So many people saying they'd see family next week if boris says people can work.

[IWannaBreakFREE20]

About 5 people I know have said either way their seeing their parents with the children. Because if boris says it's OK to go to work and commute and potentially bring virus home. Then it's surely makes no difference to taking the dcs to see their parents if they're wfh?

I sort of see the logic and I think many will.
My Pil have been begging to come see the kids and we've had to say no.
We normally see them twice a week same as my parents. But they find it harder for some reason.

I think people will now do their own thing in their own homes.

Today we did the social distancing ve day celebrations in front garden and the ones opposite did too. That was it. A little wave.

Out ndn both sides have family round in their houses.. I can hear it and they brightly said hi when going in.

Do u think people will just do it
Will you be one of those?

Moctodtensmum I agree.

If you're saying it's OK to be near a colleague for non-essential work, and it's OK to stand 2m from strangers in a queue at the garden centre, and it's OK to talk to neighbours and passing strangers over the garden wall, then there is no reason it's not also OK to talk to your mum in your garden sitting 2m away.

People aren't going to accept inconsistencies like that.

So many of us have been working throughout though. why should those who havent suddenly think such random thoughts?

The problem is @twinnywinny14 there is not measures across the board that they can ease that will keep everyone happy. At the moment the majority of people are in a very similar boat with these rules, seeing only their household but as things ease things will become more divided. Some people will be back at work, seeing colleagues while others like me will be left behind still at home with my child or the elderly alone. I crave some more adult company other than my husband every other week but that is a want and not a need. If I could see my mum my contacts will still be low- her, my stepdad and hers would remain low me and my stepdad. So I can completely understand the psychology of if x can go back to work why can’t I see y. I really don’t think there is a way of easing this that will keep everyone happy whilst only keeping contacts truly essential. Essential to earn money? For mental health? Prevent loneliness?

People are jumping the gun. Nothing has changed in England yet. And in Wales, where we've had our announcement, not much has changed. We can now go out more than once a day for exercise, some garden centres may open and libraries and recycling centres can begin to plan for opening. Assuming England's restrictions are lifted as gradually, why would that make people think it's now okay to see family and friends? I don't get it.

I read an interesting article today in the new york times which modelled different peaks and valleys of lockdown responses to the virus over the next 2 years. Even if we lift restrictions as so many here want and let the virus run through the population it will take a long long time to get to herd immunity, and as we know the death toll would be unacceptable.

There will be further lockdowns until we either have a vaccine or the virus burns itself out on us. Both scenarios could take a very long time. This is not the only lockdown we're going to see this year, it will have to be implemented again. We have to be able to accept living in periods of lockdown because what other choice is there?

I agree this would feel very inconsistent. Lots of street parties yesterday (which was lovely) but people wandering up and down, chatting (albeit at a distance), standing on each other’s driveways etc. If people are allowed to do this, why can’t I sit in my mum’s garden 2m away?

With garden centres and other non-essential shops opening, and if people are encouraged to physically get back to work, I think people will feel more and more like this.

The thing is, I’m point blank refusing to not to see my parents, sister or MIL until there’s a vaccine

Likewise. I won’t see my parents next week, I’ll hold out for this 3 week extension, but after that I might struggle. My mental health is really spiralling.

It does really make sense.

Do people think that those of us still working are just doing what we want?

Its a very childish way of looking at and smacks of 'if you make me go back to work I won't follow the rules'. Like people believed its their right to not work.

Lots of businesses closed that didnt need to and furloughed people. We need people back at work to help the economy, and get people off furlough scheme. .

My parents are shielding so Ai can't see them but friends -hell yes! Most people I know are meeting up for walks -keeping the obligatory 2m apart (although like the '5 a day' mantra is clearly just a made-up-number the Gvt think people will swallow. People are harming no/one by doing that. The Gvt should simply keep people up to date as risk factors are identified and qualified (ie infinitesimal risk of even having symptoms is f you are under 69 and or slim and or getting adequate Vit D .

I’ll be properly working next week. No way will I go within 2m of my parents unless I’ve tested positive already.
Quite happy to go and see them and have a coffee. Can always give the kettle a wipe and wash the mug.

@Peggysgettingcrazy no I don’t think that - I say that as an NHS nurse! It’s just that if the less essential places are opening, and people are encouraged to get physically back to work (ie my non-essential worker DH, who has been WFH the whole time, but his employer is keen for them to be back in the office), then it seems silly that people can’t see close family (at a distance).

I’m a staunch supporter of the measures in place, but they need to be clear and consistent for people to follow. Lots of people are really struggling now, for all sorts of reasons, and if the message is blurry I think people will start making their own risk assessments.

Dh is furloughed and I'm a sahm. Sholing once a week.

I think it’s easy to say you won’t see your family when you’re in this position.

I’m WFH, my husband is out all day everyday. I cant be furloughed, can’t take unpaid leave. My mental health is declining. If I could let my parents have my son I’d be able to work effectively. At the moment I’m doing a bad job of everything.

I don’t want to put my parents at risk and they won’t offer either. But if they were comfortable with the idea I’d be seriously tempted.

If my daughter and son weren't being so strict about the rules then I would be cuddling my grandchildren right this minute. It's role reversal from when I used to ground them!

I've been to see my parents already. I haven't been in a shop for over 6 weeks, or any enclosed space. Neither have they. We were all comfortable in that the risk to us is lower now than it will be when we aren't working from home anymore. So we did.

Numbers are still too high for my liking. It does need to be phased to keep the R number below one. The quicker we get the numbers down, the sooner restrictions can be lifted.

We've agreed we'll see my Mum properly first (I've chatted at a distance when dropping off food), but as she's elderly she'll still be isolating until end June anyway. We've all been out to work, so probably have an increased chance of having Covid, so don't want to risk spreading it.

I've already been doing it. I am doing my own risk assessments. So there are some people I am not seeing, and some people I am seeing.

I've been to see my parents already. I haven't been in a shop for over 6 weeks, or any enclosed space. Neither have they. We were all comfortable in that the risk to us is lower now than it will be when we aren't working from home anymore. So we did.

I think this sort of approach is sensible. We all need to do our own risk assessments and decide

If we get a clear plan with timelines on Sunday, fine. I will obey the rules a bit longer. If it’s another ‘wait and see’ and three more weeks, then I’ll be visiting my parents this week. I can’t handle it any more.

@Sipperskipper but if people can't tell the difference between needing to work and mixing households then there's a problem.

Not sure how clear the governement could be. Work and visiting family, are w different things. Surely people don't need explaining why both increase the risk, but only one is needed to try and help the economy.

People are really struggling. And tbh, I don't think seeing a few family members is a huge risk.

I just don't believe that 'well if I am made to go work I am seeing my family' argument makes sense.

Even if we lift restrictions as so many here want and let the virus run through the population it will take a long long time to get to herd immunity, and as we know the death toll would be unacceptable.

If we let the virus spread and did nothing to stop it, we’d get herd immunity quite quickly I think. If 5% have been currently (based on estimates I’ve read which could be wrong) and each person infects 2.5 people over a 5 day period, it wouldn’t take long as the numbers rise exponentially. However, the consequences would be horrific and the UK would be facing a full on humanitarian disaster and 100,000s dead in a couple of months. We’d also have to carry on regardless with our social mixing through the peak of that disaster, and be unflinchingly stoic, as the number of infections per person fell from 2.5 down to 0 naturally as more people got infected and more immune. There would be a long tail following the almighty spike in 4-6 weeks or so...but by mid autumn we’d probably be mostly over it.

I think seeing people outdoors with 2m distancing should start to be allowed as risk outdoors is a lot lower. Inside for long periods (over 10 mins) is not a good idea. This article is a good one regarding risks (the first bit is about america and spread but later on in the article it talks about transmission risk).

I dont have any family in the country, so I have no temptation, but my in laws see their other grandchild(my SIL) multiple times every week and I can see them breaking ranks this week. They just cant handle it. Its hard when they are in their 50s, so not elderly, my FIL is still working (small scale construction) and my BIL is going to the office every day and bringing whatever home to the kid anyway. It would be hard to justify not seeing your closest family members when you see your colleagues. My MIL will crack this week and see her other grandchild if my SIL says yes. I know she will. She has been a crying mess since week 2. Whereas I regularly go 6 or 8 weeks without seeing my parents, and a year without seeing other family members. This is normal to me really.

I've been to see my parents already. I haven't been in a shop for over 6 weeks, or any enclosed space. Neither have they. We were all comfortable in that the risk to us is lower now than it will be when we aren't working from home anymore. So we did.

Likewise, and I intend to do similar.

Apart from the few sectors that were obliged to close, no one has ever been told they can't work.

I've been to see my parents already. I haven't been in a shop for over 6 weeks, or any enclosed space. Neither have they. We were all comfortable in that the risk to us is lower now than it will be when we aren't working from home anymore. So we did.

I totally get your logic here and I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong but it is a true luxury that you can all manage to live without going inside a shop or enclosed space for 6 weeks. We most certainly can’t, we have to go to work and go out to buy food.

I’m not resentful of you directly (and I hope this doesn’t come across as rude, just trying to show my reasoning!) but I do feel the unfairness of it all. You can only live like that and start to see your family because other people are working to facilitate it. I don’t know how long the other people will tolerate it for and then the lockdown is all but over.

I just don't believe that 'well if I am made to go work I am seeing my family' argument makes sense.

Isn’t the psychology more “the Government have said it’s safe to be at work now. So if I’m safe at work, it’s surely safe to see my elderly parents.”

I think people tend to work in binaries as a way of navigating things that they don’t fully understand - and not even the most accomplished epidemiologist fully understands Covid - so things are either ‘safe’ or ‘risky’.