wont the over 70s want to go to the garden centre?

[CrowdedHouseinQuarantine]

temptation

Good to hear @ivampire

Tell that to the government, and the over 70s, they will appreciate your attitude on their behalf

Michael Palin of course appreciates you agreeing with his point of view

My garden centre delivers. I am no where near 70 but it has been a god send. I have spent an absolute fortune, but now have a mini greenhouse filled with tomato and strawberry plants and lots of pretty flowers all around the garden.

Garden centres tend to be more spaced out, cafes will stay closed, so hopefully low risk.

A barren centre has been my secret pleasure since I was about 27🥰

Our local DIY/garden shop reopened their outside plant area the week before last. They had been swamped with deliveries before that. Now you can ask for limited things from the shop when you buy your plants. My pots are all full, and I'm on the second delivery of compost.

Did you even read that link you posted? Which said over 70s should take particular care as any other vulnerable group but aren't told to self-isolate/shield/not go out?

And how it's guidance and not mandatory?

I think that with the new slogan, they are moving towards people taking responsibility for their own personal risk. I think that over 70s are probably very pissed off that they are told to avoid going out because some of them are perfectly healthy and other groups with high risk like men, obese people haven't been told that at all.
I have heard ministers say that over 70s aren't all supposed to be shielding on more than one occasion

I believe that being socially distant outdoors is medically less risky than an indoor venue and this might be a way to appease a group who can't see their extended family and think that they've been infantilised by being grouped together when the group is very diverse.

I am just concerned, as I would be if I saw somebody over the age of 70 having to go to the supermarket, with no help from family.

I'm mid 70s, live alone, childless and my family consists of my sister who I speak to rarely and nieces and nephew, none of whom live within a 200 mile drive. Although I have friends who live nearby who have offered to help I would prefer to be self sufficient. I've managed to book supermarket deliveries so won't starve.

The bottom line is that if nurseries open and I or anyone else of any age decide to go to one, it's no-one else's business.

fair enough @rain
no one is stopping you or anyone else.

i am sorry you dont talk to your family though,perhaps now is a good time to make amends with your sister? or at least speak more regularly.

Supermarkets are selling plants so I think it's fair that garden centres get to reopen too. I think that the queuing to get in could put some people off though

Stopmenow I am confused. This is a really interesting thread and I am not being goady. My understanding is that over 70s should be minimising any contact with other people, and that is backed up by the article that Crowded house provided the link to from yesterday

The government's rules for the lockdown identified groups of "clinically vulnerable" people who should take particular care to minimise contact with anyone outside their household.

They included those aged 70 or over, "regardless of medical conditions".

Our elderly relatives are well over that age - high eighties to mid nineties, so really need protecting but for me "minimise" means keep to an absolute minimum: the smallest possible amount. Essential contact only. So collecting shopping from the doorstep yes. Going to the garden centre, no.

Do you think that I am misreading this? I have every sympathy for someone whose mental health is suffering and for whom the risk of staying isolated, outweighs the risk of an occasional trip out, but surely we are not misreading the article ?

My 78 year old Mum is very excited about her local garden centre opening. They have delivered some plants to her already, but she prefers picking them out, which I can completely understand.

The advice re over 70's actually change 1st May. Until that point they were advised to follow stringent social distancing measures.

Thanks Avroroad. Do you have a link? I missed that one.

Yes. This shows the withdrawn advice and includes a link to the new advice

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

@Notverygrownup

If you RTFT you'd have seen the article which included:

"Meanwhile, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, tweeted: “We have strongly advised all over 70s to follow social distancing measures. However, there is no ‘blanket ban’, and the suggestion that the clinically vulnerable “include ‘people aged 70 or older regardless of medical conditions’” is wrong and deeply misleading.”

"The British Medical Association’s chair, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, said any proposal to impose stricter social distancing for those at higher risk – essentially quarantining – based solely on age would be “both unethical and illegal”.

"That prompted some on social media to point to advice published on the government website on Friday, which includes the words: “Clinically vulnerable people are those who are: aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions) ...”
When contacted, the Department of Health and Social Care said the over-70s “are not included in the most at-risk group (extremely clinically vulnerable), who have been told to isolate for 12 weeks”.

So, some incorrect info went out initially and was retracted. So for most over 70s, the guidelines apply the same as anyone of any age.

i am sorry you dont talk to your family though,perhaps now is a good time to make amends with your sister?

It's not a question of me not talking to my sister, it's by mutual agreement so I have no reason to make amends. What a vivid imagination you have.