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?

1. Because 127,000 people have died, including young healthy people who I knew, and I'd like that number not to rise very much more.
2. Because it's the law, and I don't see obeying the law as an optional choice.
3. Because the scientists who are advising the government know a lot more than I do about the covid virus in particular, and virus transmission in general, and I trust their judgments more than I would trust my own amateur assessments.
4. Because I am not a selfish fuckwit.

The patterns over the last year have shown that cases rise when people mix. The government and their scientific advisers have thought very carefully about how to allow us to mix in a controlled way, in conjunction with vaccinations, to avoid another peak. @RaspberryCoulis what scientific qualifications do you have that allows you to say we should all be allowed to mix indoors with multiple households with immediate effect? Because surely that’s what you’re suggesting? That we should all be allowed to do this? Because if not, you are openly admitting that things are different for you and that you are in some way special...

Everyone is sick of it , but not everyone thinks they can tailor the rules to accommodate what they want
Yes it's shit but I'll reserve my sympathy for those that have lost loved ones

Because my view differs from yours
Because I have a responsibility to my support bubble

Not scared of any of it, not vulnerable. I am just community minded.

I'm sticking to the rules because they seem reasonable and will soon be relaxed. I can wait a few days.

It isn't about the individual risk to me, it's about the collective risk to the community - more interactions mean increased risk of transmission.

@Chloemol

Because

1. It’s the law
2. I don’t want to get it

3 I don’t want to pass it onto my family and friends, or indeed strangers 4 because I am thinking bigger picture, and am prepared to do what’s necessary for the good of all of us 5 because we are nowhere near out of this, and people like you make me cross

This.

Because I don’t want to be the cause of someone’s death. And you should be ashamed of putting your own selfish wants before that reason too.

several reasons.
the main one is that H and I are both in jobs where not following the rules would look pretty poor.
secondly, all the little breaches increase risk by a just tiny amount, but when scaled up across millions of people they do make a difference on a population level
thirdly, between the kids, H and I we are out, unable to socially distance, in four difference work or education bases. we're probably not a good bet for others to socialise with, compared say to two households where everyone can WFH.

I am slightly peeved that my DC's school "bubble" burst after a week and a half, missing a week and a half of term time teaching. This would be pretty disastrous for us as two keyworkers were it not for the fact that I'm on sick leave already (recovery from surgery).

@TeenMinusTests

Err.

Because it takes all of us to do our bit to beat this thing?

Because with vaccines on the way there really is light at the end of the tunnel.

Your OP isn't 'helpful'. If people think others are sticking to the rules, they will too. If people think others are flouting them, then they will flout them too. If everyone ignores them, cases will go up.

Quite.

I should add that I was very concerned about catching the virus initially, so following the guidance was partly about protecting myself. I have now had my vaccine but I will not be changing my behaviour, because there are lots of other people who have not yet been lucky enough to have had the vaccine, and they deserve to be protected as well.

I disagree with lockdown and think it is disproportionate to the risks. However, we have followed the rules since they were introduced last year on 23.3.20.

Nevertheless and in accordance with the law, we have been able to do the following:

From 18.6.20 I was able to go into work two days a week until November 2020. DH is a keyworker and has to go into work when necessary throughout (not teaching or NHS).

We had a lovely holiday in Cornwall last August.

DD missed summer term at uni 2020 and spring term 21. Still will have had 7 out of 9 terms. DS is doing a PhD and has missed spring term 2021. But both learning remotely from home.

We were able to shop from I think 15th June 2020 until November 20 and then again for a couple of weeks in December.

In July 20, September 20, October 20 and December 20 I was able to drop, collect or visit DC from uni, stay overnight at an hotel and have dinner with them.

In January I was legally able to drive with DS to his halls to collect educationally essential material.

DH has legally been able to.visit his mother monthly from June and stay overnight with her as she is a single person in our support bubble.

We went twice to Regents' Park open air theatre last summer.

We visited my parents last July and October.

It has been a dreadful year and despite following the rules only the periods between 23.3.20 to early June 20 and between about 15 December and 12 April 2021 have been truly restrictive.

Whilst I could chew an arm off to go to a restaurant, visit my mum (too cold for her in the garden for more than 30 mins), have my hair done (and my hairdresser would do it in the garden for me next week) I won't because I am following the rules.

None of us have tested +ve and we have had many tests. Mother has had two vacs, step due his 2nd this w/e, MIL her first, DH and I have had our first coming up for three weeks ago now.

Personally I think the easing could and should be brought earlier but unless that happens we will follow the rules. Off to Sainsbury's in a minute for a small shop and a weekly mooch :)

But you can only pass it on if you have it.

Have you posted about doing your own thing before? Name looks familiar.

@RaspberryCoulis So are you getting tested every couple of days?

If not, you know you could have it and have no symptoms - but infect others.

I don’t care about the potential consequences, I think we need to open everything up and crack on with living. I don’t care if the numbers go up. I just don’t care. I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that way, but people don’t say it.

And there we have it! That's why the UK have fared worse than other countries. Selfish people too stupid to see that actions have consequences, for them and others.

@unim

I'm sticking to the rules because they seem reasonable and will soon be relaxed. I can wait a few days.

It isn't about the individual risk to me, it's about the collective risk to the community - more interactions mean increased risk of transmission.

A few more days? You're obviously not in Scotland.

1. I'm not a selfish twat and see we need to protect all
2. we're not yet at herd immunity
3. it's the law
4. to reduce the likelihood of spread and new mutations
5. to avoid arseholes like you who think it's OK to do WTH you like!

Even though I've had 2 vaccination doses I know I could still get it. If that happens I would have to isolate and it could potentially cause my place of work to close and staff would also have to isolate. Anyway I like rules, being anti social and my panda face mask.

Because I'm a doctor (in Scotland), have seen a lot of people sick with covid and I care about my patients.

I don’t know @RaspberryCoulis I haven’t been following the rules exactly but what you’re doing seems reckless - multiple different people in the house, numbers of children meeting your DC.

I’ve been WFH full time with DH, no DC. If I have done a big shop for two weeks sometimes before I go do another two weeks later I’ll go visit my parents. However that’s as I know I’m safe after two weeks essentially isolating and that they won’t pass it to me either as they go nowhere. That to me is rule breaking but not increasing covid risk. If I was to get covid the max close contacts I’d have would be 1-3 people - my DH and parents and they wouldn’t have any further close contacts so spread would be small. How many close contacts would you be risking infecting if you did have it?

Was talking to a friend the other day which I think illustrates nicely why what people consider to be "minor rule breaks" are potentially problematic.

Despite being able to work from home, friend has been working in her workplace through lockdown. She's joined by about 6 other people. Friend says this is fine because they stay apart and none of them see anyone else so it's like a workplace bubble. 5 minutes later she was telling me how her adult daughter and partner regularly pop round in the evening. They both work in retail so lots of contact with the general public. If the other 6 people she is meeting in her office in contravention to lockdown rules have the same definition of "meeting no one else", then that's an awful lot of transmission that could have been avoided. And so far, they've been lucky and none of them have caught Covid, which obviously leads them to think that this is fine.

I stick to the rules because I don't want to be part of the problem

Yep am sticking to them, want my DSis to have her brain tumour removed, op scheduled for Feb, moved out to May. I want NHS to get back on track to get everyone who has had their treatment delayed treated. After all you never know when you may need it!

Because they are the rules and put in place in consultation with scientists and doctors who know far more than me. From my perception I am low risk but any risk is a risk to my family, friends and the local community. Also, restrictions will be lifted soon, we all hope. And that happen more quickly if we all stick to the rules.

Because its the law, and we don't get to choose the laws that we obey.

The entire process of democracy and a modern law abiding society is that we cannot pick and choose which laws to obey.

@ForeverAintEnough12

I don’t know *@RaspberryCoulis* I haven’t been following the rules exactly but what you’re doing seems reckless - multiple different people in the house, numbers of children meeting your DC.

I’ve been WFH full time with DH, no DC. If I have done a big shop for two weeks sometimes before I go do another two weeks later I’ll go visit my parents. However that’s as I know I’m safe after two weeks essentially isolating and that they won’t pass it to me either as they go nowhere. That to me is rule breaking but not increasing covid risk. If I was to get covid the max close contacts I’d have would be 1-3 people - my DH and parents and they wouldn’t have any further close contacts so spread would be small. How many close contacts would you be risking infecting if you did have it?

Not multiple people. Two people - a couple - on more than one occasion. Not loads of people in and out the house. Children are meeting up outside - does it really matter if there are 5 or 6 13 year olds rather than 4?