Is now the right time to lift Covid restrictions?

Alegrias1

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

I know that.

Alegrias1

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.

I know that too.

Yet you still choose to misrepresent the results?

Why is that?

Scotland has been including LFTs for over a week.

DeeDe

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 …

Oh dear. Ridiculous rant. Covid killed all those people. Look at Germany very strict draconian laws, Covid numbers rising. Mask wearing compulsory everywhere, can’t go into restaurants etc without covid pass, and yet family members down with it. You can’t stop it.

Alegrias1

Yet you still choose to misrepresent the results?

Why is that?

I don't. It seems an obsession of yours to play them down.

There is no earthly reason to say that cases are rising when they're not. And they're not. People may have an idea that they are but the powers that be are keeping it secret. That would be paranoia.

The cases may rise when everyone in England goes back to work. They may rise when mask wearing goes.

But right now, no matter what you say, cases aren't rising. And I'm not obsessed with minimising the results. I'm obsessed with telling the truth about them and not propagating misinformation.

Yesterday (20 January) NHS Scotland reported 4,743 official cases, but did not include 8,262 cases from its "experimental" dashboard, which includes LFT cases.

Alegrias1

There is no earthly reason to say that cases are rising when they're not. And they're not. People may have an idea that they are but the powers that be are keeping it secret. That would be paranoia.

The cases may rise when everyone in England goes back to work. They may rise when mask wearing goes.

But right now, no matter what you say, cases aren't rising. And I'm not obsessed with minimising the results. I'm obsessed with telling the truth about them and not propagating misinformation.

But they have risen over the last couple of days. It could be a temporary blip, but it's ridiculous to deny the facts.

Where were you last week when the reported numbers was falling off a cliff? Were you here saying that numbers were going down? I mean I've been away so maybe I missed that.

It's not reasonable to come along when there are local maximums to tell us that cases are rising but not to come along wher there are local minimums to tell us they're falling.

Your post is 8.44 is interesting growstuff. I have always believed that there are far more cases than are reported, even if that’s only down to people not reporting a positive lft result. And with the dropping of that element of reporting how exactly are we supposed to have any idea of whether new cases are going down or rocketing?

maddyone

Very few people bother to use the sanitising stations anymore. I do continue to use them, but never see anyone else sanitising their hands/trolley. I just hope the shops don’t remove them because of yesterday’s announcements.

Yes, I've noticed this. Our local Morrisons no longer has the sanitisers near the trolley park at the front of the store but by one of the trolley parks further away in the car park. There is no sanitiser in the store either, except a bottle at the entrance to the pharmacy

Germanshepherdsmum

Your post is 8.44 is interesting growstuff. I have always believed that there are far more cases than are reported, even if that’s only down to people not reporting a positive lft result. And with the dropping of that element of reporting how exactly are we supposed to have any idea of whether new cases are going down or rocketing?

Yes I agree, I actually know people locally who have had positive LFT's and not reported them. They say there is no point, though most of them have isolated. There must be many people who have no symptoms and simply will not test because they are in hourly paid jobs and would not be paid if they do not work.
Figures all through the pandemic have been inaccurate. So few people were tested in the early stages - in fact people such as taxi drivers who asked for tests were refused unless they had obvious symptoms. Then we had a time when people were using the new, free LTS's and reporting results. Now many fully vaccinated people presumably little or nothing in the way of symptoms and we have no idea what proportion of the population is actually infected.
However I'm sure I'm not alone in knowing far more people now who have Covid than at any other stage of the pandemic, particularly in schools.

we have no idea what proportion of the population is actually infected.

Yes we do.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/19january2022

I'm sorry if people find me pedantic, but all the inaccurate comments need responding to. The last thing we need is Private Frasers wondering around telling us we're all doomed.

As long as people don’t think that this is the end of the pandemic then it is the right thing to do. Many people are struggling with restrictions and being told what they can and cannot do. The responsibility for wearing masks, social distancing and staying safe rests with the individual. We have had two years of being told how to do this and must continue. I do worry that we will have another spike, we will continue to wear masks etc. for months yet.

It's high time they were lifted. We have the vaccine so let's get back to normal. Can't live with restrictions all the time. What about the economy and people's mental health!!! Those who feel unsafe? Well YOU stay indoors and walk about in fear, and let the rest of us get back to normal.

Some sensible advise from my council today.

Brighton & Hove City Council
@BrightonHoveCC
Heading out today?

Wear a face covering
Test before you meet others
Reduce your close contacts
Meet outside or open a window
Wash your hands regularly

Help keep the community safe

Surely the most important thing to watch is the hospitalisation rates and death rates they show a clearer picture
We obviously still have infection that is being reported I reported my lateral flow test as required but does it really matter how many there are like me who are positive but with no symptoms. I am obviously still isolating
Surely the important thing is how many people become serious affected not those that have mild cold symptoms or nothing at all Wasn’t that why we were vaccinated

Definitely NOT and this is my common sense speaking.

When would be the right time, according to your common sense?

Alegrias1

When would be the right time, according to your common sense?

As far as I’m concerned when the transmission rate is back to less than R1.

As above- and with the end of winter.

see Sajid Javid is going to keep his mask on when shopping, "because prevalence is still high "and that Nadhim Zahawi has said that all schools should ensure pupils remove masks and that his department will contact schools that refuse to do so.
Mixed messaging ?

Glad to hear that WWM2. My daughter lives there and I think she and others are being too relaxed.

westendgirl

see Sajid Javid is going to keep his mask on when shopping, "because prevalence is still high "and that Nadhim Zahawi has said that all schools should ensure pupils remove masks and that his department will contact schools that refuse to do so.
Mixed messaging ?

It's being reported that many schools are still encouraging pupils and staff to wear masks. I wonder what the effect of a "report from Zahawi's department" will be.