Seems like a lot of people have ended the lockdown themselves this weekend....

[Smithtylater]

I went to work today (am on maternity but returning on Monday) to meet my manager (NHS, working an on call weekend shift). I drove past Hampton court for the first time since i have been on maternity leave. You would have thought it was a normal sunny weekend day? Ice cream vans, hoards of people all close, hundreds of people on bikes, people sitting with their feet in the river, kids running around.
There is loads more traffic, more people around and even my own brother has gone 3 hour drive up North for a 40th birthday party?! I was angry at him and he said that the host said that the lockdown is 'ending tommorow so what is an extra day'?

I have seen on twitter about London Fields today (literally 1000s of people sitting there) and lots of people are under the impression its all ending on Monday ?!

But can you really blame people when you look at the headlines of all the papers? Boris should have adressed the nation before the weekend imo.

[Oblomov20]

Blimey. Those Germany pictures were a shock to me!

[woodhill]

I will continue to social distance as much as I can.

I don't see anything has changed in the lockdown situation from the government but we had 2 days' of good weather and VE Day.

I do understand if you have t got a garden or have small dc it is very difficult

[SquitMcJit]

@rawlikesushi
I agree. Some of the posts on threads I have read over the last few days have been eye-opening. So many people with their own spurious reasons for why they are entitled to do what they want. And staggeringly missing the point that they are not just taking a risk with their own health.

[madcatladyforever]

People are disgusting selfish beasts who don't care about anyone but themselves. let a second wave kill thousands then and good riddance.
It's one year out of our lives, we haven't had a pandemic like this for over 100 years and people just cannot buckle down and get on with it.
The supermarket yesterday was disgusting, I went to pick up some emergency antibiotics and nobody was wearing a mask, they were all wondering about right in my face not observing social distancing. I think the PM was right with his herd immunity theory - let the stupid die.
The rest of us will stay indoors.

[rawlikesushi]

"Ps. tests for Covid now being sent to USA to be analysed. A sneak peek at our future as we are sold bit by bit to USA."

50,000 tests were sent to the US to be processed because of a problem at a British lab. The 'teething problems' were mentioned at a daily briefing. It is a contingency plan. By suggesting anything else you are being disingenuous. What contingency plan would you have preferred?

[Dodgytrousers]

And when all this escalates into an increased infection rate in a few weeks time, it will of course be the governments fault, in particular Boris'.

The spreading of fake news is also on this site and it's scary that some people ACTUALLY fall for it....

And that's just reading through this thread alone...

[CountFosco]

Given the amount of whining that has happened over the last 8 weeks by some adults who have felt so utterly aggrieved that they cannot visit their mother

I think that's unfair. Many old people who live alone are finding this very hard. We spoke about MIL (in her 80s) coming to us at the beginning of March but she thought it wasn't necessary. Now, after 7 weeks in lockdown despite keeping herself busy and being a very positive and upbeat person she is getting very lonely and can't wait to see us all. Once lockdown slackens a bit I think DH will go and get her to come and stay with us.

[rawlikesushi]

And I'm also tired of hearing how you've got nothing to worry about unless you've got an underlying health condition.

It's almost like 'let those people hide away so that we can get on with our lives.'

But we're talking about millions of people. Do these idiots really not have a loved one with high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, an undiagnosed heart murmur?

[HeadPotato]

Interesting that Boris announced the lifting of the lockdown during pmqs on the day that the UK became the European champions of death.
Some cynical people might say he was trying to distract from the catastrophic decisions made by him and his government.

[Intelinside57]

@CountFosco I would go and get her now. If you've been as careful as you can be and she's been isolated the risk of infecting each other is very small. Balanced against someone in her 80's who is finding things hard. Surely even if you were stopped that would be a reason to travel? Or even ring the non-emergency number to ask for advice, explaining that you're concerned for the welfare of an elderly parent.

[vanillandhoney]

And on a deeper level, I think the government are realising how traumatised many people are

I don't think Boris and co. really give a toss about that.

[Sostenueto]

raw sorry about spelling it's rather hard with distonia and spasms associated with condition to hit the right button!
What I wanted to see was a government who from the first case of Covid in this country took it seriously, managed to actually organise from the very beginning testing if Covid in this country by all the resources in this country. But as we have seen this government led by an absentee leader could not organise a piss up in a brewery! Three main things wrong with the leadership of this country......overpaid, under talented and over here😁

[leckford]

The NHS has not been overwhelmed outside London. The Nightingale hospitals have hardly been used.

People need cancer, heart problem, diabetes etc tests before they get seriously ill. Operations need to re start. If the idiots get the virus, although many have had it already they can be taken to the nearly empty Nightingales

[DressingGownofDoom]

Maybe those people have realised that we need to learn to live with the virus and that we will probably all end up getting it anyway. So what's the point in locking ourselves in? The real fear was that we would get sick and there wouldn't be an ICU bed for us, that's not the case at present so lockdown is pointless.

[catpoooffender]

Others saying 'some people aren't worried about getting it' and 'it's their choice' - well no actually, in a society, you should also be thinking about who you might inadvertently pass it to, or the services you will need if you become more ill than expected.

This. It winds me up so much when people say this.

And the twats who think they can make their own choices about when lockdown will end for them - fuck you. It's the most selfish attitude and demonstrates the worst of human nature. I'm alright Jack. I'm sure there will be a big overlap with those who were stockpiling toilet roll and hand gel back in March.

[rawlikesushi]

I have a friend who lives separately to her partner. She posts daily about how hard it is. I do understand how hard it must be, and fair play to them for staying apart.

But he's not away at war. He's in the next town, living his life, safe and well. They can talk on the phone and FaceTime, and know it won't last forever.

I'm just surprised on a daily basis at how weak some people are, and how so many lack the resilience to cope with adversity. I wonder whose fault it is. Probably the government, or teachers.

[Allnamesaregone]

We have friends in Germany and the lock down isn’t as strict as here. Households can visit each other provided they are the same family. You can still go house hunting too.

[tartanbow]

@rawlikesushi I dont really get your point tbh

the people most at risk have been asked to shield anyway - are you suggesting that everyone else should be staying in to show solidarity? so those people dont feel picked on?

sorry but that makes 0 sense. at some point some of us have to get back to work

[rawlikesushi]

"People need cancer, heart problem, diabetes etc tests before they get seriously ill. "

All of that has resumed at our nearest hospital now.

[JinglingHellsBells]

I was really shocked to see someone where I live (small village) posting a photo on our Facebook page of a neighbour drinking in her garden on VE day - 'at a distance'.

Worse still there were about 60 'likes' from people I thought were sensible types- many of them older, in their 60s and 70s, so not young teens or kids.

No one seemed to understand that you aren't supposed to have friends or neighbours round in your garden, even if they are sitting away from you.

It's just amazing- it's one thing to do this on the sly, but WTF post it on social media as a kind of 'boast'?

[rawlikesushi]

"Maybe those people have realised that we need to learn to live with the virus and that we will probably all end up getting it anyway."

Yes, through a gradual and monitored relaxation of the lockdown rules.

[Dodgytrousers]

Astounded by the comments by a few on this thread.

Do as I say and not as I do.

Unbelievable.

[rawlikesushi]

"sorry but that makes 0 sense. at some point some of us have to get back to work."

Yes, of course, I'm in full agreement. In a gradual, managed way that doesn't see a sudden spike in infections - as will happen when an entire subset of illiterate dickheads decide to unilaterally make their own rules.

[catpoooffender]

@tartanbow the point is that the more people socialise, the more the virus will continue to spread, and in the absence of a virus, the longer and more strictly the 'vulnerable' will have to shelter. Plus we know that it's not only those with certain conditions or the elderly who can be killed by this. And finally, if Johnny Big Balls carries on going round to see all of his mates because he's young and fit and doesn't see why he should stay in, then catches it and ends up in hospital, he's using up precious NHS resources.

[Sostenueto]

My Dgd aged 18 has been in lockdown since begining of March. She has an auto immune blood disorder and is on immune suppresent drugs. She us not even allowed to go out for exercise. Her single mum is working 6 12 hours shifts as a carer. My Dgd is alone most of the time and I have to ring her every hour to check shes not on floor bleeding to death. She has not voiced one word of anger or frustration about being in lockdown. She is worried sick about her health, her future ( supposed to start uni in September) but yet she does not moan. So as far as I'm concerned those that break the lockdown are weak, selfish people.