Do you think things are opening too fast?

[onestepat]

My friend has just said she's not rushing into anything /going anywhere for the rest of the year.
Do you think Lockdown is over too fast ?

Looks like @fessmess just wants as much furlough pay as she can get while she gets to sit at home and do nothing for it. 🤣

Yes some people are just upset furlough fun is over

@fessmess

YES! Not on furlough forever, just until it has died down and not at a 1000 new cases a day. We have the third highest death total globally. Some SAGE members are up in arms about this opening up of hospitality. IMO it is unsafe.

You really don’t want to go back to work, do you?!

The hospitality sector has been among the very last to reopen so you’ve had a very long furlough in some lovely weather so this must be an unwelcome shock. Other workers have had to slog on regardless so will be less fearful and actually haven’t keeled over. If pubs couldn’t reopen for yet more extended time, they will be making yet more losses and the furlough finance train can’t rumble on indefinitely, and neither can closed businesses.

In my experience, the Government guidelines for reopening places have been stringent and I think you will be reassured by the reality. Ultimately you are being paid to do a job which you’ve not had to do for months and have grown fearful. But it can’t go on and on until you feel less fearful or cases have dwindled to figures low enough to reassure you, while businesses collapse.

Could you give a link to SAGE being up in arms?

@Jrobhatch29

Yes some people are just upset furlough fun is over

Can’t help agreeing.....

Some of you are despicable! Thanks for opening! How dare you!!

As for some don't go to get pissed? Most do.

Know what? I am not going to get any sympathy from you selfish arseholes. Hope you enjoy your meal out, sad losers. Just hope you spare a thought for the staff, having to enforce social distancing on minimum wage. 😡😡😡

@IcedPurple

Do people think 'the economy' is unrelated to health and wellbeing?

"The economy" isn't just dudes in fancy offices watching share prices on their computers. It's the couple who run the little pub down the road, the local woman who goes in to clean it every day, the taxi drivers who take people home after an evening of fun, and so on. And all these people pay taxes which fund the NHS and other essential services. Where do people think this money is coming from if not 'the economy'?

Totally agree! I've seen so many people through this whole thing say it shouldn't be economy over lives. But it's not a one or the other. Healthcare needs a good functioning economy in order to function its self. We need the money coming in from taxes to enable us to run the nhs, schools etc.

Will do @fessmess. Plenty of people have been working throughout without adequate protection, not that it makes it right, but your place of work will have specific processes they need to stick to, if they don't then report them. Also a pub has the ability to stop serving people when they get drunk if it's safer, if not they should lose their license.

Quit your job then. There are plenty people who have just lost their job who will snap up your position in a second. Definitely no sympathy, sorry. My partner has been back at work in a factory with 3000 people for 4 weeks now and coming home to our kids and newborn baby. Shit, but sadly we have to pay for a roof over our kids head

Economy affects lives.
Job Losses, Loss of Income, Poverty, Mental Health are all linked...

Those who don't understand this or say even if they lost their job, had no income etc it would still be too soon. Sorry but when you can't afford to pay your bills or keep your house I bet you would think differently.

I appreciate some are in a good position, have money to see them through, are furloughed, can stay at home etc BUT many others cannot afford to simply do this.

Nobody is forced to go anywhere so those that want to can and those that don't arnt made to (unless for work purposes of course) but social meetings and events are optional. People seem to forget that.

I for one cannot wait to visit outdoor places such as childrens animal farms, play areas etc and get my hair done but will possibly avoid shopping centres, pubs for a little longer as I imagine there will be a rush for these.

It is hoped our office at work will reopen from September but with half in/half working at home (and opposites on other days) with good hygiene, masks optional and regular cleaning.

About time a little bit of normality resumed we cannot stay locked away for ever

@Sandybval

Will do *@fessmess*. Plenty of people have been working throughout without adequate protection, not that it makes it right, but your place of work will have specific processes they need to stick to, if they don't then report them. Also a pub has the ability to stop serving people when they get drunk if it's safer, if not they should lose their license.

This is true. I work for a big pub chain and we have put a whole load of measures in place to keep things "safe" We have the ability to stop serving people who have had too much and if things get out of hand police are called. Thankfully this very rarely happens, maybe once in the last 5 years. People who come to us are locals and just want to sit and have a drink with their family and friends.

As a company they don't want to purposely put people at risk because they will be in trouble so they've come up with the ways of reducing the virus spreading. If people want to get paid they have to go to work, it's that simple. The furlough has been a huge relief for all of us in the industry but most of us know it can't last forever and are willing to get on board with the opening of the country because it's what has to happen.

Once again, those on low wage are facing the biggest risk. Factories, pubs, shops etc. All those crying for it all to open up "for the economy", how many of you have to be part of it??

I understand people have concerns and I also understand people need to get back to work if they cant work from home. I do have sympathy for those who are on the front line day in day out, including those in the industries which are now allowed to open.

We need to be cautious in our daily choices and I think most people are but you are always going to get people who are not.

I've worked throughout, as has my husband. I have friends who have been doing 50 hour plus weeks in supermarkets throughout before the screens were put up (zero PPE), HCA friends who earn more or less minimum wage working in hospitals throughout, again, without sufficient protection. Funny enough none of them have moaned, not even once, sad times but they feel grateful to have a steady income.

We were just pleased the factory reopened actually as its nissan and the one in spain was unable to reopen after their lockdown. Making thousands of people and everyone in the supply chain unemployed. Of course we are all concerned about covid, but some people are also concerned about losing their homes and being unable to pay bills. Covid is not the only problem we have.

@fessmess I’ve been made redundant from my nice safe work at home / office job so yes I have been affected by the economy being absolutely fucked. I’m not on minimum wage, it would be easier if I had been because I could pick up other work easier than trying to find another 30k a year role. Your proposed solution is another few weeks of furlough- why? Will you suddenly be happy to go back then? It sounds like you’re panicking tbh. I assume your workplace will have put in the work to be ‘COVID secure’

No. I'm glad things are opening up. It's gone on long enough. I think things will be ok.

fessmess I work in a factory environment and earn minimum wage. I'm on furlough right now and I'm desperate to go back as the alternative is benefits.

Don’t go back to your job then @fessmess if your going to moan about it, plenty of other people have actually lost their job in the last few months so I’m sure they will find someone to replace you quick enough who will do it happily and not with a face like a smacked ass.
Although your furlough pay will end that way so there will be no pleasing you.

I think we should have begun to open up but Johnson has ignored the science again and he's opening too much too soon. A more staggered approach would have been sensible. But I expect Dom told him what to do.

It's a mistake, goes against the science. Still 1,000 new cases a day.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/23/easing-several-lockdown-rules-at-once-could-boost-virus-say-uk-scientists

If the economy tanks, those of us on minimum wage will suffer too. Pubs and restaurants will shut down, shops will close.

It isnt just people on minimum wage either. My next door neighbour is an optician. His wife is shielding and he has had to go back to work this week. I would say that is high risk. The doctors and nurses who have worked throughout are not on minimum wage. Neither are teachers. My dad is a driving instructor, not sure how his car can be covid secure. Everyone is facing some element of risk!

A slow reopening is fine, shops, outdoor tourist venues, restaurants where tables are spaced out and people tend to stay sitting down. However, I think pubs and cinemas is a step too far. No, not everybody gets pissed at the pub but quite a few do and alcohol affects the way you behave. I think sitting for a prolonged period in an enclosed space like a cinema with the air conditioning on doesn't sound like the best idea unless people wore face masks, which we are still bafflingly opposed to in the UK.

What is happening in some of the US states like Texas where they reopened quickly is really very concerning, although I don't think they let levels there fall enough before reopening.

Have you read about the conditions for pubs and cinemas? They address both of those points.

I am going on holiday in late July. I will happily go to a beer garden. Shops etc

I'm prob going to not bother with cinemas tho.

The hospitality sector has been among the very last to reopen

It's not the last at all. Schools, hospitals and GP surgeries are barely functioning and they're far more important than people being able to go to the pub or have a meal in a cafe. The public services need to be back to normal before we start thinking about non-essentials.