Lockdown easing for vulnerable?

I was pleased to hear the tooting of the horn of a little fish monger who used to come to my street on a weekly basis and had many takers. He obviously feels it is 'safe' to resume business. I watched interestedly from my bedroom window. Not one customer. Sad but, I feel, a reflection of the current mood of uncertainty.

We keep hearing an ice cream van going round. That seems unsafe to me.

Dreamkeeper

Here in Wales those that are shielding ,as both of us are,the next date we have been given to expect changes is Aug 15th .........which after been already in this position since 20th March seems an age away!!!!

However we are very mindful that the virus still exists here in our GB and we yet have the borders to be opened when our seaside resorts will get extremely busy.............so although the end cannot come soon enough,on the other hand we remain very fearsome.

Most places with folks around will be avoided for the forseeable.

A mindfield for sure

We are allowed out, though, but it is not recommended to go to shops or anywhere crowded.
I had the 2nd letter too.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

My son is on the shielding list & was very upset to receive a call from the doctors surgery to ask if he contracted COVID-19 does he want to be resuscitated if the worse happened. He is 24 ?

OMG Scrappydo !! Talk about a lack of bedside manner or empathy.

This is ridiculous, we all need to grow a pair, get a grip and get on with life. I think that unless there are serious reasons not to go out we need to get a life and get on with it, we can not live this half life For ever. The levels of infection are reducing daily. In the area where I live there has been one case in a week. I would have to be unbelievably unlucky to come into contact with the virus and exceptionally unlucky to be hospitalised. We are more likely to be run over whilst stepping into the road to avoid another pedestrian than to die of this virus.
I suspect that we have been so brainwashed into believing that we are all going to die if we stick our noses out of the door that it will take forever to summon up the courage.
I for one will be on the next (and first) flight to the canary isles to be reunited with my partner with whom I have been separated from Since March. I will take precautions by wearing a face covering but refuse to be cowed into a gibbering wreck .

There were 456 deaths of pedestrians in the whole of 2018.
There have been over 42,000 deaths from COVID19 and many people left with long-term problems in the first half of this year.

But don't let me stop you doing just what you want to do, Hebdenali and please don't tell me or others what you think we should be doing.

I don't know any gibbering wrecks.
Why are you wearing a mask? Are you nervous?

No I am not nervous at all. I have not put anyone else at any risk whatsoever and I wear a mask so that I am not put at risk by anyone else. I have not “cheated” any aspect of lockdown rules. I have not made any visits or gone into anyone else’s house as I would not wish to put them in any danger. Neither have I hugged my daughters or grandchildren. I have spent nights crying for the loss of human contact and the estrangement of my partner separated and in a different country. But I will not cower in doorways as I see people do in my town whenever anyone passes. I will not allow myself to be scared witless and too frightened to stick my nose out if 5he door. We have to be able to move on and see a way through this.

Hebdenali, your wearing of a mask protects others far more than it protects you. Going out, even wearing a mask, can involve some risk.

I agree that being 'scared witless' is pointless - but we do need to understand the risks and be sensible. I've seen no evidence that it's any safer now than just before lockdown.

Easing of lockdown is about the economy - not about safety.
Just a glance at the charts shows the present situation in the UK:

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/

Well said NannaHev. Entirely agree with you. What a waste of money to build nightingale site. Was like a point was trying to be proved by Government..... Eg. Look we done so well we didn't really need the use of Nightingale! ??
I'm sheilding and have no trust in this, government. I'll decide for myself when I take that leap. My real worry is I'm not feeling so fit since lock downs gone on for so long. I have COPD and my breathing isn't as good as it was prior to this. I have chronic back problems so getting about is a major in any case. Really do wish we can get back to normal again.
All this protesting of late, no social distancing considered..... must have had Covid-19 running its hands together. Selfish people. Poor timing that is my opinion.... Likely affected many who in turn will likely infect their loved ones, foolish and makes me feel very angry. all the hard work put in has for sure set us back on the road to normal life again.

I think we expected the lockdown to last about three weeks, and now I feel that the longer we put up with the isolation, the more wary we are of wasting the efforts we have already made by taking risks.

Well said Callistemon!

I'm not shielding as such, just being careful being 70, but they've done a good job in convincing us not to go out. I find that, apart from walks, I don't need/want to go out near people. So non essential shops reopening won't make any difference in my case, just feel sorry for shopkeepers and people working in them. Hopefully it'll change but by what I read here there are a lot feeling the same way.

My shielding letter arrived six weeks into lock down. Luckily, the information on the government website confirmed that the immuno suppressants I take leave me in the very high risk group if I get the virus, my age adds another point of concern

The positive that came from the official letter was I was able to access supermarket deliveries. I had found going into supermarkets very stressful post lockdown, even the so called vulnerable slots had too many people not keeping the 2 metre distance. The deliveries work very well and it's a bit like being back at work, in that I've some idea about meals for the week as I order
I have been continuing to walk every day, throughout this 3 month period. I have dogs who need to get out for a walk. I need to walk or my joints seize, muscles get weak. The benefits to physical and mental health are huge. My GP and rheumatologist both confirmed as I was walking in quiet areas, maintaining the distance if I did meet others, the risks were far outweighed by the benefits
I've found the way information has come from the government increasingly unhelpful. The talk of shielding ending in England by end July is, imo, linked to the economy rather than to any clear information about what the risks to us will be. I don't envisage I'll be changing the way I'm living for some time. I wish I could but I want to live through this and enjoy the rest of my life

Me too Iam64. I want to get through this and enjoy rest of my life too. ? So to everybody on Gransnet I wish you all well and hope we can all get through this awful time & keep safe because it is a worry as we get older!
Take care Xxx

AllotmentLil

Well said Callistemon!

Oh dear, hope I wasn't snappy

There is a difference between acting like a gibbering wreck and taking sensible precautions.

I don't believe there are any flights to the Canaries Islands at the moment so obviously it is not deemed to be safe.

I should have said thank you to AllotmentLil,
I hope my post wasn't snappy.

However, *HebdenAli's post had a censorious tone, contained basic factual errors and assumes we are all spending our time cowering indoors weeping.

I don't have to shield, although I have since before the official start of lockdown because I really don't want to be infected. I live alone and have health issues. I know that there would be nobody to support me if I were to be badly affected, especially in the recovery period.

Until the transmission rate in the community comes right down, I don't feel that anything is worth the risk of leaving the house. I still fell like that. I've kept myself busy, have learnt some new skills, kept my business going (just), have taken part in online yoga classes (which I enjoy more than the real thing) and have organised all my online shopping, sometimes supporting local suppliers.

I am in no way a gibbering wreck.

Hebdenali totally agree with you everyone should do their own risk assessment and take responsibility for themselves

The government's contact tracing app is no longer considered a priority. Weird, because I thought it was supposed to be "world beating" and Hancock was telling us it was our duty to download it. Without an effective way of contacting and quarantining people who are infected and their contacts, I don't envisage going anywhere.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53083340

I have been shielding with my DH since the beginning of March. He has cancer and is on chemo drugs which affect his immune system. He has had 2 government letters.

Several people we know in our town have had the covid-19 and many have family on the front line, working in ICU and in care homes. We don't personally know anyone who has died from it but we are listening carefully to the advice from the Scottish Government because if DH, or I were to get sick, we might be separated and would run a high risk of dying in hospital away from home and family.

I am not a gibbering wreck but I am living my life according to the advice.

Luckily I have no desire whatsoever to join a race to the airport for a holiday in the sun.

I am grateful that we have a garden and a supportive community of friends who are always happy to help us.

We are missing our DC and our DGC but we speak on WhatsApp every day and look forward to seeing them in person quite soon.

Absolutely agree with you Callistemon