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Original poster

Announcement today (Wed)?

405 replies

Mammamiaherewegoagainmymy · 23/12/2020 09:20

Looks like they'll be an announcement of new restrictions today - ministers meeting this morning so (despite papers last night) doesn't seem they've decided what to do yet - more places in Tier 4 or national lockdown, maybe. Xmas Sad

Robert Jenrick quoted in Guardian today saying 'A judgment needs to be made as to whether the tiered system is strong enough, or whether at some point in the future we need to take further action.' which sounds a bit ominous...

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 23/12/2020 16:09

@manicinsomniac

itsgettingweird - that doesn't sound fair either but adding yet another 500,000 people to the queue ahead of vulnerable people is wrong. There are significantly vulnerable people who are in priority 6 as it is. How much longer do they wait if we put all teachers above them? Aside from vulnerable teachers, I think that would be really wrong.
I didn't say ahead of vulnerable people.

I pointed out healthily non patient facing nhs staff are getting it.

To counteract why they are so determine to throw teachers into rooms of 32 households and say they don't need to be a priority.

I want vulnerable to get it. My mums over 65 on chemo.
My dads over 70 and just post chemo.

BarbaraofSeville · 23/12/2020 16:10

@GabsAlot

so my dsis has gone from tier 2 to 4-her numbers are half the amount as other tier 4 places makes no sense
I think the tier 2 to tier 4 must be to provide a 'buffer zone' around the tier 4 areas where the numbers are high, to discourage people from travelling from tier 4 to tier 2 for non essential shops, leisure, restaurants etc, which effectively increases the risk in the tier 2 area to that of tier 4.
GirlsonFilm · 23/12/2020 16:11

Nhs admin in a GP surgery has had her first covid vaccine dose.

The staff at GP surgeries are getting the sixth dose in the vaccine vial, it's not licenced for general use and would get thrown away otherwise.

PimlicoJo · 23/12/2020 16:12

I'm in my 50s, no known health conditions. I'd be very happy for teachers to be vaccinated before me.

Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone · 23/12/2020 16:13

@nosswith

Face shields should be the alternative to face coverings and every adult should be required to have one or the other. In September in Munich everyone had face coverings, no exceptions, and I cannot believe our health is that much worse than theirs.

'I find it uncomfortable' is not a reason not to wear one.

Face shields are pretty useless at protecting others. It should be no mask no going out.
CountessFrog · 23/12/2020 16:14

There doesn’t seem to be any sense in the vaccine roll out.

I’m nhs, patient facing role, but I can work from home. Teachers can’t. Teachers should be ahead of me in the queue

manicinsomniac · 23/12/2020 16:15

No, I know you didn't itsgettingweird. But, rightly or wrongly, healthcare workers have all been put into priority 1. And vulnerable people are in priority 6. So, if we fight to join healthcare workers, then, by default, we are putting ourselves ahead of vulnerable people.

I don't have enough information to know whether all healthcare workers needed to be in the top priority band or not. But many people have their own reasons for thinking they should be a higher priority than they are. I've got a friend plugging a petition to say she should get a priority vaccine as an unpaid carer. I get the logic in her argument too. But the reality is most of us are just going to have to wait and I feel that healthy teachers are much better able to wait than many who are already quite low down the list.

RoseAndRose · 23/12/2020 16:15

Face shields should be the alternative to face coverings

No they shouldn't be.

They are very effective at protecting the wearer from splatter to their face and in particular eyes, but they are useless for other purposes, as exhalations go straight round the edges.

manicinsomniac · 23/12/2020 16:17

Girlsonfilm - that's really interesting. Why is the 6th dose not viable for use? Is it dangerous? Ineffective? Why are they using it on anybody if it's not fit for purpose?

itsgettingweird · 23/12/2020 16:18

@manicinsomniac

No, I know you didn't itsgettingweird. But, rightly or wrongly, healthcare workers have all been put into priority 1. And vulnerable people are in priority 6. So, if we fight to join healthcare workers, then, by default, we are putting ourselves ahead of vulnerable people.

I don't have enough information to know whether all healthcare workers needed to be in the top priority band or not. But many people have their own reasons for thinking they should be a higher priority than they are. I've got a friend plugging a petition to say she should get a priority vaccine as an unpaid carer. I get the logic in her argument too. But the reality is most of us are just going to have to wait and I feel that healthy teachers are much better able to wait than many who are already quite low down the list.

The concern I have is that teachers cannot distance, cannot stay hom etc.

They are mixing in huge household groups for hours a day.

They were a priority for swine flu jab for this reason.

They either need to vaccinate school staff to keep schools open whilst older people who are retired and can isolate do. Or keep schools closed.

My issue is the risk they are placing school staff in. We are being effectively locked down with no indoor mixing allowed. So how can schools still be safe places? It scares me.

QueenStromba · 23/12/2020 16:18

@GabsAlot

so my dsis has gone from tier 2 to 4-her numbers are half the amount as other tier 4 places makes no sense
It makes perfect sense if you look at the rate of increase, although these areas should have been tier 3 or 4 already.
LifelsAPigsty · 23/12/2020 16:19

@Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone no jobs, medical care, public transport etc for disabled people. That's nice.

itsgettingweird · 23/12/2020 16:21

The most interesting thing is my area is going from T2-4.

Cases have gone down daily since last Friday when schools broke up.
Same with adjoining town which was already T4 and is remaining so.

I agree this strict tiering system is needed. But it also really needs to honestly reflect where the transmission is happening.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 23/12/2020 16:22

Haven't read whole thread,but any other Bournemouthians / BCP residents somewhat confused how we're remaining in Tier 2 while bordered by Tier 3 and Tier 4 areas from Boxing Day ?

Obviously not gagging for more restrictions but given the commuters from this area to London and places like Southampton /Bournemouth, and that our cases are on the rise according to the local rag, I'm a bit baffled......

Shelby30 · 23/12/2020 16:24

@LJC1234

Currently in tier 4 which feels like lockdown. Anyone any idea what would be different for those of us in T4 if there was a full lockdown
The difference I can see is that in the first lockdown all non essential business had to close if you couldn't wfh. This time round my husband is still going to his non essential job as can't wfh.
Bluewavescrashing · 23/12/2020 16:25

I think some areas are bring out into harsher tiers than their stats warrant, so they can act as a buffer to contain spread

manicinsomniac · 23/12/2020 16:28

My issue is the risk they are placing school staff in. We are being effectively locked down with no indoor mixing allowed. So how can schools still be safe places? It scares me

I do understand that and agree that January will be quite scary. But I question whether we are at any greater risk than the adults that live with the children. We are too close to the students for far too much of the time, definitely. But the students are even closer to each other. And then they go home and are much closer (presumably) to their parents than they ever get to us. I know it doesn't work for everybody in every school, I really do understand that, but we surely have far more options for distancing ourselves from others in schools than the students do? Plus we actually care about doing so which it seems that the students do not. I didn't feel unsafe in school last term (appreciate January might feel very different - we had no cases last term but shot up to tier 4 very quickly last week) but I did worry about hugging my teenagers when they came in from their school. If I was vulnerable, I don't think I would want to be around them which sounds awful! But I think we easily forget that it isn't schools themselves that are the major problem - it's schools and the wider school community. If you prioritised teachers, you'd have to prioritise parents of school aged children too.

janetmendoza · 23/12/2020 16:28

The sixth dose us entirely viable for use. I have had it. It's harder to draw up but it is usable

Xenia · 23/12/2020 16:29

I don't think it is correct to compare Christmas to Eid. For Christians Eater is much more important religiously than Christmas and we could not by law meet at Easter - first lock down. So Christians have already been hammered by these appalling laws already

rosie1959 · 23/12/2020 16:33

We have moved from tier 2 to 4 not unexpected tier 4 is just a couple of miles away
Certainly cant blame Boris for this even he didnt invent this new variant

itsgettingweird · 23/12/2020 16:34

Adults wouldn't be at greater risk from students at home if they weren't being out into breeding pens to spread it!

Either it's so transmissible no one can mix inside or it's not.

ConfusedcomMum · 23/12/2020 16:37

Xenia you do know there are 2 Eids in a year right?

SimonJT · 23/12/2020 16:39

@Xenia

I don't think it is correct to compare Christmas to Eid. For Christians Eater is much more important religiously than Christmas and we could not by law meet at Easter - first lock down. So Christians have already been hammered by these appalling laws already
Muslims missed eid al-Fitr and eid al-Adha.
manicinsomniac · 23/12/2020 16:40

Adults wouldn't be at greater risk from students at home if they weren't being out into breeding pens to spread it

Well yes, whether or not we should be in school at all is a whole other issue, isn't it!
It's one I'm very torn on because being in school is the only thing that has kept me functioning and semi sane this term but, at the same time, I don't necessarily disagree with those who say we should close.

itsgettingweird · 23/12/2020 16:44

I don't think they should close. I value their importance and believe they are amazing places for children as teaching staff are generally amazing.

But I don't think we can throw staff to the wolves and throw children into Petri dishes and then wonder why cases are dropping.

We needed and still need more than ever a proper plan and funding for schools. Rather than this game government are playing to show they control them.

One day - legal threats for closing when cases rocketing.
Last day of working week - prepare schools for testing first day of term. They have no respect for HT and it's showing. And at some point Joe Public need to wake up en masse to what the government are doing.