Is now the right time to lift Covid restrictions?

I agree growstuff. It may be an inconvenience for some but it helps keep others safe.

songstress60

We have to move on and accept covid is here to stay, and since we have the vaccine let's be glad restrictions are being lifted. I am glad they are being restricted, and I NEVER want them bringing back again.

Mask wearing isn't a restriction.

songstress60

Glad restrictions are lifted. We have the vaccine so time to get back to normal. Restrictions are bad for the economy and mental health. May they NEVER bring them back.

Death and Long Covid are bad for mental health too.

How come everybody who wants to "lift restrictions" (mask wearing?) is suddenly so concerned about mental health? It couldn't be that they're finding an excuse to avoid something they find inconvenient, could it?

I have not read all of the responses but I do think it is clearly done to take the attention away from the mess that BJ is in. Of course we want the economy to recover and to get back to normal but at what cost. There has been no mention of the vulnerable and the elderly and no mention of the possibility of long covid. And as for scrapping the need to isolate that is totally ridiculous. Not everyone has common sense, there are those that are totally selfish. IMO it is too early to give up the restrictions, the infection rates are still high as are the death rates. I will keep wearing a mask and I hope most of the general public will do so too

Glad restrictions are lifted. We have the vaccine so time to get back to normal. Restrictions are bad for the economy and mental health. May they NEVER bring them back.

We have to move on and accept covid is here to stay, and since we have the vaccine let's be glad restrictions are being lifted. I am glad they are being restricted, and I NEVER want them bringing back again.

YES

It’s a political decision I’m pretty sure. The cases are going back up and if Twitter has anything to do with it 85% of people would rather keep the mask mandate. All pretence at keeping us safe seems to have gone.

It really is a concern for everyone especially the older n more vulnerable. I’m just recovering from Covid felt ill but tested by lateral flow tests n came up negative had a PCR n found I was positive soon after was really ill but glad I had been vaccinated as had I not been thinking would have been in hospital. My thoughts are continue to wear a mask the virus hasn’t gone away I think it’s too soon to lift restrictions we are not through winter yet. Boris is purely placating businesses and the younger people.

Need to get back to normal ! Wear a mask if you want to I hate them !

Boris has done this to keep certain MP's on side imo. It's totally not the right time

winterwhite

I think accusations upthread of a devil take the hindmost attitude are uncalled for. Nothing has been said to justify that.

That was me - I said it - you could have pointed me out.

It was my opening sentence about the kind of society ^I believe we've become - ^in general. In other words I was generalising, not alluding specifically to posters on here, and I apologise for giving the impression that I was. I do think we are now living in an uncaring and individualistic culture as witnessed by many comments on various social media about those who are less fortunate in various situations. So I won't apologise for saying that.

I think accusations upthread of a devil take the hindmost attitude are uncalled for. Nothing has been said to justify that.

Vulnerable people can choose not to go to restaurants and pubs, albeit that their lives are diminished, but they still have to travel on public transport if they need to go beyond walking distance and don’t have a car, and they need to go to the shops - unless they have everything delivered and stay at home 24/7. It’s surely not asking a lot for their fellow travellers and people in shops to be required to wear a mask is it?

My DH has been very vulnerable due to cancer treatment for the whole of the pandemic. Has rarely been out, certainly avoiding even small groups, very few visits from family who have always done LFT since available. Anyone due to enter our house has also tested, even sitting in vehicles in drive before entering. With the removing of restrictions especially face masks and less reliance on LFTs there is no way he will be going anywhere likely to encounter people. He has to attend regularly for blood tests and chemo sessions. Just imagine how threatened people such as he will feel having to mingle with all and sundry not wearing a mask. Yes Boris is opening life up for the masses but basically shutting life down even more for others. Mask wearing at the very least should be continued until numbers are almost extinct not just going down.

We need to move on and get life back

Definitely restrictions should have been kept.

Far too many infections and deaths are happening for us to become lax.

As usual Boris is throwing us under the bus and letting us get on with it.

Nanatoone

I’m happy to have restrictions lifted. To those who say we should stand guard for the ECV I can’t agree. My husband wasn’t protected from germs during chemo, we even had to go into the same room as sick people in the blood test dept every time. It was always down to us to protect him, he did care Australian flu during chemo, and was hospitalised. The hospital took protective measures, to protect others from him! We need to move on, in my immediate family we’ve all had covid now and have been very unwell, including the young and fit, we are all vaccinated (except the small ones, who we think have had it too). Daughter has long covid and reduced lung capacity, 37, teacher and fit as a flea. She’s building up again now thankfully. My year two GD has missed so much school it’s unreal. It’s her future that needs protecting as much as anyone else’s. I don’t mean to seem harsh but life goes on. Time to learn to live with it unless a new and bad variant comes along.

... I'm happy for restrictions to be lifted, too - Even tho' I'm in the CEV demographic. It will be good for people to get on with life again, and especially for children's schooling.

What I don't understand is why it's such a hardship to ask people to wear a mask if they are shopping in a crowded supermarket or on packed transport - just for the duration. Pubs and clubs are a different matter, but most people need to go shopping and use transport - do those who are vulnerable not deserve a little consideration, particularly if they are young adults? As I said earlier, it's not just the elderly who are in the vulnerable group.

MayBee70

I’ve just emailed the health secretary and accused him of doing this to protect the PM and not the people of this country, whose health he is responsible for. I know I’m not in his constituency so don’t qualify for a response but I’ve said that I want a response from him. I’m furious.

Well done Maybee70: ! Brilliant

We too had (6 out of 7 ) granchildren with Covid, in Dorset and Somerset villages, not in vastly populated communities.
They did have symptons and were quite poorly, especially with night sweats etc.
The youngest 2 ( not in contact with their cousins ) at just 2 yrs old and 8 weeks old tested positive but Mummy and Daddy were negative.
Have absolutely no idea where they got it from. The 2 yr old was then ill for the rest of December ending up in hospital for 2 days at the very end, with a urine infection which they thought was pre diabetes at one stage.
There is a study where the thought is that the onset of diabetes can be caused by Covid. She is well now.
The 5 oldest are all in school with no mask wearing at all as they are all primary.
All of the adults have been fine with double jabs and boosters but my husband and I will continue wearing our masks, as will my 3 daughters I believe.

I think it was to stop a Vote of No Confidence happening.
My gut tells me something BIG is going to happen. I don't know what but keep a watch to see if other countries start doing the same over the next few weeks. If they do, it won't be because of Boris' parties.

I agree x

I’m happy to have restrictions lifted. To those who say we should stand guard for the ECV I can’t agree. My husband wasn’t protected from germs during chemo, we even had to go into the same room as sick people in the blood test dept every time. It was always down to us to protect him, he did care Australian flu during chemo, and was hospitalised. The hospital took protective measures, to protect others from him! We need to move on, in my immediate family we’ve all had covid now and have been very unwell, including the young and fit, we are all vaccinated (except the small ones, who we think have had it too). Daughter has long covid and reduced lung capacity, 37, teacher and fit as a flea. She’s building up again now thankfully. My year two GD has missed so much school it’s unreal. It’s her future that needs protecting as much as anyone else’s. I don’t mean to seem harsh but life goes on. Time to learn to live with it unless a new and bad variant comes along.

I think it is wrong and it worries me .
Boris admitted to saying “ let the bodies pile up “ he said it was a joke ?
Many a true word spoken in jest .
6 out of 10 deaths from Covid were from the disabled community.
Then they next high deaths rates were OAPS
Think of the billions he’s saved from their deaths .
No I think he wants to kill more and kill the NHS ,
If you check out hospital beds we have thousands less now then in 1948
This proves they have been killing it off

A neighbours wife goes into a care home one week in four to give him some respite but she can’t go at the moment as it has a covid outbreak. Surely we have to still do everything to stop things like this happening. People say that dropping restrictions will allow life to get back to normal but I don’t know what peoples definition of normal is these days.

In some respects I think many organisations might introduce their own more gradual lifting of restrictions anyway. I was at the vet just now and was told they will be continuing with hand overs in the car park for a while so as not to have people entering the surgery. The vet said they would be consulting with the RCVS for advice, but for the next few weeks there would be no changes.
The same in school this morning, distancing in the corridors was still observed and staggered playtime continued, certainly until half term.
We won't suddenly go from restrictions to nothing over night. Give it a few weeks to take effect because I think organisations will find their own way of easing bit by bit, some quickly, some more slowly. Then the better weather will be in sight anyway.