Is now the right time to lift Covid restrictions?

I think people will just carry on doing what they like, or think is best for them.
When it was, “you must wear a mask”, people came out in droves explaining why they couldn’t wear a mask.
Now it’s possibly going to be no masks, people are complaining that it’s too soon and mask wearing should continue.
I’ll continue to wear a mask at work, on public transport or in crowded places. Some will, some won’t.
In the supermarket this morning, a lanyard sporting couple were loudly making it known how ridiculous they thought the lifting of mask wearing was and how stupid they thought the government was to lift that restriction.
???

grandtanteJE65

Callistemon21

Well, a hospital consultant specialising in lung disease thought today that Covid is on the wane.

I doubt very much that she would be a Johnson or even Tory supporter.

Could you clarify? Surely a hospital consultant is just as likely to vote Conservative as anyone else?

I didn't say I know how she would vote.

But, as she is a member of the NHS staff from the EU I am making a calculated guess that Johnson would not be her favourite politician.

Surely a hospital consultant is just as likely to vote Conservative as anyone else?

I doubt that

Of course it’s part of Boris’ plan to curry favour with his back benches and deflect a no confidence vote. I’ll carry on with measures I feel will help keep me safe

No after the announcement that was on the news at lunchtime from the NHS. Just another ruse to make us think they are thinking about us the electorate.

Germanshepherdsmum

I’m disappointed by the ‘if you’re vulnerable it’s up to you to protect yourself, I want to get on with my life’ attitude shown by some posters. I have always believed in protecting one another. That’s gone out the window obviously.

We are now a very individualistic society. It's every-man-for-himself, and the devil take the hindmost.

There's nothing we can do about it - you can't make people who don't care, care. No-one is asking anyone to wear a mask 24 hours a day, but asking them to wear one in over-crowded spaces is, obviously, too much. They won't. Those who are vulnerable - and they aren't all elderly by any means - will just have to tailor their lives to protect themselves as much as possible.

It's dis-heartening, but not surprising. It's where we're at as a 'society'. Margaret Thatcher was right, there is no such thing as society - we are all individuals now.

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.

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.

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

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 agree x

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.

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.

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.

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.

We need to move on and get life back

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.

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?

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

YES