Covid-19 cases are rising again in much of the world

If we cry about it for a week it won't change a thing, so somehow we have to deal with it and its aftermath. It's a case of accepting the situation and finding the tiniest of uplifting reasons to be cheerful.
But even that is starting to wane as time goes by. I used to laugh at all the funny jokes and videos people produced, I haven't the same enthusiasm now. I even hear myself saying something and think afterwards it was too flippant. It's hard.
Every country has to do what is right for them. And we have to trust that every country is also conforming to the common desire to get the world out of this mess. It can't be long now, hang in there.

NellG
Creating an immune response by vaccination is the only way to go. In that case, even if a new variant does occur our bodies are ahead of the game. Covid isn't going anywhere, we are just finding ways of making it less lethal.

You are right except we already see a variant that they believe this current vaccine may not be able to deal with. It is in small numbers and, no doubt, scientists are, at this very moment, working on a new vaccine or booster. However, the only way to stay safe for the time being will be to limit travel in and out of the country as far as we possibly can. We will not be the only country in this position, but all countries will have different issues because of it.

I think the vaccinations will do what they are set out to do and give us more freedom in the UK. However, if you look at Australia, with their low numbers of deaths and cases (so far - I don't want to tempt fate) their difficultly will be opening up to the rest of the world - it may be ours too.

I have to admit I never thought it would be "over by Christmas". Those words struck me with fear as they were dishonest and either the politicians knew they were being dishonest or they didn't know and that may be worse. However, I do think we will move to some sort of normal but one with differences because of CV.

One piece of good news is that Test and Trace are being moved out to the council areas. (Today R4). Instead of the central body taking the first, I think it was, 24 hours and then sending it out to the councils the names and addresses are going straight to the councils. This is enabling them to get to people quicker, go door to door where necessary and ensures people have the help they need to isolate. They are already pushing the numbers up apparently. This will help us but help us at home yet again, as the vaccine does. We will still have to come to terms with how we work with the rest of the world.

I don't mean curtailed forever, I just mean for the time being until the scientists know more about what is going on. I take your point re immune response though Nell - that is also important.

I do realise people work in the travel industry and I have a lot of sympathy for them but surely foreign travel, except for emergency family reasons or for work, should be curtailed altogether. I understand people need a holiday and a break, I imagine we all do but it has never been a necessity and many people manage without under normal circumstances.

The borders can't be closed forever, or at all 100%, we are not a self sufficient country, so sooner or later new variants will either occur here or come here, it's what viruses do, they mutate and they don't care about borders.

Creating an immune response by vaccination is the only way to go. In that case, even if a new variant does occur our bodies are ahead of the game. Covid isn't going anywhere, we are just finding ways of making it less lethal.

The lockdown needs to follow the path set out and it needs to happen, if it doesn't people will lift it themselves by default and all bets will be off. It's a fine line of working with what needs to happens vs what will happen if it does/doesn't.

I think sometimes it's good to stand back and stop seeing Europe/other countries as some kind of threat, either as a gateway for disease, or in the political shenanigans that abound. The virus is the threat, fight the virus.

So much has been put on hold, maddyone

Alegrias and Caklistemon humour definitely helps, despite it sometimes being difficult to raise a smile.

Alegrias
I’m lucky in that we’re in a support bubble with my elderly mother. My husband’s very elderly parents (93 and 94) live 250 miles away but are supported by family and carers where they live.
We’re also in a childcare bubble with our daughter and her three children, so we see them regularly. However they’re going to work in New Zealand for a year. They’ve had enough of the stress in the NHS and have got temporary jobs over there. They also want to give their children some normality for a year as they feel, like I do, that children have lost out enormously. If Jacinda opens the borders we’d like to visit them in January next, but if our borders were closed, that’d knock that on the head. I’m pleased you think that won’t happen. Then we have two sons and another grandchild who we haven’t seen properly since Lord knows when, just over the garden wall visits. I know everyone’s in the same boat, but at times, it feels like the boat’s sinking.

But we might get hit by an asteroid tomorrow
And, if it doesn't wipe us all out, it could bring more viruses from outer space.

(It's being so cheerful that keeps me going)

I can understand that maddyone. I'm desperate to see my parents, who live 100 miles away. I've only seen them twice in a year, both times outdoors. Once in a garden centre car park .

Things are going well. We might get a slow down in the undoing of lockdown but I could live with that if it means we are never going back.

Yes, we might get new variants, or local flare-ups. But we'll have to deal with that as it comes and I really don't believe things will be this bad again.

But we might get hit by an asteroid tomorrow

We were told that vaccination was our way out of this, but I saw the Chris Whitty report, and it made me feel very down. It feels like there’s never going to be an end to life like this.

Oh I do hope you’re right Alegrias. I feel completely depressed about this situation going on and on. I don’t want to live my life like this indefinitely. I’ve had enough now.

That's how I read it PippaZ but I appreciate now that that's not what you intended - that's why I questioned it.

We won't be able to close the country to the outside world, we're not NZ. Vaccines, Test and Protect and possibly local restrictions, are what are going to save us.

Your OP is suggesting that with cases rising in the rest of the world we're going to be in the same situation as say, Germany, are right now.

I don't think it did; it was certainly not my intention so apologies if that is how it came over.

My concern, and that of many of the scientists it seems, is the lack of vaccination and timely lockdown elsewhere. Will Johnson's seeming inability to say no to his right-wing and his personal libertarian leanings, allow him to close the country to the outside world?

PippaZ I'm not challenging the need to question Johnson's ability to do the right thing but right now things are very febrile and we have another thread with discussions about whether we are going to have another wave, with lots of people clearly worried about it. Your OP is suggesting that with cases rising in the rest of the world we're going to be in the same situation as say, Germany, are right now. But we have a successful vaccine program going on. We might get new variants, yes, but a lot of the reporting on that subject has become hysterical. The vaccines might not work as well on the new variants but they won't become completely useless.

Deaths are dropping through the floor, cases aren't. Which is what you would expect if the vaccines prevent serious illness and death. We might have another wave of cases but if the vaccination program keeps going, the population won't be nearly so badly affected.

Read in the news this morning that 60 MPs from all parties are wanting to change the law to allow protests to take place. I can’t believe this when the country is still in a precarious situation and many people are still waiting to be vaccinated.

All the more reason for as many people as possible to have the vaccine and stop producing non-medical excuses for turning it down.

I well remember this time last year thinking we’d be more or less back to normal by Christmas. I’m now hoping for that, but by no means confident of it.

I agree this does need thinking about. We had thought that the vaccination program would get us out of this in the near future. Alarm bells are now sounding that this might not be the case. Chris Whitty said 2 weeks ago that they were expecting another surge at the end of summer or early autumn. There are also suggestions that foreign travel could import the variants. Felt quite down after reading the news reports yesterday. I think that Johnson has learned from his mistakes but we are not out of the woods.

For those who don't even think it is worth asking the question re Johnson's capability to say "no", I suggest you listen to R4 Today at about 8:10 a.m.

Ro60 has hit it on the head. The new variants coming into the UK could be our problem and it may be that holidays in other countries or allowing others to come here for any reason cannot happen. This could, of course, add to our Brexit woes by limiting the people we need to run our economy and our transactions with other countries.

We may not get back to whatever people thought was "normal" this year or Johnson could bow to his right-wing and open up anyway ruining the vaccination programme by bringing in mutant viruses which can override our current vaccines.

PippaZ :
I wonder too will BJ be brave enough to close our borders to prevent new variants entering the UK, and would it even be logistically possible.

I think those in power are concerned. I’ve seen a number of reports where the experts are suggesting caution.

This is worrying me as many European countries are in their 3rd wave and locking down again. Given that previously we have kind of ignored the advance then suffered because we ignored it, it seems premature to be suggesting that in June we will be back to normal! Both DH and myself have had the vaccine as has DD2 (NHS). DD1 and DD2 have lateral flow tests twice a week. Regardless of these I think we should be taking this way more seriously. We are not half way to vaccinating every adult so that leaves a lot of people still unprotected. I don't understand why our leaders are not more concerned.

Everything is ready to give vaccinations. However, over 70s as well as those under who want a vaccine can’t because there are none available. This is the main problem for most Europeans.

What do longer days have to do with anything?