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Original poster

Is anyone actually going to follow the rules from spring?

999 replies

Cloudsurfing · 08/02/2021 22:01

It will have been a year since being allowed to properly see friends and family. Even in summer last year you still had to social distance so seeing family was difficult, and some areas had tighter restrictions throughout. Everyone I know is going to see family and friends from spring, regardless of what restrictions there are. I am too. The government do know that most people won’t stick to it from then, right?

Is anyone on here actually going to not see family at that point? I know Mumsnet seems to be full of people who are happy to isolate for years if need be, but are you actually going to?

OP posts:
Whyistheteacold · 09/02/2021 07:35

In my area they now offer asymptomatic testing, me and my little sister who is currently at uni were discussing both getting a test, isolating until we get the results and then she can come to my house and we will just "fuck it" for a day, she'll finally be able to meet her 5 month old niece!

PracticingPerson · 09/02/2021 07:35

@Dodododahdahdah

“grin if you think you might not find people to socialise with, that might give you a clue as to how wise your views are, and how much people are hmm-ing behind your back”

Well there’s the difference between people like you and people like me.

I do not give a flying fuck what anyone has to say behind my back... or to m face.

My views have stayed the same throughout this whole thing and I’ve had enough now. I’ve done my bit for you lot and your health anxieties but no more.

I don't have health anxieties, I've had covid and was fine.

But you said you might struggle to find people who would want to socialise with you, and that suggests you think your friends don't agree with you.

hopsalong · 09/02/2021 07:36

"Most people who are happy to break the rules see themselves at low risk and don't care about other more vulnerable people."

One of the other fallacies. No, they don't care THAT much about vulnerable people that they don't know. Who are you, Mother Theresa? People's sense of their own altruism has become comically inflated during this pandemic, and a lot of the professed altruism is only fear.

Look, it's great to give a massive shit about the well-being of people you don't know. But why before the pandemic weren't you giving most of your spare income to charities focused on the developing world. How could you justify that holiday or that car when by spending the money on yourself you were letting children in Africa die of starvation? Why were most of us working in jobs for companies focused on shareholder profit rather than charity?

Seriouslymole · 09/02/2021 07:37

@glitterbubbles - can you provide a source please to uphold your argument that the majority of people in ICU due to Covid (not that they've caught Covid whilst in hospital for something else) are between 40 and 60? I'd be really interested to see that.

speaksofty · 09/02/2021 07:37

I have had family that have been in ICU with covid in the last six months, but I have also have friends that have lost their 15 year old to suicide, and we have friends that are children in hospital due to anorexia.

It is a balance.

We need to restart mixing outside, outside sports and schools, and take it from there.
We can not carry on for much longer in a hard lockdown because the damage it is doing to society and to children is enormous, and getting worse by the day.

glitterbubbles · 09/02/2021 07:39

[quote Seriouslymole]**@glitterbubbles* - can you provide a source please to uphold your argument that the majority of people in ICU due to* Covid (not that they've caught Covid whilst in hospital for something else) are between 40 and 60? I'd be really interested to see that.[/quote]
Sorry should have said - this is anecdotal evidence based on what I've observed at work

wanderings · 09/02/2021 07:39

Nope. The tyranny, gaslighting and brainwashing have gone on long enough. We have to start living again: life has a 100% mortality rate. Children are being totally fucking screwed over by lockdown, and they will be for years and years and years. "It's only a year" is 20% of a five-year-old's life. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100,000 dead and counting; how many of those would have died of something else soon? Are the death figures in general significantly up on the previous year? How many of those come under the heading of "once a Covid, always a Covid" (and with the usual government deception, I don't believe the "28-day" thing at all)? Or, like Saint Boris and his merry men do all the time, people have concentrated on the few, when there are many, many, many people for whom it is a mild illness? We can't keep putting our lives on hold for ever, to protect the few. The world is full of risk, even without Covid.

Will Dominic Cummings follow the rules? And yes, I am still banging on about him, and I shall continue to do so until Saint Boris grovels about it, admits that he was WRONG to defend him, and that if the roolz matter that much, he should have sacked him on the spot. If politicians are going to utterly destroy our lives like this, the least they can do is show some fucking integrity, and attempt to live on the same planet as the rest of us. I bet there are other politicians who have also broken the roolz, who haven't been caught, or their doings have been hushed up. Trust in the government and the police is going to be at a significant low if things do not change soon, and sooner or later people will wake up and riot, if the undue tyranny continues.

IrishMamaMia · 09/02/2021 07:39

Well it can't be that much of a worry if the government still haven't organised a proper quarantine system to stop new strains coming in or put in firm plans for vaccinating the army, police, teachers.

TheKeatingFive · 09/02/2021 07:40

The 'vulnerable' (assuming this means over 70s ans ECV) will be vaccinated, but what about the people in their 40s-60s who make up the majority of the COVID patients in ITU beds?

Ordinary individuals wanting to do basic human things like see their family cannot be held responsible for the underfunded health service that we have.

Outcomes for 40-60 year olds are good. We can’t expect to keep everyone from getting Covid, it’s here to stay, better get used to that.

StealthPolarBear · 09/02/2021 07:41

And I bet I'll be allowed to go to a sodding pub or get my hair done before I'm allowed to see my parents or in laws.
Priorities.

TheKeatingFive · 09/02/2021 07:41

and a lot of the professed altruism is only fear.

Absolutely, whether they see that themselves or not.

PracticingPerson · 09/02/2021 07:41

What are we trying to achieve? I'd assumed once the vulnerable were vaccinated, the NHS would be able to cope and restrictions would be eased while we lived alongside levels of the virus that were manageable.
Seems that's no longer the point.

I think the vast numbers of new variants and their risk to the vaccine success is what has moved the goal posts.

Ultimately it is a biological phenomenon, not a predictable, linear thing. Nothing can be assumed about what is next - although scientists had said variants would occur.

www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-threaten-vaccines-and-pandemic-outlook-2021-1?r=US&IR=T

Original poster
Cloudsurfing · 09/02/2021 07:41

I think one of the problems is not being allowed to see family and friends for so long. Most people can do without large parties or nights out for a while, but it being illegal to see family and friends for so long just isn’t right. No other country has done this for so long. We need to be able to see family.

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 09/02/2021 07:42

Yes, my family will continue to follow whatever rules are in place.

In August we are hoping to have a family dinner to celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary. If the rules dont permit this then it will be a minor disappointment, nothing worse.

I have been fortunate. I can WFH and prefer it. I'm not a great socialiser so havent really missed hugging anyone (social distance is my default setting) except my DDs.

Original poster
Cloudsurfing · 09/02/2021 07:42

@StealthPolarBear

And I bet I'll be allowed to go to a sodding pub or get my hair done before I'm allowed to see my parents or in laws. Priorities.
Yes, allowed to go to a pub, have your nails done but not see your mum. Not happening in my life, I’ll see my family before going to a pub!
OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 09/02/2021 07:43

I think one of the problems is not being allowed to see family and friends for so long. Most people can do without large parties or nights out for a while, but it being illegal to see family and friends for so long just isn’t right.

Exactly. No government has the right to demand this for people.

StealthPolarBear · 09/02/2021 07:43

Dr Hopkins said a new variant might make the vaccine less effective but it was highly unlikely to make it ineffective. Which seems sensible.
When does the focus shift from staying alive at all costs to living?

LST · 09/02/2021 07:43

I am seeing my mum & dad (childcare bubble) and my nan who want to see us anyway. None of us go anywhere other than walking our dogs. Friends I havent seen since about October in a social capacity. It depends what restrictions are still in place. I can see us being able to see people outside in groups of 6 again. If they allow that and open campsites back up, we will go meet up in our vans

TheKeatingFive · 09/02/2021 07:43

From people

PracticingPerson · 09/02/2021 07:43

@TheKeatingFive

and a lot of the professed altruism is only fear.

Absolutely, whether they see that themselves or not.

I am happy to admit I'm afraid - not really on a personal illness front having had it mildly, but of course I am afraid that poor management and overconfidence leads to greater disruption.

I'm also afraid of the emotional fallout of so many deaths etc.

This fear leads me to want a robust response.

Dodododahdahdah · 09/02/2021 07:44

I cannot tell you how many times in last year I have read variants of “I’m so worried about my 91 year old Mum in a nursing home with dementia catching covid”

If you had asked any of those 91 year olds 30 years ago: would you want to live as long as possible in a nursing home or would you like a virus to wipe you out and end it quicker, you know for a fact no one would have said the former.
I’m not protecting them, because they don’t want protection. Your asking me to protect their children who cannot face death in any circumstances what so ever!

StealthPolarBear · 09/02/2021 07:44

And accepting some risk? Which seems difficult for lots of people to do when it comes to covid, but other things, such as exposure to flu or driving cars are where the benefits outweigh the risks. Not for covid it seems, nothing is worthwhile.

PracticingPerson · 09/02/2021 07:45

I think those who want things open are afraid of change too.

I think we are all afraid - it's been crazy.

museumum · 09/02/2021 07:46

We do currently see family and friends (one at a time, outdoors). My parents are too far away but if we do become allowed to drive there (which I’m sure we will) we’ll see them outdoors too. So I think by spring well be seeing people but not breaking the rules.

kessiebird · 09/02/2021 07:48

Nope. Many of our family including me and my CEV DM, sister and PIL will have our 2nd dose by April. They will spend time with me and my DC from then, whether that be family walks, picnic and sitting in each others gardens. Even the pub for a meal when it opens!