AIBU but isn't it a bit daft to end all Covid restrictions so soon.....

[Diamondsareforever123]

I'm pretty worried TBH, particularly the move from people not having to isolate if they have Covid. Let's face it a lot of people won't be able to afford to isolate! Surely this will simply allow the virus to circulate more widely - so more people with Covid, and more vulnerable people with Covid. What happens when the vaccine immunity starts to wane? What happens if we get a really dodgy variant? Why can't the government impose mandatory mask wearing on transport and shops? This would stop spread, I'd really like to hear views on this please.

no thanks. wont be wearing masks anymore in work

and for the vast majority omicron is mild enough to continue to work so a wage can be earned

thankful that colleagues won't be off endlessly isolating then coming back saying they felt fine and were bored
that means the ret of us will not have to run round covering their shifts anymore....thankfully!

Mask wearing does bugger all to stop the spread - loo’ at Countries like Scotland that have required masks all the way through. See also vaccine passports. The vulnerable have been triple vaccinated, hospitalisations continue to fall, death rates continue to fall, infection rates continue to fall. The requirement for healthy people to isolate is having a significant impact on education, healthcare and the food supply chain. When do you think is the right time if not now?

So soon?! It's been two years!

I can’t wait for all the restrictions to end! Enough is enough.

In Scotland and I am counting down the days to get rid of the masks!

It's not exactly so soon, it's been nearly two years! I agree, people working in shops have had enough of compulsory mask wearing, it's making a bad job almost unbearable. Also I agree with charging for LFTs, the country can't afford to keep providing these for free forever - it's costing a fortune and some people are ridiculous with them, they are also contributing massively towards plastic waste.

I agree OP.

These changes should have been introduced gradually not all at once and the ending of isolation for those with covid at this stage is madness.

We all have experience of how fast colds and stomach bugs spread in schools and the work place and those are generally fairly mild. Covid isn't going to magically stop spreading and it has the potential to make some people very ill.

However, Boris Johnson needed something that is going to distract from partygate and hopefully, from his point of view, raise his popularity rating. This is all he's got that might achieve that so obviously he's pushing it for all he's worth.

a very welcome move

I have Covid right now. There was one day where I didn’t feel like I’d have gone to work, but since then I’ve been easily fine enough to have gone. We can’t continue to have perfectly healthy people off work for a week when they don’t need to be. It had to end at some point, thank God.

your vaccine immunity wears off after a couple of months and doesnt offer full coverage anyway.

get over it, we always knew it was here to stay and would melt into the background like the Spanish flu did.

they HAVE happened gradually!!

masks going...
isolation period lessened....

isolation of people not sick was ridiculous....businesses need to get back to normal or more jobs will be lost

people were taking the piss!

The problem is not that it's too soon but that there is no real plsn. Yes, what happens when Immunity wears off. What will happen to vulnerable people? What if there's a new serious mutation. We wouldn't even know till hospitals get filled up and deaths creep up as there won't be any testing.

I'm worried as well op. It's obviously a populist move. It had to Fe done at some point (and I'm not saying that it shouldn't be done) bit with a little bit of foresight and planning it could have been done well rather than pretending that COVID suddenly isn't an issue anymore.

I agree with you. More people getting long covid is a worry too, it is not necessary to abandon all measures in this way.

Have to be honest I’m struggling a bit with the description of someone who has covid as being healthy. I appreciate you may feel fine but until you test negative surely you may be infectious and can spread it to someone else? Isn’t that what we’ve been trying to avoid for the last 2 years? But suddenly it doesn’t matter?

I agree with you PP but clearly we’re in the minority.

what do you all want then??

businesses are failing
existing staff are worn out covering

what do you actually want? quick enough to moan theres no stock on shelves/deliveries are late/ staff are short tempered/ no customer service

we are exhausted covering for healthy off work colleagues!!

Let's face it a lot of people won't be able to afford to isolate!

As opposed to now when everyone isolates because it is financially viable for them to do so?

I think that at least those who test positive should not be going into schools, hospitals, surgeries, offices, factories or other enclosed workplaces. Take the dog for a walk maybe outside.

At least in Scotland there is another four weeks. In Wales over the last two to three weeks when I see the map of infection levels they are lower than other parts of the UK, and they had longer restrictions on some activities.

It has happened gradually.

Nobody, literally nobody is stopping you staying indoors all day, wearing 5 masks at a time and bleaching your shopping, you crack on. But the time for expecting other people to pander to your anxieties is over.

My children have legitimately really suffered from isolations both for themselves and their 1-1s at school when none of them were unwell with it.

It's a fine line to balance between preserving the vulnerable health wise and preserving the vulnerable who are struggling with the restrictions. My DC have really really struggled over the past 2 years and I've had enough of them suffering for the benefits of others.

We will continue to protect my elderly grandparents and I think this is the route medically vulnerable people will need to go down.

There is only so much sacrificing we can ask of people

Soon? It's been 2 years. I can't wait for 21st March. (Scotland) it's not soon enough.

And still stuck rules in school. Parents night by telephone and school concert recorded. When is that going to go. When can our children get their childhoods back.

I would feel ok about it if I thought that it was following the science.
But it's not- it's just the government trying to please/ distract us.
So I can see why you are concerned.

@Diamondsareforever123

I agree. Seems mad to stop isolation and testing. Isolating for 5-8 days whilst having covid is fine, the government should financially support those who need it whilst isolating

the cases have dramatically dropped....even since masks were ditched