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.

@Clutterbugsmum

We have to get back to some sort of normal.

We also can't keep paying out 2billion pounds a month on 'free testing' and other costs of Covid, while businesses are losing millions/billions in tax revenue.

So yes the financial aspect of this will have been have been a big part in this decision.

The problem is, if you take short cuts with public health funding, it will cost more in the long run.

For example, public health funding has been cut. Austerity has also taken away a lot from the nhs and other support structures including education. Lo and behold we have huge inequalities and walked into covid as a poor, u healthy nation and we suffered.

It’s a penny wise and pound foolish approach and costs more in the long run. Running a country is much more complex than budgeting for a household and anyone who uses that analogy should be nowhere near the role of a chancellor. Nor should they comment on the nation’s economics as they haven’t a clue.

We both tested positive despite triple jabbing this week. Honestly it's been worse than we expected. We are both reasonably fit. So expected this mild cold symptoms.

But there's no way I could have worked Mon or Tuesday. I was sick then felt like I'd been ran over. Every limb ached and I'm still feeling crappy now.

So I think maybe the move away from managed isolation and the end of free testing is a little premature.

Testing will continue in clinical settings. Any new dangerous variant will be picked up there quickly. People should stay home if Ill.

Two years is long enough op.it’s mild, we are heading into spring, cases and hospitalisations are very low.

You can’t keep this situation going for ever where people are isolating and off work, you need to deal with your anxiety instead.

@Chestofdraws

Testing will continue in clinical settings. Any new dangerous variant will be picked up there quickly. People should stay home if Ill.

Two years is long enough op.it’s mild, we are heading into spring, cases and hospitalisations are very low.

You can’t keep this situation going for ever where people are isolating and off work, you need to deal with your anxiety instead.

Who said it would be kept up forever?

Why are people acting like it’s either give it all up now or go back into lockdown. People can be a bit simple minded and black and white about this.

That’s not how the world works and not what the medical profession are saying.

Testing is a useful and easy way to monitor cases. To not even have free testing while giving up isolation is madness, it truly is.

Things like vaccines for children will be made more risky now without the ability to test quickly. They’ve recommended a 12 week gap between vaccines and covid for children because there’s a heightened risk of myocarditis if the jab is too close to having had covid.

How are parents supposed to be able to confirm if their child has covid and not just a cold without quick access to lateral flows?

Charging for tests is just another way of keeping the Tory pockets lined - I bet you they’re the ones whispering we need to charge for tests, so they can keep making money.

I bet reducing PCRs and postal LFTs - at least having LFTs via chemists and libraries instead would reduce the cost massively but they didn’t bother costing that.

How are parents supposed to be able to confirm if their child has covid and not just a cold without quick access to lateral flows?

Why does it matter! With a cold they should be staying home and not near vulnerable people. And testing hasn’t stopped it continues in clinical settings. This free testing is costing 2 billion a month. Money that can be better used in other settings. Like cancer treatment, it’s not a limitless pot for goodness sake.

Even Chris Whitty reiterated this is steady not sudden

If people listened to the briefing they would have also heard many lines re variants and surveillance

At each stage we get this resistance and this is no different.

I agree with you oP. I am triple jabbed and in good health. Don't smoke. I am
Just recovering from covid. There is no way I could have gone to work - I couldn't even stay awake. For me, it wasn't as bad as flu but much worse than a cold.

I wonder if those of you who are saying it's so minor are young? I'm in my 50s. DD17 has a bit of a sniffle and could have gone to school.

@Chestofdraws

How are parents supposed to be able to confirm if their child has covid and not just a cold without quick access to lateral flows?

Why does it matter! With a cold they should be staying home and not near vulnerable people. And testing hasn’t stopped it continues in clinical settings. This free testing is costing 2 billion a month. Money that can be better used in other settings. Like cancer treatment, it’s not a limitless pot for goodness sake.

I’m talking about children having vaccines. They have to wait twelve weeks after having covid before being vaccinated.

Because if they don’t, there’s an increase in the risk of myocarditis in children.

That’s what I am talking about FFS

@MarshaBradyo

Even Chris Whitty reiterated this is steady not sudden

If people listened to the briefing they would have also heard many lines re variants and surveillance

At each stage we get this resistance and this is no different.

You must have watched something else. He said it was a political decision. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

You must have watched something else. He said it was a political decision. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

No I wasn’t watching something else but I see even the CMO talking about it not being sudden didn’t stick with you as you are looking for what you want to hear.

I get you are anxious but there are huge costs. They don’t concern you as much as they are not pushed as much, but they are there.

At every stage we’ve had warnings of dire consequences that people have latched on to to stop the release. I’m not surprised after the messaging we’ve had re staying safe and heightened risk but hopefully this will recede now.

I’m not anxious for myself. I’m angry actually that this government plays politics with a public health and has done for years.

The government has handed a tax cut to banks. They can afford to keep lateral flow tests at a better provision than now.

They just make the wrong financial choices over and over again.

If you take shortcuts with things like the nhs and public health, then it costs a lot more later down the line. I get that it’s difficult to see that and understand it can’t be put in simple terms which is why people don’t get it.

If you make people ill, if you don’t give them the tools to stay well, then it will costs more down the line.

That’s why we are so unhealthy after years and years of austerity. Austerity didn’t save money.

"I’m talking about children having vaccines. They have to wait twelve weeks after having covid before being vaccinated.

Because if they don’t, there’s an increase in the risk of myocarditis in children.

That’s what I am talking about FFS"

I do think that's a valid point. I suppose though not every one was testing children, especially primary aged children 2 x per week.

Maybe they need to look at how other countries do it, as most other countries don't offer free lateral flow tests generally.

No I'm not in the slightest bit worried. I'm relieved! It's been two year's!

And to be made to work through the pandemic in a job with close contact, but then be told I can't see my family was a total piss take.

I got covid and so did everyone around me and we got over it. I didn't even know I had it, my kids missed school for no reason, I missed work for no reason. I'm done with the madness of it all, it's not going away and majorities of people get over it

I’m not sure ending the right to sick pay from day 1 is a good thing. I mean if you are genuinely too ill to work this isn’t going to help you is it? I’m certainly not celebrating that because it is going to hit people who can’t afford it.

I bet reducing PCRs and postal LFTs - at least having LFTs via chemists and libraries instead would reduce the cost massively but they didn’t bother costing that.

But Iggly, earlier in the thread you said we needed to ‘keep testing for a month after isolation ends’ - and we are. Then you said ‘but we’re already restricting testing’ - and yes, we are. But you thought that was a bad thing - now you’re saying it’s a good thing to try?

I don’t disagree this is an all-or-nothing plan from the Tories but even just this thread shows me how the population in general cannot be satisfied with ‘what happens next’ - some people want to drop ‘everything’ but the isolation payment/off work sick payment, some people want to ‘keep masks but open everything up properly’, plenty don’t agree there’s anything to worry about, plenty disagree and want mass testing to remain indefinitely, etc etc. People use their very own personal experience to extrapolate to a population level on what’s ‘needed’.

It’s human nature. As you say, a government can’t run the economics of a country on that basis.

Stats say cases are falling. Spring is on it’s way. Mass free testing costs billions. Masks aren’t mandatory now anyway, they’re not coming back just because isolation is ending. Isolation is ending because business is screaming and we’re in bad shape as an economy. The NHS is underfunded but it’s not getting more funding any time soon - especially if we keep spending on coronavirus mitigations.

Yes, it’s potentially too quick, yes BJ is a partygate-avoiding dyed-in-the-wool Tory arsehole with cronies in his pocket.

But we’re just all going to have to get on with it. And try to feel less anxious generally about ‘normal’ interactions.

I’m more concerned that economic, social and educational costs have been downplayed a huge extent and Covid risk heightened massively on other direction.

I get why but now hospitalisation is decreasing and excess deaths are where they are there is no longer the reason to continue - we all knew the objective for very harsh measures with huge costs

I’m angry actually that this government plays politics with a public health and has done for years.
Me too. But I don’t think keeping spending so much on (debatably ineffective) LFTs is going to help.

I wonder if those of you who are saying it's so minor are young? I'm in my 50s. DD17 has a bit of a sniffle and could have gone to school.

It genuinely is thar mild for some, regardless of age. Just as its devastating for others, I'm in my '30s and I was much more ill with it than my 60 year old Mother, who felt slightly tired and had slightly achy legs. Or my 82 year old relative in the UlS who developed it before vaccines were available and felt only a little more tired than usual, in spite of being morbidly obese, diabetic, having heart and lung issues and is on oxygen. I've known several other older people who had mild symptoms. Of course the risk increases will age but its perfectly possible to still have a very mild case.

@dizzydizzydizzy

I agree with you oP. I am triple jabbed and in good health. Don't smoke. I am Just recovering from covid. There is no way I could have gone to work - I couldn't even stay awake. For me, it wasn't as bad as flu but much worse than a cold.

I wonder if those of you who are saying it's so minor are young? I'm in my 50s. DD17 has a bit of a sniffle and could have gone to school.

The measures were in place not to stop people getting ill but to slow down spread so so hospital pressure was lowered.

Then we had vaccines and now figures are decreasing. The huge cost isn’t justified to just make sure people don’t feel ill. Just not hospitalised at a too high rate.

You're not worried about long COVID then?

Are people really still peddling this argument?

No, no I'm not, personally. Or about as worried as I would've been about getting post viral fatigue from some other illness I may contract.
So not very.

1.) I think it is too soon and I'm not a 'lock down lover'
2.) it's not going to help the NHS as we will still not permitted to come to work with covid obviously. We are still testing twice weekly, so will still have to take time off to isolate.
3.) my parter works in food production and when he was off with covid we only got £86 for the week and didn't get the payment so couldn't pay our mortgage. He will go into work. Do you want someone with covid preparing food for you in a restaurant? Sneezing over your latte? These people without sick pay drag themselves in no matter what and bosses don't care. I hope all those in favour of dropping all restrictions are aware of this.
4.) I won't be testing my kids if I have to pay so the chances of them getting and passing covid on at a super spreader event like a birthday party is high. This is probably happening already but I still think people are being more cautious about taking snotty kids out even when it's just a cold. That mindset will go if people are going here there are everywhere whilst infectious.
5.) you have no idea if you will get it mildly or not. My 90 year old MiL was fine, my friend is an occupational therapist in her thirties and now has long covid and can't work anymore. My cousin who runs marathons was really ill, whilst I'm an overweight flabby chocoholic and was fine. The person who gave it to me had to have the paramedics out. It's so unpredictable. Now you may say 'I had it and was fine' but what if you give it someone at work and find out they're really poorly, or get long covid, will you feel fine then? My DD gave it someone at school before we knew she was positive and I felt awful, it's not a nice feeling.
Now I'm a hedonist and generally take risks but this to me is ridiculous. What are we so desperate to do which can't be done now? Go out with covid? We can't manage five days in our house? We could save costs with doing away with walk in test sites and just doing postal tests, or maybe charging a prescription charge for LFTs. I suppose the two go hand in hand, we can't charge for testing but then say it's illegal for those with covid to go out. Can't help thinking there must be another way.

Bronchitis, novovirus, flu, other coronavirus’s are all dangerous to vulnerable people and have killed people in their thousands every winter. In the winter of 2014-2015 over 28000 people died of flu and the vaccine was estimated to be only 34% effective that year (ONS) Variants occur every year making the vaccine far less effective than the covid 19 vaccine. So why weren’t all of you who want restrictions and masks to go on and on calling for those same restrictions back then?

The Delta variant was very dangerous, sadly there was a great loss of life. And we had no vaccine. So restrictions were needed.

First we were told we just needed the pressure on hospitals to ease. When that happened we were told we just needed everyone to have the chance to get the vaccine. Then it was a chance to get the booster. Then we needed to be sure Omnicron was milder.

So all that has happened. We are down to a handful of deaths a day. It’s a mild disease for most. Are people wanting there to be zero deaths and no covid? Because if that’s what you are waiting for it’s never ever going to happen.

Like PP said nobody is stopping you from masking and gloving up, staying away from crowds and spraying your shopping. But the time has come to stop restricting everyone else.

Flu hasn’t killed 170,000 in 2 years.

@OlympicProcrastinator actually no one has said zero covid is the aim. The NHS do care about flu and have tried to get a vaccine programme for everyone for years. You didn't answer my question, why are you so desperate to go out with covid?

We can't manage five days in our house?

It's not five days though, for many families. We were 16 days in isolation. No one actually ill apart from DS1 for half a day. DS2 couldn't go to nursery in all that time despite never testing positive.