Why do so many countries have lighter restrictions

[IrishMamaMia]

This thread and question has come up in many different threads over the past few months. I'd describe myself as well-informed, as in I regularly digest a lot of news from all outlets. I have friends across Europe and US, what I would describe as similarly affected countries? Except from Ireland (I'm Irish and am well aware of how strict the measures are there), why are our measures so long-term and so much worse than elsewhere? Why cant we meet one person indoors outside of bubbling? Why can't I book to go to a Covid secure museum like my friends in Germany? Why can't I access simple grooming at a hairdresser for a month? Why can't my children learn healthy life-saving skills like swimming?Why can't I go into a book shop? America are just getting on with it. I keep seeing media reports that countries are about to be overwhelmed and they never are.
And this week we see subtle hints in the media that relaxation of lockdown might not proceed.
The media seem obsessive about travelling abroad? I couldn't care less I want the freedom to live a bit of a life daily.
Is anyone feeling this? I basically support lockdown in an emergency situation but I can't support this anymore. Was reading Steve Baker's comments on Question Time this morning and think he's right.
I feel like we've gone through the point of no return now and this is getting permanent :(

Because the ones that open up pay for it down the line.

'it seems we are in this mess because from the very start the government wouldn't restrict non-essential foreign travel - and they still won't do this in any effective manner, so we are still in this mess.'
It's just so awful isn't it and chilling when they talk about importing the other strains which our hotel quarantine doesn't quite cover.
I am in the lucky position that I was able to visit my family in Ireland last year. I miss them terribly but my day to day life is my current concern. I have a relative in Oz who is living an almost completely normal life. Makes you think.

Kids outdoor sports begins in one week
, we had a death rate of approx 1000 a day not that long ago do of course we would still be in lockdown otherwise I hate to think of the rated.
Some of europe is now going to have ti impose restrictions again and I remember at xmas everyone moaning that we were being too lax

Also in spain in the first lockdown kids were not allowed outside for weeks even exercise was not allowed? You seem to forget that there has been strict measures on other countries too
Some only one person was allowed to shop every few days etc

As for the usa all states vary and maybe a private system has helped some , but mot all
They also have high death rate in some cities and the uk people in general do not want a private healthcare system , we want it free for all at use

Also people still comparing australia and nz really do not understand demographics and geography , and australia also had some very harsh lockdowns to control it

@donewithitalltodayandxmas I understand what you're saying but I don't think you get the gist of my post.
I'm not directly comparing at all and I know we have our problems. The crux of my post is the type and length of restriction we have during the current wave and in my eyes this is from September '20 on. Someone upthread helpfully compares it to mini pandemics within a pandemic.

To the best of my understanding we now have numbers that could allow us to move towards strategies that countries who were successful in Pandemic Stage 1 have used.

However here we are with the South African strain spreading widely in France and very little to protect us from that.

@IrishMamaMia because supposedly this is so its the last time and we don't go in and out, the latest strict lockdown started xmas In england , not sure if your england or ireland now

I thought last few days their was an article that vaccinations showed some help even with SA strain

Yes I saw that too that the jab may have an effect on lowering severity of SA strain and I really hope that's true. I'm in England but spend a lot of time in Ireland in normal times (family). I think long term not having the ability to have someone in your home is awful and disproportionate to be honest.
However I am feeling optimistic this morning as someone has shared an amazing article on this board about the fall in infections in Israel and I suppose I can start making plans for the things that are allowed in April now?

I do think it's hard still being in lockdown, but with the density of the population in most of the UK and the new varients I think it would be very easy for cases to get out of control again.

Hard though it is I'd rather be in lockdown for longer and release when a) cases are even lower) love the FT graphs b) the weather improves and transmission naturally drops and c) even more people are vaccinated than risk another lengthy lockdown next autumn.

I do hope they get better control of incoming infection though so we don't get over run with yet another variant

@andweallsingalong

I do think it's hard still being in lockdown, but with the density of the population in most of the UK and the new varients I think it would be very easy for cases to get out of control again.

Hard though it is I'd rather be in lockdown for longer and release when a) cases are even lower) love the FT graphs b) the weather improves and transmission naturally drops and c) even more people are vaccinated than risk another lengthy lockdown next autumn.

I do hope they get better control of incoming infection though so we don't get over run with yet another variant

Er no this lockdown is long enough already thanks. And when has anyone said there will be another lockdown next autumn?

I agree. I don’t care about international travel.

I want my child to learn to swim. Or have my mum in for a cup of coffee when it’s raining

We have tipped the balance too far. I think it’s because we are a compliant nation generally and we are an unhealthy nation so it’s has affected us worse

Chris whitty has certainly hinted at it. On another thread there was a gov article with the data used for the "roadmap." All scenarios modellled showed a third wave hitting the uk at varying degrees.

@SavingsQuestions

Chris whitty has certainly hinted at it. On another thread there was a gov article with the data used for the "roadmap." All scenarios modellled showed a third wave hitting the uk at varying degrees.

Chris whitty needs to be quiet and stop scaremongering.

Really? I think he's been fairly accurate all year round so far. He's the one I go to as he isn't bound by all the politicking or pressure groups and foucses on data. He's been very positive about vaccines.

@IrishMamaMia

'it seems we are in this mess because from the very start the government wouldn't restrict non-essential foreign travel - and they still won't do this in any effective manner, so we are still in this mess.' It's just so awful isn't it and chilling when they talk about importing the other strains which our hotel quarantine doesn't quite cover. I am in the lucky position that I was able to visit my family in Ireland last year. I miss them terribly but my day to day life is my current concern. I have a relative in Oz who is living an almost completely normal life. Makes you think.

The December / January spike was caused by the Kent variant though

I live in Germany and it depends which area you live in - certainly here museums aren't open! The shops are reopening but you have to have an appointment to go in - if our local cases go up that goes again. I don't know when gyms or sports centres reopen, it depends on cases going down and at present they are going up. We have been on curfew since November until a few weeks ago and they're talking about introducing it again. We can't leave our state and masks are compuslory even for school kids now.
Personally I am jealous of your dates of release as at least you have a (provisional) date to look forward to. I don't know when it ends here, and I believe we (non vulnerable adults) don't get a vaccine before September at the earliest. So it certainly isn't easy here currently. Most people here are getting pretty sick of it too. I want to fly home, see my folks and see my son who is at university.

@IrishMamaMia yes I think all we can do is make plans for what hopefully can happen next and that vaccine production vamps up so the world can start vaccinating
Im fine if we have no international travel in or out for a year if thats what it takes as hard as it will be not seeing some family , but feel like this should of been done across the world at the beginning and given every country a chance to control it at home first .

Can you have anyone in your house in Germany? Or is that the same as here?

I'm missing that so much more now.

So many people are talking about Germany, I thought you might like to hear from an expat living in Germany!
I emigrated to Germany well before the pandemic and gave birth to my first child here in Jan 2020 just before things started getting bad.
The cliche that Germans follow the rules is true, however there is another cliche which is even truer: the health of the economy is EVERYTHING to them.
Respect for the economy and having a good work ethic is drilled into Germans from school age. Every bit of news about covid is always immediately followed about how that bit of news affects the economy.
Furthermore there is a HUGE "holiday home" culture in Germany, amongst the middle classes. It's an even bigger culture than that which exists in the U.K. Many privileged city dwellers couldn't seem to help but break lockdown rules to go to their holiday homes in the country. Whilst almost everyone follows the rules, there's a whole class of people who seemed to ignore the fact that the rules applied to their holiday homes as well, and exempted themselves. This is the biggest factor in driving up infection rates in rural areas, such as where I live.
Social pressure manifests in the strict mask-wearing rules. All face masks have to be ffp2, which is a surgical grade. You should well believe that if you go out wearing a normal face mask, people will openly judge you, point at you, and send you away, and not before they've argued with you. It's simply not acceptable.
And yet, the economy is king. Whilst Germans are willing to be strict on some things, hearing about how the gdp is falling in every news segment is intolerable to them. It goes completely against their postwar culture, where respect for patriotism and Teutonic culture basically got rerouted to respect for the economy. It's something that Germans feel they can be proud of without feeling guilty. They have clung to it for decades.
And Merkel is on the out. She gave an impassioned speech last Christmas which touched many Germans, about how they must not trip up now, about how they could not make Christmas 2020 the last many people will have. But she is set to step down, and no matter how big a rise the Germans see in the infect rates, their beloved economy cannot be left to suffer anymore.
So there's this massive struggle between rule following and the economy, and law makers have realised the only way that they can continue to control their citizens is by throwing them a bone. Berlin opening its theatres is the litmus test for this. Depending on what happens there, other states will follow.
Tracking systems have largely worked over here. Test centres opened in every Landkreis in the same month as the first lockdown, which was very quick. By now, the creases in the system have well and truly been ironed out.
But there's another factor at play - embarrassment. Germany feels letdown by the EU and embarrassed by the vaccination success of the U.K. But because Germany is SO loyal to the EU, this embarrassment has sort of imploded on them, and it's another reason to throw the citizens a bone in lifting certain restrictions.
Germany will never betray the EU, and probably not the U.K. for that matter, which is why it will continue to export its vaccines even though the vaccinated population over here is still in the single figures. If the supply to the U.K. is cut off, that will definitely be an EU decision. Germans won't say "Germany first" any time soon...
But they will say "economy first", hence the lifting of restrictions. For good or for ill!

I think the US might look great on paper, but really everyone I know* there (family and friends) have locked themselves down. Kids have been remote learning for a year, my parents haven't been inside someone else's house for a year, my friend has not seen any friends in person for a year (and lives alone) because none of her friends have health insurance.

• I also know my brother's wife's family "don't believe in Covid" and only follow restrictions they are forced to follow.

I don't understand why the restrictions are so harsh here.

This morning on the radio news it said Boris wants / is suggesting another 6 month lockdown. And furlough (which is currently April 21, but 2 weeks ago on the news that it was possibly be extended to Sep 21), now furlough extended to Jan 22.

This just crushes confidence. We think things are getting better. Things lifting in June 21. Andrew Lloyd Webber saying he wants productions in the west end ASAP.

I am at work now. We are printing company. Normally print for all the Cruises. And we normally do all the theatres in London for shows etc. Guess what? No work for us atm. And today's announcement just makes it all worse. It crushes the public's confidence.