COVID-19 etiquette and good manners after 19 July 2021

Personally, I hope that stores will still require masks, even if it’s not a government mandate. Similar to “no shirts, no shoes, no service”.

Just reading social media posts I’m glad I’m not in government.
There’s no large % agreement anywhere about masks/no masks, easing lockdown, ending WFH, children in school, bubbles isolating etc, etc, and each poster on SM thinks they know best.
I’ve continued to work all through the pandemic, observing social distancing, wearing a mask and sanitising but quite possibly I’ve avoided the virus by luck rather than any of those things.
Chewbacca 13.36, you’re right.
I’ve now resumed non-essential shopping, eating out and going on holiday to support the economy, but I’m still wearing a mask when shopping or in more crowded areas and I guess I will for a long time.

My DiL, who lives in London is anxious that the easing of restrictions will give voice to the more aggressive anti maskers on public transport, the ones who call us mask wearers 'sheep'.

Under 18s make up about 33% of the current cases, not the biggest number.

The Pfizer vaccine in Israel is still measured to be between 92% and 93% effective at preventing serious illness or hospitalisation. If its 64% effective at reducing symptomatic Covid, that's only slightly less than the effectiveness of AZ.

There are always going to be people who cannot be vaccinated or for whom the vaccine won't work.

I googled Lambda and its like groundhog day..."may be more transmissible....may evade vaccines more than the other variants."

There will always be an excuse not to move on from where we are now.

With so many of us opting to stay at home and not go out unless it's for essentials, how will theatres, cinemas, museums, art galleries, shopping centres and restaurants recover?

Go JoeSoap - that’s the spirit!

I think those with health issues and serious anxieties will have to exercise their own common sense. Just because something is allowed doesn’t mean it is compulsory does it?
So for those who want to - stick with masks, avoid crowded spaces, continue internet shopping instead of going to shops and enjoy the increased availability of online entertainment and services!

Lindy56

There will never be a right time to remove restrictions the general public need to build up immunity. I will still wear mine on public transport and in busy shops.

How can the public build up immunity without being vaccinated or infected?

Why not wait until the group who now make up the biggest number of cases (ie under 18s) are immunised?

How do you factor in the cost of Long Covid for those who acquire immunity via infection?

What happens to those who can't be vaccinated or for whom the vaccine doesn't work?

Israel is reporting that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination only has about 64% against the delta variant? And what about the Lamda variant, which has now entered the UK and caused havoc in South America?

Im watching the news at the moment. The infection rate is rising and the government are insisting on the lockdown easing. I appreciate that the economy must get going again and that we must learn to live with the virus, but not everyone is fit, strong and healthy. Some of us are immuno compromised and many are receiving cancer treatment or such like and are vulnerable. I think the Government should have a responsibility to those of us who are vulnerable and at least respect that much as we would like to start going out we need to feel safe. It does not hurt to wear a mask in public indoor spaces and on public transport at least until the science approves and the infection rate is under control. I am expecting some to disagree with me, but I will be wearing my mask when I have to go out and may return to full time on line shopping for food.

There will never be a right time to remove restrictions the general public need to build up immunity. I will still wear mine on public transport and in busy shops.

I am going to give myself a little star, the country where we live have had no lock down, but restrictions which havent affected us too much. I have been lucky to have a hip replacement and a double cataract operation this year, and I am soon to achieve my goal, to visit the UK, in a few weeks time, later on this year I will be 80 and still going strong, have got a will of steel, maybe obstinate some might say!

I will wear a mask on public transport, and in crowded areas indoors,I will try to socially distance in the future too, we must be cautious, and not let our guard down. Covid will be lurking for some time to come!

ElderlyPerson

Callistemon wrote:

> We were rather surprised to be identified as "the elderly neighbours" ...

Indeed. One starts off as a child and there are "grown ups" about.

Then one becomes a "grown up".

Then day by day one changes and suddenly

"Stand out of the way so that that elderly gentleman can pass by ..."

Look around, where is he?

Oh, it's me!

I was out in the garden chatting over the fence to the little boy next door. His mum asked him who he was talking to.

"Just the old lady next door" came the reply.

I'm 59. ?

It is everyone’s personal choice
I only wear mine now because it the rules but I don’t believe they are achieving any thing

HurdyGurdy There is plenty of evidence to show that the probability of transfer by is so low it is as good as nil.

Tests where large quantities of virus were smeared on packets showed how the virus could survive, several days, on some surfaces, but laboratory smears contained far more virus than was ever likely to be transferred by a hand, plus you need the concentration of virus contained from inhaling droplets to be present and then inhaled and this is highly improbable to happen from any virus on a package.

You do not get COVID from one viral unit, nor, I suspect 10 or 100, but you need to inhale 1,000s of viral units for your immune system to be overwhelmed. Also viral particles age and die and the presence of particles does not mean that they are capable of giving you a disease, after a few hours senescence sets in and the viral particles effectively become the living dead, not the deadly living.

Like many things transfers are theoretically possible, but practically very unlikely.

Like you I never saw any need to do sto quarantine shopping or deliveries. I did during the early months of lockdown have a big box by the doors for deliveries. I was more concerned about delivery drivers, breathing the virus over me than getting it from the parcel they handed me.

Just ordered 2 new masks from Brilliant Masks- might as well be safe and stylish. Definitely follow Prof Chris Whitty's rule of 3

Calendargirl

Just as a matter of interest, how many GN’ers are still quarantining their post and shopping, disinfecting it and not putting it away for three days?

I have never done this, and wonder if others are.

I've never done it.

Personal choice, but I felt that it was overkill. I don't suppose there will ever be statistics available to show the effectiveness of it.

I asked on my Facebook page if people would continue to wear a mask in shops etc and all said yes. The health secretary, when asked if he would still wear a mask, said he would always have one in pocket for when needed. I will continue with wearing a mask and keeping my distance and of course washing hands.

I've used public transport throughout all three 'Lockdowns' - going to very necessary Weekly Medical Appointments, which I also used as an opportunity to go Food Shopping and for some exercise ..................... and I started to wear a mask/face covering from Week 1 - albeit home-made ones at first, until I could access some on the internet.

I make sure that I scan my NHS App to 'Log In' when entering cafes etc, and I wear my mask until I'm seated at a table

I've now been 'double-jabbed', but I still wear my face mask in Supermarkets / on Public Transport / in Waiting Rooms (GP's, Hospitals, Clinics) etc.

When walking around outdoors in Town Centres, I remove my mask AS LONG AS THERE ARE NO CROWDS AROUND ME OR IN THE VICINITY. As soon as I come to an area where there are increasing numbers of people who are closer than 6ft to me, I put my mask back on again.

I now HUG my immediate family - but not friends who I would normally have hugged prior to Lockdown.

No matter what the instructions are I WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL THESE THINGS, until I personally feel 100% reassured that Covid-19 is no longer a threat to the population of this country.

I'm appalled that we have been allowing people to fly in and out of UK since March 2020.
I'm appalled that there were no proper controls enforced regarding isolation when people entered our country.
I'm appalled that Football Matches / Race Meetings / Wimbledon etc have been allowed to continue.

I take all these things as a sign that Boris Johnson is more concerned about appeasing 'Popular Opinion (Votes Winning), Betting Businesses (Tax Reasons? Profits?) than he is about the general Wellbeing of the population of this country!

Callistemon wrote:

> We were rather surprised to be identified as "the elderly neighbours" ...

Indeed. One starts off as a child and there are "grown ups" about.

Then one becomes a "grown up".

Then day by day one changes and suddenly

"Stand out of the way so that that elderly gentleman can pass by ..."

Look around, where is he?

Oh, it's me!

This thread is number three on the Gransnet daily Top threads list today.

I'll continue with my mask in shops,etc although the thought of not having steamy glasses would be brilliant.

JaneJudge

The good neighbours scheme is a good initiative, though I suspect your daughter would not have been identified as she is young. I hope she's ok Monica.

We were rather surprised to be identified as "the elderly neighbours" at the start of the pandemic when several, admittedly younger, neighbours offered their help at any time and we shared contact details. They do check on us from time to time too and have been very good. We in turn can offer them help in different ways.

Do you have neighbours who keep an eye out for you, ElderlyPerson? I hope so and hope you do have some social contact which I am sure will be safe if you each wear a mask and stay a safe distance.

It's a worrying effect of this pandemic that people, many elderly, have shut themselves away because they are so scared, and, as M0nica says, if anything untoward should happen, no-one might know or be able to summon help.

I agree with that. Marydoll is absolutely an inspiration, actually in many ways, but the physical problems she has dealt with, the shielding, all dealt with so well, and she never has a bad or cross word to anyone on here.

Hear, hear Meryl

Marydoll is such an inspiration to many of us. She has such incredible spirit.

MaryDoll
I think your indomitable spirit will keep you going for many many many more years to come ?
I very much hope so. You amaze me with what you have to deal with.