Which measures would you like to stay in place once Corona is "over"?

[BelfastSmile]

I just had to collect a parcel from Currys. I'd ordered online. I received an email, which contained a link; when I arrived at the store, I parked in one of the collection bays, opened the email, clicked the link, and they brought my parcel out. Very smooth and easy. Made me wonder whether they'll keep it in place once Corona measures are gone; I hope they do, because it was very easy!

What other measures do you think should be kept?

I'm going to keep hold of my mask for cold and flu season. Mask wearing is quite normal in some countries, so I hope it catches on a little bit. Especially when people insist on getting on the tube and sneezing and coughing all over the place.

Hand sanitizer in shops is a nice touch too. Plus people washing their hands more can't hurt.

My DH's company, who've always been really anti-homeworking, have now agreed to let him work from home two or three days a week, which is going to be lovely! It really improves our work/life balance to cut out his commute and he is much less stressed.

@DreadingSeason2020sFinale

Staying at a distance and no handshaking. I hate shaking hands.

I'd also like to keep contactless stuff like in the OP with contact free click and collects etc.

Cleaning regularly and washing of hands. I find it gross that an entire chunk of the population had to be taught to wash their hands! I've always expected my kids to wash their hands before they eat and yet their visiting mates don't even do that after using the toilet and I send them back in.

I think the problem with lack of hand washing stems from so many toilets not actually having soap (especially school and council/public toilets, pre covid). I was very surprised re schools - my son said that there was regularly no soap in any of the loos at his secondary school. When we went to events/parents evenings etc - it was the same - empty dispensers. Some public/council loos didn't even have running water in the sinks.

That kind of lack of provision promotes the "don't bother" attitude. I'd love to see handgels remain at entrances to shops, pubs, cafes, etc - in fact I'd go one further and say it should be made law for them to have to provide sanitiser etc.

Social distancing. I hate people standing up my arse in queues.

@2Kidsinatrenchcoat. Ugh, that’s horrible.🤢. Another reason not to bring back shaking hands!

I think sanitiser in shops is here to stay, which is good.

I’ll probably continue to wear a mask on public transport and in busy places.

I’d hate for the advances in online ordering/collection to be reversed, so I hope they remain.

I quite like that it’s now not considered odd to not carry and use cash. I rarely have any cash at all, and I’ve never felt so normal when shopping as I have this year. I have a couple of £1 coins in my purse that are little more than glorified trolley tokens these days. :o

Something I think will stay even though I’d probably rather it didn’t - I think booking ahead for days out and attractions will stay, just with normal capacity. It must be so much easier for places to manage staffing if they know in advance how many people will turn up.

I have to confess that I am quite looking forward to the Covid Christmas arrangements. I do appreciate ot is houng to be difficult for many families, but from a purely selfish point of view it is fine. The only person outside my household that I really want to see is my adult DD who is coming home for the allowed 5 days and everyone in both mine and DH's families have agreed that since we won't be seeing each other tgere's no point in buying presents. We always spend Christmas Day with just our immediate family anyway but tis year we are absolved of the responsibility of spending the days between Christmas and New Year dashing around the country on visits, or entertaining at our house. So no "second Christmas Dinner" at the ILs or buying pointless presents for people we barely see. This year we have agreed to send money for children and give a charitable donation in lieu of presents for adults. I've been trying to cut Christmas spending in recent years anyway and this year gives the opportunity to do that without offending anyone so I'm hoping it will be accepted in the longer term.

None.

@MrsAvocet

I have to confess that I am quite looking forward to the Covid Christmas arrangements. I do appreciate ot is houng to be difficult for many families, but from a purely selfish point of view it is fine. The only person outside my household that I really want to see is my adult DD who is coming home for the allowed 5 days and everyone in both mine and DH's families have agreed that since we won't be seeing each other tgere's no point in buying presents. We always spend Christmas Day with just our immediate family anyway but tis year we are absolved of the responsibility of spending the days between Christmas and New Year dashing around the country on visits, or entertaining at our house. So no "second Christmas Dinner" at the ILs or buying pointless presents for people we barely see. This year we have agreed to send money for children and give a charitable donation in lieu of presents for adults. I've been trying to cut Christmas spending in recent years anyway and this year gives the opportunity to do that without offending anyone so I'm hoping it will be accepted in the longer term.

I felt the same way about Thanksgiving here in the US. It’s usually a big deal, traveling to see family, at an expensive time of year, but this time, we didn’t have to make any arrangements at all. I secretly enjoyed it.😉

@Fleshlumpeater

Something I think will stay even though I’d probably rather it didn’t - I think booking ahead for days out and attractions will stay, just with normal capacity. It must be so much easier for places to manage staffing if they know in advance how many people will turn up.

It has downsides. But over the summer it was great to be able to go to places like our local zoo and not have crowds. Timed entry and a one way system kept the flow going. We also did a theme park during the school holidays and it was busy but not insanely so. The virtual queueing was a bit shit though.

Social distancing in shops and supermarkets, I have so enjoyed not having random strangers breathe down my neck or bump my ankles with their trolley or passive aggressively trying to make me hurry up by hovering six inches behind me clutching an armful of menacing aubergines

I'd love it if people gave each other more space. I really hate it when people stand too close. Not 2m btw, but more than previously would be nice.

Menacing Aubergines! Lmao

The service from my GP has been far better since a telephone consultation is the first point of contact. Way more efficient for both the doctor and the patient.

because it must make me seem very old, I also enjoyed being able to look a table in a pub and knowing I'd have a seat, just for drinks.

People coming within 2 meters of me. I've said it from the start but I like the idea that I have a lot less of people's spit all over me

More things available online - appointments/meetings/talks/courses etc., it's so much more efficient and accessible.

I had an online appointment with the vet and she said herself she was able to see the issue better in my photos than she would have done in consult and it was ideal for my nervous cat to not have to take her in for something that was essentially just a discussion anyway.

I've also attended various book launches, talks and courses this year I wouldn't have been able to attend if it had meant traveling there in person. I'm also seeing my therapist via Zoom and it saves so much time to do it this way (although I know we will go back to face to face eventually) - just takes an hour out of my day rather than an hour's commute there and back on top of the session time.

Social distancing I hope will stay. I'm enjoying being in a queue without someone stood inches behind me.
Also at my bingo club we can only sit one to a table, I like this.
Masks also when in crowds.
Table service in pubs and restaurants.
Also having a GP appointment over the phone, although I know that doesn't suit everyone.

No partners in maternity wards. Couldnt think of anything worse than being in early labour and having to listen to other people chatting a load of rubbish. It was perfect, nice and quiet, I could hear the TV, I watched bake off after my induction and DP joined me on the delivery suite at 4cm. Lovely!!

@NelliePig I think you'll be in a tiny minority there !
I would have hated to have to go through labour on my own especially as dcs 2 and 3 arrived without any midwives there

@BackforGood I was admitted to the ward early on in my pregnancy for some monitoring and people were so inconsiderate, people wandering about the ward what felt like all day meaning you had to shut your curtain for privacy, someones children visited and as sweet as they were I didnt appreciate them screaming at each other right next to my curtain 😅
Cant imagine I'd have had a very relaxing induction at all with all that noise! But, each to their own. I was quite happy to meet my other half at the delivery suite, by the time I'd packed up my suitcase and had some paracetamol and walked over there he had beat me there haha!

Maybe in the future they could have a separate ward for people in for induction or early labour vs. People who are just in for monitoring! X

Digital GP appointments. I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea but it they can stay as an option for people like me, that would be great.

Staggered start and finishes to the school day, easing congestion around the school gates, and on the days that I drive finding a parking space easier.
Booking a slot to go swimming and the pool not being chockablock.

Keep social distancing in queues.
I can't stand it when people breathe down my neck when I'm stood in a queue. Piss off!!! Also people always want to stand really close to me all of the time. Fuck knows why. I must have some weird gravitational pull. Problem is I absolutely hate people who I don't know being near me.

People being more hygiene aware. I'm in QLD where suppression has been achieved, but people are still expected to use strict hygiene practices. I also like some aspect of social distancing, like not being able to feel people breathing down my neck in queues.

I say this because apart from about 6 weeks of lockdown we've been moving about freely. I haven't even had a sniffle all year, the kids only minor colds. Previous two years I was sick all the time. I couldn't get over one cold before getting another, probably because my immune system couldn't recover. It's the only good thing to come out of this whole mess.

Oh, and I'll add.... parents not being allowed on school campuses. Being able to get DS to accept pick up/drop off at the gate & not be expected to rearrange my life to attend endless school activities is awesome.

Nothing really. I want it to go back to normal.