Does this mean we're pretending everything's normal?

[MotherMorph]

I was shopping in tesco today, and had to queue for a short period of time to get in (there is a traffic light system on the door)
Inside I guess maybe 5-10% people were wearing masks. Lots of people were ignoring the one way arrows and 3 members of staff were ripping up the "keep 2m apart" stickers from the floor and the black and yellow tape that signified where you should stand at the checkout.
I thought that 2m was still recommended where possible, and that 1m was borderline ok if masks (or other protective gear) was worn?
So I'm guessing that it will be more or less "business as usual" when I next go. I felt like the supermarket was one of the places where it was easier to SD but it seems like that's being discouraged....?

Sounds about right it's all going to be fine is the new party line

It was still 2m queuing here, perhaps they are altering the layout? Never have seen masks indoors much, I've certainly never warn one. I think rather than think its all over, we are simply learning to live with the risk - other countries have to with other diseases.

Not from what I have seen 🤷‍♀️ still queueing still social distancing and signs up. Not many people wearing masks (myself included) but it is not compulsory. As for people ignoring one way systems, there have always been a few who did that.

Do we really need another thread of ‘does everyone think it’s back to normal’

Here’s a summary:

Some people completely ignore the rules. Meet up. Indoors. Outdoors. No distancing. Attend mass events.
Some people ignore some of the rules. Meet outdoors but don’t distance. Have more than 6 people in the garden. Ignore signs in Tesco.
Some people mostly keep to the rules. But don’t hugely worry if they aren’t exactly 2m apart. Kids socialise while adults keep apart. May need to use Grandma for childcare while they work.
Some people stick to the rules to the letter. And judge all those who don’t if Mumsnet is anything to go by!

Face masks are not mandatory. Only on public transport. Whether you think it’s right or wrong, no-one is breaking any rules not wearing them in Tesco. I personally think we should all wear them in shops but that’s not my decision. I wear mine. I don’t judge those who don’t. I also don’t think that people not wearing them ‘think all is normal’. They just choose not to wear a mask.

Oh, not this pseudo- surprised, passive aggressive "Oh, am I the only decent person obeying the rules? " stuff again!
Every day without fail, please, please, please change the bloody record!

One way systems IME keep people in the shop for longer than needed which is surely counterproductive

They’ll all be whinging on MN when their kids can’t go back to school full time in the autumn. But they won’t make any sacrifices like wearing a mask in the meantime.

Some people mostly keep to the rules. But don’t hugely worry if they aren’t exactly 2m apart

For what it's worth, this is me. But I wear a face covering in the shops, too (more for other's protection/reassurance).

I am not pretending everything is normal, but I am also fortunate enough to work at home and be able to stay away from more crowded areas.

Want my kids back to school in September so prepared to have a restricted summer.

Click and collect for the win!! Loads of slots now.

I always thought the one way system in shops is counter productive as it means people have to walk round the whole shop whether they need to or not. Surely getting as many people in & out as quickly as possible would be better?

I'm not judging people for not wearing masks since they are not compulsory (I havent even stated whether I was or not!)
But I'm commenting that I thought (if I understood right ) that 2m was preferable but if that wasnt possible, 1m was ok if people were wearing face masks. I thought (wrongly)that we would be asked to wear masks in more situations (ie the supermarket) if the 2m rule was lessened.

OP, I went to Lidl at the end of last week and there was no disinfecting of trolleys (I did my own with a tissue and handgel), no queue, no signage, prob 5% wearing a mask the weekly shop was a bit cheaper but back to Waitrose I happily toodle next week. Max of 40 customers in store, disinfected trolleys, ppl making a massive effort to social distance.

And I wear a mask every time I go for a shop, use a ton of handgel and giveaway to every man and his dog in the isles! Not normal times.

To add I'm not a person who wants lockdown to carry on indefinitely, I just thought that there would be precautions in place for a lot longer.
I'm happy not to rush out to bars and restaurants and have made peace with the idea of not going on holiday, but I thought the supermarket was one of places it was (comparitively) easy to SD.

@MotherMorph I agree with you, keep the social distancing going as much as possible, and we can all go out a bit more therefore living a bit more of a less scared normal life. If I need to go and run errands I now wear a mask, gel my hands, give others a wide birth and get about my day.

I'm happy to keep to 2m while queuing, but other than that you aren't in prolonged contact with a person in the shop.

You can't not overtake a faffer otherwise the queues would stack up as everyone would be banked up while people check ingrediants/ shopping list or whatever other faffery goes through their heads.

Fortunately my supermarkets don't have oneway systems as they look like a riduculously counterproductive way to keep people in store for longer while weaving around unnecesary aisles and harder to avoid the faffers. Tesco is an unpleasant sensory assault of clutter without inintuitive direction signs.

The supermarkets had to make up social distancing as they went over the first few weeks. It's not surprising if they are reevaluating what is actually practical and stripping off tatty markings from months of foot fall, or just unrealostic.

That's odd about staff taking up stickers. Stickers are firmly in place where i live. Maybe the distance was measured wrong & needs relocating? 2m is about 2 full outstretched arm lengths apart, so pretty easy to tell, anyway.

Where has this 1 metre “is fine with a face covering“ come from? I thought it was going to be 1 metre irrespective?

It's not necessarily masks @BananaPop2020 , but it's 1M+ - so 1M plus something else eg masks, Perspex screens, not facing someone etc

That's the way I've understood it anyway!

@namechangenumber2 thank you, I have long given up deciphering anything the Government says.

Yep. 2m, or 1m with other mitigating elements. Or something.

Asda were recently a claimed as the best supermarket for social distancing measures (and I agree I've found that the the case). However, I went last night and so many are ignoring the one-way system. I spoke to a member of staff and asked why they aren't enforcing it and he looked bemused and said "well, I think they may be getting rid of the 2 metre stickers next week".

The PM hasn't abolished the 2 metres social-distancing measures. It is still supposed to be 2 metres but, where it isn't possible, it can be "1 metre + mitigation". As it is possible to do 2 metres in supermarkets, which has been proven, why would they not stick to the measures?

I now have no reason to use Asda in preference to other supermarkets.