To be hopefully that things will be back to normal by April

[Tellmelies65]

I’m convinced things will be mostly back to normal by April. Am in denial?

Not normal but I definitely think we'll be over the worst by April. I'll be surprised if schools, shops and hospitality aren't fully open by that stage. We may still be socialising mostly outdoors but better weather will make that much more pleasant. I feel we need to get through the next three months then things will keep improving.

@MrsFezziwig

I do wonder why they are not vaccinating teachers as one of the priority groups

They certainly weren’t included in the original priority groups, but the lead article in the Sunday Times today states “it is understood that teachers will be high on the list for vaccination”. Perhaps someone in the government has finally clicked that you can’t actually keep schools open if large numbers of staff are sick or isolating.

Ah. Hope so. I would hope it would be the whole being out there working for the benefit of our kids and them deserving some protection thing but perhaps I am giving the government too much credit there.

Even if governments wanted restrictions to stay in place ‘forever’ despite the vaccine being widely rolled out and better treatment available for COVID, I can’t see many people actually accepting it. We already have people protesting lockdowns and restrictions at the moment, they would definitely stop being a minority if it was expected to continue beyond the point where all vulnerable have been vaccinated.

The government wouldn’t want restrictions to stay in place a moment longer than they have to be, it’s costing a fortune to keep millions furloughed.

I thought teachers weren't high on the list for vaccines as they haven't been dying in high numbers or being admitted into hospital with covid.

The priority groups have all been those who have been disproportionately represented in the death/ICU numbers. The elderly, NHS and care home staff.

This is good news for teachers, while many have been sick, very few have died of covid.

Good that they are being bumped up the vaccine list to keep schools open, but the list was drawn up originally with a focus on keeping people alive, not just avoiding being ill.

@MargosKaftan

I thought teachers weren't high on the list for vaccines as they haven't been dying in high numbers or being admitted into hospital with covid.

The priority groups have all been those who have been disproportionately represented in the death/ICU numbers. The elderly, NHS and care home staff.

This is good news for teachers, while many have been sick, very few have died of covid.

Good that they are being bumped up the vaccine list to keep schools open, but the list was drawn up originally with a focus on keeping people alive, not just avoiding being ill.

Having had a TA and a teaching assistant die LONG before their times in two schools I used to work in, another three battling for their lives in intensive care and goodness knows how many more still suffering months after Covid, some left unable to work - I’m hugely relieved if teachers will be getting the vaccine.

It’s quite sobering to see children, parents and other colleagues lining the streets as their TA and Teacher’s coffins were driven past, knowing that if it weren’t for a Covid outbreak in both schools, both staff members would still be there.

It might be “only a few” to some people and maybe they feel it’s justified to sacrifice these teachers so that schools can stay open but when it’s people you knew, who have left their kids motherless and when you don’t know how many more colleagues it’s going to happen then it’s not easy to dismiss as “just another statistic”.

That should’ve read “a TA and a teacher” not “and a teaching assistant”.

@Honeyroar

The government wouldn’t want restrictions to stay in place a moment longer than they have to be, it’s costing a fortune to keep millions furloughed.

Not to mention the massive loss of tax revenues from all the businesses which have closed (temporary and permanent). So less income and more costs. Also the longer term risk of business bounce back loans not being repaid by businesses that go under which is another cost as the govt will have to repay the banks.

It's why Sunak did the "eat out to help out" scheme - the Treasury are panicking and pulling the strings to try to avoid economic catastrophe, but trying to keep the economy going seems to be making covid worse.

@NameChange84 that is awful and I’m sorry for you all. It’s easy for people to make sweeping judgements on a population level. Very different when it’s Mrs Jones from 3P being driven past the school in a hearse.

[quote Lemons1571]@NameChange84 that is awful and I’m sorry for you all. It’s easy for people to make sweeping judgements on a population level. Very different when it’s Mrs Jones from 3P being driven past the school in a hearse.[/quote]
Thank you. I think what made it worse was that they died within a week of each other and there were (are) still teachers and TAs in our intensive care unit as the funerals were happening. We had similar situations in the Spring with several cars home staff in their 30s and 40s dying.

These two deaths were almost certainly due to children going on holidays during half term and the two women being subjected to a heavy viral load when schools reopened in November and the kids all returned. It’s just been such a horrible time for schools locally. I forgot that a school janitor in our hometown also died after half term.

I do think if the government had managed things better, these deaths were avoidable. One of our local private schools does weekly Covid tests for all staff and students. Prior to Christmas one of my friend’s who teaches their found that 45% of her tutor group tested positive. They were all asymptomatic bar one who “had a cold” and would have had no reason to isolate had they not been tested.

Pfizer was always going to be a logistical challenge given the way it needs to be stored

If they can have Oxford ready to go by the new year it'll be a lot quicker

Perhaps, though the US has vaccinated 1.9m people in half the time the UK has.
My point is i don't think we are capable of vaccinating 3m per week, which in a very densely populated country i don't understand.

This is now backed by the Govt saying its target is 1m per week (Oxford Vaccine) which is 500k as each person needs two doses.

@Bluethrough

Pfizer was always going to be a logistical challenge given the way it needs to be stored

If they can have Oxford ready to go by the new year it'll be a lot quicker

Perhaps, though the US has vaccinated 1.9m people in half the time the UK has.
My point is i don't think we are capable of vaccinating 3m per week, which in a very densely populated country i don't understand.

This is now backed by the Govt saying its target is 1m per week (Oxford Vaccine) which is 500k as each person needs two doses.

I wonder if we’re analysing outcomes as we go which is slowing us up. The NHS did similar with Covid treatments like dexamethosone