Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Is nobody social distancing anymore?

59 replies

LittleMrsMama · 12/07/2020 22:35

I'm over 39 weeks pregnant and have been isolating for the last 4 months apart from hospital appointments. Over the last week my social media has had an influx of people with their arms around each other, in large groups etc. I thought that maybe I'd missed something but checked online and social distancing is still meant to be taking place.

Many of these people are expecting to hold my baby when she arrives but I know will kick off if I say I'm not comfortable with it.

I feel like DH and I are the only people we know taking the rules seriously. Anyone else experienced the same or have a different perspective?

OP posts:
thewinkingprawn · 12/07/2020 22:37

I Think people are just doing their own risk assessment and living their life accordingly. You’ll do the same. You are obviously far from the ‘only ones’ observing the rules. We’ve effectively gone back to normal as we, our friends and family are not high risk so choose to crack on now.

purpleme12 · 12/07/2020 22:37

Most people I know and know of aren't, no

Original poster
LittleMrsMama · 12/07/2020 23:05

It's good to hear the other side of things, maybe we are in a bit of a bubble. New cases have gone up in the UK but the news only seems to report on deaths now which is strange. Most of the recent relaxations has been in relation to the economy rather than social interactions.

@thewinkingprawn - we're clearly not the only people in England social distancing but as I say, 'I feel like we're the only people we know taking the rules seriously.' One friend sent me a photo of her and 16 others at a picnic posing for a photo with their arms around oneanother. I was shocked given my baby is due this week and she's so keen to hold the baby and keeps saying how safe she is because she's working from home. I did call her up on it in a soft way but I needed to vent to someone but then I realised that everyone I'm close to has gone outside the guidelines in some way

OP posts:
RaininSummer · 12/07/2020 23:14

Everybody I know is still largely distancing other than seeing close family who aren't shielding. I worry that it's too much too soon and hope the rising infection rates don't get too scary.

Derbygerbil · 12/07/2020 23:26

There seems such a disparity.... Lots of people seem concerned, wear masks and obey the rules..... Others act like it’s all completely over.

p0rridge · 12/07/2020 23:34

It seems the same to me here. I had my baby a couple of months ago now and nobody has had a hold yet apart from me and DH. It's been unbeliveably tough, but we've done it to make sure we're following the rules and keeping everyone safe. My social media tells a different story - most people don't seem to be bothering any more. All these people expecting to hold your baby - do they not realise that they have to remain 2m apart from you and your child until the guidelines are relaxed further?
Frankly I think the way people are carrying on is completely selfish. I have relatives who are shielding and unbelievably worried, and those people who choose not to bother distancing themselves clearly don't care enough about others to think it's worth it.
@thewinkingprawn Thanks so much for your consideration of others - I'm glad that as you're not high risk you've decided that it's worth risking others' lives to make sure your own get back to normal asap.

MintyMabel · 12/07/2020 23:45

Everyone I know is still distancing as per the rules. I’m surprised you think the fact you’re seeing it on SM means that nobody is doing it. You think people are likely to post a picture of themselves social distancing?

Molly333 · 12/07/2020 23:52

We are still doing it here as are my friends

Miserablemoan · 12/07/2020 23:55

I haven’t touched anyone outside of my household since March (apart from at work wearing PPE)
I am meeting up with more people now and on occasion more than the ‘allowed’ 6 but only outside and am conscious of trying my best to stay at least 1m apart.
Most people I know are doing similar although there are outliers on either side.
Certainly seeing more non socially distanced photos creeping in on Facebook.

FattyBoom · 13/07/2020 00:00

Pretty much everyone I know is. Just say to them that when they have not been closer than 2m to someone outside their household for 14 days they can have a cuddle, but until that they are too much of a risk. Then it is entirely their choice

Abitannoying · 13/07/2020 00:06

We are still following the rules in my household, as is my sister in hers.

Allmyeye · 13/07/2020 01:16

Lots of people are following the rules but it feels as if more aren’t and I think we are all going to pay for it.

LanguageTeacher · 13/07/2020 01:22

I noticed a huge difference this weekend. So far, pretty much everyone around me (in Scotland) respected the 2-m distance. This weekend, several people approached me and my baby, getting very close, even wanting to shake my hand and touch the baby. I find it very hard to refuse (and didn’t manage to) as I don’t want to be impolite.

DownThePlath · 13/07/2020 01:47

I literally know nobody that is anymore. At all.

Oysterbabe · 13/07/2020 07:23

We are social distancing from most people but not everyone. We are seeing and staying with close family. I don't keep my children away from other children. I'm comfortable with our choices. Keeping my kids isolated was very hard on them and I was worried about all of our mental healths. The cure was becoming worse than the disease.
Community transmission around here is so low, you'd struggle to catch it if you tried. People have been darkly muttering about 'here comes the second wave' since VE day but the numbers have done nothing but drop.

mightbealittlebitmad · 13/07/2020 07:27

Not officially, when I see friends we naturally leave a gap and we aren't huggers but we aren't ensuring there is a 2m distance. We don't worry about making each other drinks and handing them over and the kids play together.

We don't at work because it's impossible when you are running around a busy pub so we have visors to reduce the risk, same in the kitchen. We have to wear them for the customers as well because we are getting within a metre of them to serve them.

I'm not going out of my way to break rules, I just don't consider if the gap between us is 2m. With strangers I leave a bigger gap but again I'm not stressing over the size of it.

I'll be staying with my parents soon, I'm not a hugger so there will be minimal physical contact apart from the kids but there won't be 2m gaps between us for definite.

CaptainMyCaptain · 13/07/2020 07:29

Everyone I know still is and people are still crossing the road or standing back to let people pass outside.

Helenj1977 · 13/07/2020 07:33

We're back to normal with close family and friends. Supermarkets are back to normal except for the queuing.

If I was in your position, I'd shield and would shield my new baby. Don't do anything you don't want to. Coronavirus is still here and a lot of people have no symptoms.

I would not take the risk xx

Tfoot75 · 13/07/2020 07:35

New cases have NOT gone up in the UK. Not saying that they won't, but please don't spread false information. The rolling average is flat at 500 cases per day at the moment, the chart has not shown an increase at any point since April.

WorkingItOutAsIGo · 13/07/2020 07:36

I am socially distancing and so is my entire family.

nether · 13/07/2020 07:36

Unfortunately, many people are not.

For those of us still shielding, it is putting areas out of use for our daily outside exercise (all,we are currentoymadvised to,do)

And the general response is, all too often, that the vulnerable should stay inside then.

Enjoy your bably. So not pass her to others who you are not comfortable holding her.

Sometimes you have to put up with a heck of a lot of shit because you need to take the instructions cautiously, and people's reactions do get tiresome. OTOH, there are also plenty of people who are adhering to the rules, not getting too close to people, handwashing/sanitising and mask wearing, and generally not wanting to pass on any infections they might (knowingly or unknowingly) have

usernotfound0000 · 13/07/2020 07:38

We are and most people I know are, but I know what you mean. This weekend has definitely seen a shift. My Facebook was full of people gathering indoors, groups outdoors, arms round each other for photos etc and some of the people I follow on Instagram are the same. It does seem like for a lot of people it is over now.

Aramox · 13/07/2020 07:38

Everyone I know is, and still with 2m. But none of us have been to pubs either.

SteelyPanther · 13/07/2020 07:56

I was in a shop yesterday and the only two people in there wearing a mask were elderly, and they obviously think that wearing a mask means the 2m rule doesn’t apply to them 😡

CaptainMyCaptain · 13/07/2020 08:02

@SteelyPanther

I was in a shop yesterday and the only two people in there wearing a mask were elderly, and they obviously think that wearing a mask means the 2m rule doesn’t apply to them 😡
To be fair, Johnson said '2m or 1m + mitigation' so maybe they were following that although it's not what I would do.
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.