaths and cases, which is what they are doing. So far, no complete evidence that the link is broken, so we wait.

Plus your data doesn't match the government site. Do you have a secret source?

*PippaZ*...I did not once mention government...

Sarnia

GrannyGravy13

It’s double standards PippaZ sportsmen/women, actors, politicians and now sports fans are apparently given the green card for travel, but the general public no!!

I completely agree with you. Football, the Olympics and Ascot, to name just 3 events could have waited another year. The general public have all, to some degree, had to make sacrifices during this pandemic. The rules and guidelines should apply to everyone no matter who they are. If this state of affairs is allowed to continue, people will start to ignore the rules and who could blame them?

I've just seen some photos from the Cornwall smugfest. I had no idea that it got so intimate, with all of them crammed close to each other with no masks on. Official photos demonstrate social distancing - but other than that? No

As someone (Australian) asked on another social media site, accompanied by photos of the G7 - "Is the pandemic over now, then?"

Just remind me of how many people in Australia have died from covid please?

Through locking down and restricting travel, quarantining those returning, the rate in Australia has been low compared to other countries.
However, what worries me, Maybee, is what will happen when the world opens up again, Australia is being very slow with their vaccination programme and Covid is still around.

I am very concerned about that.

JaneJudge I bought a special cloth that you rub on your glasses/sunglasses that prevents them from steaming up. I got it from Amazon.

Daily UK heart disease deaths, last 7 days data

Monday 462, Tuesday 503, Wednesday 465, Thursday 498, Friday 451, Saturday 472, Sunday 512.

Daily UK 'with Covid' deaths for last 7 days

Monday - 4, Tuesday - 8, Wednesday - 8, Thursday - 7, Friday - 4, Saturday - 6, Sunday - 4.

I wear a mask when I transport my vulnerable daughter too as we live in separate households. It's part of the risk assessment by her care provider. Honestly though, I found it so difficult to drive in a mask to begin with even harder with mask AND sunglasses, it's like some sort of torture

Good post Maizie.
I’m quite happy for another month or six weeks of the restrictions that are in place now, because they are not so very much. We can get on with our normal lives pretty much as usual.
I do worry about businesses, that’s my main concern. I don’t own a business, I’m lucky enough to be retired, but I’m concerned for them anyway.