To expect social distancing ......

All the time !
In Sainsburys last week someone moved my trolley aside to get to the cabinet he wanted, all within 12 inches of me.
He then proceeded to pull his mask down to blow his nose. Then calmly carried on shopping.
Makes me very nervous indeed.

I just keep well away from supermarkets or anywhere crowded and get everything delivered. Either people forget, or they are just unconcerned about distancing.

There is absolutely no point in being careful if I expose myself to their thoughtless, risky behaviour.

You should have been in our doctors surgery last week. Nobody paid any attention to the distancing arrangements.

The Receptionists just stayed behind their screens. I think they've given up.

(The offenders? Mostly old people with no awareness of others ?)

I wonder if they think, because they're wearing a mask, that they are somehow immune and don't need to be distanced? I go early to my local supermarket and most people try to distance. Everyone wears a mask.

I'm fairly sure our doctors' surgery is still doing phone & video appointments, where possible, and getting people to wait outside in the car park until they are ushered in individually.

Yes, go shopping very early or very late in the day. It's much quieter then.

Everyone seems to be getting complacent, twice last week in small local shop I pointedly said ‘at least one metre please’.

Grandma batty I think originally they delayed the wearing of masks as experts were telling us that they made no difference. Their fear was by wearing them would give a sense of security and therefore cause lax of distancing. Plus people continue to pull them about touching their faces even more. Many I’ve heard don’t wash the reusable ones each time they use them My neighbour has one disposable that she has worn since the start! In my opinion they don’t work and have caused more problems than they are worth but I suppose the economy has had a slight boom with all these designer masks being sold. The public pushed and pushed the government to make people wear them because some EU countries were wearing them and they don’t seem to be doing so well. Sensible distancing and good hygiene and definitely no face touching is the way. Also experts say you can catch it through your eyes too! What next?

Pre-booked appointments only at our surgery---no waiting, apart from outside. It's pretty strict, which is fine by me.

I wonder about the use of masks by secondary pupils in school corridors and on school transport.
They will have to repeatedly put them on and off, during the day, handling them and stuffing them into their bag or pocket.

Ah that's interesting about other people's surgeries.

I got a telephone appointment and then had to go to the surgery to pick up a prescription. I asked about delivery or fax to a pharmacy but no, I had to go in.

It wasnt full like it usually is but people went in as they arrived and were sat around waiting to see a doctor. And ambling over to each other for a chat. ?

(Pulling mask down because they couldnt hear)

My fault for living in a retirement town ?

FarNorth

I wonder about the use of masks by secondary pupils in school corridors and on school transport.
They will have to repeatedly put them on and off, during the day, handling them and stuffing them into their bag or pocket.

Don't get me started on schools! Why the same rules applicable to the general public aren't being enforced in schools (at least secondary schools) is beyond me.

I think the idea is that masks will, at least, cut down on airborne transmission, even if they have been infected. As long as the wearer doesn't touch anything which somebody else will touch, the risk is minimised.

In schools, pupils keep within defined bubbles and aren't sharing books and equipment. The danger will come if they start hugging each other or having lengthy conversations.

It's known that the main means of transmission is by water droplets in the air. The viral load on hard surfaces, such as masks, is much less.

I was told by the gatekeeper (aka the receptionist) at my local surgery that the doctors aren't doing any face-to-face consultations. I did manage to get blood tests after kicking up a fuss.

The results came back and there's a note that I need to discuss something with a doctor. I've also received a letter telling me to make an appointment. However, I've been trying for six weeks (!) to get a phone appointment, as I also have something acute which needs treating and I was already being treated for suspected carpal tunnel syndrome before lockdown.

There are no pre-bookable appointments (even phone ones) and I just get told to ring at 8am. I have rung numerous times at 8, but I get put in a queue and cut off after about twenty minutes. On the couple of occasions I managed to get through, I was told that all appointments were booked and to try again next day. The gatekeeper just tells me that it's her "job" and she can't do anything about it.

I ran out of inclusive minutes on my landline last month and most of those minutes have been hanging on the phone to the GP.

My GP certainly does seem to be enforcing social distancing!

A young woman who lives across the road from me told me yesterday (and we were socially distanced and briefly chatting in the street) that the small local store where she works part time will not allow staff to request customers to wear a mask, and that many people go into the shop without a mask. On the other hand, she works in the shop and has been told that she must wear a mask at all times whilst working there.

I think if it worries you then don’t use the shops It’s really not worth the worry to yourselves Everyone must do as much or as little as they feel comfortable with but you can’t expect everyone to have the same level of fear Some will come out of the cocoon sooner than others some will want to stay in it

I m in a low virus area and truly I ve felt back to normal for some time, I ve been back at work since the first week of a July, I see my family, my close friends give me a hug when we meet for coffee or a meal I go where I want, I obey orders put my mask on in the bus and shops but take it off as soon as I get out in the fresh air I m thrilled the kids are back at school and that’s where they should stay I think many older people are not understanding the mental health weight on some young people They are not meant to be in their bedrooms trying to learn on screens they should be in social situations

If older people are still nervous they must be the ones staying in not the youngster people It isn’t going away we have to learn how to live with it just like we do with seasonal flu which kills millions every year

Can you book an appointment online growstuff?
I’m thinking perhaps you can’t or else you would have done so already.

I’m surprised you hug your friends BlueBelle. I don’t hug friends, actually I’ve barely seen any friends since lockdown, but on the rare occasions I have seen a friend, we have remained socially distanced. No hugging, nor indeed do our family hug or kiss as we used to pre Covid. The young grandchildren are a slightly different matter. We have cared for the six year old twins in the school holidays (no key worker childcare any longer) and we have been close to them, it’s impossible to remain distanced from such young children, but we allow no kissing or facial contact. And we use copious amounts of hand sanitiser. We have barely seen our eight year old grandson but again we remained distanced from him and the two year old was going to nursery so far less contact. But hug friends , well actually NO.

maddyone

Can you book an appointment online growstuff?
I’m thinking perhaps you can’t or else you would have done so already.

No, I can't. I used to, but the service isn't available.

Bluebell Another one who accuses people who want to be sensible as suffering from "fear", being in a "cocoon" and being "nervous". I am none of those things.

You mean we should just accept as inevitable that some of the more vulnerable will die, Bluebell?

I live in Scotland and we have been wearing masks for quite a while. It was made clear that wearing them was to protect others and I am happy to comply. I have been out with the family and only once has a waitress in a hotel not had her mask on. We won't be back there. It isn't a big ask to slow down the spread of the virus.

Tour de France yesterday and all the people lining the route were wearing masks.

Where we live people are behaving very responsibly

Growstuff this sounds unacceptable. Have you thought of writing to your local CCG? If that fails, a letter to your MP at least has them running round trying to answer your concerns...

Re schools and masks. I was chatting to a friend who teaches at secondary school. She said that she had had an awful week back at school. Apparently, although students are required to wear masks in corridors and communal areas many are not doing so. She says that they have had students spitting and coughing at each other. Heads of year and senior management seem to be overwhelmed with the situation and nothing is being done about it.