Easing Lockdown

Well done - Oldwoman70 - sense at last!

Growstuff you could be right. I have reached an age where the world is a mystery to me. I listen to the chaos around me and wonder if anyone really knows what they are doing. Even a war time childhood seems to make more sense to me these days. Now I know I am losing the plot big time.

I suspect you don't really want anybody to put you down now Tillypuppy, although you do seem to be doing a reasonable job of putting yourself down.

GG54

How are you able to donate blood so soon if you last gave end of February?

I thought women had to allow 16 weeks before donating again, won’t that take you into June?

Just interested if that’s not the case with you.

I am tired! Tired of being treated like a child who can't be trusted to follow advice without being constantly force fed the five stages, the social distancing rules and condescending statements about shielding for my own protection. Also veiled suggestions that if they let the elderly loose we will be so irresponsible as to go crazy ignoring distancing and infect our families and all around us. I am in my eighties have a medical condition that requires desease modifying medication to control it and keep life running as normal. I understand the thinking behind not overwhelming the NHS in the initial stages but after eight weeks shielding the thought of months more being shut away is horrifying is this going to become a pattern every winter flue season or new virus alert from now on. If so put me down now I will not spend my last year's shut away every time the government have an NHS panic attack. Rant over.

We aren't in lockdown only in restricted movement, we can leave home to exercise, we can shop, we can be in our gardens.

The easing of restrictions must be gradual, do we not think this government have done enough damage by not protecting those in care homes and still appearing to follow the herd immunity idea.

We are weeks behind other countries and people are still entering Britain without being subject quarantine it seems.

No idea where you live GagaJo, but would travelling by train be an option? Eurostar is running and there’s more space on a train and it would avoid big airports. (We think we may have picked up the virus early on sitting in a crowded, stuffy ‘holding area’ in Schipol airport.)

Might we get a little leeway on Sunday, does anyone think?

In our case, sons and families live around 100 miles away so it's not possible to meet up at the moment.

We're hoping we'll be able to meet friends, who live locally, retaining social distancing, maybe sharing a cup of tea in each others gardens. Or even a local park.

Outdoors, anyway.

I agree the amount of cyclists is unbelievable!! We live by the sea and have cyclists riding down the path BETWEEN social distancing walkers ( defeating the point) I understand if people have kids with them but even family rides of four or five is unfair !!! More bikes than I’ve ever seen in seven years of living here !!!!

Until we have a vaccine there are going to be problems. This lockdown was about saving lives and allowing the NHS to cope. Unlike the Italians our medics didn’t have to choose who lived and who died. Lots of very vulnerable U.K. citizens can still lockdown. We are mindful of the elderly now and can make sure we don’t endanger them. This started with ONE case. It’s going to stay with us for a while and we can’t lockdown forever. I think restrictions will be partly eased regarding venturing out a little more on Sunday. Let’s see how sensibly people behave. Because going back to work would be safer than walking down some streets during exercise hour from what I can see .......

Hi y'all, I live in the state of Indiana, USA. We have just started reopening in our state and it's scary as hell. Our numbers are rising and they have barely scratched the surface for testing. The Governor's here in the states seem far more concerned with revenue then the health of the citizens. Both parties seem to be follow the President's lead. There are many of us that feel we were only on lock down do that the hospitals could prepare before really getting hit. Most of us have no choice but to return to work. I was told if I didn't return in May 4th it would be considered a voluntary resignation. I'm 58, my husband is 64 with high risk conditions. Thankfully his retired. I work at a rehabilitation facility considered essential and I am scared to death that I will bring this crap home to him. But I need my income and health benefits.... so I'm against a rock send a hard place. I feel citizens of the world seem to be in the same situation. Our governments are dedicated what is best for us and they seem to have alternative motives. All I can do is go to work everyday and pray every night.

Although much has been said about us having the highest death rate in Europe, if we look at the figures that matter, the death per head of population, we are fifth, behind Belgium, Spain, Italy and France.

Plus of course many died with the virus not from it.

A lot more thinking needs to be done before we go headlong into lifting restrictions. My granddaughter works in a small coastal hotel popular with European and Chinese tourists. When they open again the staff will be changing beds daily, sheets full of skin particles and body fluids. Cleaning toilets and dusting rooms,will employers be made to provide masks, aprons and gloves to protect them from breathing in or touching infection. Many working people will need protection,will it be available for them?

Students that aren't in school will watch the lesson from a camera set up at the back of the classrooms.

I don't want to fly, because I have asthma AND because I think it's risky. IF I do go back (which I'll have to at some point I suppose) I'll be tested when I get there and until my results are back, I'll continue online teaching the way I'm doing now.

No need to bother looking for holes in my story Gabriella. It's my real life so there is no lack of accuracy, other than that caused by my anxious state of mind.

I think that the changes to be announced on Sunday will be minor. A lot of people can choose to continue their own little lockdown anyway. I'm going for the 'wait and see' option myself.

Well, I'm due to donate blood this month and they are still taking it.
Last donation was end of Feb.
Am I worried. No.
Will I continue to donate. Yes.

My friend works for NHS supplies and services. They' ve been told to expect another spike at the end of May

GagaJo
You say you want to go to CH to work but in another post you say, in so many words, that as it's an international school, many children will have to be flying in from other countries.
That will depend on those other countries allowing air travel and CH allowing those flights to land.
How could you work in a school with no pupils?

My DH is extremely vulnerable and I won’t be going anywhere/ doing anything until I see what happens when people do start going back to work and going shopping

Gingergirl: good balanced post. Thank you!

No, I’m not worried. Like Yellowmellow said, we can’t stay in lockdown until there’s a vaccine. I think we all need to be responsible for our own social distancing. I’m also highly hopeful that there will be a vaccine soon as there’s a lot of very clever people out there..

Also we are told that the government will pay x amount of money for this, that and the other. Who pays this, us in some way or another.

Let’s see a gradual ease and test the water so to speak.

Dominic Raab said today that there is no change in the rules. Tomorrow Johnson is speaking, what's the betting he confuses Raab's clear message. Nicola Sturgeon doesn't want to lift restrictions.

I would like to see us under lockdown for another 3 weeks, by then hopefully the death rate will be down. Then a very careful ease.

Agree entirely with MaggieTulliver. Sweden has had no lock down and their death rate is lower than ours. The ‘science’ has being completely one-sided with nobody apparently challenging the predictions made by Neil Ferguson on which government policy has been based. His previous forecasts of death tolls (BSE, foot and mouth, bird flu etc) all turned out to be grossly inaccurate. We now know a lot more about the virus and that the majority of people who get it only have a mild case. My concern is not about easing lockdown but about the the price our children and grandchildren will pay for the almost irretrievable damage to the economy not to mention people with non COVID illnesses who are being denied treatment and diagnostic testing.

Oh dear NfkDumpling this is becoming a habit. We need to be careful or we could always end up singing from the same hymn sheet