Easing the lockdown

Yes.

Well, that's straight to the point, ga

It's all a bit unreal, to me.

My company have followed the rules to the letter, and it was only 2 weeks ago that we got ppe, because up until then the advice for support workers was that gloves, aprons and hand washing was all that was needed.

I feel I'm about 6 weeks out of step with everything.

Buses have only, from Monday, put up signs recommending face masks, and now it's all change again.

Just seems to be moving pretty fast now at least in England. I noticed the same in Europe, they seemed to go from strict lockdown to everything reopens. Hopefully they know what they are doing but it's still up to us to look after ourselves.

The Mediterranean countries have all lifted lockdown because they want tourists to come — money talks!

All that waffle a couple of months ago about how Brits wouldn’t be allowed in because of our reckless government went out the window when they realised they did need us after all!

Is anyone else nervous? There's clearly going to be a second wave and I don't want to be part of it, and I am vulnerable and am also struggling with asthma at the moment.

Much as I long to see my family and friends, I went into lockdown early because it felt right to do that, so this is my 13th week and it has been very hard ..... but I don't want to throw all that sacrifice to the winds and then catch it.

It's my opinion we are easing up too soon and I am scared.

No, I think that it's a very sensible move. With the glorious weather we're having it allows a little more freedom but still within sensible limits.

I can imagine 2 families - having a BBQ in the garden - starting off with social distancing - then having a few drinks, needing the loo (who is going to keep wiping down the bathroom in between loo visitors as recommended?) - forgetting the social distancing - having a good time, but safety rules going out of the window...... cue wider spread of virus in the community.

New rules are from MONDAY we can meet family and friends. This weekend everyone will be gathering . Weather set to be glorious. People aren’t going to wait til MONDAY ?

That was THE DEAD CAT. we were expecting?

Remember this date and wait 3-4 weeks watch as the virus starts to spread.

Cummings will risk anything to get his way,

Looking around our neighbourhood, especially amongst our adult children and their friends, things are moving fast. Trips to the beach with the children, BBQ planned for this weekend.
They are relaxing their own vigilance as schools are returning in a week or so but - none of them are expecting grandparents resume their usual childcare, or to be able to share meals, hug adult or grandchildren.
We will continue to be very careful. The change is that we will meet a couple of friends in our gardens, maintain the distance but feel unreasonably thrilled to be doing something remotely approaching normal.

WWmark2 The West Country has already had a surge of infections dating from the VE Day Bank Holiday celebrations when people came from all over the place to go to the beach.

There will be another surge in about 10 days resulting from the recent Bank Holiday, and then a further surge from this easing of lockdown.

We are all bound to be nervous, I mean us older ones as we are at increased risk just because of age and medical conditions. I'm not a very sociable person so my life won't change much anyway. My DC and DGC are far away so no imminent reunion.

My first thought was this is to try to take focus from the Cummings situation. Our numbers are very different from anywhere else in Europe and the world so Cynic that I might be I think this has been introduced too much too soon. Nearly38,000 already lost their lives, plenty more will follow as we get together, eating, drinking using indoor toilets, and being very merry.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I’ve never been that sure about the value of lockdown, especially when you compare with countries that didn’t do it in the same way...but...because I just don’t know...and I’m not sure anyone does with certainty....I’m prepared to take the government advice. But many havent, and will go back more to normal now, so it may not make that much difference. The government must know that..but are probably reckoning on the majority taking their advice.

Exactly what I thought Gingster. Why not say “From now” then he would have looked more in control. Whose going to wait till Monday?!

And on and on it goes, the complaints, the doom and gloom predictions.
If we were still completely in lockdown that would be wrong in some eyes but now we are slowly carefully coming out, THAT is wrong too or is driven by some ulterior motive.

Why don’t we all just enjoy the chance to see family and friends again, still being cautious of course, without turning into prophets of doom?

Those who are still uneasy can continue to isolate if that feels right for them.

Boris only announced this to divert attention from arrogant Cummings. It’s a bit like Watergate really. The offence wasn’t as bad as all the lies of the cover up.
The scientists didn’t look comfortable at so much easing. Would be so difficult to have a BBQ with a glass and remember to ‘stay alert’. And can anyone go clothes shopping and not touch things before deciding whether to buy?
We’re still booking home deliveries. Terrified of the deaths rising again and don’t want to be one of them.

I know I shall have to brave the big shops and garden centres one day, but am very apprehensive. So far I have only used little local stores where distancing can still be a bit difficult when customers don't obey the rules. I am immunosuppressed, elderly and overweight (not shielding) but I will probably be a goner if I catch the virus. Until we have all had a reliable vaccine the danger will be out there - scary!

Yes I’m nervous, although things have moved quickly in places like Italy, I spoke to my daughter there this week - she says although restrictions have eased they have very strict rules and they have to abide by them or all hell breaks lose and there’s the difference - no real control here, relying on people to use common sense and so many people don’t have any!

No.

I wouldn’t say slowly and carefully Jennifer, from one person to 6 people suddenly having bbq’s and using toilets? I would say it’s a big jump and wonder why the rush? Why now?

There is another discussion to be had on whether the lockdown was ever needed in the first place.

From reddit website www.reddit.com/r/LockdownSkepticism/comments/g25v40/why_the_lockdown_is_tyrannical_unnecessary_should/

'Given the evidence we have on countries which haven't enacted lockdowns, it does not seem that enacting them has any effect on controlling the spread of the virus. Countries like Sweden, South Korea, and Iceland have not enacted lockdowns. Yet somehow, the spread of coronavirus in these countries has not been considerably worse or better than other countries. If anything, these nations are testing more people than anywhere else, which has contained the spread of the virus better than any lockdown ever could.

Additionally, several states have not been enforcing stay-at home orders either, yet you see the exact same thing. It is clear that, in spite of all the authoritarian measures the governments of the world are putting in place, COVID-19 still manages to spread. As such, it seems that the key concepts behind people's justification of the lockdown are simply false'.

It's worth reading the whole thing.

I will be really interested in any unbiased research on the different ways of handling of this virus in the years to come. If it is allowed to be published!