2m rule

[Orangeblossom78]

Just wondered what you all felt about the possibility of the 2m rule changing as level of cases goes down. From the Times today

"The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has recommended against a change in the two-metre rule and has been reluctant to endorse a shorter distance as evidence mounts that the risk of infection is twice as high at one metre as at two.

However, one option would be to say that a higher risk of transmission is more acceptable when cases are low enough. Sage is due to discuss the rule today after shifting to weekly meetings as the outbreak eases.

Denmark has halved its rule to one metre, while New Zealand has got rid of social distancing after almost entirely eliminating the virus. Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, has also indicated that the rule could be made more flexible by putting greater emphasis on advice that standing back to back or side to side reduces the risk"

www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/two-metre-coronavirus-rule-will-be-relaxed-after-pubs-reopen-htx5l0wqj

(saying it may be brought in as pubs start to open- July (?)

I think it should stay 2m for now but would support a gradual easing over the (Engish) summer holidays to 1.5 and drop it to 1m from September.

However, I don't think the 2m thing is the issue in schools, it's the numbers allowed in one classroom.

I don't leave 2m in supermarkets all the time because you can't, you have to pass people in aisles that are not always even 2m wide.

For once maybe we could do what other countries are doing. 1m (WHO recommendation) or 1.5m is fine.

The scientists mention it also makes a difference being turned away, or even side by side so would have thought the mist risk would be from the people you are sharing a table with rather than those behind or beside you

Maybe they will take that into account also e.g. with cafes or pubs

“I don't leave 2m in supermarkets all the time because you can't, you have to pass people in aisles that are not always even 2m wide.”

Well that’s kind of the point of the one way systems, you’re not supposed to pass people if there isn’t 2m clear to do it...

I've just been to my local supermarket, a big superstore one with an Argos, Pharmacy etc. Not sure exactly how many people they employ, but I asked the checkout person how many staff had been infected with the virus................NONE.

The whole time.

Not even one person off with suspected CV.

I really think people need to get a grip in supermarkets and shouting if someone is 1.97m away

I agree with a PP about not being able to be 2m apart when passing someone in a supermarket. My supermarket doesn't have a one way system, the aisles are just about 2 metres wide and staff are normally restocking in approximately 50% of them at any one time. To stay 2 m apart you wouldn't get any shopping done at all. Walking briskly past at 1.5 m distance is ok, it seems to me.

“Walking briskly past at 1.5 m distance is ok, it seems to me.”

That’s my point though, most people seem to be either misjudging the distance or deciding for themselves that 1m is ok when it’s supposed to be 2...

So if it’s changed to 1m?....

But track and trace is only interested if you have spent 15 minutes within 2 metres, not passing by.

@tabulahrasa

“Walking briskly past at 1.5 m distance is ok, it seems to me.”

That’s my point though, most people seem to be either misjudging the distance or deciding for themselves that 1m is ok when it’s supposed to be 2...

So if it’s changed to 1m?....

I think 1m is a lot easier to judge and also a very natural distance to be away from each other. Being 50cm away would be really obviously close. So I don’t think that’s a problem.

Also, the chances of anyone picking it up from just passing briefly by somebody who has it (which is only a very small number of people anyway) is surely minuscule.

“Also, the chances of anyone picking it up from just passing briefly by somebody who has it (which is only a very small number of people anyway) is surely minuscule“

Probably, but the pavements here are only about 1m... yet I see people using them as the distance to pass, but also stop and talk to each other.

I mean it’s possible schools are particularly rubbish here and nobody does know meters...lol

But I assume that realistically not many people are currently anything like 2m apart in all sorts of situations, so it’s seems pretty likely if they shorten the distance it’ll just be - not touching rather than 1m.

"As for the RISK OF DEATH....wash your hands and don't cough in people's faces"

I was coming down the travelator in Tesco, out of a group of people standing talking, one man, in his 30's at least, decides to cough into the air. Everyone on the travelator got it and people around him.

I live in a rough area, we have an r rate of over 1. It's way too soon to stop social distancing. People aren't considerate on buses and in shops. Make shopping easy again and they will be crowded.

They've talked about regional lock downs, but I think different rules, can be put in place. So shopping stays the same, so we aren't at risk, because I've stood in queues for 15 minutes, many a time, so there will be an element of risk, especially towards Christmas.

But pubs etc can be different and those who want to take the chance can. Shopping is essential, pubs/cinemas etc aren't. Schools, I agree with returning. A system will have to be worked out for vulnerable children.

I'm wondering how deaf people are going to manage when accessing health care etc. We can't stop social distancing and move to masks everywhere, if we get a winter spike. We are in the habit of SD, so lets keep it for now.

Nowhere in the UK has an r rate over 1

Anything less than 2m is welcome.

Generally people moving around aren’t keeping 2metres because what 2metres looks like to one person is different to the next. Reducing this to 1.5m or 1m at the moment is too much of a risk, (as again what one person thinks is 1.5m/1m will be different to the next) the rate of infection is dropping but slowly and still higher than some European countries who have a reduced distance. Also many people in European countries are wearing masks/face coverings in indoor places.

The supermarket I go in doesn't have a one way system. The one way system really puzzles me. What happens if you forget something and need to retrace your steps?.
The WHO recommendations was 1 metre. Some countries did 1 metre, some did 1.5 metre and some did 2 metre.
I think it should be dropped back to 1 metre to see if there are any spikes, then, if not, abandoned.
In my opinion, Schools should be back to normal in September - no bubbles, at

It is an absolute abomination and should never have been tolerated in the first place.

Find it incredulous we have people on here actually debating the pros and cons of something that was backed by zero science.

Hate to be the one who breaks it to you but you have all been part of an enormous psychological operation.

The fear was placed in your heads quite deliberately by completely evil and sick bastards .

Don't give a shit if It is zero and we are just asked to 'stay alert'

It will be funny though, so it's worth it for that alone. Watch all the rule followers doing the mental work on how 1m is safe, it was always safe, there was never a 2m rule, big brother knows best. Also work will have to take up all their stickers/add new ones. They all had hard ons over implementing the last lot of rules (yet ironically wouldn't do fuck all until actual lockdown)

I think 2m needs to be relaxed, but with compensating measures such as mandating face coverings in public indoor settings (like pretty much every other country), arranging seating in restaurants/pubs to ensure people are sat with backs to people who aren’t in their group etc.

It would be completely insane just to go completely back to normal just at the moment as some as suggesting, as we’d likely be back at square one by September.... the 1 in a 1,000 would very quickly become much larger if we did, just like what happenned in February-March. Then schools wouldn’t be back for the new academic year which would be a disaster!

“The one way system really puzzles me. What happens if you forget something and need to retrace your steps?.”

You do a little loop, the spaces at the end of aisles are big enough to be two way.

It's 1.5m here in Germany and was 1.5m even during lockdown
Worked fine for us.

Schools here have been pt since 4 May and will almost certainly return ft after the vacation, in late August

Even with roomier German schools and smaller classes, that means dropping the 1.5m to 1.0 m or completely.
So far the only precautionary measures I've heard planned for that are to keep the frequent hand-washing, deep cleans etc & optional PPE

It’s false too say all other countries say 1m. Many others including America, Spain and Italy all use 2m

Going back to normal too quickly would send us back to square one and mean we’ve done all this for nothing

@Astabarista

It’s false too say all other countries say 1m. Many others including America, Spain and Italy all use 2m

It is false to say that

Which is why noone said that

We should just copy everything that Germany is doing.