Are we approaching another lockdown?

I'm not sure that made sense, it is impossible to social distance. I do put hand gel on both of us before we leave the car though and I think most of the staff and myself have received the first vaccine now - which must make a bit of difference...and we stay outside

I do the college drop for my adult daughter and we were asked to wear a mask at drop off and pick up and everyone does it (taxi drivers, escorts, parents etc) it is impossible to social distance completely though from college staff as I have to quite literally hand my daughter over as she has a disability which makes that impossible.

I thought the advice re conversations was to keep them under 15 minutes in time but I may have dreamt that!

Cunco I think mask wearing is sensible under those circumstances too, and considerate, and not difficult.

Urmstongran: I agree about mask wearing outside but social distancing is required and sensible. If parents meet up in large groups and chat together, with or without masks, there's a risk of passing the virus which, in my borough at least, was identified as worthy of special mention. Personally, I keep my distance outside and where likely to meet a group of people, I wear a mask too.

They’re not “passing someone” they are standing waiting, often too close together. Also even if not mandatory the school has repeatedly asked for it to happen. A bit of consideration for others and teachers would not go amiss surely ?
People are quick to jump on any group of people protesting outdoors without masks.......

Yet mask wearing outside in the fresh air isn’t mandatory is it? I remember Jonathon van Tam saying passing someone outside carries an extremely low risk of catching covid. Different if going indoors (shops for example).

I think we should expect to see cases rising as children go back to school, and things opening. The thing is - will we see hospitalisations rising - that is what sends us into lockdown, not infection rates. Hopefully (fingers and toes crossed) the vaccine will help us with that one. Covid is here to stay, folks. Yes, there will be a normal but it may not be quite the same as the old normal.

Lucca: I understand your son's frustration. Our borough suffered cases twice the [high] national average around the turn of the year and, previously, the Council had re-iterated advice that parents must observe social distancing etc. when dropping off and collecting children from school. It had been identified as one point where the virus was spreading. There were others, of course, but your son's observation struck a chord.

My son just texted having dropped children off at primary school saying his cross he gets about the parents who don’t wear a mask

Some places in Europe and UK have been relatively untouched by COVID-19, others not. Within the England, cases have now levelled out with, for the moment, parts of South Yorkshire, Midlands and North West again rather above average.

It is perhaps worth reminding ourselves sometimes that, although in England there have been 7 positive cases for every 100 of the population, the vast majority of people have not tested positive or been seriously ill.

I suspect we may have to live with the virus from now on. The key variable will be the level of deaths. It will, of course, always be too high but, at the moment, it is declining. If the vaccine is effective and supplies are not severely disrupted, the position is certainly not without hope. In any case, a form of normal life must return. All countries have yet to face the full economic effects of the pandemic which, so far, have been under the radar.

For now the lockdowns have more or less stopped here though we still have to wear masks in shopping malls etc. I thought the uk was doing really well with the vaccine and would soon be able to open up . They are just starting to roll out the vaccine here but only just and everything takes forever for us so it will be a while yet.

European countries are now suffering the Kent variant which we got first and gave us the big wave over Christmas, so hopefully won’t return here. Let’s hope they up their vaccination game - they are doing better in Italy, but it’s a regional rollout and some regions doing better than others. It must be galling to see vaccines exported to other countries, hopefully supply will increase for all countries. Their lockdown aren’t as strict as before- gyms and swimming pools are open, for example. We are still in some sort of lockdown for a good few months yet.

I think myself and my family would have been safer in many European countries in the last year.

There is no reason to think that our roadmap here in England will be any different from what was stated - as it stands at the moment. I do believe that anyone who is thinking of travelling to Europe this year would be as well to hang on for a while - as we are gradually coming out of lockdown, many European countries are heading back into it. This is, of course, due to the miserable job the EU have done regarding the communal vaccine aquisition programme. They were late to the party, too cautious about improving safe vaccines, and now of course they are blaming everyone other than themselves for their poor performance. The growing number of cases of the more dangerous South Africa varient and the Brazil variant in Europe mean that it is unlikely we will allow travel to these countries for the foreseeable future - we cannot risk these more dangerous varients that are more resistant to vaccines taking hold in the UK. I still believe our roadmap out of lockdown will go more or less as planned - but I would advise planning to vacation in the UK this year, our tourism industry really needs the boost and foreign travel is by no means likely to be approved anytime soon. Our vaccination programme is the envy of the world - and the EU particularly - their vaccine envy is likely to contribute to a slowing down of our vaccine programme here. As an aside, just wondering how many remainers still think we should have stayed in the incompetent EU? How many more lives would have been lost as a consequence?

So many are going to go on holiday and meet up come what may. They don't see a risk to themselves and their immediate family.
Numbers are levelling off because we are beginning to see the effect of school reopening. It takes about 3 weeks to happen. So it is now counteracting the effect of vaccinations and the infection level plateaus.
Meanwhile many holiday destinations have rapidly rising infections, and some already have local lockdowns. Holiday in the UK only this year.

I live over 300 miles away from my 94 year old mother and I honestly do not think that I will ever see her again.
She can't use technology, so I can't see her, only hear her on the telephone.
I still have not seen my new grandson either.
I don't think that this year will be normal, we will have to remain cautious until everyone has both doses of the vaccine.
It's very hard for families that do not live near each other....

Oh, that's not still doing the rounds, is it, HannahLoisLuke

[sigh]

I’ve just had a similar argument on FB with a couple of Americans who are peddling conspiracy theories about Bill Gates, how dangerous the vaccine is and why they’re not having it. They actually believe that stuff ?

Elvis58

Hopefully not, we are on track to vaccinate all adults.
Unfortunately Europe is well behind the vaccination stakes.Too much infighting and not ordering enough before it was developed.So no foreign holidays for a couple of years.
Covid will never go away and is something we are going to have to live with for the foreseeable future.But l dont think the economy would survive anymore lockdowns.So no, l dont believe we will go into another one.

Europe, or the EU is just one huge committee meeting and we know how inefficient they are! Can never agree on anything.
Thank goodness we got out before this pandemic struck.

grandmajet

My fear is that people will start holidaying in Europe where so few are vaccinated. The biggest surge before the first lockdown was people returning from Italy and Spain. Maybe we should just stay in beautiful Britain this year.

My heartfelt agreement. Sadly there are too many just champing at the bit to go on a foreign holiday which they see as their god given right, then before we know we’re back into anther lockdown.
The rumblings are there even before we’re out of this one.

A dove for hope

Yes I live in france and despair of ever seeing my children or grandchild again (being a bit hysterical here !)
I am lucky to have been vaccinated as I work in the health sector ,but it’s true the vaccine programme here is soooo slow
I’m keeping everything crossed that I can see them all this summer ,you just have to keep hoping ????

Cases do appear to be getting lower in the UK so hopefully we won't have to lock down again. Sadly the rest of Europe are in a bad way at the moment many countries still have a high level of cases and their vaccination programme is not going as well as in the UK either. Let's hope everyone keeps following lock down rules and then we will see the light at the end of the tunnel sooner rather than later.

When we are in lockdown most things close, in France now, in their lockdown areas some retail is open, as well as food shops. Hairdressers, book shops, chocolate shops, shoe repairs, florists, car dealerships, music stores and schools, I’m amazed!

Herd immunity cannot be achieved with 50% of the population fully vaccinated, let alone having had only their first jab.

WE must first assess the effects of reopening the schools before any other sector is opened up.