Are we approaching another lockdown?

I don’t really understand what “learning to live with it” means. The Covid viruses we have circulating at the moment are highly infectious, constantly mutating, and virulent. Clever little things.

The vaccines we have now are effective against some, but not all of the mutations. Vaccines need to constantly keep pace, or we will continue to experience infection surges and deaths.

Call me stupid, but unless this virus mutates to become less serious, as is the common cold, I can’t envisage living with it as we do for some less virulent infections.

I do not think suppression is the way, but to aim for elimination and dealing with any imported outbreaks as they occur. For this to happen we definitely need more effective test and trace than we have at present.

Of course "We'll have to learn to live with it". like all other viruses. We can't eradicate it and we can't stay locked up for ever.

I feel very lucky to be able to see my DD because she is the single parent of a foster child and has just added two adopted children to her household. However I haven't seen my other three DC or two GC for a year.
More and more people seem to be feeling that the law doesn't apply to them, can they not see that this wretched pandemic can only be ended by avoiding spreading it through contact and travel?

I also listened to that programme Meryl I turned it on towards the end. It was fascinating and I will listen in full later.
I did catch the piece about what if the total bird population succumbed to another form of Avian ‘flu. It was a sobering thought. I do not doubt we’re a long way from being out of the pandemic.

I listened to a piece on radio 4 called the jump. It was about the virus / viruses. They estimate that there are at least 1,000,000 such viruses out there.
We have to accept that we will have another pandemic at some time. But next time ( hopefully) we will be more prepared.

My granddaughter, like many 2 year olds apparently, has undeveloped speech thanks to lockdown. Her parents are now in touch with a speech therapist and are receiving help, but it's a widespread problem I believe. In our family we have also had two job losses and one death due to covid. I wish it would go away but a scientist on this morning's Start the Week suggested it is very likely that worse is to come in the form of other animal-connected viruses that are cropping up in Russia and Saudi Arabia. I am trying to stay positive.

Yes, parents should wear a mask at the school gates, even though the children have been together all day without wearing masks.

But no comment from anyone on the protests in Bristol? Gatherings in the street, no self-distancing, few masks, getting close enough to police officers on duty to break their arms, sit on their chests?

And gatherings for fun are just fine in Miami, apparently.

I despair and think that no matter how hard people try to obey the rules within our own individual circumstances, we will never be rid of the virus because so many are intent on breaking the rules and laws by having huge gatherings.

We'll have to learn to live with it and those who do care about our families and others will have to be the ones who change the way we live.

I also agree that large gatherings are inadvisable at the moment, despite the fact that it’s almost impossible to get infected outside in the open air.

I agree Lucca, large gatherings not advisable while we are still at risk from COVID-19

effalump I certainly don’t hate you, but I hope you’re wrong about lockdowns being here to stay.

Crikey! You're all going to hate me for putting my spoke in but I'm afraid intermittent Lockdowns are here to stay. Boris has already extended the governments power to lockdown and Rishi has entended furlough to September. I think that say's it all. As far as the 'cases' are concerned, those numbers are easily manipulated by the world's governments, simply by using whichever test produces positives, false ones that is. They've already admitted, several times, that these tests throw up false positives but still they use them.

Sorry, “may speak”.

Of course they speak at the school gates, just wear a mask !

Correction: playing in nursery
Working in school!

This protest took place at the weekend in Bristol:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2021/mar/21/kill-the-bill-protest-in-bristol-in-pictures

But there will be no singing in church.
And parents may not speak to one another at the school gates when their children have been playing together all day.

Lucca

The morning drop is not speedy. The parents queue round the block for gates to be opened then go in

Oh and those non mask wearing parents would certainly moan if school had to close again....

Lauranorder good point. As far as I am concerned “the jury’s out” on protests. I just feel any large gathering is unwise.

Regarding protests and vigils outdoors, possibly safe if social distancing and mask wearing is adhered to. The bigger risk is the transportation to and from the events, trains, buses, taxis, shared cars.

Not all protest involves shouting, but that’s not the point,
I just do not understand why you have a problem with parents being asked to wear a mask. And I repeat dropping primary aged children off is not speedy and is not the same as passing people in the street.

We still are being told not to sing in church by the way except for one choir member.

Duh. *objections!

I have no injections at all Lucca. I agree consideration for all is what we should be aiming for.

Actually protesting outdoors also involves SHOUTING! not so long ago we were being told not to sing in church nor blow candles out on a birthday cake - so I fully understand the public’s annoyance of any kind of gatherings to protest during these unprecedented times!
?

Also due to the layout of the school and nursery there is not a huge amount of space.

And anyway why not just be considerate ? I don’t get the objection,

The morning drop is not speedy. The parents queue round the block for gates to be opened then go in

I apologise Lucca I didn’t realise the parents were congregating at the school gates, chatting without masks and not socially distancing. I dare say that happens more at the afternoon pick up than the more speedy morning drop off, which was why your son’s comment confused me.