Indian variant

Flights from India still coming into the U.K.

Alegrias1

tidyskatemum

A woman of Indian origin in Blackburn was blaming Boris for not stopping people from coming back from India. Does nobody have any sense of personal responsibility?

Why is it relevant that the lady was of Indian origin?

I think tidyskatemun was showing the irony of the situation.

I don’t know if I am a ‘certain poster’, but I commented because to me it looked very like a racist remark. I was very careful to give the poster the benefit of any doubt, though, as I’m sure we have all posted things that we haven’t realised could be taken differently.

I don't think it was intended as a racist remark. I agree with Atqui's interpretation.

The issue seems to be that more younger people are being infected. So far there's no noticeable increase in hospital admission, let's hope it stays that way.

When I have gone out I have worn a mask, but as I said, that has only to medical things - I wouldn't dream of not wearing one, so I have been a virtual prisoner in my house for over a year.

Well, it looks like England is going to be business as usual, as expected. Let's hope that we don't see the level of deaths caused by the Christmas fiasco.

Again, I didn't say anyone shouldn't, just that you don't have to if exempt and you don't know what my reason for being exempt is.
I physically can't wear one.

I am asthmatic on a ^cocktail of inhalers, drugs and often long courses of steroids have worn a face covering since beginning of March 2020.

donnab31

If you have asthma you are exempt from wearing a mask. I'm also exempt so I've done the same as you and barely gone out, had my shopping delivered and kept my distance when I do go out.
As I said, I'm not dismissing anyone as 'not to be considered' but if you ask the vast majority of the younger population, they want their lives back to normal more than most.
They don't see themselves as vulnerable on the whole because the official figures show this.
We've been told all along that once the case numbers and deaths fall significantly and the NHS are back to a level they can cope with, once a large percentage of the population have been vaccinated (which also in turn protects passing on the virus to those not vaccinated by a large percentage) we will start getting back to normality.
Nobody is saying don't be careful or thoughtful when around others - I personally would love social distancing to remain with strangers! - but just that we want to be able to use our own common sense now.

I’ve had asthma since the age of 17, working as a Nurse, qualified, have worn a mask for long hours during my working life. Never once thought to not wear a mask during this pandemic.

donnab31

That being said, I'd happily sacrifice overseas travel for the privilege and think keeping all borders closed for the time being is very sensible!

Absolutely agree.

If you have asthma you are exempt from wearing a mask. I'm also exempt so I've done the same as you and barely gone out, had my shopping delivered and kept my distance when I do go out.
As I said, I'm not dismissing anyone as 'not to be considered' but if you ask the vast majority of the younger population, they want their lives back to normal more than most.
They don't see themselves as vulnerable on the whole because the official figures show this.
We've been told all along that once the case numbers and deaths fall significantly and the NHS are back to a level they can cope with, once a large percentage of the population have been vaccinated (which also in turn protects passing on the virus to those not vaccinated by a large percentage) we will start getting back to normality.
Nobody is saying don't be careful or thoughtful when around others - I personally would love social distancing to remain with strangers! - but just that we want to be able to use our own common sense now.

the trouble with saying that young people shouldn't be forced to go back to work is that by definition they are going to be in junior roles

True and often in hospitality where they will be inevitably meeting the general public.
Half to one-third of young adults, 18-29, have now had their first vaccination here in Wales
One vaccine centre manager said young people were "coming in their droves".

The problems will arise when people want to go abroad on holiday.

I am asthmatic, and had my first vaccination along with everyone else in my age group (62).

I also find that asthma means that wearing a mask is horrible and makes me more breathless (despite being told on here that that this is wrong?), so I have not gone out other than for medical visits for 14 months. My life (which was very busy before) has been massively disrupted, and I am not enjoying this at all. I can't wait to get back to some sort of normal, but not at the expense of others.

It may be the case that some young people don't want to get vaccinated, (and what we should do about that is maybe for another thread) but what about those who do? To hear that the older folk they have protected all this time see them as low-risk-so-not-to-be-considered, and that they are being penalised because of the behaviour of their anti-vaxx peers must be a real slap in the face.

Callistemon, the trouble with saying that young people shouldn't be forced to go back to work is that by definition they are going to be in junior roles, where to refuse would be very difficult. If we were looking at months and months of extra lockdown I might understand the calls to 'stick to the road map', but we are just a few weeks ahead of the date for having all adults vaccinated, so it just makes no sense to me at all.

Doodledog

Thank you Callistemon. That's a relief.

?

I suppose the other point is that perhaps younger people do want to get back to work etc, to normal life although no-one should be forced to if they they don't think it is safe.

As soon as they get as many people vaccinated as possible, particularly in the areas where the variant is taking off, the better.
Perhaps more localised lockdowns are better.

It's worrying that the Indian Government is refusing help from charities because of the new law introduced last year. It may have been well-intentioned to stop the misuse of foreign funds but it is stopping aid getting to where it is needed.

Some of those areas where the Indian variant is spreading have been in local lockdowns/tier systems longer than the majority of us. I don't believe it would work.
The surge vaccinations may curb it eventually but it does take around 3 weeks for the vaccine to provide some immunity.
To stop the spread vaccinating as much of the surrounding areas may stop it infecting more of the UK.

A large number of people in their 20's and 30's will choose not to be vaccinated, going by people I've heard from. They are now vaccinating people in their 30's in our area.
My sister is 30 and was offered her vaccine several weeks ago because she had asthma as a child so I think asthmatics have been included in the 'vulnerable group'.

I'm not dismissing anyone's health as unimportant - I'm not very old myself and am considered high risk - but at what stage do we start returning to normal life?
Can you imagine wearing a mask in 30+ degree heat this summer? (if it ever arrives!)

I'm all for tightening restrictions again if the numbers start to rise but at the moment they are very low as a percentage of the population and we have already been told we will never be fully rid of the virus.

I don't think we should stop Monday's opening up. All the pubs and restaurants have ordered and stocked up so there would be an outcry about wastage, rightly so, if they couldnt re-open.
Maybe some kind of tier system will be introduced in the coming weeks while we get on with vaccinating the younger people.

I think that for the last year and a half, the only answer we've had to increasing cases is lockdown.

We have to remember that we've got effective vaccines that work against all the variants, even the Indian ones. The vast majority of people who are likely to die from the disease have been vaccinated. Young people are still at risk, absolutely, but the risk of death is so much smaller. And Long Covid is there, for sure, but at some point we will have to grit our teeth and open up society.

I don't know what Johnson will say this afternoon but I don't think we should stop what is going to happen on Monday. And there is still time to consider what happens next.

Thank you Callistemon. That's a relief.

I'm not offended either.

I am a bit taken aback at how many people keep arguing that the reason for not reining back the roadmap is because the vulnerable have been vaccinated, though - it does come across as very selfish. When it comes to Long Covid, there is no way of knowing who is vulnerable and who isn't, and asthmatics are not counted as clinically vulnerable at any age, and I know from experience that it would be terrifying for them to catch Covid.

We are supposed to be going to have everyone over 18 saf(er) by the end of July. Why not wait until then?

Am I honestly the only one who thinks that after all their sacrifices for the older generations expecting them to take more risks is beyond inconsiderate? Maybe they won't all die, (although some will, statistically, if the surge continues), but others will suffer from Long Covid, which may affect the rest of their lives.

No, you're not.

Callistemon

^It wasn't my intention to offend so I'll sign off now.^

You didn't offend me but brought up some points which were worthy of discussion, donna.

Of course and we're all entitled to have different opinions.

It wasn't my intention to offend so I'll sign off now.

You didn't offend me but brought up some points which were worthy of discussion, donna.

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Doodledog reports from India say that people that had been vaccinated did not fall seriously ill
Our vunerable have had at least one vaccine if not two
Some may be able to afford to hunker down many businesses cannot
I honestly think many especially the young are not prepared to put life on hold any longer