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Original poster

All restrictions to end this month?

237 replies

ElleGB · 09/02/2022 12:24

Just saw this on breaking news.

That’s it - no more restrictions. Everything back to normal.

I’m not sure how I feel about it.

OP posts:
AlternativePerspective · 09/02/2022 13:16

People should bloody stay at home if they have an infectious disease.

If there’s no longer testing then presumably the a-symptomatic won’t isolate but anyone with symptoms bloody should, just as people should stay at home with the flu, bad colds etc.

But let’s not pretend that Boris isn’t doing this to try and win back some favour both from the public and the back benches.

MarshaBradyo · 09/02/2022 13:16

@FlorrieLindley

Does it mean that if you test positive you can just go out and about, shopping, cinema, cafes etc., as if you didn't have it?
I doubt community testing will remain
Newgirls · 09/02/2022 13:16

@MrsPsmalls

Bet NHS staff still have to isolate. We are still isolating if a family member gets it. You just can't be giving this to very vulnerable patients.
That will be interesting to see. The giant backlog might be one factor in this decision. You might still have the regular testing etc

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
Butteryflakycrust83 · 09/02/2022 13:17

ElleGB Thats great that you have taken those measures, but most people have not and will not.

FantasticFebruary · 09/02/2022 13:17

@Butteryflakycrust83

Absolutely fucking bonkers.

Half of my colleagues from a central london office are all currently at home poorly. This hasnt gone away.

Isolation when you are sick should be the absolute bare minimum to stop it spreading.

No it hasn't gone away. Deaths will go up because vulnerable people will be exposed to it. Some Vulnerable people still have to work/take kids to school/go to Drs/Hospital etc.

At the very least symptomatic people should have to stay at home. The very least.

Learn to live with it, is NIT the same as pretend it has gone away. It hasn't.
It's not a matter of

edwinbear · 09/02/2022 13:17

@Butteryflakycrust83 yes, I understand, but there are no legal requirements to isolate if you do.

Iggly · 09/02/2022 13:17

@Butteryflakycrust83

Can you point out what part of 'Learn' that is applicable?

What have we actually learnt and implemented?

Just say what you really mean, which is 'Lets just pretend it doesnt exist anymore.'

^this!

Most of us in our lifetime have never experienced anything like covid before.

But if it does happen again, what would we have learned? Going back to normal means, to me, a society which was poorly equipped to deal with covid. And so we go back to a society that remains poorly equipped to deal with the next one.

Butteryflakycrust83 · 09/02/2022 13:18

[quote edwinbear]@Butteryflakycrust83 yes, I understand, but there are no legal requirements to isolate if you do.[/quote]
Last time I looked, chicken pox and explosive shits were not killing 300 people a day.

userxx · 09/02/2022 13:19

About time.

Mumoblue · 09/02/2022 13:19

Great to see the official stance is “We’re bored with the pandemic so we’ve decided it’s over”.

‘Learning to live with it’ should mean taking proper precautions, not just deciding to pretend it’s done now.

FantasticFebruary · 09/02/2022 13:19

@Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase

To me this reads as Boris trying to regain favour with his electorate.
Yep, electorate & back benchers etc

It's political not scientific. Arse saving manoeuvre!

ThoseFestiveLights · 09/02/2022 13:20

I appreciate that the UK doesn’t want testing for incoming flights, but if covid positive people knowingly get on a flight, and other people get sick when abroad, they will have to isolate if the country abroad requires isolation (which EVERY other country does?). They won’t just let you board the UK bound flight!

Stripyhoglets1 · 09/02/2022 13:20

Its going to be awful for people who are still very vulnerable to being very ill/dying if they catch it.
You can't refuse to go to work - and at work you could be surrounded by people who could well be positive as they no longer need to isolate - or if asymptomatic- won't even know they have it.
Its not all over. Its just as likely to spread and harm a certain number of people - and those people matter too.
They shouldn't be doing this until everyone who is vulnerable can have access to the special covid treatments that are currently only available to a few people (you get a letter if you're eligible). My parent has COPD and they haven't had a letter - but covid would be very bad news for them.

So they should wait until that can be guaranteed.

Butteryflakycrust83 · 09/02/2022 13:21

And now Boris will claim that he 'Got us through Covid' because the majority of people are too selfish and/or stupid to see through his ridiculous scheme because it suits them fine.

An absolutely hellfire of a country.

itwasntaparty · 09/02/2022 13:22

@TulipsGarden

Christ, what on earth is he trying to distract us from this time?
Exactly my thoughts!

I'm pleased though.

Stripyhoglets1 · 09/02/2022 13:22

Oh and he's only doing this so he can lie and say England is the first country to get through the pandemic - because isn't boris wonderful!

Stuffin · 09/02/2022 13:23

This is good news.

CornishGem1975 · 09/02/2022 13:24

BJ pulling out the big guns while he's fighting for his position, but I will be celebrating this when it happens.

RishiRich · 09/02/2022 13:25

@Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase

To me this reads as Boris trying to regain favour with his electorate.
I'm pleased but agree with this.

It'll be like any other illness: if you're too poorly to go out, stay at home. If you're ok to be at school, work etc. then carry on.

Iggly · 09/02/2022 13:33

Doesn’t any body care that this might not be advised by the chief medical officer? Or are we too happy to accept it even if it may not be the best thing right now?

Boris could at least have left it until March as planned. Two weeks to come up with a plan - one of those weeks is half term.

I’m guessing said plan is going to written one a fag packet after a bottle of fizz. Which is probably what the original restrictions were written on

sweetgingercat · 09/02/2022 13:34

This is much too soon. It really puts vulnerable people, hospital workers, care workers and teachers in the shittiest position.

And it will not help when the next variant emerges.

It doesn't take much to wear a mask. Why are people so selfish?

CornishGem1975 · 09/02/2022 13:40

People can continue to wear masks as they wish.

There's no requirement to wear them now anyhow but a huge amount of people still are and no doubt, will continue to do so.

SilverGlassHare · 09/02/2022 13:40

I only feel worried about my friend who's on chemo. She was in hospital last week and said the ward seemed very short-staffed, presumably because of covid isolations, so stopping isolation would help with that of course. But I think she'd be pretty worried at the thought of her medical team maybe having covid when they're treating her. She's had four jabs and actually has also had covid (Delta, not very ill), but that was between chemo courses.

I know that anyone on chemo has to be careful anyway, but covid is so visible over the last 2 years that it's hard not to see it differently to a cold or chicken pox or whatever.

tulips27 · 09/02/2022 13:41

I'm not under any restrictions Confused

Jaxhog · 09/02/2022 13:42

This day had to come, I guess. I just hope other people will continue to respect my wearing a mask for a while longer. I also hope Hospitals keep PPR going when people have COVID/Flu. I know 2 elderly people who caught it in hospital recently, then came home and gave it to the rest of their family, some of whom are quite vulnerable.