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Original poster

Social distancing to last all year

502 replies

Santastealer · 31/01/2021 08:23

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.

OP posts:
PerveenMistry · 31/01/2021 20:08

@Jasoninadress

Does anyone think the flying rules will change by the summer? No, not to go on holiday, before those kind of people jump on me. I’d love to see my parents and for them to see their granddaughter
Wouldn't a family visit be a holiday?
GoldenOmber · 31/01/2021 20:12

Your shopping and internet access are essential and worth other people working out of the house for, while other people’s wishes to see their family members are selfish and entitled. I see, yes.

Anyway... I don’t think the timeframes of the study the Telegraph article’s talking about hold up, as they seem to be quite out of date already in terms of vaccine rollout. So even if their very conservative estimates about vaccine efficacy are correct, we wouldn’t need social distancing until the end of the year.

GreenlandTheMovie · 31/01/2021 20:13

PerveenMistry Individual household wants have to take a back seat indefinitely. Think of the greater good.

No, they don't. In this country, we have a legal system and laws. At no point has it been made law that we have to be under these restrictions indefinitely. The Coronavirus Act 2020 gives a time limit of 2 years, one of which is nearly up. How can you be so unaware of this?

Even 1 year is an incredibly long time for our basic human rights to be suspended. You have clearly benefitted from your education being unrestricted and not prevented by law. Think of others whose haven't had that privilege.

You sound really gullible and a perfect candidate for falling for propaganda. You really would benefit from learning how to develop your ability of independent thought.

PerveenMistry · 31/01/2021 20:16

@GoldenOmber

Your shopping and internet access are essential and worth other people working out of the house for, while other people’s wishes to see their family members are selfish and entitled. I see, yes.

Anyway... I don’t think the timeframes of the study the Telegraph article’s talking about hold up, as they seem to be quite out of date already in terms of vaccine rollout. So even if their very conservative estimates about vaccine efficacy are correct, we wouldn’t need social distancing until the end of the year.

Everyone's food is essential; as is medical care.

Again, this thread is about socializing, not working/shopping. If you want to discuss that, perhaps start a new thread...

GoldenOmber · 31/01/2021 20:18

Again, this thread is about socializing, not working/shopping. If you want to discuss that, perhaps start a new thread...

I'm trying to discuss the paper the thread is about. Feel free to join in!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 31/01/2021 20:24

@PerveenMistry

"So those for whom staying at home is difficult, dangerous even, because home isn't a safe, cosy place, those who may be living with DV, or can't afford heating, or are worried about their children's MH because they haven't mixed with their peers for months are incompetent whiners?

Can you see beyond your own privileged life at all?"

I have sympathy for them (though many of those difficulties are completely self-inflicted). But those difficulties are no excuse for spreading the virus. Covid doesn't care if you are lonely or bored or suffering. It doesn't say "oh I'll leap over this group because they really neeeed a play date."

Individual household wants have to take a back seat indefinitely. Think of the greater good.

Fucking hell, I've seen it all now. Just when I thought you couldn't get any worse you say domestic violence, mental health issues and poverty are self inflicted.

If someone is suffering domestic violence they are entitled to leave, covid or no covid and thankfully our laws recognise that.

WouldBeGood · 31/01/2021 20:26

@PerveenMistry can’t be real.

No one could really be so awful

MiddleParking · 31/01/2021 20:32

[quote WouldBeGood]@PerveenMistry can’t be real.

No one could really be so awful[/quote]
Yeah, it isn’t real. But amusing to note that the person behind it isn’t quite imaginarily thick-skinned enough to face having it pointed out that they’re clearly even more of a friendless loser than their alter ego head on.

WouldBeGood · 31/01/2021 20:32

@MiddleParking true. It’s really horrible

grapewine · 31/01/2021 20:39

Fucking hell, I've seen it all now. Just when I thought you couldn't get any worse you say domestic violence, mental health issues and poverty are self inflicted.

Yeah, WTF am I reading?

RichardMarxisinnocent · 31/01/2021 20:41

Wouldn't a family visit be a holiday?
Are you real?

GreenlandTheMovie · 31/01/2021 21:05

One of the saddest things about this loss of civil liberties is that it has made life more unequal, especially for the less privileged.

  • holidays are now for the elite only. I can't stand this guilt tripping of people looking forward to a foreign holiday this summer or next. We damned well pay plenty of tax and holidays in this country are ultra-expensive, so why the hell not? This is exacerbated in the UK, because we are an island and need to realistically fly abroad, unlike other Europeans who can simply get in their car and drive.
  • education has become more elitist - private schools are teaching much much better and have ensured much more consistency.
  • competitive sport is now for the elite only, which is a damned shame for those who enjoy it regularly and for those youngsters who it really helps progress in life.
  • many standard operations are now available to only those who can afford to pay privately. I saw a man on the news last night who needed life saving cancer surgery and who had a limited lifespan without it, but whose surgery on the NHS had been delayed indefinitely, so had no option but to take out a loan and pay for it privately.

All of this is going to get worse very quickly if its not tackled, so no, saving those most at risk is really not for the "greater good" when it is denying children a fair education and qualifications or a person life saving surgery.

Delatron · 31/01/2021 21:12

Well said @GreenlandTheMovie

PerveenMistry · 31/01/2021 21:23

@RichardMarxisinnocent

Wouldn't a family visit be a holiday? Are you real?
Well?

Covid doesn't care whether one is flying off to work on a tan or to see old granny one last time. Travel is travel. Travel increases exposures and contacts. Exposures and contacts lead to more transmission. More transmission leads to extension of lockdown.

It really is not difficult. Covid doesn't care. Everyone thinks their wants are the exceptions and somehow don't contribute to the public health crisis.

If you all want to be homeschooling three or four years from now, keep rationalizing.

And for the record of course DV victims should leave, pandemic or no. I never said or implied otherwise.

GreenlandTheMovie · 31/01/2021 21:26

You know when people start that "Covid doesn't care", "Covid doesn't know" alliteration, I automatically switch off. If someone can't think for themselves, they have very little useful to say.

Same goes for the dire threats of imminent disaster if we don't all socially distance for the next 10 years.

WeirdLoverWilde · 31/01/2021 21:27

And for the record of course DV victims should leave, pandemic or no. I never said or implied otherwise

No, you just said that their 'difficulties' were
'self inflicted'.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 31/01/2021 21:27

And for the record of course DV victims should leave, pandemic or no. I never said or implied otherwise.

You clearly said 'many of those difficulties are completely self-inflicted'. As you are now backtracking saying DV victims should leave, what exactly is self inflicted? Poverty? Children's mental health issues?

WeirdLoverWilde · 31/01/2021 21:30

Covid doesn't care

And neither, @PerveenMistry, do you. Covid isn't capable of empathy or understanding and neither, it would seem, are you.

AnxiousAlpaca · 31/01/2021 21:34

I have a nice life, a nice house and no dependants but I also have bipolar disorder, which is in no way self inflicted. I struggle greatly with routine as a result. I became somewhat suicidal during the first lock down going as far as to Google ways I could do it. My partner was away a the time, I realised what a bad place I was in so I stayed with my parents for a few days. No one got Covid, the risk was minimal (as we’d all been at home) and it’s the only time I’ve broken restrictions. Call me selfish if you want but if I’d stayed at home I might be dead by now.

lunapeace · 31/01/2021 21:34

@GreenlandTheMovie absolutely agree. It's constantly sticking the boot into the ordinary people (especially the poor). Be interesting to see what trips the Royal family make this year.

PerveenMistry · 31/01/2021 21:44

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

And for the record of course DV victims should leave, pandemic or no. I never said or implied otherwise.

You clearly said 'many of those difficulties are completely self-inflicted'. As you are now backtracking saying DV victims should leave, what exactly is self inflicted? Poverty? Children's mental health issues?

I do believe that many people who portray themselves as struggling have voluntarily made life choices that clearly would cause them to end up in difficulty. I don't think that is the case with those who have true medical conditions (mental or physical). As I have said all along, of course everyone needs nutrition and medical care.
PerveenMistry · 31/01/2021 21:47

@GreenlandTheMovie

You know when people start that "Covid doesn't care", "Covid doesn't know" alliteration, I automatically switch off. If someone can't think for themselves, they have very little useful to say.

Same goes for the dire threats of imminent disaster if we don't all socially distance for the next 10 years.

Do you refute that?

Do you think the virus will spare people who are doing something virtuous like keeping granny company, and only infect those who are partying or getting their hair highlighted? Do you think only people on certain types of outings have contributed to the spread and deaths?

Talk about head in the sand.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 31/01/2021 21:49

As I have said all along, of course everyone needs nutrition and medical care.

How very generous of you.

WeirdLoverWilde · 31/01/2021 21:56

I do believe that many people who portray themselves as struggling have voluntarily made life choices that clearly would cause them to end up in difficulty. I don't think that is the case with those who have true medical conditions (mental or physical). As I have said all along, of course everyone needs nutrition and medical care

@PerveenMistry I gave the examples of DV, poverty, and concern for children's mental health. You said that many of those difficulties are completely self inflicted. Which ones do you regard as self inflicted due to life choices? Being a victim of DV, perhaps?

WouldBeGood · 31/01/2021 21:57

I really wouldn’t feed Perveen