Covid 19 - Lift all restrictions?

Regarding Test and Trace, I do know of a couple who returned to the UK from an Amber List Country last week, they have been contacted daily by phone and been visited.

The virus is scary.....but there is a difference between that and scaremongering.

When precautions are taken to protect us, then those setting the precautions need to explain why - that is not scaremongering; it is conveying the facts on which the decisions are based.

My view is that proper precautions should have been taken from day on to prevent us getting into the situation we now have.

We do indeed need to learn to live with this virus - and part of living with it might involve lockdowns when and where appropriate.

It has definitely started and is spreading in schools here. Two lots of my neighbours have the Indian variant now, both work in a school and both have school age children. I know they are shutting two schools here tomorrow but in all honesty, I wondered why they aren't just closing all schools here as it will just pin onto the Whitsun break

Variant surge ignored for two weeks

Apparently the government have leaned on PHE to remove data that related to school infection, according to an article in the Guardian today. This coupled with the need to wear masks in schools removed is concerning. Maybe it's fitting in with the gaining of herd immunity?

Jane judge the article about the Bedford cases is alarming. It's also frustrating as when things like this come to light it gives us even less faith in any advice or assurances the Government give,not that I have any faith any way since last summer.
It's a mess,a massive one. We cant carry on in lock down,both financially and for the sake of peoples mental health.
My opinion is that due to initial poor choices and judgement by the Government last February/March there is little can be done. We will stagger on following a pattern of opening up and locking down for the foreseeable.
Yes that is the nature of the virus. The price we have to pay for living with it could have been very different.
The only certainty is lessons wont be learned.

One of my big concerns regarding variants was that the virus would start affecting younger people. I just hope it doesn’t affect them badly.It’s crazy to stop mask wearing in schools, especially as young people have got used to wearing them now and it will reduce viral load so hopefully they won’t get so ill.

Personally I can’t see any problem with wearing masks, social distancing in public places, or hand sanitising. It can go on for ever if necessary in my opinion. It doesn’t impact on my daily activities and I would rather continue to do these simple things than lose our freedoms again. I want to see my family, to be able to eat in a restaurant, to take my grandson to see Peter Rabbit 2 during half term, and if these simple, non intrusive measures enable to do these things, then fine by me.

It’s a small price to pay. What I don’t understand is that people regard mask wearing as a loss of freedom whereas, to me, it’s a way of gaining our freedom.

Yes Maybee, absolutely. Last night I went out to eat in a restaurant with my husband, son, and daughter in law as I said up thread. We wore masks until seated at our table, we sanitised as we entered , we checked in with the App. We wore masks to go to the loo, resanitisd afterwards, masks as we left. We sat on a reasonably distanced table. We had a lovely, normal evening. I just want this to continue and simple precautions will help. It’s not a problem.

All restictions need lifting.This semi life has gone on for long enough!
We are going to have to live with it for ever.Time to be responsible for your own actions.

maddyone

Yes Maybee, absolutely. Last night I went out to eat in a restaurant with my husband, son, and daughter in law as I said up thread. We wore masks until seated at our table, we sanitised as we entered , we checked in with the App. We wore masks to go to the loo, resanitisd afterwards, masks as we left. We sat on a reasonably distanced table. We had a lovely, normal evening. I just want this to continue and simple precautions will help. It’s not a problem.

I am also looking forward to eating out again
As you say they are simple precautions for the patrons but probably not for the restaurant Many if not all are running at half capacity or less They may just about be breaking even

Strange that the people who want restrictions lifted have had both doses of the vacinne. The saying "I am alright Jack" springs to mind.

Ann29

Strange that the people who want restrictions lifted have had both doses of the vacinne. The saying "I am alright Jack" springs to mind.

Absolutely. Or those that have had the virus mildly and somehow feel that they’re invincible.

Ann29 I just sometimes try to point out the problems the restrictions are having on different business
This is of no self interest to me we have our own company but are at present very busy
The vaccines are working we have low death rates and I can bet if this carrys on all restrictions will be lifted in June

Luckygirl

The virus is scary.....but there is a difference between that and scaremongering.

When precautions are taken to protect us, then those setting the precautions need to explain why - that is not scaremongering; it is conveying the facts on which the decisions are based.

My view is that proper precautions should have been taken from day on to prevent us getting into the situation we now have.

We do indeed need to learn to live with this virus - and part of living with it might involve lockdowns when and where appropriate.

I agree with the idea that we need to take all reasonable precaution. As one of the contributors to one of the many weekly review programmes said this morning not everything that isn't illegal is a sensible thing to do. Running across a busy road is not illegal but we would take precautions when crossing it. We will learn to live with the virus and, just as cars have improved most peoples lives but we have also learned not to be in a place where they can do us harm, so we will with pandemic viruses. It's not rocket science.

How much we can believe from Dominic Cummings is a moot point but it appears he is building up to tell the committee that up to two weeks before we first locked down the PM and government were going for "herd immunity". No wonder we had some of the problems we did from the late lockdown - after Australia which, at that time, had had only two deaths I believe.

I have had both vaccines, but my son and daughter in law who we went out with, have only been vaccinated once. Additionally, my husband and I both had the virus in December/January, and I was hospitalised for twelve days with it. I was treated aggressively with eight different medications and treatments. I am very, very lucky and owe my life to our NHS. So no, those who wish to see life returned to something more akin to normal have not all had a mild dose of the virus. I wish it were so, I certainly don’t want to repeat that experience. However society absolutely needs to get back to some sort of normal, I recognise that, which it appears some people don’t. People’s jobs depend on it. Children’s education and mental health depends on it. Have you any idea how many children have been referred to the mental health services purely due to lockdown? The mental health services are overwhelmed with them, as reported by SkyNews last week. People who need hospital treatment other than for Covid are depending on life getting back to normal and their treatment resuming. We cannot stay locked up forever. We need to learn to live with the virus, as we do with flu.

I don't think anyone is ignoring the downside re jobs maddyone, nor has anyone said we should stay "locked up forever". We are not as "locked up" now as we were previously and we weren't "locked up" then. It's not as if the whole population were locked up in their houses with a red cross on the door. Restrictions have been lifted and we know they have been lifted too soon and too far in some instances so a little caution would not hurt.

Exaggerating others opinions does not mean yours is a reasonable one. What it means is others are unlikely even to read what you want to put forward.

My opinion is just as reasonable as yours Pippa. It’s just different.

A little something I saw on Twitter

maddyone we have eaten out twice this week (once with AC & GC) felt comfortable and safe. Staff were efficient and so pleased to be able to open.

We are going to one of our favourite local restaurants later today for a late Sunday lunch, it’s important to support local businesses if you are able to do so.

But, as has been explained several times each lifting of a restriction means waiting several weeks to find out what effect it has had because covid is such a long drawn out infection timewise and it takes several weeks to see the effect on infection rates, hospitalisation and deaths. If everything seems fine more on to lift another restriction. I think, what frightened me more than anything last year was the realisation that, if I caught covid it would not be until the second week that I would know how badly I had got it. I knew that I’d spend the first week terrified that my condition would deteriorate. If you climb a mountain or go pot holing you don’t jump stages, you do one stage at a time, check you’re safe and secure and then move into the next stage. It doesn’t guarantee 100% safety because what you’re doing is risky to start off with but it’s better than just throwing all caution to the wind and just going for it. We’ve been lucky with the variants so far but there might be one that poses a different danger and we need to be able to act quickly to contain it. We’re doing so well at the moment, let’s not ruin it by complacency because that’s what the virus thrives on.

Maybee70 which is why there is a 5 week gap between each stage of the Government’s road map . If all the conditions are not met by June 14th then the restrictions will not be fully lifted on June 21st.

maddyone

My opinion is just as reasonable as yours Pippa. It’s just different.

That is not what I said maddyone. You were exaggerating others opinion. That makes your point seem illogical and will stop people from taking you seriously. I still don't remember what you were saying only that you distorted others views.

GrannyGravy13

Maybee70 which is why there is a 5 week gap between each stage of the Government’s road map . If all the conditions are not met by June 14th then the restrictions will not be fully lifted on June 21st.

We hope. But there isn't a good track record of making sure they follow the data and the science, is there.

GrannyGravy13

Maybee70 which is why there is a 5 week gap between each stage of the Government’s road map . If all the conditions are not met by June 14th then the restrictions will not be fully lifted on June 21st.

There are so many already following their own ‘road map’ that we’ll never know if it would be 100% successful. I’m just hoping.