Next week's announcement won't be the good news we think it'll be

[likeamillpond]

Listening to the news and reading between the lines regarding the latest variant that's supposed to be resistant to the vaccine, I don't think it's going to be brilliant news next week.
I dont think it'll be a case of, We've got this. You can all go out now.
Im hoping theyll say for certain that schools can go back. At least.
I think we are still in the shit. They just haven't told us.
I'm prepared to be told I'm worrying over nothing.

@TwelvePaws

Locked up, locked down - same difference!

It’s really not. It’s ridiculous that people are saying it’s like being in prison even if they’re sticking to the rules.
Lots of people are not sticking to the rules where we live and I still heard one of the neighbours talking to another declaring it’s like prison. 🙄 Then she had her 3rd set of visitors for the day and it was only lunchtime. They told me last week that their kids are still having sleepovers with friends and they’re seeing their family as it’s ‘gone on long enough.’ Interesting prison. 🤔

Good for her We need to collectively fight back

Things will be opened very gradually unlike last time. It will be very controlled, it will progress slowly but surely

I am a little worried about one of the scientists being interviewed on the TV news in the past week just happened to describe the viral strain in Bristol as being the Kent strain but with a variation that allows it to escape the vaccine - seems quite a serious issue to me.

Don't know if that is specific to the variant in Bristol or all the variants in the areas getting surge testing.

DBML: nope, our Govt. have been crap too. They’ve somehow managed to get it wrong on both counts, mortality rate and economy.

The vaccine programme is the one thing that’s actually working, because, for once, they’ve handed it over to the NHS and not outside agencies/companies with no inkling.

Which is why it would be a terrible error to open up too soon.
Evan Davies on PM today interviewed the owner of a number of nightclubs, who has been hit incredibly hard. He agreed with my opinion. He said that tests on the door in a couple of weeks were a nonsense, it’s completely unworkable, and that the industry would rather wait another 8 weeks until the first 9 priority groups are vaccinated. This is someone who went under in the first lockdown. Thankfully, he has been bought out and the group is reinvesting.

So many people in the UK are being incredibly short-sighted. If we get this right, now, we can see an end to this unsustainable situation once and for all. It will be reduced to a seasonal virus, with an annual booster, that only the incredibly frail will succumb to each year, as they do to the ‘flu.
If we collectively screw it up now (ie poor Govt.. policy and individuals deciding that they’re not going to comply for another two months) we will potentially be caught up in this destructive cycle for a great deal longer. The economy most certainly can’t sustain that.

Just two months. Are you really willing to throw away the collective effort of the past year to have a few less weeks of restrictions? That would be incredibly short-sighted.

Says someone who is not a lone parent working full time and trying to home school and support 2 dc. Another 8 weeks of this is going to be horrendous. I am so stressed and exhausted, I can’t keep on much longer like this. I want my DC back in school able to see friends. I’ll accept rotas, masks, testing, whatever. Even 2 days a week would help my DC massively at this point.

I think they are going to tell everyone to start stocking up on nails and wood. If it's possible to build a a bunker in your back garden too. I can't see any other way to be honest.

Why does anyone want to jump the gun?
If a new variant has appeared, surely its better to surpress it.

It will be which schools can go back, and some vagueness about the order in the removal of restrictions. Don't expect to know the date pubs will re-open, for example.

Today 20:16 sittingpondering

Just two months. Are you really willing to throw away the collective effort of the past year to have a few less weeks of restrictions? That would be incredibly short-sighted.

Says someone who is not a lone parent working full time and trying to home school and support 2 dc. Another 8 weeks of this is going to be horrendous. I am so stressed and exhausted, I can’t keep on much longer like this. I want my DC back in school able to see friends. I’ll accept rotas, masks, testing, whatever. Even 2 days a week would help my DC massively at this point.”

I’m sorry. If we open up too soon, you will be struggling to cope for another year.

No, I’m not a lone parent. I have a CEV husband and a CV youngest child who has been working at home on a screen for almost exactly a year. I haven’t been able to see or kiss my daughter, 6 month old grandchild or elderly parents. I’m reasonably healthy but can’t go out, except late at night, in the dark and preferably pissing rain because people with any sense are at home, wearing a f*ing mask in so I don’t risk bringing anything home.

I empathise with you. Different circumstances, I would argue equally difficult. Which is why I’m not prepared to throw away the past year of sacrifice for the sake of another 2 months.

Yes, much better now that Mr. Biden is in place, that’s true

Really!?

I’m glad that for once they are being cautious. I hope this means we won’t see a full reopening of schools for quite some time.

@DenisetheMenace

That’s not what we’re being told though. We’re constantly hearing about mutations; the need for continued restrictions; no holidays; longer school days; summer school; closing borders; no visiting others; no gyms; must get all groups 1-9 vaccinated, no actually all adults vaccinated, no actually let’s wait for kids too; vaccine passports; LFT before going into a pub or a restaurant...etc etc

Seriously? There is no foreseeable end to this. They’ve even spoke about lockdowns next winter!

We’ve got people losing jobs; committing suicide and long standing companies disappearing. I’m starting to think we’ve gone horribly wrong. How can we keep this up.

We’ve got everyone saying ‘get the kids back to school and we can tolerate everything else’ ....what’s the point? At this rate there’s nothing left for them anyway. We can’t keep wrecking our economy. And adults suffer just as much as kids do. We ALL need out of this circle of lockdowns.

Today 20:24 augustusglupe

Yes, much better now that Mr. Biden is in place, that’s true

Really!“

Yes, I think so. Why, specifically, do you disagree?

I'm just assuming more of the same until late spring, with more exposure likely in my two jobs (which I know I'm lucky to have!). Anything else earlier is a bonus.

I’m expecting us to go down the tiers. Not sure when, but it’ll be gradual!

Re dc hair Cuts, can you have a go yourself?.
Dh did his own, allover grade 4?
Dh gave me a trim the other night literally cut a straight line...

And I do the dc?.
We are cooped up but largely due to weather, mud, cold.... Rain, floods..
We can go out every day if we want.

We all suffered so much already so logically and collectively we might as well stick it out or rather in for a little longer - until we can partially control the new mutations along with vaccination for sustainable long term reopening. Can't mess up repeatedly with further short term cycles and longer term pain and damage. We need to reopen but only when safe enough to do so and not rush and repeat endlessly.

Those of us who have stayed well and not had major bereavement are very lucky.
Given the UK has a population of 66 million, and has had approx 4 million infections, and 117,000 deaths, the great majority of us are in that position. That doesn't deny that this is a serious illness, and that all of those deaths and illnesses aren't dreadful, but statistics do help getting it all into perspective.

@DenisetheMenace it sounds very hard for you too so I apologise for being snippy, I’m just finding it all too hard right now. I hope with a break from the home schooling over half term I can gather some strength for the next few weeks and keep on but I’m very low. The thought of two more months of no school is too much for me.

@TwelvePaws

Locked up, locked down - same difference!

It’s really not. It’s ridiculous that people are saying it’s like being in prison even if they’re sticking to the rules.
Lots of people are not sticking to the rules where we live and I still heard one of the neighbours talking to another declaring it’s like prison. 🙄 Then she had her 3rd set of visitors for the day and it was only lunchtime. They told me last week that their kids are still having sleepovers with friends and they’re seeing their family as it’s ‘gone on long enough.’ Interesting prison. 🤔

Well I wasn't really saying it is like being in prison, more a comment on the terminology used. I had said "they'll lock us up again". The correct term is lock down which is still new to me. Lock up / lock down - whatever. I'm talking about restrictions.

Although now I think about it, I've been sheilding for almost a year so that feels like house arrest to me lol!

God there are a few drama llama gloomsters and doomsters on this thread!

We know covid can be controlled because of the countries that are doing it.

So let's just put the work in now - and soon we too can be going to the pub after a hard week of not having to homeschool our kids and not hearing on the news how many thousands died of covid this week.

Government have ruled out a return to tiers - they want England to move at same pace everywhere unlike last time - some areas were pretty much still locked down last summer.

Evan Davies on PM today interviewed the owner of a number of nightclubs, who has been hit incredibly hard. He agreed with my opinion. He said that tests on the door in a couple of weeks were a nonsense, it’s completely unworkable, and that the industry would rather wait another 8 weeks until the first 9 priority groups are vaccinated. This is someone who went under in the first lockdown. Thankfully, he has been bought out and the group is reinvesting.

I get the impression that nightclubs, theatre etc...might open with rapid testing much later in the year once most adults are vaccinated not in a few weeks.

@PrincessNutNuts

God there are a few drama llama gloomsters and doomsters on this thread!

We know covid can be controlled because of the countries that are doing it.

So let's just put the work in now - and soon we too can be going to the pub after a hard week of not having to homeschool our kids and not hearing on the news how many thousands died of covid this week.

The only countries ‘controlling’ the virus are places like New Zealand.

They’ve completely closed their borders. Something I’d never want to do, not least because not everyone I love is here in the UK.

But have they really controlled the virus? Or just delayed it?

@Hollanda40

Not seen my grandmother for a year now. She's 92. Kids not seen grandparents properly for months. It's so depressing and dark.

I think when the weather gets warmer and we're allowed to meet 1 or 2 people for outdoor dining etc with restrictions things will feel easier. :( It's awful. I hate most this race to the bottom attitude people have. If you want the shops open you're selfish. If you want the pubs open you're more than selfish, you're the worst of the worst. I said at work I can't wait to spoil my kids for lunch outside Spoons with my parents and Nanna.

I was stared at and my colleague said "ARE YOU ON GLUE? I wouldn't take my family out anywhere!! For months if not years. We'll be back in lockdown and you're part of the problem!!"

Eh? We're all absolutely worn down with this. I have hives and constant stomach pains. My anxiety is relentless. That's just me. My kids are ok but miserable cooped up even though they say they're fine. We are in contact with the school and nursery constantly as DD3 is in nursery attached to the school.

My kids need hair cuts. To get out this place and off this road. My kids haven't left our neighborhood since December last year.

I don't want to go back to packed bars on wild nights out. Just simply to take the kids out for a simple family lunch.

I'm not sorry if that makes me a terrible human being!!!! It simply makes me honest for actually saying what I want to do WHEN WE CAN DO IT (safely) and trying to give us something other than doom to look forward to.

Finally someone that is honest on this thread and not a sanctimonious whinging Winnie. I feel for all the people homeschooling, and hope that schools go back soon. I want my ds to return to his apprenticeship and not be stuck in his room all day. I want my dd to finish her practical university modules back in a real workshop and after 4 years actually attend her graduation ( which all the universities are cancelling again )

And if the vaccines don't stop transmission what is the point in waiting for everyone to be vaccinated apart from to make sure Boris' mates pockets are fully lined?