Social distancing to last all year

[Santastealer]

The media this morning are reporting on a report given to government saying social distancing will need to be in place all year and rules remain until December.

But what then? What do they expect to be different by September?

Last August I was able to go on holiday with my family as a group of 8, are thy suggesting this year this won’t be possible? If not why was it ok last year when we didn’t have vaccines but this year it’s not ok when we do?

I’m thoroughly fed up of not being able to see my family and I need to feel an end point is in sight.

@LucilleTheVampireBat

Those who can't get along without group hugging and parties and recreation are selfish weaklings putting the rest of us at risk and prolonging the pandemic. You'll reap what you sow for a long, long time

Selfish weaklings? Honestly just fuck off. Get back in your house, hide behind your sofa and cower with your fucking yoga mat.

Imagine feeling suicidal and reading that some cunt on Mumsnet thinks you're a weakling.

No wonder you and your yoga mat are happy with each other.

Some people will grasp at any excuse to play the victim.

"Wants" are not "needs."

@PerveenMistry

Birthday parties, really? Talk about petty selfish problems.

Yes birthday parties. They are part of childhood and bring so much joy to children.

As an adult, yes of course I can cope without for a birthday party for 3-4 years, but I think it’s incredibly cruel that children have to miss out on so much.

As an adult putting my life pretty much on hold for a few years is doable. For children it really isn’t fair. A few years is a huge portion of their life so far and they don’t get these childhood years back.

The lunatics have taken over the asylum.

If the riots start, which they will if the government-induced madness doesn't end soon, I doubt if they will be socially distanced.

How did we cope before the invention of the Birthday Party?

Especially in the context of how much you COULD do under rule of 6 for a child's birthday.

[quote 81Byerley]@Santastealer I get very impatient when I read posts like yours. None of us like what is happening to us. I haven't seen my family since December 28th 2020. I'm booked for my first vaccine this Thursday, and I'm very grateful for it. But it will make no difference to my life. We will still be staying home, still isolating as much as possible. You ask what has changed since last year? Nothing. You and your family were idiots to get together for a holiday. My husband and I were in a holiday cottage in September, because it was booked and paid for the year before. But we were literally just in different accommodation, still isolating, still just watching TV and watching the world go by through the window.
The government and Health authority keep changing everything BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW! They can only react and try to control the situation day by day. The best thing those of us who aren't in control can do is to use common sense. So stay home if you can, and be sensible if you can't. And I'd say that means forget any situation like a holiday where you can't socially distance.[/quote]

Finally someone who makes sense.

The number of oblivious fools out there prolonging the pandemic through their selfish weakness and then having the gall to whine that it's not over yet / no end in sight is incredible.

They deserve the years of a shit life they are going to cause themselves. Like the arsonist whining because her house burned down

Probably. We don't yet know how long vaccines last, we may need boosters.

People coming in/back from abroad could introduce other strains

No vaccine is 100% effective

They'll want to keep infection rates as low as possible in case there is a winter upsurge.

Lots of other reasons that will become obvious as we get to them.

"Some" doesn't mean what we have now. It could mean masks, hand washing and no huge gatherings.

It is far less reasonable to think we will be back to normal by summer!!!!

I'm sure this is the usual government strategy of leaking their unwelcome plans to the public, to see how we react, softening us up for an infinity of eternal restrictions. Drip, drip, drip. It's the only strategy they seem to know. Call their bluff. Voice your objections. Civil disobedience may be the only way out of this. The public will only remain brainwashed by Saint Boris and his merry men for so long.

@PerveenMistry

Is it really that difficult to stay home with phone, books, Internet, tv, yoga mat perhaps a garden?

Yes for some people it is, not everyone has the same personality, even people that do have the luxury to do all this stuff at home it does not replace friends, family and all the events people were used to before

Some people will grasp at any excuse to play the victim.

"Wants" are not "needs."

Indeed. Just like you might want the whole country to stay in lockdown indefinitely once everyone’s had the chance to get vaccinated, but you don’t need it. And, sadly sorry I’m afraid, it’s not going to happen.

"Some people will grasp at any excuse to play the victim.

"Wants" are not "needs.""

Human contact is a need though (except for hermits).

@GoldenOmber

Some people will grasp at any excuse to play the victim.

"Wants" are not "needs."

Indeed. Just like you might want the whole country to stay in lockdown indefinitely once everyone’s had the chance to get vaccinated, but you don’t need it. And, sadly sorry I’m afraid, it’s not going to happen.

Like other rational people, I want the spread to be contained. Whatever that takes.

@PerveenMistry

Birthday parties, really? Talk about petty selfish problems.

Bore off. I'm sick of this child hating bullshit

Like other rational people, I want the spread to be contained. Whatever that takes.

Okay, let’s close all the food shops. Shut off the national grid so utilities workers aren’t travelling to work. Close down all manufacturing and distribution. Whatever it takes, right?

@PerveenMistry you clearly dont have toddlers if you think it's not hard to stay at home all day with a 'yoga mat'. We arent all hermits. Human contact is a need, not a want. That is why isolation is a form of punishment in prisons, except some of us are isolating, for months now, with 2 under 2, which IMO is akin to torture.

"Swimming pools are full of chlorine to kill germs and the cleaning regime (when they eventually reopened in September only to close again in January) was so rigid that I felt as if I was in the cleanest possible environment. Disinfectant sprayed everywhere after each session. No lingering in showers, etc.. Far cleaner than supermarkets."

You're cold and wet though, not a great environment imo. There's the whole area around the pool to think about as well.

Like other rational people, I want the spread to be contained. Whatever that takes.
Sorry to burst your superiority bubble but most rational people don’t think like that. They consider their circumstances, if it’s really the best thing for them; I.e if continued lockdown will lead to the loss of their home or not being able to feed their family.

I think rational people see a balance actually, between economy, mental health, infection rate etc. At the moment getting the infection rate down has to be priority but that will change

Human contact is a need though (except for hermits).

And fanatics on the covid board.

@Gwenhwyfar

"Swimming pools are full of chlorine to kill germs and the cleaning regime (when they eventually reopened in September only to close again in January) was so rigid that I felt as if I was in the cleanest possible environment. Disinfectant sprayed everywhere after each session. No lingering in showers, etc.. Far cleaner than supermarkets."

You're cold and wet though, not a great environment imo. There's the whole area around the pool to think about as well.

Yes, I'm a healthy fit human being, well able to cope with being (but not cold, swimming in a heated swimming pool does not make you cold). Obviously, the area around the pool is regularly disinfected as well.

I don't mean to pry, but do you have heath anxiety? Doing things like swimming is seen by most people as a normal, healthy activity.

My children NEED a relationship with wider family. It’s essential for their development. Yes they want a birthday party, and will be very sad if they can’t have one, but it’s bigger than that. They need relationships with other people and that can’t be recreated for a small child through zoom!

I am absolutely not a selfish idiot who’s actions are causing the pandemic to go on longer. I’m a normal person, having to work in a high risk job making sensible decisions about how best to live my life.

Lockdown lovers are usually miserable cunts who want everyone else to be miserable too

Once the vulnerable are vaccinated I hope people start disobeying stupid rules that are ruining lives and not fair on children

Plenty of evidence that primaries should be open and it's a disgrace the damage we are doing to children

Funny isn’t it how people change....the majority view changes.

Last April I was screamed at by 99% of people on a big thread because I said I was going for a solo dog walk in the morning and a solo bike ride in the afternoon. I explained I live rurally, wasn’t seeing anyone. And apart from those 2 things wasn’t leaving the house.

I was told I was prolonging the pandemic, causing people to die, was irresponsible, stupid, etc, etc.

Now there’s people saying bollocks to it all, they’re seeing their mum this weekend, etc, etc. Someone points out it’s not allowed and everyone rounds on the person pointing out you shouldn’t be doing it. 🤷‍♀️ People are now shouting at the ones still sticking to the rules.

"I don't mean to pry, but do you have heath anxiety? Doing things like swimming is seen by most people as a normal, healthy activity."

No, but I've seen studies showing that being cold and wet (I am always cold going into and coming out of a pool and going outside afterwards) makes you vulnerable to colds and I've always seen pools (the buildings, not just the actual water) as places where you catch a cold.
I'd rather pubs open than pools. I go on public transport, go to busy shops, etc. and am no more anxious about Covid than the average person.