If you're still sticking to ALL the rules/guidance - why?

[RaspberryCoulis]

Will start by saying I am not sticking to the covid rules any more. Obviously I can't go places which aren't open. But we have had people in the house, kids are going out with friends probably in larger numbers than are permitted, we're crossing local authority boundaries which is supposedly illegal in Scotland. Why? Because we've been in lockdown for a year, cases here are very low, and some things are more important than Covid.

But on every thread there are people claiming that they are sticking rigidly to every single rule and guideline, never breaking ANY rule. They would probably say I was a selfish covid-denier who was hellbent on murdering their granny.

So if you're sticking to all the guidelines and rules, without fail - why? People who are clinically extremely vulnerable (officially) I can understand in part if they're not vaccinated. But the rest of you? Is it because you're scared of Covid, or scared of your neighbours, or scared of breaking the law by mistake?

(And @Barcodes my post was supporting yours and my final comment was aimed at the OP, hope that was clear!)

The rules are not about individual vulnerability, OP. We all know that for most people Covid is not a very serious illness. It's not about bodies piling up in the street. It is about the fact that it only takes a minority of the population that is particularly vulnerable becoming ill enough to need to go into hospital, for the NHS to be overwhelmed. And that impacts all of us, because people are still getting illnesses that are nothing to do with Covid but which still require urgent or non urgent treatment in hospital.

And of course the more the virus can spread the more it can mutate and mutations may result in more people being at risk and at vaccines being less effective.

And this has been explained again and again and again and again and I do not understand why you are on here going "oh seriously why are you all obeying the rules if you're not personally vulnerable and not personally seeing people who are".

People on this thread who have mental health problems and need support are not being selfish in seeking support for that. That is not the same thing at all.

Because at work it is the rule or no job.

Outside of work because I actually prefer not going anywhere and I can indulge in my introverted, home body character. I don’t have family or friends to bother with. Plus online shopping is so much easier than having to go into twin, park and go to the store and lug it back.

Because the more people don't stick to the rules, the longer this whole shit show continues.

The number here in my area is 5 (FIVE!) in every 100,000 people

Bloody ridiculous that we wander around in stupid masks and basically have allowed others to dictate to us still when only 5 in my area have a positive test in the last week! Unbelievable.

Anyway since no one I know has even had the virus since last year I follow the rules I have to eg cannot go to the theatre or restaurants but ignore the ones I want/can.

My neighbours are out in the garden with her parents from another house and her 2 daughters from 2 different households and I don't blame them at all. Good luck to them.

I am sticking to the rules because:-

1. My son is a doctor on Covid wards and has been throughout the past year. He is exhausted and fed up of dealing with silly people who think rules don’t apply to them and then end up in hospital and still expect the nhs to pick up the pieces. Yes, Covid admissions are still a thing.
2. I teach and I am doing my best to protect the children and their families. Is it too much to ask for them to show me the same courtesy?
3. A year that is all has been- I think they had it much worse in WW2 with food shortages and bombing. Some of us need to get a grip.
4. People need to start thinking of others and not just themselves.
5. Relative is a police officer who is not vaccinated yet but is dealing with those who cannot follow the rules and when caught seem to think spitting, shouting in faces and toileting in public areas is acceptable to public . This leads to Covid still spreading.

@sausagedogststandupandtakeover

Really common in our local school. I'm good friends with a TA who has a husband who is having chemo, and her and a colleague (collegue has a 78yr old husband) were doing a hands on medical task with a kid while he was telling them all about the party his mum had at the weekend. The class also has kids who live with shielding siblings etc

Neither ta meet shielding definitions and are allowed to be at work based on risk assessments that assume people are following rules and staying in bubbles.

I'm sure the people attending the party all thought it was fine for their circumstance and just didn't think that actually other peoples circumstances are very closely linked!

@CatsHairEverywhere2

I’m neither scared of Covid, my neighbours not the police. I simply have no wish to pass on a virus that may kill someone. I’ve got that wee voice in my head that reminds me the world doesn’t revolve around me and my wants.

Bingo.

Because it’s the right thing to do- the disease is still endemic. Because 25% of people in hospitals now have had the vaccination. Because the vaccine has much lower level of preventing transmission anyway. Because the law requires it and it’s based on sound science at population level I understand. Because I’m part of a family, and community and society and I want us to come out of this with less significant harm to others.

People can catch covid more than once, 1 covid vaccine does not offer full protection and your friend could still give you covid. If everyone has 2 friends over to their house where will we be ?

Because I want to minimise the risk of having to isolate. I don’t want DC1 to have to miss any more school and I don’t want to lose our childcare for DC2. Work would be a nightmare from home trying to look after both of them.

@middleager

Your post sounds immature. It reminds me of the bully in the playground who tried to force me to do something because it was "hard" and "cool".

I'm following the rules for most of the reasons already outlined. I'd also lose my job with a criminal record.

Just nit-picking here, but the fine for breaching covid rules or whatever is a fixed penalty notice like a speeding ticket. Pay it within 14 days, that's it done. It's a CIVIL matter, not a criminal matter. It only becomes criminal if you don't pay your fine and go to court over it.

You wouldn't have a criminal record in the same way as you don;t have a criminal record because you get a speeding or parking ticket, and it wouldn't appear on a DBS or PVG check.

YANBU

Your going to get flamed for this thread op but I agree with you. I've been following all of the rules for a year now and am thoroughly fed up. Especially because they keep moving the goal posts and there is no end in sight.

The majority of MN claims they rigidly follow the rules but I think that's because the ones who don't are afraid to stick their neck out and admit it.

You sound inordinately proud of yourself OP

Makes me wonder why all the scientists, medics and leaders across the world don't consult you.

My last comment was to OP.

@Neolara

Because the more people don't stick to the rules, the longer this whole shit show continues.

The 'shit show' is the fact that people cannot meet up with their parents, grandparents (who might have had both vaccines now), their children, their family and hug.... that's the real shit show and not the everything is still about a bloody virus that extremely few are dying or ending up in hospital with.

Look at the average death rate for ALL CAUSES - what do you see now? Normal levels compared to other years

Cases are already rising again down here.

I'm a teacher.

It's been made pretty clear that not obeying the law would be a major issue. If I caught COVID, it would be discovered that I had not obeyed the law.

But you aren't law abiding are you? You just haven't been caught breaking the law. There's a huge difference. You are lucky however not to have caught it or lost someone close to you because of it. If you had, I'm sure you wouldn't make the same decision.

Op. This Mumsnet. This REALLY won't go well. Enjoy!

@SpringTimeDream

The number here in my area is 5 (FIVE!) in every 100,000 people

Bloody ridiculous that we wander around in stupid masks and basically have allowed others to dictate to us still when only 5 in my area have a positive test in the last week! Unbelievable.

Anyway since no one I know has even had the virus since last year I follow the rules I have to eg cannot go to the theatre or restaurants but ignore the ones I want/can.

My neighbours are out in the garden with her parents from another house and her 2 daughters from 2 different households and I don't blame them at all. Good luck to them.

The confidence levels around prevalence is low, much much lower, when disease is at low levels in populations. And this is people who have tested positive, not the disease prevalence in reality. Ignoring the 30% asymptomatic group, I suspect if people are flouting rules, they are less likely to adhere to norms around testing and isolating if symptomatic. Basically, there are grounds for you to be concerned at a rate reported as 5/10k, and given your neighbours activities I would be cautious out in your community.

@Iwantroplayanothergame

I am sticking to the rules because:-

1. My son is a doctor on Covid wards and has been throughout the past year. He is exhausted and fed up of dealing with silly people who think rules don’t apply to them and then end up in hospital and still expect the nhs to pick up the pieces. Yes, Covid admissions are still a thing.
2. I teach and I am doing my best to protect the children and their families. Is it too much to ask for them to show me the same courtesy?
3. A year that is all has been- I think they had it much worse in WW2 with food shortages and bombing. Some of us need to get a grip.
4. People need to start thinking of others and not just themselves.
5. Relative is a police officer who is not vaccinated yet but is dealing with those who cannot follow the rules and when caught seem to think spitting, shouting in faces and toileting in public areas is acceptable to public . This leads to Covid still spreading.

There are no covid patients in my area at all.

Stop comparing to the war!

In my area we would struggle to actually find anyone with covid! Even with all the additional tests and lateral flow tests the rate is incredibly low. Yet we are being told to lock ourselves away still - so ridiculous.

Because I’m not selfish enough to think that my ‘wants’ are more important than other people’s lives and health.

And I’m desperate for this nightmare to end.

Because we aren't all selfish. Lots of us understand that it is not about making decisions for ourselves. Your decisions could negatively impact on others. Having people around your house and then sending your kids into school where there is a CEV child in the class who isn't able to be vaccinated could be fatal for that child as a result of your need to have people round to the house.
The reason you are able to do these things and feel they are low risk is because the rest of us are still following the guidelines strictly and contributing to lowering the cases.

@ThePlantsitter

Yes TeenMinusTests I do find this tone very a 'Boris's bullies' type of thing.

Ultimately I think everybody's doing the best they can with the rules and I don't care if people 'interpret' them a bit (and certainly wouldn't report them). But the whole 'why on earth would you slavishly obey the law' schtick reminds me of JRM jeeringly suggesting Grenfell victims were to blame for their own deaths for following instructions rather than what he calls common sense. And that creates a mistrust in consensus that is really damaging (and based on privilege).

Yes, I agree on the tone.

I am still following the rules, partly because I'm a rule follower, partly because I personally feel it's the right thing to do. I'm not going to start judging those who are no longer following them, or start calling them selfish or any other names - I assume that people will have reasons for doing what they're doing, and are doing what they feel is right for them. In return, I would appreciate not being sneered at or called a mug or stupid or other names for following the rules.