The decision to end restrictions is dangerous and premature, unethical and illogical.

There are potentially many ways to learn to live with this virus. I don't think we have got it right yet.

This is the point.

AGAA4

Glad I live in Wales. It is not that difficult to wear a mask in shops and on public transport. I don't feel restricted at all but may if everyone was not using masks in crowded places.

This is why I feel more restricted now. It doesn't feel like Freedom Day to me. Not at all.

Freedom Day!

I am sat in my hotel bed room. I shall wear my mask when I enter the public rooms, but I need others to wear their masks to keep me safe.

It doesn’t feel like freedom day to me it feels more like “oh heavens I hope I don’t catch it from selfish, thoughtless people”

When we get home on Tuesday, I shall once again avoid crowded places, which will limit my freedom.

Doesn’t feel like freedom day to me, more like return to semi-lockdown.

Today is loss of freedom day for so many.

Casdon

Most Health workers are feeling a sense of panic, because we are in uncharted territory. There are now more young people in ITUs and general beds than in the first two waves. A&E departments are very busy again, and there is a lot of disrespect and aggression towards staff from the public who are refusing to wear masks. Some hospitals have already been forced to reduce or cease elective activity again. They are also concerned about the increasing number of people with long covid, the demand is huge and there is no additional manpower. Right across the UK doctors and nurses are lobbying the government to rethink.
It’s a very good job the school summer holidays are starting, let’s hope that will help in England as it is doing in Scotland to bring the numbers down, and that more people opt for vaccination.

This is one of Boris Johnson’s deadliest errors. He takes off the brakes just as cases and hospitalisations are rapidly rising with this more infectious variant.

Yes, the vaccinations have changed the landscape (for the time being……until we create a new variant - which is more likely with increased Covid numbers). We are heading for levels of hospitalisations and deaths that will impact on all our lives. Already routine treatments are being cancelled.

Yes, open up society but keep mitigating factors like masks and distancing where possible. And it needs to be mandated as those more likely to carry the virus will be the ones discarding masks and social distancing.

The moment BJ announced an “irreversible” end to the few restrictions remaining, we all saw others not bothering with masks or distancing.

At the gym early this am, people were wearing masks. Even though the must wear a mask signs were down, the social distancing, sanitising ones were still there. In the spin class outdoors, we had about the same mix as usual, but masks haven’t been compulsory outdoors for a while, the bikes are just very well spaced out.
We aren’t going to try choir indoors for a while yet.

varian

Today is loss of freedom day for so many.

Sadly yes. Many in my own family, either for health reasons, and due to extreme anxiety, or a mix of both.

Yes, you have the freedom to go out and get infected with the chances escalating by the day. They have space in ICU at the moment if things go pear shaped. Good luck.

Does anyone know if Johnson really was going to do this great Churchillian speech with Spitfires etc? I only heard about the Spitfire bit today and don’t know if that was just unfounded. If it is true then he really is delusional.

Just heard a young woman on TV saying she had both her vaccinations and was glad to go out dancing at a club. She said that she felt that young people had lost a year of their lives. That may be true but hopefully she will have many more years left. For some people they may have lost one of the few years they have left- please consider them as well.

Well, having arrived home from a week in Somerset today, we headed to our local Lidl to pick up a few things. We wore our masks as usual and were pleased to see that the biggest majority of people in the store were also wearing masks and observed social distancing at the till. People are making their own minds up about how to proceed.

There’s absolutely no reason why mask wearing couldn’t have remained mandatory in public places or that night clubs couldn’t have opened requiring people to have been vaccinated. It makes no sense to me.

The night club people are the same (age) people who go to football matches, attend festivals, sit in pubs and bars etc., so would it make much difference?

I am pleased so many I saw were wearing masks today.

MayBee70

There’s absolutely no reason why mask wearing couldn’t have remained mandatory in public places or that night clubs couldn’t have opened requiring people to have been vaccinated. It makes no sense to me.

Probably because the age group for nightclubs have not had the chance to get two vacinnes
As regards to masks they had to lift the rules at some point but this may not be the problem we think as most are still wearing them

Why did they have to lift the rules? Were people refusing to go shopping because they had to wear masks thereby affecting the economy? Why not wait for a few more months to open nightclubs when more young people have been vaccinated and it will be mandatory for people to be vaccinated if they want to go to one. And also maybe night clubs could work on installing better ventilation. Oh, silly me. It’s because it’s safer to open things up now because we’ll be spending more time outdoors and it will be less safe in winter when people will be indoors more. Then again, aren’t most night clubs indoors?

I suppose because those nightclubs have been shut now with no income for well over a year I am presuming if they don't want to go out of business they need to open The country cannot afford to support these businesses indefinitely and now is most likely a better time than the winter

It would probably be cheaper for the government to pay the night clubs to remain closed than it will be to finance the long term health problems that the young people now going clubbing might face. Why not have large outdoor marquees for young people to go clubbing in if they’re so desperate to do so. Probably less chance of transmission.

No clubs would be prepared to pay the vast cost of a marquee plus somewhere to put it
The people are not being forced to go to nightclubs they are making a choice some are already vaccinated and I suppose as young who are very rarely affected by Covid they are old enough to make their own minds up

Let's hope they don't visit vulnerable relatives and friends, then.

Went for my second vax yesterday. While there was a sign asking you to mask up before entering there were two people who failed to keep masks on in the treatment room. The man at the next station pulled his under his chin to drink and left it off for the duration. One of the staff at my own station pulled down her mask to speak.
I would have thought that since it is obvious people who are going for a vaccine have not had both their jabs they would at least have kept the rules enforced there.

hugshelp That’s daft. And quite annoying for you.

It’s what happens when masks are made “optional”. People become lax, even though it’s obvious they should be wearing a mask.

I wasn't the only older person there either. My jabs were delayed due to health problems, so the other older people might have been the same, which also means they might well be at increased risk. But since freedom day those things don't seem to matter.

Just returned from a wonderful 10 day holiday on the south coast. Covid forgotten! Unfortunately I spent this morning consoling my best friend. Her mother aged 82 has spent the last 17 months isolating from almost everybody. She was a healthy active woman before covid. Not seen her 6 grandchildren apart from an occasional outside visit. Not hugged her daughter (my friend) until this week. She has suffered with back pain for most of the last year. Finally agreed to go for an x ray. She had been too frightened of catching covid. the diagnosis - cancer. Bones, lungs, brain, kidneys, bladder. Unable to walk due to cancerous hip. Being offered palliative care only. What a way to end your life. She never caught 'covid' though! For anyone who is about to say what is my point, I say clearly there is no point in me answering as your brain washing is complete.

LoveOc so sorry to read your post and yes I do get where you are coming from

loveOc what a very sad post, and regrettably I don't think your friend's situation will be unique. I hope palliative care can ease your friend's mother to as good a death as is possible in the circumstances.

My observation, in my local area, so not at all scientific, is that the percentage of mask wearing in shops etc roughly corresponds to those that were religiously wearing them correctly when it was mandatory. I've not seen any under the nose or chinstrap wearers and there were far more "exempt" people than I would have expected. Given incorrect wearing of a mask did nothing to diminish potential spread of the disease, I'm quietly hopeful that the release will not be the disaster many are dreading.