Chris Whitty in The Times today - don't meet friends and family unnecessarily

[MrsMiaWallis]

"Emergency patients will be turned away from hospitals, causing “avoidable deaths”, unless the public starts obeying the lockdown, England’s chief medical officer warns today.
In a stark intervention designed to shock, Professor Chris Whitty warns that everyone who meets friends and family unnecessarily is a “link in a chain” that threatens the lives of vulnerable people"

Worth noting. I had to pick up a prescription from my local town and was surprised to see so many people - mainly middle aged women, some of whom I know and had always seemed like rational intelligent people - walking around town and chatting on the pavements, unmasked, no social distancing.

Apologies I don't know how to do share tokens.

@mellongoose

CW currently answering questions on radio 5Live/BBC news channel. He is clearly all over this and is answering very well.

That’s a repeat from this morning.

It will be here...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rnwb

You can find it on the bbc sounds app now if you look for “5 live your questions answered”.

If the new variant is genuinely transmitted so much more easily that it's actually not safe to meet one person, socially distanced, outside in the fresh air, they need to a) actually tell people that and b) change the rules to say that you can't.

If they want people to stay within e.g. 2 miles of their house, they need to make that the rule. If you make rules for people's safety, you can't be surprised if they assume they can do things that haven't been banned. Officially saying "You're allowed to do this", only to have your advisers worriedly say in the press "But please don't!" is ridiculous.

If the new variant is genuinely transmitted so much more easily that it's actually not safe to meet one person, socially distanced, outside in the fresh air, they need to a) actually tell people that and b) change the rules to say that you can't

Who's said this isn't safe if you socially distance?

Christmas is done... There was so much agitation in media, social media etc to get an unfettered holiday, more screeching when it was locked down.

And now... Oooh Christmas. We shouldn't have had that!

Well we did, well, some.of you did! Now, as Chris Whitty said at the time, there is a reckoning.

We need as individuals, to take stock. Bubbles, work, walks, whatever. If you need them have them. If you want them, reconsider... Whichever, do it sensibly. As in properly sensibly.

And then wait.... Just a few weeks longer for better weather and months for more vaccination results.

If, as seems likely, some more restrictions return, deal with it... It will stop sometime this year. But the NHS is absolutely on its knees already.

I think if today they ban walking with another person outdoors, there is a risk people will meet indoors instead. Also the overzealous police handling of the 2 women walking with takeaway drinks is likely to put people off doing this, although it's entirely within the rules, and meeting indoors instead, where they can't be spotted. It's counterproductive.

@Sunshinegirl82

The reality is that there was always going to be a limit on how long people would comply with these sort of restrictions. We may now be reaching the point where people are disengaging in large enough numbers to be problematic.

If disengagement is the issue then just making rules stricter is not the answer in my view. We need to identify exactly where spread is continuing to occur and take targeted steps in those areas if further steps are necessary.

People have been told that if they don't comply bad things will happen for the best part of a year, people are desensitised to it now which was entirely predictable.

YES. The population is no longer terrified - because as a whole it can't be. The brain doesn't work like that.

The government need to think and work a lot harder... oh.

We shielded March to December. Tier 2. Tickets to outdoor, masked at all times, no other spectator in any direction nearer than 3m, football on Boxing Day. Travelled there and back in own car. Very fastidious with hand cleaning & other hygienic routines anyway due to medical conditions. Now have household with covid.

@notevenat20

I also fail to see why talking to someone at a distance outside is any risk whatsoever to anyone

It’s just a question of whether they will breathe in any of the air that you breathe out. I think of it like this. If they had terrible breath or even BO, are you close enough that you could tell? If so, you are too close.

Crikey I can smell BO from 5 meters away and then I'm the one that gets funny looks when i start retching

People have to go to work to pay the bills Irene. Noone has to meet a friend in town and chat on the pavement with no attempt at social distancing

The former happens much more than the latter and yet ppl keep saying its the latter that is overwhelming the NHS.

Family day outs in supermarkets, no masks (im exempt doncha know ) - under chin/nose mask wearers, oh I have my sister here she’s in my bubble (sister also has teenage son and sons girlfriend who flits between her own house and theirs), Indian family three doors down feel discriminated against not being able to gather for prayer so do it anyway (it’s their religious right apparently) just beyond utter stupidity and then we wonder why ‘lockdown’ isn’t working

Today a child told me that yesterday he met with 6 other children from his class, along with their siblings a parents. He’s in my bubble the others aren’t. Not a bump into thing mum arranged it. Am fuming because no matter what I do, like not even see my parents who rely on me for everything, I am at the mercy of others doing the right thing. And that particular kids has a key worker dad but mum doesn’t work at all. So I am being put at risk so that lazy bitch n just do what she wants.
Morale at my school has never been lower. The amount of piss takers is unbelievable. And it’ll be one of us seriously ill not those bastards. We have a lovely parent in hospital, his daughter developed symptoms just before Christmas, they all got it but he’s not getting better, he had the ambulance called on Friday as deteriorated massively. We have 1 staff member who’s just come out of hospital, 6 off still all caught it in last week of term. Some aren’t expected back for another months as still poorly. One is 23 NQT very fit and very sick. So it’s not just older ones we have to worry about. In first week of holidays we had 2 year groups have lots of positive tests. I am giving it until Wednesday before one of the classes bubble bursts. Have over 20 in every group and can’t split them as too many staff off. But parents insisting they use their key worker status even when both don’t work. I feel sorry for the parents that have no choice like the 3 Dr’s and 2 ICU nurses that won’t be able to go to work when their kids bubble bursts.
Sorry to rant but I’m so angry. No one is having a great time if things, I don’t know anyone that isn’t suffering but if we don’t all start to put need ahead of want we’ll be in this shit for ages.

@CuriousaboutSamphire And after screeching that families shouldnt see each other at Christmas and doing it for the greater good, Piers Morgan fucked off to Antigua.

@peak2021

If Chris Whitty's reasonable statement is ignored, it will not be the first time. Mr Johnson has ignored his advice repeatedly right from the very first press conference.

He has the patience of a saint- I'd have resigned and said how bad Mr Johnson has been a long time ago.

This ^. He blatantly ignores the experts, he is a pompous knobhead. I think I'd knock BJ out prior to resigning. May as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

Surely this is the December hangover?

2 weeks to get sick and 2 weeks to need treatment?

Surely it just needs time. What the fuck do they expect?

There are too many exceptions. I (indirectly!) know of someone in the Midlands who is regularly visiting a new buy2let in a Cornish seaside town to organise the builders. Apparently it's ok because it's trade....

I think lockdown fatigue is a real problem. The rules have been so fractured, and broken from the government that people are confused and don’t want to follow them anymore. And missing the huge point that the rules are in place for a very serious reason. Maybe when more of the public have experienced first hand the devastating effect of losing a loved one to Covid, they will start to take the lockdown more seriously.

Who's said this isn't safe if you socially distance?

Well for a start, your whole thread title is about being told not to meet up with friends unnecessarily. And secondly, lots of people have been going on about being able to smell people even if you're standing the appropriate distance apart. So I'm not sure why you're asking me who said it.

Reading some of the responses on here, makes the spreading of the virus understandable. The rule that everybody needs to remember is simple......STAY AT HOME!

My husband and I went for our vaccination on Saturday and our local park and the surrounding roads were packed. Greater numbers than in the height of summer. When a double decker bus came down the road it was pandemonium. I suppose it was the snow and wide open spaces but very few were wearing masks. Just 'cos it's cold doesn't mean Covid's not around.

Let‘s just wait and see how much worse this will be for ALL of us in the next 2-3 weeks.

The ‘situation’ is highly likely to have been exacerbated further by all the people who used their common sense to mix during the Christmas & New Year period.
Did these people think that he virus would lay off for Christmas!?
Who would jump off a cliff if told to do so?

@ZaZathecat

I think if today they ban walking with another person outdoors, there is a risk people will meet indoors instead. Also the overzealous police handling of the 2 women walking with takeaway drinks is likely to put people off doing this, although it's entirely within the rules, and meeting indoors instead, where they can't be spotted. It's counterproductive.

This is what I think too.

My partner is working ridiculously long hours for the NHS while I’m at home with a young baby. I could make a bubble as I have a child under 1, but decided not to so we could reduce the risk. But I do meet up with a friend a couple of times a week for a socially distanced walk. If they banned this, I would make a bubble (if still allowed) or possibly just break the rules.

I don’t currently have a diagnosed mental health issue, but I have in the past and know that I can go very quickly from “I feel low and can’t see a way out” to contemplating or attempting suicide.

@ClaudiasWinkleMan that's disgusting and I'm sorry you've been put in such an avoidable situation. I'm hearing so many people moan about their rights and not caring about the path of destruction they leave behind. Several people I know have lost relatives to Covid.

whatever Boris says or does is wrong, as far as public are concerned they all know best and know how it should be done , just think what a job the government have, such responsibilty and stress , i certainly would not like their job,,

its time certain members of the public took a good hard look at themselves and take a little bit of responsiblilty for their actions, surely, logically , it makes sense to avoid crowds and wear masks, you dont have to be a brain surgeon ,

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/11/in-these-grim-times-we-all-need-a-saviour-and-right-now-it-is-chris-whitty

John Crace, always worth a read, on the main man.

He probably means don’t meet up with vulnerable people, less they may die. He can’t say the Government cannot save you from yourself, but this is what he means. The truth is sometimes brutal