The way the Tory government are acting now makes it feel like all the lockdowns were a waste of time

[Poetrypatty]

Just lifting all the restrictions as if it was all a waste of time. It makes me feel like a mug for everything we went through, especially as they were having their parties and not even following the rules. I think it's bad for peoples mental health as well.

Our esteemed government used covid to pour huge amounts of cash into the pockets of Tory friends and donors.

I don't think that is OK, most British voters don't either. It was taxpayers money that Johnson and his corrupt cabinet have handed out. My money.

It is not about it being done for free - it is about it being done for a fair price not a fucking rip off.

I don’t understand this idea that containing the virus is about restrictions.

I mean using a mask isn’t a restriction. I’m finding it much more restrictive to wear heels than wearing a mask, no question. People have been wearing one as a matter of fact for years in Asia. I’m not sure why people seem to think it’s a huge restriction.

Having air purifier in enclosed rooms isn’t a restriction. You ca; monitor CO2 levels, have some air purifier in place that will all reduce the risks considerably.

Asking people to stay at home when they are ill, just like we do when they have chickenpox or DV isn’t a restriction. I mean until now it has always been seen as THE normal thing to do, what you would do out of care for people around you, be a nice person etc…
I mean not long ago (and I mean AFTER the pandemic started) people were going on about how we now have all learnt that we should be staying at home with a cold because no one likes or needs to be ill when you can avoid it.
In a few weeks, if the numbers are still going down as they are, the number if cases will be low. So where is the issue?

I have to say I’m struggling to comprehend how people seem to be so blasé about 1000 deaths per week but are up in arms for 4 people dying in the last storms. Articles in newspapers, threads in here saying in stupid people were to go out, go swimming etc….

1000 vs 4. How can we be blasé about covid deaths but not about deaths linked to a storm??

It is not about it being done for free - it is about it being done for a fair price not a fucking rip off.

But you are expecting testing to continue for free, even though this has never been the case for most countries

@LadyMuckOfCowshitFarm in your situation I'd seriously hope that they'll be a position where you get tests as part of your prescription if they're required.

But I can see why until you know for certain it's anxiety provoking today.

I do understand about being immunosuppressed, my mum just had her 4th booster as we know they don't work as well, but she still wants life to continue as normally as possible for the rest of us, while she makes maybe more risk adverse choices.

I hope you get some confirmation about your tests soon I'm sure you can do without this extra worry.

@Theluggage15

These threads are always full of the tedious laptop class whining on. Well when people moaned about the terrible impacts on them of lockdowns and restrictions they were told not to be selfish and suck it up. So if you’re whining about restrictions ending, stop being selfish and suck it up.

What's laptop class? Because if it's high earners, I'm paid min wage to WFH

Wearing high heels was never mandatory.

You are free to wear a mask if you wish.

full of the tedious laptop class

I’m not sure I’m getting what you mean by that tbh.

People who wfh did so because they had no choice. Their employers told them to do so.
People who woh did so because they had no choice either.

But I’m struggling to see the Relationship between wfh and lockdowns vs staying at home when you have a contagious disease. (Covid, chickenpox, DV, any notifiable disease)
I’m also struggling to understand who people can put mask wearing, self isolation or having an air purifier in the same bag as a lockdown. I mean sureky it’s obvious that, even though they all protect us and others. In different ways, they can not be compared in regard to their consequences?

But you are expecting testing to continue for free, even though this has never been the case for most countries

Thats not true at all, France for example, stopped all free testing last October but they carried on being free for many groups, inc the fully vaccinated and people who have CV following a PCR test.

@TheKeatingFive

It is not about it being done for free - it is about it being done for a fair price not a fucking rip off.

But you are expecting testing to continue for free, even though this has never been the case for most countries

That is NOT true.

Most countries have had free testing in place and still do.

It’s the U.K. that is the outliner here.

@Alexandra2001 that is not true at all.

In France the free testing stopped for people who DO NOT HAVE THE VACCINE.
Otherwise, it’s still free (using the carte vitale).
The reason why they stopped that is because people were using it to get their covid pass for the weekend.
You could/can still get a prescription from your GP for it, in which case it’s still free too.

No, most countries have not had asymptomatic testing available for free.

Which means it wasn’t a case of nit free but only for a small group of people.
But actually free for everyone bar the few who decided to not get the vaccine.

Which is a very different pov.

I do find it quite incredible that with deaths running at about 1000 per week and 10,000 in hospital, we all think CV has gone away and is just another mild winter illness or even like Flu.

As for the common sense of the british people? well lets get rid of speed limits and drink driving laws if we are so full of common sense!

"I have to test daily. I have to be sure I don't have covid when I take my immunosuppressant drugs. I cannot afford £20 for a box of tests. There are hundreds of thousands of people like me.

What do you suggest we do?"

I think those who need tests due to immunosuppressant drugs will get them for free, as will healthcare workers.

@TravellingFrom thats what i said.....

"France for example, stopped all free testing last October but they carried on being free for many groups, inc the fully vaccinated

Florida and Texas removed all covid regs back in march 2021. The gov in Florida even banned mask mandates (especially in school) and he's lauded as a hero.

@AnyFucker

Why?

Short memory+ rewriting history.

History is all lies but people have been brainwashed. There is so much information out there to prove this but listen to the lamestream as most appear to in here and you won't know anything

@Alexandra2001

I do find it quite incredible that with deaths running at about 1000 per week and 10,000 in hospital, we all think CV has gone away and is just another mild winter illness or even like Flu.

As for the common sense of the british people? well lets get rid of speed limits and drink driving laws if we are so full of common sense!

^^Absolutely all of this.

I understand people just want COVID to go away now. I get it, I really do. And if you've had it, and it was just a simple cold, I understand why you might think it's a big fuss about nothing.

I would have preferred seeing the measures unrolled more slowly, so that we can check things aren't going horribly wrong at any point. This is still a new virus and although the OMICRON mutation was milder, it can still be deadly.

My big problem is that I don't believe that Boris Johnson has made these decisions for the right reasons. I don't think it's about science, or a planned strategy.

I think it's a calculated attempt to woo the public. He knows that people are sick of COVID and - as seen by this thread - people just want all the restrictions out of the way. He's done some pretty awful things recently, even by his standards, and by waving this big carrot in front of people's noses, he's hoping they'll forget about how he behaved during lockdown.

That's my big issue. People are pleased and I understand why - but I think this is being done as a distraction technique.

I also think we have to bear in mind Long Covid. Doctors have confirmed that COVID creates an inflammatory response in the body which is unlike flu and colds and has the potential to continue for a long time. I'm not suggesting that we lock down or anything draconian, but long term inflammatory effects aren't yet fully known or understood and I think they should be factored into an overall strategy.

Just because COVID isn't killing as many people now doesn't mean we should all just pretend it doesn't exist any more. There is a middle path between locking down and being super-cautious and ripping up all restrictions - but that wouldn't make Boris as popular though, would it?

I wish someone could tell me about care homes.
At the moment i have to test before visiting dc.
If they come home we All have to test. Will that stop.
If now will we have to pay. To see. Disabled person?

@konasana it's already been made clear that asymptomatic testing is ending for everyone. The vulnerable will have access to free PCRs if symptomatic but that's not much use when someone needs to know whether it's safe to take their medication today and are asymptomatic.

@Alexandra2001

I do find it quite incredible that with deaths running at about 1000 per week and 10,000 in hospital, we all think CV has gone away and is just another mild winter illness or even like Flu.

As for the common sense of the british people? well lets get rid of speed limits and drink driving laws if we are so full of common sense!

It is said time and again, even by fucking Whitty and Vallance, that Covid is not KILLING 1000 people a week

And even Boris Johnson did not say go out and party like it's 2019. In fact he was at pains to point out Covid is still with us

It is said time and again, even by fucking Whitty and Vallance, that Covid is not KILLING 1000 people a week

Does fucking them both make what they any more believable? Or do you also think we ve only had 17000 deaths caused by CV ?

@TheKeatingFive

the labour party is now the party of the elite middle class liberals wanting this to carry on not the Tories.

Bizarre isn't it.

I still can't get over the fact that Labour were advocating for even longer school closures, in the full understanding of what that meant for the poorest in society.

It breaks my heart to think of the abuse and neglect suffered by children during this period. Remember poor Arthur L-H

There’s no point in comparing now with the lockdown period. This is a much milder variant for MOST people. And the vulnerable people had 4 vaccines in some cases and they also want a life . Otherwise why have the vaccines . Just look at the hospital and death rates they are right down .

Of course it might come back if there is a new more dangerous variant so it’s fingers crossed.

You have to use common sense . If I ever had a bad cold or flu I would not get near older relatives or young babies .

There are some countries that have never had free testing and also vaccines were harder to get as well .

How you can say lockdowns were a waste of time when the daily death rates were so much higher than now ? I don’t get your argument at all ?