New Variant requires 3m Distance

[Jenasaurus]

Just watched Jeremy Hunt on BBC News. Sage have advised that the 2m distance isnt far enough for the new variant and recommend it changes its guidance to 3m. How realistic is this to be achieved and if you are one of the many working in a Covid Secure Office/Environent what impact with the change to 3m distance have on your company.

@RememberSelfCompassion

We have to attend an opticians appointment Sunday and I am anxious.

My Dad has had an appointment at Specsavers. Don't know the exact details but the whole eye test was done without anyone going anywhere near him. I'd have to ask exactly how but he said it all felt very safe and the prescription he picked up was all good.

Do you suppose they think we all resemble Mr Tickle!

Thanks Sparkling.

The eye test rooms are quite small. I think they have the door open but cant see that the whole place is ventilated well.

It will be our one indoor trip and she needa the test and new glasses so fingers crosses.

@RememberSelfCompassion

Thanks Sparkling.

The eye test rooms are quite small. I think they have the door open but cant see that the whole place is ventilated well.

It will be our one indoor trip and she needa the test and new glasses so fingers crosses.

My Dad is 80 and has been quite anxious about going out and about so he was relieved. I think Dad was in the little room but the staff were outside it or something. Hopefully it'll be all good for you.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

They are saying 3m as they don't want to say what they need to say, which is

"Don't spend any time in any room with anyone outside of your immediate family unless its an emergency"

Because that would open up an impossible scenario, remove the "bubble" option and be a final admission that schools aren't safe.

Spot on! It makes me laugh when I hear about “Covid secure” indoor venues. There’s no such thing.

I listened to a scientist on the radio 4 lunchtime news who said that, whilst going from 2m distance to 3m will have some effect on transmission, the effect of going from 1m to 2mis much greater, so he wouldn't advise changing the official guidance from 2m to 3m.

Are so many fellow British people that unable to understand basic pandemic science. Do we need actual distances to spread the message that close proximity to other potentially contagious people is how the disease is transmitted? Is there not an obvious correlation between personal and collective community behaviour and overall pandemic health outcomes? Flabbergasted and mind blowing! If you don’t get it - try to be a part of the solution not the cause. You may have health and mobility privilege but others are shielding because of vulnerabilities and disabilities that they are self conscious of and don’t want to be yet another added drain on already overwhelmed NHS healthcare providers. More lives and livelihoods will be lost if the indifference or ignorance of science continues. Those who cherish whatever remaining freedoms should understand that we will lose more of these because of unnecessary selfish recklessness. If each individual checked their potential Covid footprint we will with medical assistance in the form of vaccines finally get through this ongoing pandemic. Even if you are tested negative - you do understand it is a historical record as not only are tests 70-90% accurate leading to false negatives but after let’s say a true negative test can you not subsequently pick up the virus on the way out of the clinic or at the supermarket incubator transfer station or bus/train etc? Why are there still so many seemingly non believers thinking this is all a hoax as the crashing of the economy off any recorded scale plus untold lives and livelihoods lost is such a mystery and difficult to understand? Obviously a bare bones absolutely critical key employees are necessary to fight the pandemic. To these people many of us more proactive sensible types say a big thank you with much virtual love and respect for your sacrifice to keep the economy operational in this hopefully temporary time of need! Stay safe all and if possible stay out of potential trouble and always be mindful of your potential Covid footprint. Hopefully this will not last forever if people finally understand what’s happening and a little elementary science with a sense of civic duty of care to all to do what is necessary despite the inconvenience.

"Don't spend any time in any room with anyone outside of your immediate family unless its an emergency"

What about those of us who have to go out to work? I spend far more time with my colleagues than anyone else except my own ds and they all have large extended families/stepkids visiting etc.

3 metres isn't even possible, I'd be killed by a car trying to swerve people before ever getting covid given most pavements are less than 1m wide.

@PicsInRed

The new variant requires border closure and a 3 week heavy lockdown, this won't be done because MPs and their mates love skiing and the carribean.

Zero office is able to meet a 3m distance. 2m is barely possible.

This. I don't care how much of a misery doom and gloomer that makes me. The only way to stop it is to give it absolutely nowhere to go which can only be achieved by total lockdown for three weeks preferably four. Surely people would do this if they knew that things would be close to normality at the end?

In most counties that have faired better then the UK it’s 1 or 1.5m. It’s all well and good sage coming out with these ideas (which by the way are only someone’s opinion) while they sit in their big houses with the money rolling in. Over in real life it’s not practical and will mean the closure of many more businesses not to mention the £1000s businesses have spent on 2m markers and signs!

My nearest neighbour is about half a mile away as the crow flies, but there's a bloody big river that the crow will have to fly over first. I should be safe against all variants then.... Unless they learn to swim.

Why are there still so many seemingly non believers thinking this is all a hoax as the crashing of the economy off any recorded scale plus untold lives and livelihoods lost is such a mystery and difficult to understand?

Paragraphs would have been good. And I have not seen any evidence on MN that people think it's "all a hoax" . There are plenty of differing opinions on how to manage it, and quite a lot of people who think the crazy veering rules/laws/guidelines of the government are perhaps not the best way. This does not make them covid deniers.

@Sparklingbrook

The new variant requires border closure and a 3 week heavy lockdown, this won't be done because MPs and their mates love skiing and the carribean.

The general public can't seem to understand the idea of a 'lockdown' that doesn't help. They'll never manage with a heavy one.

Tbf I’m not sure the general public understand what 2m looks like either.

Most don’t seem to know what 2m is let alone 3, even outside it’s meant to still apply.

Staying home is obviously better but with so many in schools, out shopping in groups, bubbles galore and using the exercise clause to meet others there is still far to much mixing going on.

@Moondust001

My nearest neighbour is about half a mile away as the crow flies, but there's a bloody big river that the crow will have to fly over first. I should be safe against all variants then.... Unless they learn to swim.

Don't let Neil Ferguson hear you say that Its been found in sewage so perhaps it can!

I think it is more important than ever to avoid meeting people, or contact with people in any indoor setting unless it is absolutely necessary. I think this is why Witty was wittering on yesterday about limiting meeting up with people. They are still coming out telling us not to meet people.......and yet we know this already. What isn't being said explicitly is that most people are catching Covid whilst doing activities that are mandated in so called "Covid secure" settings, perhaps even keeping 2m apart and wearing masks.

That’s because the whole covid secure thing was bollocks anyway. Even with the new strain, if you spend all day together in a room 2m apart there’s a risk of transmission. I don’t anybody is only spending 15minutes at a time 2m apart from their colleagues.

Exactly.