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Original poster

Meeting outdoors in small groups and outdoor sport next month

117 replies

Mrstiggywinkle1 · 05/02/2021 11:16

Just read an article saying once schools have gone back on 8th March, that they will allow small groups to meet outdoors and outdoor sports to start up again.
Then an unlock from there, starting with outdoor dining/drinks in pubs and restaurants before indoor.
I’m personally hoping the domestic tourism industry opens up in late March or early April so my family can come here and visit from the north east, we are in the south west. Also have lots of friends who work in the local tourism industry here.

So things are looking up and I feel much more optimistic than I did 2 weeks ago.

OP posts:
Toorapid · 05/02/2021 11:20

I think we'll be back to groups of 6 outdoors once lockdown is eased and schools return. Unfortunately, I don't think that will be 8 March.

I hope they'll be more cautious about opening pubs and schools at the same time this time.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/02/2021 11:23

I wonder where outdoor youth groups (sports and otherwise) will be given the go ahead (they were up to 15children and five adults from July to December, not including November and some tier variation). Especially if schools don't return fully.

Sparklingbrook · 05/02/2021 11:25

Mmmm. Outdoor dining in March. I'll not be first in the queue.

Anonanon12 · 05/02/2021 11:26

I hope so, would love to get my kids back to football and cricket for some fitness! My oh could take the kids for a bike ride with a family friend, I'd like to meet my Mum for a walk in the woods with the kids. Would make a nice enough difference to our lives.

I've been wondering this morning, with all the incredibly clever people in this world and advances in science, why hasn't anyone come up with an easy and cheap test we can all do at home 3 times a week to prove negative to having the covid, to allow people to go to work and school and pubs etc? Teamed with an app to prove the negative result to allow access to these places.... Amazes me this hasn't been created yet

Toorapid · 05/02/2021 11:26

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

I wonder where outdoor youth groups (sports and otherwise) will be given the go ahead (they were up to 15children and five adults from July to December, not including November and some tier variation). Especially if schools don't return fully.
I don't think anything will return before schools. They've promised schools will be first, politically they've everything to lose and nothing to gain by allowing small niche groups to return first.
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/02/2021 11:29

@Toorapid I was meaning more if only certain year groups returned, or a rota system, rather than not 'opening' at all.

speaksofty · 05/02/2021 11:39

My best guess will be this:

Schools reopen in full on or before the 8th of March
Outdoors group of six can meet up outside only
Outdoor sports allowed again
Restaurants and shops reopen at the end of March
Gyms, beauty salons etc
Hospitality - hotels etc reopen in time for Easter
Pubs last to open and may take longer inside, but can serve outside drinks
Travel - who knows....

pommedeterre · 05/02/2021 11:46

Restaurants and shops will not be end of March. Mid April at earliest I reckon. Cant see gyms and beauty salons before May either personally.

marshmallowfluffy · 05/02/2021 11:48

Furlough ends on 30th April so I reckon pubs open 1 May, non-essential shops 1 April and some school years back on 8 March.

marshmallowfluffy · 05/02/2021 11:50

Good Friday is 2nd April so I wonder if outdoor dining will be 1 April onwards so businesses can cash in on Easter weekend?

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 05/02/2021 11:59

Restaurants will be kept closed over Mother’s Day and Easter- god forbid this country would allow businesses to make money

SwedishK · 05/02/2021 11:59

Have they even said that schools are opening on March 8th? Isn't that just the earliest possible date? I personally don't think they will open this side of Easter.

IAmongstTheWorld · 05/02/2021 12:02

They have said after schools reopen - it could still be a long way after they reopen.

I think they will open schools and see if there's a spike - maybe a month later the outdoor sport and meeting will happen, a month later shops (which would be inline with when they are proposing all over 50s will have been vaccinated).

Toorapid · 05/02/2021 12:03

I don't think school will open more widely until after Easter and if that's the case they can't open hospitality over Easter.

DumpedWife · 05/02/2021 12:13

Just don't expect anything. That way you save yourself the misery of it not happening.

People are talking as if schools.opening on 8th March is a definite. It's not. It's what they hope to do.

Fuck knows what Corona may have in store for us in the next 4 weeks or so. That might make 8th March 8th of April or any other date. 8th March is the earliest they MIGHT/HOPE to reopen schools.

We've had a year of 1 step forward 2 back. I like to look forward and can't wait for things to get more normalise but people don't seem to be able to grasp that nothing is nor can he set in stone with this fucking awful virus due to the curve balls it keeps throwing at us. Covid means if you plan ahead, there's a fair chance your plans will be funded up.

I am optimistic with the vaccine roll out etc but cautiously so but if you can't cope with dissapointment don't count on 8th March as the grand reopening. I also think, it will be slower roll out if everything else. God help my hair!!

JanuaryChill · 05/02/2021 12:15

@Anonanon12

I hope so, would love to get my kids back to football and cricket for some fitness! My oh could take the kids for a bike ride with a family friend, I'd like to meet my Mum for a walk in the woods with the kids. Would make a nice enough difference to our lives.

I've been wondering this morning, with all the incredibly clever people in this world and advances in science, why hasn't anyone come up with an easy and cheap test we can all do at home 3 times a week to prove negative to having the covid, to allow people to go to work and school and pubs etc? Teamed with an app to prove the negative result to allow access to these places.... Amazes me this hasn't been created yet

How do you ensure the people at home upload the true result to the app or website?

No one's yet managed to come up with a sufficiently reliable and cheap test. I'm sure it's not for want of trying. Don't know how the saliva test trials are going.

Rosehip10 · 05/02/2021 12:16

@Anonanon12 as a test is only a snapshot at that minute in time.

BelleSausage · 05/02/2021 12:18

People need to be really careful about relying on 8th March as a hard date.

At the rate we will only be about 30% vaccinated.

There had also been a huge rise in children with a syndrome caused by the virus. This might slow down school opening.

Sunshinegirl82 · 05/02/2021 12:20

They are opening primary schools in Scotland after half term I think and possibly Wales too. I think that makes 8th March more likely for schools in England, at least for Primary schools but we shall see.

peak2021 · 05/02/2021 12:22

After schools, I would like to see exercise prioritised, where it can be done socially distantly.

MNnicknameforCVthreads · 05/02/2021 12:26

@BelleSausage

People need to be really careful about relying on 8th March as a hard date.

At the rate we will only be about 30% vaccinated.

There had also been a huge rise in children with a syndrome caused by the virus. This might slow down school opening.

What is your source for the "huge rise" in the syndrome?

I read the numbers are only in line with the rise in cases, not that the syndrome is becoming more common per capita.

HunkyPunk · 05/02/2021 12:27

Covid means if you plan ahead, there's a fair chance your plans will be funded up.

I love that your autocorrect is so prudish! Grin

MNnicknameforCVthreads · 05/02/2021 12:27

From the Guardian article:

Whittaker said parents should not be alarmed by the surge in hospitalisations because the recent incidence of PIMS is proportionate to the pandemic’s greater impact on adults over recent weeks. “PIMS can be very serious. But we have seen fewer seriously unwell children [in the second wave] because there is earlier recognition and earlier treatment,” she said.

“It remains rare, and we don’t think parents should worry, as it is far more likely not to affect their child than to affect them. The numbers are low and [PIMS] would not be a reason to keep schools from opening. The median age [of onset] is nine years. We would not close playgrounds.”

PilatesPeach · 05/02/2021 12:28

I never understand why everything is prioritised before gyms - sure schools but why are pubs & restaurants ahead for example?

It is around 2.8% of people who had been to the gym in the 7 days prior to a positive test - those who had been to other leisure & hospitality sectors were a higher percentage and even of those 2.8%, it does not mean that they had contracted covid in a gym setting.

There is a fundamental misunderstanding so often about what happens in gyms. Everyone spaced out, class numbers and gym number slashed, every other treadmill and machine turned off, sometimes only every 3rd one switched on. All this assumption of sweaty puffing and grunting in just not what happens anywhere I teach. Yoga & pilates no heavy breathing. Same as in the pool. Booking essential, numbers limited. Massive mental & physical health benefits to those attending plus a lot of people in this sector who get no government help and need to get back earning.

I hope outdoor sports will at least allow outdoor classes to resume.