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.

@ILookAtTheFloor

Some people think social distancing means standing far apart in a queue in shops.

It's not just that! It's no theatres, no gigs, booked slots, not visiting family, no adults setting foot in school, no school assemblies, no sports crowds, etc etc.

No that's events being cancelled.

Anyhow, I agree with others, once hospitalisations drop, there is simply no excuse to carry on with these restrictions on our freedoms.

I can believe it. It’s in the Telegraph, and they’re usually reliable with their leaks.

More useless nannying from the government.

I feel for those in industries like theatre and live music. Even if they’re allowed to come back this year, most gig venues and theatres won’t be able to survive with social distancing.

I think it will be better over the summer months... people are able to be outside and less crowded than during the winter months. Less chance of spreading the virus.

As for travel, I think again, this will be relaxed and travel corridors will be established. So those of us who wish to go abroad will be able to do so. If travel companies survive and Brexit permitting.

There is a whole range of possibilities encompassed within social distancing and rules remain in place until December.

It cannot possibly mean lockdown continuing and schools closed.

It won’t mean non-essential shops and hospitality closed and no meeting anyone outside your household.

It could mean masks indoors and a limit on the size of gatherings. I would expect that limit to be larger than six by the end of the year.

It could be back to normal except wear masks in indoor public places. Would that be so bad? I don’t think so.

There won’t be much overseas travel, though. A boom for UK hotels and self-catering places.

@LizFlowers

People will probably be able to go away in this country in the summer with their immediate family, staying in self catering accommodation. That would be no different to being at home except for being in holiday-like surroundings, ie countryside, beach. I wouldn't mind doing that for a few days when the weather is nice. A change is as good as a rest so they say. However no popular resort areas should be overwhelmed with tourists, an eye must be kept on how many people are travelling there at one time. I'm sure we all remember the pictures of over-crowded beaches and car parks last summer.

I can't see parties of eight being allowed unless it is one big family who live together.

But why not? Hospitalisations low = give us our freedoms back thank you. We can't keep locking people down and stop them seeing friends and family in larger groups just in case.

But why? Why is it needed? If every adult has been given the chance to be vaccinated by September (and hopefully June) then shouldn’t there be capacity in the nhs?

Why would we need to continue this cycle of restrictions? Genuine question as I’m at a bit of a loss!

@ILookAtTheFloor

Personally I couldn't give less of a fuck about holidays abroad, as my passport expired 6 years ago and we don't holiday abroad. But that's easy for me to say with no family overseas/ no need to go abroad so I feel for all who do.

I have a list of things that I wouldn't care if they never opened again - but other people do care. We all want our own little chunks of freedom back, whether that's the choice to get on a plane, or go to a yoga class, or swimming, whatever. Holidays have become an easy villain to pick on, but don't blame people for looking forward to them.

@Florelei

But why? Why is it needed? If every adult has been given the chance to be vaccinated by September (and hopefully June) then shouldn’t there be capacity in the nhs?

Why would we need to continue this cycle of restrictions? Genuine question as I’m at a bit of a loss!

This is why I've said that Sept/Oct will be a period of breath holding. Testing whether the vaccines hold things down sufficiently as the season changes and schools return.

I'm hopeful that next autumn will be much much better than last autumn, but the government can't assume it will be.

I can't see compliance being very high in summer, when the vast majority of older and vulnerable are vaccinated.

Agreed. Yet more covid passport resentment. Can't wait. #sarcasm

I saw this article in the daily mail.
It said that vaccines would need a high uptake and to be 85% effective ( I think it meant at blocking transmission although being the DM wasn’t entirely clear) or deaths would surge if restrictions were lifted. Apparently if it is only 60% effective deaths could be 500-1500 a day.
It’s just modelling though and we don’t yet know how effective vaccines are at blocking transmission. Hopefully really good.

Fuck that, quite frankly. Once all my family and friends are vaccinated I'm not social distancing from them any more.

Depending on how long the vaccines last we may need to start the whole process again.

Hopefully some restrictions will be eased in the summer when being outdoors is easier for meet ups etc, but I assume they need to watch carefully what happens when we approach Autumn/Winter when things start to be more indoors and viruses spread more

Great. This vaccine really works doesn't it?

@JS87

I saw this article in the daily mail. It said that vaccines would need a high uptake and to be 85% effective ( I think it meant at blocking transmission although being the DM wasn’t entirely clear) or deaths would surge if restrictions were lifted. Apparently if it is only 60% effective deaths could be 500-1500 a day. It’s just modelling though and we don’t yet know how effective vaccines are at blocking transmission. Hopefully really good.

Where are all these deaths and hospitalisations coming from if 99% of deaths reside in the vulnerable population a population who will be vaccinated by summer providing incredibly high levels of protection from illness and death?

Why do people have to speculate so much. This is a learning curve for everyone !

Even the scientists disagree over certain things .

The virus may mutate into something weaker. Who knows.

If the government can't get their shit together to vaccinate enough people by July then it's their own failing, IMO*

But we'll suffer the consequences, so yes if it's all fucked up and everyone mingled in their gardens like you say it's your family and loved ones who get ill and die

It’s this story: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/30/exclusive-social-distancing-may-have-remain-place-year/

But it’s the Telegraph reporting on what the modellers say and what the implications are - we can’t see the actual papers.

There will be close to zero public appetite to stick with restrictions after everyone’s been vaccinated ‘just in case’, and it’s not something the government can maintain without public support, so...

what is the point then? what is the end point here if the vaccines arent going to work and we wont achieve herd immunity because we are socially distancing?

might as well jump off the nearest cliff I suppose. and no that isnt me being over the top, that is genuinely how its starting to feel reading these threads

@FourTeaFallOut

I'm assuming its not just the CEV who end up in hospital and die.

@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.

What do you not understand about the pace at which this deadly virus is mutating???

Thanks to people who didn't suck it up and stay home last year, the virus is beating us. If you think a few more months of distancing is bad, brace yourself: This will be raging for the next several years. Get used to it.

@JS87

I saw this article in the daily mail. It said that vaccines would need a high uptake and to be 85% effective ( I think it meant at blocking transmission although being the DM wasn’t entirely clear) or deaths would surge if restrictions were lifted. Apparently if it is only 60% effective deaths could be 500-1500 a day. It’s just modelling though and we don’t yet know how effective vaccines are at blocking transmission. Hopefully really good.

How will they surge if most vulnerable people have been vaccinated, even if it doesn't stop transmission? What does it actually matter if thousands of 25 year olds get it if they don't need hospitalization?!

This is insanity. Absolute insanity. I am not spending another year not seeing family. I v much doubt anyone else will either except the fanatics.

Thanks to people who didn't suck it up and stay home last year, the virus is beating us. If you think a few more months of distancing is bad, brace yourself: This will be raging for the next several years. Get used to it

We may as well all kill ourselves now then.

@Mif4

Because its going to go on and on and on. There is no end in sight. They are always moving the goal posts and keep dangling the carrot 'if we do x,y,z then we can get a,b,c' . But it doesnt happen. It just gets worse. As a pp said your looking at another 4-5 years of this. Yes we have a vaccine now. But we dont even know if it actually works properly (with the chance of still spreading it and catching it, hence the need to continue to social distance,) they are also telling us about these new variants which may not work with the vaccine. So...

We will bend over daily for our anal swabs. Humiliation and degradation all for the greater good.

I'm guessing this will go on until all independent businesses are gone, we are all reliant on benefits or a 'universal income', and cant do sweet f a with out a permission slip from boris due to a social credit system.
By this point the majority of people will be on anti depressants and be even more compliant than they are now.
We will be like China.
People are giving up everything we have fought for.
We will own nothing and be led to believe its in our best interests.
We will also be told it's all fault and they are doing x,y,z because they care about us.

When it's to late we will see we have been in an emotionally abusive relationship, coerced into 'doing the right thing', when all we've done really is given up everything that makes us human.

Please stop. People will not comply with that. I don't even think universal income is a bad thing but not as an alternative for actual work etc.

Jesus fucking Christ on a bike.

We will bend over daily for our anal swabs. Humiliation and degradation all for the greater good.