For everyone who's bending the rules!

In the March lockdown, the local area was eerily quiet, the traffic noticeably reduced - and no obvious visitor's cars were parked nearby.

By contrast, now, the area seems 'normal', the roads busy, with many get-togethers, outings, even weekends away - as if people are defiantly flouting the rules this time.

I'm quite proud of myself for spotting that! My new glasses were ordered by the optician on 11th December, and they have gone missing in the courier post

B9exchange

Monica said highest poverty rate in the county, not the Country?

I know. I've apologised.

Monica said highest poverty rate in the county, not the Country?

SuzannahM

^I didn't realise you live in Barnsley, which is the town currently with the highest poverty rate in the country.^

M0nica said the highest poverty rate in the county - I assume she means her county.

Ooops! Sorry! I need to go to Specsavers! (It's allowed, you know! )

I don't go out, so I don't have first hand evidence of how people are behaving. The last time I took out my car to top up the battery was in the summer and I must admit I couldn't believe how many people were sitting at tables outside pubs with no masks and far closer than two metres.

I do read about people on Facebook (and other social media) groups who are obviously bending the rules and admitting it. I wonder why they even talk about it, unless they're seeking some kind of support and confirmation that what they're doing is justified.

Alegrias1

Thanks for the info Callistemon

But, of course, that doesn't take away from the fact that they were under-staffed to begin with.

One thing DH and I had noticed over several years is that some clinics seemed to be very well-staffed indeed whereas the wards seem to be under-staffed. Nurses in out-patient clinics seemed to be able to work at a fairly leisurely pace whereas those who were working on wards seemed to be rushed off their feet.
Is that a question of senior management at fault?
It could be something local to this Board, though.

I didn't realise you live in Barnsley, which is the town currently with the highest poverty rate in the country.

M0nica said the highest poverty rate in the county - I assume she means her county.

M0nica

Hetty for all of us our evidence can only be anecdotal and local. In my area and the places I shop there is high level of adherence to the rules. Our incidence of COVID is and has always been well below average, although with the current variance of the disease it is much higher than three months ago. I live in a highly populated rural area, with large villages awash with new estates, many science and warehouse parks and it includes a town that has the highest poverty rate in the county.

As I said, our evidence can only be anecdotal, although in my case the staistics for the area support what I see.

I didn't realise you live in Barnsley, which is the town currently with the highest poverty rate in the country.

People talk about the briefings on tv and what we are told but it occurs to me that a lot of the people flouting the rules would never watch bbc tv much less a news programme. What they need are celebrities - reality stars rappers influencers etc - going on social media telling it like it is
.the briefing advice is surely often preaching to the converted

Hetty for all of us our evidence can only be anecdotal and local. In my area and the places I shop there is high level of adherence to the rules. Our incidence of COVID is and has always been well below average, although with the current variance of the disease it is much higher than three months ago. I live in a highly populated rural area, with large villages awash with new estates, many science and warehouse parks and it includes a town that has the highest poverty rate in the county.

As I said, our evidence can only be anecdotal, although in my case the staistics for the area support what I see.

The NHS was understaffed before Covid. My D a newly qualified nurse was put in charge of a ward of seriously ill patients with other staff looking to her for guidance. She found it stressful and worrying. What if two or more of her patients became very ill at the same time? Who would she help as senior staff were in other parts of the hospital and it would take time for them to respond.

She found the same situation in two other hospitals.
They didn't have enough staff then so no wonder they are struggling so much now.

To be clear, by blaming people who ignore the rules, it certainly doesn't follow that I support the government. It's not an either/or situation.

The government are liable, to a large extent, for the tragic mess we're in right now.

Too little, too late, u-turns, confused messages, half measures etc. (need I go on?). It's been like watching a train crash in slow motion.

Still, whatever the government, the public are liable too, in general (not all of us, of course).

I don't necessarily agree that the majority are doing their best to comply. Where's the evidence?

I have friends, neighbours and relatives who openly admit to breaking the rules a little - yet declare they're using 'common sense'. I despair.

I have eyes, so I witness the behaviour of others, when I walk the dog. I stay well clear of them now, cross the road or change direction - just to avoid any interaction.

I know a nurse who works on a Covid ward. She's dead on her feet, overwhelmed and broken. She's planning to leave nursing.

Grannygravy13 B&M have an extensive range of food products in their stores, several aisles of everyday foodstuffs, although nothing fresh, so do Poundland, or they certainly do in Oxfordshire, which means they probably carry even more in less affluent areas. These shops are essential to the least well off in society.

Alegiras Small pox has been eliminated but polio is very close to elimination. The only places where it is still present is a few enclaves in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

More shops being allowed to open means less furlough to pay.

Maybe a mixture of all or any of those. Chris Witty on TV this morning said we should ask ourselves every time we are going out, "do I really need to do this".

What is it that posters on here object to about going for walks? Is it the duration of the walk, the distance, the possibility of passing other people, or the potential for falling over?

Sparkling, What are on earth are you talking abou?. No way was it meant to be offensive.
I have been shielding for nine months. All of my neighbours have been here for twenty five years. They know my circumstances. A new neighbour reported me to the police for having visitors during lockdown. The police arrived and were horrified to find the visitors were actually my daughter and son in law, who are my carers and bringing essential shopping and medication!
That was what I meant by curtain twitcher. ?

I find your post offensive! Perhaps think before you jump in to attack someone who is just home from hospital, after suffering a heart attack!!

Mary doll, what an offence comment. Listen to the people who walk on the front line if you wish, they are saying people are not obeying the rules but interpreting them as they wish. You don’t have to be a curtain twitcher, just observant. You do as you wish.

Nanna58, I was puzzled by your comment as well.

Nanna58

Duck Daftbag1, duck, you’ll get lambasted for that view by many on here, trust me , I know!!!!

Nanna why? We are still allowed to leave the house for exercise, at the moment!

GrannyRose But it didn't work last time did it even though far more people were compliant. If it had worked we wouldn't need another one.

Of course a lockdown works .... look at the figures last summer .... but unfortunately people rush out each time the lockdown ends and get together and get apathetic about wearing masks, hand washing and distancing, and then we are back to square one. Your reasoning is illogical.

Thanks for the info Callistemon

Duck Daftbag1, duck, you’ll get lambasted for that view by many on here, trust me , I know!!!!

is there nothing they could have done to prepare? Maybe they did, I just don't know about it.

I know that nurses and doctors who were newly qualified were being trained in ICU procedures, but my knowledge relates to only one hospital. Presumably it happened elsewhere.
I also know that experienced nurses and doctors were trained in ICU procedures in readiness but that, of course would mean taking them away from their other duties.

As operations were not going ahead anaesthetists were redeployed to ICU.
The partnership between the NHS and MoD means service medics can be called upon.

Not all patients require IC treatment.