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?

Yes @PrincessNutNuts I live in Scotland so whatever is agreed in England the rules for foreign travel will be more draconian here, which might be the right thing but as we are all on the same island, inevitably if new strain comes over we'll suffer the consequences without any of the relaxations. Also I genuinely can't believe that English travel rules already have an exception for people with second homes, I mean usually they try to hide the flaunting of the rules by the rich a little more.

Thanks for taking the time MarshaBradyo , MrsTulipTattsyrup & PrincessNutNuts

Interesting to hear your thoughts

Unless I've missed something, following "the rules" was never about making Covid go away (which will likely never happen) but reducing the pressure on the NHS. The NHS ground to a virtual halt over winter, even with all the restrictions we had in place. Following "the rules" was about not putting any additional pressure on the health service. As the health service becomes less overwhelmed, we can have fewer (not "no") restrictions. For example, like many people, I'm eagerly waiting for the time that I can go and see non-local family. The quicker this happens the better, as far as I am concerned! The more people that don't stick to "the rules", the longer it will take to get there. I said upthread that my DD is waiting for medical treatment that will massively improve her quality of life. There's been 3 months so far this year (not even counting the ones last year), where she's literally had to sit at home in pain, because the NHS wouldn't see her. Would I have liked that to have been just 2 months or even 2.5 months because Covid was less transmitted and she could be seen more quickly? Of course I would.

incidentally, I find it interesting that most people say "breaking the rules" when it comes to Covid, rather than "breaking the law". Very much minimising what they are doing.

@ThePlantsitter You are saying that covid rates are falling in Texas, which is not making people wear masks (not true anyway), and that that demonstrates mask wearing in the UK is pointless.

I'm not saying that at all. I merely said that Texas, a state without mask mandates, has a lower deaths per 100,000 (164) than all the states bordering Texas, [New Mexico (186), Arkansas (184 and Louisana (216)] except for another state [Oklahoma (122) that also doesn't have mask mandates.

Then all the crazies are jumping on me saying, "Waahhh, you can't conclude that it's down to mask mandates vs freedom, you have not been to university for 11 years, written multiple papers... Also, I note you failed to consider factors such as deep breath average household occupancy, average house size, density of populus, method of covid reporting, age demographics, mask usage, rather than mask mandate, population size, ethnicity demographics, cultural factors, other legislation such as school or place of worship closure, retail closure, availability of furlough payments, support for those self employed, support for those unemployed due to covid, presence or absence of support to stay at home/isolation, survey attitude to covid, culture of extended family living in one household, typical bubble size, rule adherence, presence or absence of fines for breaking covid guidelines, funding of police, funding for testing, testing uptake, healthcare access, average household income, and breathe....

So all I'm saying is that Texas, without it's mask mandate, has lower deaths per 100,000 than all the surrounding states except Oklahoma, which also, I would like to emphasise, totally coincidentally, also does not have a mask mandate. Hope that clears things up for you...

@ThePlantsitter
What a great post.
Totally agree.

Kellehi

Texas is only 18 days into dropping it's mask mandate. Are your figures comparing deaths per 100,000 for Texas with New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana for just the last 18 days? If not, then they're totally irrelevant.

I've had both my vaccinations but I'm still observing the rules because I don't want to be responsible for anyone else getting it.

Plus, the more people keep spreading it about, the longer we'll be in lockdown or put back into lockdown.

Yes we are. A household of two adults who have both been vaccinated, but we have not seen family in over a year, not had anyone in the house since last march (other than a boiler repair guy - and he only went in the garage), only meet one friend outside for exercise, walk my dog alone most days, wear masks in shops and shop alone, use hand gel/wash hands etc as necessary, socially distance when I do meet other people.

I do this because I don't want to be the one who passes this thing on to anyone or catch it myself; because these are the rules at present and I am a law abiding citizen; because I have some scientific background/knowledge (former medical laboratory scientist) and I believe the science; Because I truly believe that sticking to the rules is the best way to get us all back to normal; because I don't want to be that hypocritical idiot who breaks the rules because they cant be bothered to abide by them anymore, because "my mental health/family relationships/need to go to Tescos/the rules are "rubbish" ... is more important or a valid reason to not bother. ......

For the record, I suffer from horrendous depression myself, my mental health is at rock bottom at the moment and has been for weeks now and I spend a lot of time these days fighting to keep myself moving forward through life. But I stick to the rules ..... and when they change, I'll stick to whatever the new rules happen to be.

@Paquerette

Kellehi

Texas is only 18 days into dropping it's mask mandate. Are your figures comparing deaths per 100,000 for Texas with New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana for just the last 18 days? If not, then they're totally irrelevant.

Yes, I'll agree that it's probably too soon to see the effect of mask wearing in Texas just yet...

Still, Oklahoma has not had any mask mandate for far longer...

So bloody ridiculous OP. If everyone does what you have done then we will end up back in lockdown.

Stop being selfish

Why am I sticking to the rules? Simple, you said it yourself:
Obviously I can't go places which aren't open
There are not an awful lot of opportunities left for rebelling when everywhere is shut. I'm an introvert so house parties aren't my scene, the weather is crap so my usual outdoor activities are limited at this time of year anyway.

I've probably broken the odd minor rule at one point or another anyway.

Don’t be flippant with the ‘murdering granny.’ My gran had the first vaccine in January, caught Covid a week ago and is now dying a slow, painful and lonely death. So yes, I have been and will continue to follow rules.

I think OP you know you’re doing wrong and know that your “I’m alright Jack” attitude is selfish.

I think you just wanted people to agree with you to ease your conscience.

We all gave up and lost things in the last year.

@Paquerette

Kellehi

Texas is only 18 days into dropping it's mask mandate. Are your figures comparing deaths per 100,000 for Texas with New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana for just the last 18 days? If not, then they're totally irrelevant.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9410481/Texas-COVID-numbers-fall-17th-consecutive-day-following-reopening.html

Texas COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to see a downward trend more than two weeks after the state scrapped its mask mandate and allowed businesses to reopen at full capacity.

On Saturday, Texas' seven-day COVID positivity rate reached an all-time low of 5.27 per cent, while hospitalizations fell to their lowest level since October, according to the latest state data.

The state recorded 2,292 new coronavirus cases, about 500 fewer on average from last week, and 107 new deaths.

The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus, meanwhile, dipped to 3,308.

The latest figure marks a significant decline in hospitalizations in the state which had seen levels soar past 14,000 for a couple of days in January.

The drop comes 17 days after Republican Governor Greg Abbott ended the statewide mask mandate and other COVID-19 safety measures.

Abbott took to Twitter on Saturday to celebrate the state's progress, saying: 'Today Texas hit an all-time recorded low for the 7-day Covid positivity rate: 5.27%. It's been below 6% for 5 days & below 10% for an entire month.

'Covid hospitalizations declined again--now at the lowest level since October 3rd. Vaccinations continue to increase rapidly.'

@Crumbwell

Don’t be flippant with the ‘murdering granny.’ My gran had the first vaccine in January, caught Covid a week ago and is now dying a slow, painful and lonely death. So yes, I have been and will continue to follow rules.

My godmother died too.

These idiots aggravate me.

We’re asking people with no training in medicine or statistics to do as they are asked.

So many people then think that with no training, they can better interpret the numbers than the experts.They then apply their own set of rules which prolongs the agony for all of us.

Every time you do so etching you shouldn’t, the risk of transmission increases. The rule breakers keep the numbers up which we all pay for.

I am so tired of it all. Blasé comments about killing granny show just how heartless some people can be. As I say, tired of it all.

Lots of people talk about assessing their own risks or thinking that doing what they want is somehow "one in the eye" for the government.

If it was only ever about personal risk that would be fine but I'm not sure that many people can totally mitigate the risks of a highly contagious disease. If 8 people meet and say they're all prepared to risk it..fine...but can you safely say everyone those other 7 people come into contact with, is also ok with that? ...and if they, the next step is everyone who those people come into contact with...

@bertiesgal

We’re asking people with no training in medicine or statistics to do as they are asked.

So many people then think that with no training, they can better interpret the numbers than the experts.They then apply their own set of rules which prolongs the agony for all of us.

Every time you do so etching you shouldn’t, the risk of transmission increases. The rule breakers keep the numbers up which we all pay for.

I am so tired of it all. Blasé comments about killing granny show just how heartless some people can be. As I say, tired of it all.

More grannies were given covid and killed by the NHS than the combined sum of every person in the UK who has dared to break lockdown rules.

And I'm not talking about the Margaret Ferriers of the country who felt a bit rough with classic covid symptoms and decided to take a train across the country.

I'm talking about people like the OP, who have come to the end of their tether, seeing that first mandated lockdown in 2020 that was pretty much observed by everyone had little to no effect, and instead of the conclusions being 'lockdowns don't work', the conclusion is 'lockdowns weren't strict enough'.

And their crime? They have dared to cross a local authority boundary! Something that pretty much everyone in England is doing on a regular basis, because it's not against the rules here. However, it is against the rules in Scotland, and therefore worthy of criticism. If the OP lived in England, crossing local authority boundaries is all fine and dandy, but no, it's Scotland and she's the lowest of the low.

Well you can win any argument if you just use unsubstantiated vagueness. I actually can't even be arsed to go through each opinion that you present as fact there but you have said nothing that isn't made up or just plain wrong.

I don't want to make it all about the OP's actions because I think there are v few who will have followed the law to the letter, but she did say they've had people in the house, which you conveniently chose to ignore. The point is is not just about 1 person getting it is about all the people they infect, and then those people infect, and so on. But you know this and are choosing to ignore it I think.

Texas population 29 million, 48,283 deaths, 1665 per million figures are falling naturally I think.

Last few months everyone here was saying 'we just need to be patient, it'll only be a short while until we have vaccines and then we can get back to normal'

The government has just extended its Covid powers for another six months. That will take us up to September, and I am sure that, soon after, the medical advisers who regularly stand beside the Prime Minister will warn us of an imminent flu epidemic - leading to a further six-month extension of these powers (as a precaution, of course).

After that, I suspect more Covid-19 variants will be discovered, requiring another six months. Soon enough we will have reached the winter of 2022 – and so it will continue.

I wonder how much longer it will take for those who support the restrictions to change their tune?

Quite simply because the country I live in is still locked down, apart from food shops, chemists and hairdressers and will remain so until at least 18th April.
Appointments for vaccination are only available to the over 70s at present, too. I do not have anywhere to go (apart from my hairdresser's) and nobody to see, so it is fairly easy.
However, we are experiencing a 3rd wave, which has turned my rural area from low to medium risk again, so it just seems sensible to keep on staying at home. It is a bore and dull, but could be worse.

I am so tired of it all. Blasé comments about killing granny show just how heartless some people can be. As I say, tired of it all.

It was Matt Hancock that came up with "don't kill your gran".

@ThePlantsitter

Well you can win any argument if you just use unsubstantiated vagueness. I actually can't even be arsed to go through each opinion that you present as fact there but you have said nothing that isn't made up or just plain wrong.

I don't want to make it all about the OP's actions because I think there are v few who will have followed the law to the letter, but she did say they've had people in the house, which you conveniently chose to ignore. The point is is not just about 1 person getting it is about all the people they infect, and then those people infect, and so on. But you know this and are choosing to ignore it I think.

Ah, so you are claiming that the primary cause of covid deaths in the country was not the NHS shovelling Covid positive 'bed blockers' into care homes, nor NHS hospital acquired Covid, nor even 'Granny stayed at home, didn't meet any other person but somehow she got Covid' (actually died of old age and put down as probably covid by a doctor who didn't even see her)... no the majority of Covid deaths are as a direct result of 'people who break the rules'?

What makes you think so?

Sticking to the rules/guidance because I really want this to end quicker than it will if we all break/bend rules to suit ourselves.