Is now the right time to lift Covid restrictions?

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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

So Songstress I take it you are happy for medical staff to have the inconvenience of mask wearing, and how about your dentist how would you feel if he didn’t wear a mask.

Speldnan

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.

Cases are not going back up

Aren’t they?

Exactly… his the most cunning irresponsible person we could
Possibly have running our because of him joke of a country
His now set to kill another hundred thousand frail and older folk ..
still look at the amount in pensions his saving bless him
Evil evil man …

Germanshepherdsmum

Aren’t they?

Well not according to the UK coronavirus database and the ONS

I shall keep wearing my mask?

rosie1959

Speldnan

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.

Cases are not going back up

Yes, they are.

Talk about mixed messages! Still encouraging people to get vaccinated while saying you needn’t bother with masks etc any more. “The Science” seems to have completely disappeared while Johnson implies that yet again the UK is world-beating. In idiocy, maybe.

growstuff

rosie1959

Speldnan

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.

Cases are not going back up

Yes, they are.

At the risk of this turning into a pantomime, oh no they're not.

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases

It’s just to deflect attention away from Mr Pastry. Thatcher did the same . She caused mass hardship, lied and plotted to ruin the NHS . Come election time ... 2p off income text and she was PM . again.

at the risk of this turning into a pantomine ....
Go right ahead Alegrias1 but I think the government has beaten you to it

effalump France have said they’ll start easing restrictions on Feb 2nd.

I worry that lifting restrictions will be interpreted by many, as no mitigations are needed. So workers who can work from home - are now advised to return to their offices which will increase the crowding on commuter buses and trains- but at the same time lifting the mask mandate- so everyone will be nose to armpit- most without any mitigations (sigh!).

Transport for London are still urging mask wearing on tubes and buses, which are becoming just as crowded as ever. There will still be the selfish who won’t bother though..

Alegrias1

growstuff

rosie1959

Speldnan

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.

Cases are not going back up

Yes, they are.

At the risk of this turning into a pantomime, oh no they're not.

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases

Errrmmm ... look at the data for the last couple of days.

It's true that reported cases have decreased from the spike, but they've been going up again. It's also true that many people have had difficulty accessing tests.

I can't believe we still have to explain that daily figures fluctuate and that you have to look at weekly trends.

And that testing capacity exceeds demand.

Oh, and I forgot...reporting date isn't the same as test date.

Not only that, but reinfections aren't being included yet, although it was announced some time ago that they would. NHS Scotland is about to include the results from LFTs, which it hasn't done until now, so that data is synchronous with England.