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Covid

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Original poster

How long do you think the public majority (IRL) will put up with this for?

356 replies

Quit4me · 31/01/2021 17:00

How long do you think public opinion and action will continue to support not seeing friends and family?
I’m asking based on your real life experiences (not mumsnet views)
I’m not after ‘I’m giving up my life for as long as it takes’ views here, or ‘I’m happy watching tv and hugging my yoga mat for years.
I’m asking for realistic views of 2021 and public opinion as the year goes on.

OP posts:

Katie517 · 31/01/2021 23:25

Most people are now twisting/ breaking some rules even those who were sticking to them 100% in the first lockdown. I am giving it until March then will start to see family and friends outside of our bubble and they have all said the same. Most are working from home non vulnerable and vulnerable will be vaccinated by then. I’m not willing to put my life on hold any longer and if that makes me selfish in some people’s opinions so be it. Personally I find it selfish that we are destroying the economy and our children’s futures and mental health a year on for a virus that still has a very low mortality rate. The tone has changed massively this year and people have had enough. The government know this so it won’t go on much longer as they will want to appear that they are giving us our freedom back rather than people not obeying the rules.

bumbleymummy · 31/01/2021 23:26

March.

friendlycat · 31/01/2021 23:29

I’m gritting my teeth as are the people I know and getting on with it. We don’t like it, we want it to be over but it’s not yet.
This country is doing an amazing job of vaccinating people and things will change with time.
I want my business to exist at the end of it and as a supplier to the pub trade it’s in a difficult position right now. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Spring is round the corner and this Winter will be over soon.

It’s hard, it’s tedious and grinding but the scientists know far more than we do. We just have to get the numbers down, get people vaccinated, be sensible, unlock things slowly and with time there will be a pathway out of this. But we don’t want a bigger third wave and that’s what has to be avoided.

CountessFrog · 01/02/2021 00:12

Ktp100

You make a good point.

I know a lady of 45 who is terminally ill with Brest cancer. She’s been breaking rules. I’ll drop her a line now to remind her what a selfish arsehole
she is.

Imagine thinking of yourself when you are dying. IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC!!!!!

Or is she ok to break rules?

I’d she’s ok, can people with poor mental health break rules, or does that not count?

AllMyPrettyOnes · 01/02/2021 00:29

@ktp100

In an ideal world everyone would put up with it for as long as necessary for the common good/society's vulnerable/the NHS etc BUT people are fucking selfish arseholes soooooo......

As long as necessary? Even if it was years? Bollocks to that.

CountessFrog · 01/02/2021 00:32

Maybe that’s KTP’s ideal world.

Properly caught by the propaganda. How will you pedal back ?

friendlycat · 01/02/2021 00:33

I do think this is unimaginable for people with a terminal illness. My MIL died in June in amongst it but her illness was very short lived.
This will be impossibly hard for those with a very limited lifespan and I cannot express enough my deepest sympathy for those in this situation.

CountessFrog · 01/02/2021 00:38

Yes it’s horrible. She is unlikely to ever see ‘normal life’ again.

Another lady I know died in the autumn, was only allowed limited visitors behind a glass screen. No idea why, catching covid was the least of her worries.

We shouldn’t judge why some break rules. People exercise a choice for many reasons unknown to us.

CausingChaos2 · 01/02/2021 00:44

Several of my neighbours are having friends and family over this lockdown, even ones who were sticklers for the rules in previous lockdowns.

Chatterbox1987 · 01/02/2021 01:06

I personally think even the "as long as it takes people" have probably started to crack... Maybe not to an extreme but things like going to a shop for something that is not essential. It's still a rule that most people have probably broken... These small rule breaks will become slightly larger. It is when people see most others seeing family or anythibg that they will eventually say enough is enough.

Before the weather improves tho the govt need this exit plan... One that involves all scenarios etc including failed vaccines or new variants etc

LunaHeather · 01/02/2021 01:21

Chatter "Maybe not to an extreme but things like going to a shop for something that is not essential. It's still a rule that most people have probably broken."

This is not law. No one has broken any "rule" by doing this.

AdultHumanFemale · 01/02/2021 01:33

I don't really get the premise of the OP.
If transmission is still highish, I am obviously going to follow rules etc.
Lines of thinking like the OP's make it seem as if they are taking current restrictions personally, like they've got some beef with the government and are flexing over in the red corner.
Wtf are people supposed to do? Start putting people and themselves at risk because they feel personally aggrieved by measures put in place to protect them?

Kokeshi123 · 01/02/2021 01:35

There will not be riots. Just a quiet "drift" of behavioral norms as more people are vaccinated.

EmmanuelleMakro · 01/02/2021 03:21

I think the gvt was surprised by the level of compliance at the beginning and the intention and expectation was always that there would be an acceptable level ‘leakage’ and just enough compliance to prevent thé rickety old ‘NHS’ from disintegrating.
But people especially the jobsworths seized on the concept of ‘safety’ as an excuse for making mire restrictions than were ever necessary and then got caught up on its own propaganda trap.
So yes very difficult to back pedal when do many not expect this to go on until everything is ‘safe’.
Lots of hypocrisy around the rules.
I know a —hypochondriac— unsackable civil servant who can work at home being sanctimonious about rule breakers. Then her dog walker was exposed to covid and did nor self-isolate and civil servant blustered about it when I asked her why she thought that was okay.
There are a lot of smug people unaffected by the restrictions who judge others who most definitely are.
There is ghastly mother of four kids I know is desperate ro get her kids back in school so she can go back to her daytime trysts with married men, but who breaks the rules by hanging out indoors all weekend with numerous others at the amateur sports club opposite where I live.

CrunchyCarrot · 01/02/2021 03:24

If we get lovely fine and warm weather early on this year I can't see people locking themselves away. It'll just be too much to stomach!

inquietant · 01/02/2021 03:24

Most people are now twisting/ breaking some rules even those who were sticking to them 100% in the first lockdown.

This is simply projection, it isn't borne out by the data.

This lockdown has higher compliance than November.

lovelemoncurd · 01/02/2021 03:28

Quite happy to carry on to be honest. I've got used to it. I can still go for walks with a family member or friend. I would like a holiday in summer though so hopefully by then.

RonaldMcDonald · 01/02/2021 03:36

More people I know now know dead people due to the virus
Most people are being much more strict

There are hardcore stupid selfish pricks in every situation but of those I know and work with by and large they’re being very strict

Asrui · 01/02/2021 04:07

@AlexaShutUp

I think the majority of people will continue to follow the rules for as long as it takes tbh. There is a minority who are choosing to ignore the rules already, and they will continue to do so. I guess their number may swell as time goes on, but most people I know are fundamentally decent and will continue to be responsible.

I have 2 issues with this.

Do you mean "As Long As it Takes", which is a blank cheque, could be 10 years, or the amount of time I have internalised that I think it will take, but I will say ALAIT in order to appear morally superior to anyone not prepared to write a blank cheque of time?
Does anyone who does not fall into the ALAIT category by your definition not qualify as "fundamentally decent"?

Asrui · 01/02/2021 04:12

@RonaldMcDonald

More people I know now know dead people due to the virus Most people are being much more strict

There are hardcore stupid selfish pricks in every situation but of those I know and work with by and large they’re being very strict

What is it that most people are being stricter than? Stricter than the rules? Stricter than some undefined other? What qualifies someone as a "hardcore stupid selfish prick"?

PhilCornwall1 · 01/02/2021 04:57

People are just going to quietly visit others if they want to, judging by what's going on around here over the last 10 days or so.

Couple of neighbours across the road have had people stay over the weekend and one of them has people come and go during the week. Others in the road have visitors too. Has been pretty busy this weekend and has certainly "ramped up" (urghhh!!) over the last week and a bit.

Mintjulia · 01/02/2021 05:16

Three of the people most important to me have had their first jab, things feel much more optimistic. I'm planning a garden party for mid-June.

I can hold out until then.

Chatterbox1987 · 01/02/2021 05:59

@LunaHeather

Chatter "Maybe not to an extreme but things like going to a shop for something that is not essential. It's still a rule that most people have probably broken."

This is not law. No one has broken any "rule" by doing this.

No but it is still guidance... The point being that those not breaking any rules do so because of the need or want to contain the virus.. If they really are doing this for the greater good then there should be no difference between them breaking a rule or not follow guidance.

Chatterbox1987 · 01/02/2021 06:01

@PhilCornwall1

People are just going to quietly visit others if they want to, judging by what's going on around here over the last 10 days or so.

I'm sorry but this just seems like curtain twitching to the max... Never would I know or even care about who or how often or for how long my neighbours have people round!

everybodysang · 01/02/2021 06:06

We are not breaking any rules and it's been extremely hard. My livelihood is gone. DH is a teacher and older and so at risk. The children are struggling badly.

However, we will keep on being careful and have no plans to change that until it's safe to do so. I do not mean zero Covid, I mean until infrastructures are not at risk of collapse and the modelling suggests we are safe to loosen restrictions.

The people I know are a mix. Most taking it seriously but with some slight rule breaking. I don't think we'll see large scale rioting or protest - there will still be some, I am sure. But I think the majority will go on as long as there is a clear (ish) road map ahead.

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