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Deaths everywhere, yet we are still going to work this morning. Why?

532 replies

TwirpingBird · 21/01/2021 06:56

I am sitting here watching BBC breakfast with another harrowing video of ITU nurses at breaking point, ambulances lined up outside, 1800 dead yesterday, and headlines of 'lockdown isnt working', 'people arent complying' blah blah blah. Its all 'you need to follow the rules, you need to stay at home. I am seething.

My husband is leaving for work in an hour where he will enter 5 houses today to do completely non essential work because the government deem him a 'key worker'. My best friend will go to work in her office in a interior design company because she is a 'key worker'. Her husband will go to work giving quotes for kitchens in people's houses because his boss deems him a 'key worker'. None of my friends are on furlough. We are all seeing nobody outside of work. We are all sticking to the 'rules'. But how could we possibly expect the rules to work when everyone is still getting in their cars this morning?

I am raging angry. I am SICK and TIRED of being told 'follow the rules'. WE ARE!!! The rules make no bloody sense. And people are still dropping like flies, and experts are saying the lockdown isnt working, and the public are still being tarred as 'lacking empathy' because we are killing people. We are going to work! Kids are still in school! And then we come home and we do what we can but its never going to be enough. I am starting to wonder why I am bothering to hide myself away, managing a 2 year old and a newborn alone 5 days a week, naively thinking I am helping to manage transmission, when in reality its not helping at all because people are still at work.

OP posts:
Vintagevixen · 21/01/2021 18:24

Well the UK is a small community of only 67 million...not quite comparable really.

Redrivershore · 21/01/2021 18:25

A lot of posters aren't in the UK so the comments aren't really relevant

Againstmachine · 21/01/2021 18:27

But other stuffike services not essential to most

Servicing the car is about preventing it needing essential work.

islockdownoveryet · 21/01/2021 18:27

A short sharp lockdown of 2 weeks will not work it would need longer .
This lockdown crap as it is is probably the best it will be . With people still working to keep the economy going but the majority staying at home . I do agree though I think because so many think this is what it is are getting fed up . With whispers of it’ll be Easter and beyond people aren’t prepared to stay home indefinitely and I can’t blame them.
All I can say is the more people that are vaccinated the better I don’t think we can see beyond that .

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 21/01/2021 18:29

@ZoBo123

How many millions of people would still need to leave the house if we had a short sharp lockdown? I can't see how it would work. Without thinking in too much detail you have all the NHS staff needed to treat sick people, plus the associated support for anything that might need repaired in the hospital (broken lift for example). Then you have the police, fire brigade. What about all prison staff? Care Homes etc. Then all the school staff. The water and sewage, telecommunications, shops, food. Delivery drivers. The army, border control. Bin collections. Floods officers. There are so many people I have only scratched the surface.
This seems to be beyond the comprehension of many people unfortunately.
Bluewavescrashing · 21/01/2021 18:32

Stay at home, it's too dangerous to go out. Unless you're a teacher. I had 21 children in my bubble today, plus me and my TA. 23 people in a small room with two windows open. We may as well be open fully-setting and marking home learning, making videos, phoning children at home, doing 1:1 reading with children at home via zoom, live meets with children at home via zoom... And people say teachers are lazy.

AcornAutumn · 21/01/2021 18:32

OP "Also, the incessant media guilt trip is killing me. "

You really need to stop exposure to this as much as you can.

AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii · 21/01/2021 18:41

No reason at all for my agricultural engineer DH to not be at work, he works alone, outside, doesn’t share a van etc and farmers still need building for the animals that provide your food and milk etc. I would much rather he was at work than worrying he may no longer have a job if the company he works for folds and that is a higher risk than him catching covid at work

rowmaccerd · 21/01/2021 18:50

@AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii

No reason at all for my agricultural engineer DH to not be at work, he works alone, outside, doesn’t share a van etc and farmers still need building for the animals that provide your food and milk etc. I would much rather he was at work than worrying he may no longer have a job if the company he works for folds and that is a higher risk than him catching covid at work
You won't like this but that is the mindset that needs to change.

Yes I live in a much smaller country. Yes our infection levels were far different.

But, when they announced a circuit breaker lockdown People complied. Lots didn't like it (me, I am now skint and using charity for the first time in my life, and I could have done my work perfectly safely)

All in or don't bother and all help each other out where needed, financially, with food and in any other way needed.

Hardly anyone has been past my house today and we haven't had a single case detected for days. People are still complying and wearing masks if they do go out and will continue to do so until the 1st Feb at the earliest.

I guess that team spirit and willingness to look at the bigger picture doesn't exist in big cities

AmoElCafe · 21/01/2021 18:57

@rowmaccerd the PP’s DH is complying, he is allowed to work under our rules. He cannot work from home so he is allowed to go out to work.

BungleandGeorge · 21/01/2021 19:02

@Bluewavescrashing

Stay at home, it's too dangerous to go out. Unless you're a teacher. I had 21 children in my bubble today, plus me and my TA. 23 people in a small room with two windows open. We may as well be open fully-setting and marking home learning, making videos, phoning children at home, doing 1:1 reading with children at home via zoom, live meets with children at home via zoom... And people say teachers are lazy.
It’s not too dangerous to go out for the vast majority it’s to keep the infection rate down for those who are at risk. I don’t understand why not split the children between the staff members? Get one lot outside or in another part of the school and swap over? Our school are doing 2x20 min group meets per week and none of the other things you mention so maybe expectations are too high
Vintagevixen · 21/01/2021 19:03

@rowmaccerd Isle of Man population 85,000 - as I said above UK population over 67 million.

It's not really comparable is it?

Infection will still spread in places like hospitals and care homes, of which we have a lot on the mainland, and when this "hard" lockdown is released after 2 weeks - bam! Off it goes again.

Peppafrig · 21/01/2021 19:09

It depends what is essential isn’t it not all construction is housing etc. For example we have over 100 people working on a leisure complex . Everyone travelling to work vans 4 to a van . Safety on site doesn’t really matter until there is a crackdown on sharing vans .

rowmaccerd · 21/01/2021 19:10

[quote Vintagevixen]@rowmaccerd Isle of Man population 85,000 - as I said above UK population over 67 million.

It's not really comparable is it?

Infection will still spread in places like hospitals and care homes, of which we have a lot on the mainland, and when this "hard" lockdown is released after 2 weeks - bam! Off it goes again.[/quote]
Same principle applies.

You need tougher rules to stop people going out and better population buy in.

Singapore. They did it and lots of others. All I ever see on here is people either locked in their house or people ignoring what fairly laid back restrictions are in place.

Some other countries don't have that issue with non compliance.

There are no cases in the community here. I was asked not to leave my house unless essential. Between four of us we have been out twice for food in two and a half weeks. Other people are doing the same.

Virus's need people to move. Less movement less virus spread. It is that simple.

Not pretending to know what you should do because as a country the UK will never comply.

I know that because I was there twice last year. Each time I came.home.i had to pay for accommodation away from my family and not leave it for 14 days.

I have friends in the UK and I see their social.media, they are on holiday one day and tesco the next because they don't want to be inconvenienced

Againstmachine · 21/01/2021 19:14

*But, when they announced a circuit breaker lockdown People complied. Lots didn't like it (me, I am now skint and using charity for the first time in my life, and I could have done my work perfectly safely)

All in or don't bother and all help each other out where needed, financially, with food and in any other way needed.*

I don't even believe all this everyone looking after each other I think someone is looking at it with rose tinted glasses.

People easily say oh do without money for a week or so guess what life isn't that easy.

MyOwnPrivatePaddlingPool · 21/01/2021 19:18

I guess that team spirit and willingness to look at the bigger picture doesn't exist in big cities

Wow can you pay rent and feed hungry children with team spirit where you live?

Greenygrape · 21/01/2021 19:20

100% with you. Some jobs HAVE to be done outside the home, but far, far fewer than are at the moment. Tbh I don't think self employed people necessarily count because a bigger issue is fixed workplaces and offices, people sharing vehicles etc. Adults are the ones spreading covid, not kids so frustrating when schools are closed.

Our school said no wfh keyworkers can have a place which means many essential jobs struggling from home but it's also pushed people into workplaces so their kids can have a place. It also means schools are full of people who might not really need a place because yet again it's all decided on where you work and if you have a letter, not any common sense about whether a partner at home not working, a childcare bubble arrangement available etc.

Teacher emailed today concerned my child was missing out on the curriculum and she suggested that we might bubble up with another family! We've not set foot in any one else's home for 6 months, why would I be encouraged to send my kids to someone else's house that with all due respect will be less clean and less restricted covid wise than a school. Not only that but surely if a friend has my 7 and 5 year old boys I will be expected to look after 4+ kids in return. No thanks I work every day.

The world has gone bonkers, no wonder covid rates in this country are so high. Some people go to work every day when they could wfh, kids round their mums, spend the weekend with the personal trainer or having a beer when 'walking' with a friend. I really wish we'd have a much tighter lockdown because this is bs!

Rant over, sorry.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 21/01/2021 19:24

I guess that team spirit and willingness to look at the bigger picture doesn't exist in big cities

Team spirit won't keep a roof over peoples heads will it?

rowmaccerd · 21/01/2021 19:24

@MyOwnPrivatePaddlingPool

I guess that team spirit and willingness to look at the bigger picture doesn't exist in big cities

Wow can you pay rent and feed hungry children with team spirit where you live?

I already explained community chipped in for those who couldn't afford it (me amongst them)

Belive it or don't believe it. Lots of people skipped their mortgage payments this month for the greater good. Lots of those who can afford to helped them out.

Last lockdown I paid into the fund to help someone else, this time I took out.

Lockdown properly or don't bother. It's that simple and it means sacrifices for everyone.

FreshFreesias · 21/01/2021 19:25

Lockdowns don’t work.
The end.

Greenygrape · 21/01/2021 19:27

@bluewavescrashing I think the issue is teachers are working really hard but kids aren't getting taught, and however hard they work if the child at home isn't interested or doesn't log on then they receive nothing and that's what is frustrating.

Our school do no online teaching, the videos barely work. I'm sure they're working really hard but for us it's pointless.

I've decided I can choose to spend 3 hours a week figuring out what needs doing, printing and preparing stuff and cajoling my kids or I can spend 3 hours actually with my kids. If I only have 3 hours because I work full time, it's one or the other.

My son's teacher did offer today to do some 1:1 with him which was appreciated, would happily do that as no time needed from me and he gets an hour learning.

Jijithecat · 21/01/2021 19:28

The man who went from Scotland to the Isle of Man on a waterski in order to visit his girlfriend - are they examples of team spirit and willingness?
Sure you get rule breakers everywhere, but the higher the population the likelihood is the higher the number of rule breakers, which increases the risk.
The population of the Isle of Man is significantly lower than the population of the borough I live in and I wouldn't even say it was that densely populated here.

seasideseas · 21/01/2021 19:30

Yes, surprised to see all of the estate agents in town open today with what looked like a full complement of staff sitting there working.

What can't they do from home?!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 21/01/2021 19:30

Once this is over I hope I never hear 'for the greater good' ever again!

TheKeatingFive · 21/01/2021 19:30

I already explained community chipped in for those who couldn't afford it (me amongst them)

I have not noticed anyone offering to pay mine or anyone else’s mortgage/rent, has to be said.