Is today essentially the end of lockdown?

[Forgone90]

Just that really. I can't help feeling with non essential shops now open, schools beggining to go back, Gatwick opening the second terminal and more people back at work, and the likely slashing of the 2 metre rule down to one ( which essentially means no touching really), that this is essentially the end of lockdown. Of course everyone still needs to be sensible and "stay alert". But will I finnaly be able to take my kids to spend their birthday money at the toyshop without being judged to high heaven?

I personally feel that coronaviruses will start slowly becoming less talked about on the news etc... Already not doing weekend news conferences, I fully expect at the end of the month it will go down to once a week news conferences instead.

The only things really to still not be back are, holidays, pubs/resteraunts mass gatherings and social distancing which I can see holidays and pubs being allowed in July, sporting matches maybe back by September and if no second wave "compulsory social distancing" ( I get that people will still want to voluntarily do it) gone by Christmas.

Well not really. I'm not back at work, huge numbers of children aren't at school, lots of parents are still doing homeschooling, I still can't go to my second home, I can't go away for the weekend, I can't go to a restaurant for lunch, and millions of people are walking around with huge bouffant hair dos.

Other than that, it's all over.

It's still best to be cautious.
I think the non essential shops opening up will be difficult as people get used to the new rules : they have done it for the essential shops but I do think trying to enforce it for places like primark etc might be more tricky.
Some people have seen this lockdown as a waste of time and will want to just ' get back to normal ' too quickly as well.
It's a balancing act that I think the stores will struggle with as the public are just fed up now. Just my musings but I won't be rushing into any clothes shops for a while myself.
Our council were quick to put the parking fees back in force whilst trying to get us to ' use the high street' ! As this all takes longer now to navigate I think this may also put people off a bit.
I don't envy retail workers today. The supermarket ones have been brilliant.

It's true that lots of other places are not open , yet but they will be in time.
I can't wait for the hairdressers to open up but that is still weeks away of course.

Whatever people decide to do, we are in the middle of a pandemic, we’re not at the end. There is still a long way to go. Whether people chose to ignore this and get back to normal is up to them but you won’t find me going into town just yet

Think that’s a fair summary yes op.

For me it will be when I'm allowed in to wales to see my family

Sadly nothing like it for me. None of my secondary aged DC back at school, and no idea when they may ever be able to return. They are all becoming more and more despondent. Work (I'm an NHS clinician) still an absolute shit show with telephone appointments for patients and now pointless increase in mask wearing. As a result we have been asked to work from home even more than usual this week and reduce NHS services once again. Life is actually getting a whole lot worse for me, and the NHS, and the nations children and young people. But hey, as long as we can all go to Primark everything is OK isn't it.

I too feel sorry for the children.
A few teens might enjoy a trip to the shops today , but the majority of kids will still be bewildered why they can't see their friends or go to school.

No! Majority of kids not back at school. Many parents therefore not in work. Many adults without kids still working from home.
Many people won't do non essential shopping and restaurants and pubs etc still closed for now.
Am happy things are slowly easing from an economic stance but would feel so much better if numbers were lower. I'm continuing to lay low and only seeing friends outside and aiming for a 2m distance where possible.

No. At least not in any meaningful way. Both DC still not back at school. DH and I both WFH - most likely for the rest of 2020. Can’t visit my family because that would involve an overnight stay (I’m not doing a 360 mile round trip to stand in the garden for a couple of hours). Hairdressers not open. Restaurants not open. Cafes not open (one or two are doing takeaway - but the majority are still shut). Swimming pool closed. Climbing wall closed. Gym closed.

I don’t want to go to Primark or play golf or buy DIY supplies, and as we’re a 2 adult household, we’re not allowed to form a bubble (all our local friends live in 2+ adult households).

I don't think it's over til all kids are back at school and office workers back at work...ugghhhhhhhh

Sadly nothing like it for me. None of my secondary aged DC back at school, and no idea when they may ever be able to return. They are all becoming more and more despondent. Work (I'm an NHS clinician) still an absolute shit show with telephone appointments for patients and now pointless increase in mask wearing. As a result we have been asked to work from home even more than usual this week and reduce NHS services once again. Life is actually getting a whole lot worse for me, and the NHS, and the nations children and young people. But hey, as long as we can all go to Primark everything is OK isn't it
This

I would think that life is getting a whole lot better for some businesses who can open up again and keep their staff in jobs.

No, the virus is still active in small numbers in most communities and can come back with a vengeance, given the opportunity.

Yes, places are opening up but keep your distance, maintain hand washing, keep contact to a minimum, isolate if asked to.

It’s important to decide what contact is essential (family, loved ones) and what really isn’t.

Think it depends on your circumstances OP. Life feels not too bad for me these days. I’m on maternity leave so that probably helps. My elder daughter is back in nursery, I can pop to the shops, I can sit in my parents, family & friends gardens for lunch (I’ll admit our young children do not socially distance).. we’ve always enjoyed walking as a family and it’s nice to see so many others out doing so now. I don’t panic about the 2m rule anymore. I observe it wherever I possibly can but on narrow paths or shops, simply step to the side. We’ve booked a couple trips to the zoo in July & August.. and it’s nice having my OH at home during the somewhat relentless maternity days. Nicer than being on my own as I was with DD1!

I mean some of the things I’d like to do are missing.. soft play on a rainy day, lunch in a cafe, the local farm we went to most weeks. And I’d kill for some childcare & a day off! I’m really sad my parents can’t hold their new grandchild.. and sad they can’t see my elder DD as my mum is shielding & social distancing my 3 year old is impossible. My in-laws live hours away so we are used to going a couple months without seeing them. But we are really missing them now..

I duno, feels like a bit of a half way house. Some normality. Enough to make life feel much happier for my family personally. I imagine if your kids are not back at school & you are juggling a full time job, life would still be pretty shit!

For me it'll be over when I'm allowed to sit on my mums sofa and she's allowed to hug the DC again (she lives with my dad and I live with DH so we can't bubble up).

It's certainly not over in Scotland.

We are very reatricted here

I have a broken tooth I can't get fixed, a job that is still closed and a toddler sitting on the sofa not at nursery. Let's not even discuss my hair.

Doesn't seem over to me.

Hardly any difference for us, 3 kids still home schooling. I can't fly to visit my DM, our holidays are still up in the air. I can't get my hair cut or go to a restaurant, theatre or cinema. No Uni open days for DS. No team sport for my kids, no yoga class for me... etc... but I'm glad some shops are opening, I'm looking forward to shopping for books and clothes in person.

Seeing lots of multi generational families out in a country park not social distancing over the weekend made me feel like lockdown was over for a lot of people. Maybe I'm in a minority for not letting my DD hang out with her grandparents (she's two so not able to SD).

I mean I get all that and it's not perfect here either... I work at an airport and am likely to be made redundant in the next few weeks.. We have a 2 year old and and autistic 7 year old who is desperate to see their friends.. However just mentally for me it helps to see things moving In the right direction... Just gives me that little bit of extra motivation to carry on as it will be better and are on the home straight.

....Erm to answer your question. No.
Won't be over for me until I can see my family.

I think we should be at the stage of starting to open things up but because we as a country had a very lax lockdown and the level of community infections is still too numerous to clamp down on with effective tracing, I am worried about what will happen over the next month or two.

I will go about my business cautiously, still only shopping when necessary, not keen at all to be indoors in a pub or cafe or restaurant.

Lots of things that are not open or require a military operation to access are the things my children need. Year 9 vaccinations, optician, asthma review, orthodentist, school (not opening), college (not opening), sports facilities. They can't see their grandparents or cousins as they are 200 miles away.

So yes, I do think the idiotic side of the public will perceive lockdown as being over.

Sorry that sounded snarky - I didn't mean to imply you are an idiot OP. I mostly mean a load of idiotic people will see shops and then pubs open and then think it is fine to have mass parties in their house, will give up on social distancing, will visit their older, more vulnerable family members and spend prolonged time with them indoors.

Already this week I have noticed a complete difference in the supermarket with regards to social distancing. No-one else was wiping down their trolley at the disinfectant station and people were crowded around certain shelves.

I'm in Scotland, so not here. I can go to the supermarket, and if I wanted to I could play golf! Seeing other people outside is allowed, but no toilets are open. It doesn't feel like anything has changed since March, except my hair has grown like a weed, and I feel slightly insane.