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What would make you start following the rules? (If you’re not yet doing so)

82 replies

Chestergirl39 · 22/09/2020 22:08

Ok so Boris has been clear on the reasons why we need stricter rules. Rates are rising, hospitalisations are rising, test and trace not working, we need to take action collectively.....

But, still hearing from colleagues and posts on here about how they’re planning to get around the rules, ignore the rules, how they’re special, exempt etc etc...

What would it take to make you follow them? (If you’re not already?) Will the threat of fines make a difference?

OP posts:
NameChange9824 · 23/09/2020 13:45

When I can afford to. We've not followed the rules properly from the beginning. DH was meant to shield but that would mean he had zero income and wasn't eligible for furlough, so he kept working. When shielding dropped, we started keeping the rules. In general, I think it's unreasonable to ask people to choose between keeping the rules and keeping their families fed and sheltered. No one should end up in poverty as the result of doing the right thing.

ohthegoats · 23/09/2020 13:52

If the restrictions are followed it will not increase again to the level at which the NHS is overrun and the economy tanks.

It's doing that right now.

Do people who are planning to still see their grandchildren, or parents of school/nursery kids wanting to meet with their elderly parents not worry about this too? What are you doing to prevent/minimise this?

I am a teacher, and I have a child at a different school who goes to afterschool club too. Partner works at home. We are therefore already in two/three 'risky' bubbles. We'll keep seeing older family members until they tell us not to. I saw my mid 70s parents at the weekend, in their house, all doors and windows open, both of them standing more than 2m away at all times. In the summer we went to see my partner's 100 year old grandparent because she desperately wanted us to. She hugged us a lot while we were there. At that point we'd been 2 weeks quietly seeing only child's friends in the park, me sat miles away from any other adult. I hadn't done anything else that was 'risky'.

Now that school is properly back in the picture we just need to take it as they want it, which remains to be seen.

hamstersarse · 23/09/2020 14:16

@Chestergirl39

I can understand how everyone feels and feel the same myself to some degree, but can’t help feeling frustrated at having followed the rules completely only to feel like we’re back at square one. Also can’t help feeling a bit cross at people who’ve just ignored the rules and done what they like and feel we’re all being punished for that.

DP and I have elderly parents, who we’d love to meet up with, but this involves staying over. I’m petrified of passing it to them inadvertently, especially having our kids back in school and mixing with all and sundry.

Do people who are planning to still see their grandchildren, or parents of school/nursery kids wanting to meet with their elderly parents not worry about this too? What are you doing to prevent/minimise this?

Is there any part of you that thinks we might be back at square one because the restrictions don't really work? I will guess you are an avid mask wearer and judger but is there any part of you that wonders if it really makes any difference?

That is what a lot of people who dare to question the rules are wondering. What is the evdience for these claims?

Do you really think a few people seeing their family (i.e. breaking the rules) will have made such a difference?

Chestergirl39 · 23/09/2020 16:13

@hamstersarse

I suppose none of us know do we, as we aren’t given the full information about how it’s spreading, who it’s affecting and how badly etc. Rates did appear to drop when the restrictions were tightened, and appeared to increase when distancing slackened and people mixed more. Hospitalisations have more than quadrupled, but again we don’t know the details on these, but I assume that the government wouldn’t choose to increase restrictions again unless there was good reason, as apart from anything else, they’re catastrophic for the economy.

We are told that the main spread is related to mixing in houses especially in multi-generational homes, again I’ve seen no evidence of this, only what we’ve been told, but I suppose it makes some sense if younger people can be asymptomatic and people tend to mix more closely indoors with less ventilation.

Pubs, schools, protests, raves, private parties, holidays etc have probably all played a part in the spread as well as people not isolating and quarantining, but again we only hear of some individual cases, so cannot know for definite.

I am a reluctant mask wearer, I do it when I have to, I don’t much like it, I preferred distancing and still do this if seeing friends and family, even outdoors. What is it that makes you think I’m a judger?

Do you have any better suggestions than what Boris has proposed to slow down the spread and the hospitalisations, while also keeping the economy ticking over? I don’t necessarily agree with all of them, but feel we have to follow them, or we will end up with worse ones.

OP posts:
ComicePear · 23/09/2020 17:27

Rates did appear to drop when the restrictions were tightened, and appeared to increase when distancing slackened and people mixed more

It's not that I don't believe this to be true. It's more that I want to know, what's the long term plan? At the moment it seems that we are just delaying the inevitable, i.e. we'll relax restrictions at some point and then cases will just rise again and hospitalisations will increase and what have we really achieved?

Of course, if a safe and effective vaccine is developed in a few months then yes, I can see the point in buying time until then. That makes sense. But what if we never have a vaccine (or it takes years to develop one)? Will we just lurch from one lockdown to the next?

OpheliasCrayon · 23/09/2020 17:35

I'll probably follow the rules until I need an eye test. Or , I feel unwell and I need to test how unwell I am.

In both of these situations I would break the rules and drive to Durham

BoJoTookMyMojo · 23/09/2020 21:20

I might follow the rules if I was physically able to. As it is, the lack of any hope or meaning in my life due to everything being taken away by lockdown means I'm currently needing help just to make sure I eat and things. I was a (almost) fully functioning adult six months ago. This has broken me. So I carried on trying to socialise despite local lockdown just to keep going. Not managing any more, obvs.

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