Rule of six doesn't mean social distancing is over

[givemushypeasachance]

A lot of people are looking forward to socialising with friends and family in gardens from 29 March. With some nice weather on the way, some BBQs and picnics and drinks in the garden sound great. Outdoor socialising in fresh air is safer than indoor socialising, but it's not 100% safe. Particularly if you're sat close together in a gazebo or tent! Ventilation and distancing are still things to think about if you have vulnerable people visiting, haven't been vaccinated yet, and just want to try to keep cases in the community low. At the local primary school 4 of the 7 year groups are isolating with multiple cases right now - it's still circulating, and passing on cases can put entire year bubbles and workplaces out of operation.

From the govt roadmap: "As soon as possible and by no later than Step 3 [May 17th], we will also update the advice on social distancing between friends and family, including hugging. But until this point, people should continue to keep their distance from anyone not in their household or support bubble."

Well yes, of course, has someone suggested that is not the case?

That's nice. I'm not going to wait for the government to tell me when I can hug my close relatives. I will be doing that over Easter. At this point I am more concerned by the mental health impact of the past year than I am by this sodding virus.

Nothing in life is 100% safe. Staying on your sofa alone for ever is not "100% safe".

I will be hugging my friend in my garden, assuming she is fine with that.

I'm not a massive hugger anyway so I won't be but I"m so looking forward to seeing people on our gardens.

Just something else for the curtain twitchers to get worked up about on social media

@Champagneandmonstermunch

Well yes, of course, has someone suggested that is not the case?

This ^^

I’ll hug my mum and dad thanks. It’s been a year and they’ve been vaccinated. Oh, I’ll hug my little brother too. HTH.

I've lost track of what we're allowed to do when, to be honest as so much information was published in one go in the roadmap. I think there may need to be some clear reminders as each date approaches. I agree some people will interpret meeting with 6 outdoors as meeting whoever they want, whenever they want. We've been very successful at reducing the transmission so I hope people will remember that restrictions need to be eased gradually rather than all in one go.

A few months ago I'd have agreed with you but looking around the people who have given up social distancing are the over 60s. I'm now fed up and unwilling to do this any longer. Everyone in my family has either been vaccinated or had Covid recently so I will be hugging them and I will be spending time with them in small groups inside my house. I'm not planning on holding massive parties or seeing dozens of different people but I just can't see the risk any more.

At the end of this month my 21yr old daughter will be seeing her boyfriend for the first time since the beginning of December, to celebrate his 21st birthday.

The plan is for them to stay in the garden (they have a gazebo in case of rain). They know they are supposed to socially distance. Whether they will or not remains to be seen, but I will not be enquiring before letting her back in the house.

Thanks Chris.

I’m slightly concerned that everyone being vaccinated has meant they’re abandoning distancing etc. I’ve had a few friends and family members tell me they’re “vaccinated so can come over now.” I’m not vaccinated and I’m pregnant so it’s not at all reassuring to me to hear that they’re now comfortable to mix because they are vaccinated and furthermore they’re happy to mix with me who isn’t and who is vulnerable as a result of pregnancy.

I understand why people might be feeling they can be less cautious and I am there with the mental health concerns.

I didn't know I was aiming for a 100% safe life.

I wouldn't have put my slippers on today if I had known. 270,000 people have to be hospitalised every year due to slippers.

God only knows how stupid I was walking to post a letter and crossing the street

Thank you for the lecture. Is it in your job description of Chief Covid Officer to educate those on mumsnet?

Is that true about slippers??

Yes, I don’t get the need to reduce risk 100% either. People have forgotten we used to regularly go about our business under the threat of common colds, flu, sickness bugs etc etc.

Im not SD and havent for a while now - moving on

@lavenderlou - it's that point you make about some people interpreting rule of six as six people can just get together and do whatever and that must be fine as it's in the rules. It worries me a bit when that isn't even the rule!

I don't think it's hugely unreasonable for a one dose vaccinated couple to meet another one dose vaccinated couple and sit closer than two metres apart outside. That sounds like a fairly low-risk event. But if one family meet another family, and there are actually seven or eight of them, and why not let the kids all play together and why not sit up close on a picnic table while you share a big bag of crisps and some wine, and then the next day of the easter holidays both families do the same with another family, maybe after that it's a grandparent visit and remember no vaccines are 100% effective at reducing all disease... Few of the families and younger people are likely to be vaccinated, so no reduction of transmission, and a handful of isolated cases could quickly become a chain of many more passed around a community. It's just a flag of caution to not 'rip the pants off' socialising and drive up cases immediately.

Kids all play together in the parks and playgrounds anyway, have done for ages, (obviously not ones they know just the kids who happen to be there) and I’ve never stopped it.

I've never been personally worried about getting it, in my mid-thirties and not vulnerable. But I want to protect people and keep community rates low where possible. I was fairly gung-ho about it's spring, cases are right down, come the Easter holidays I bet covid will be starting to become a distant memory as we can gather in bigger groups and stuff starts to re-open. But having over half the local primary school kids isolating and each day more cases are reported from the isolated kids, it brings it closer to home that infections can still be passed on. If nothing else, having ALL the kids isolated and homeschooling, even the keyworker ones, for ten days at a time, is a right spanner in the works. The less bubbles burst the better.

@Seriouslymole

Thanks Chris.

This made me laugh

Seriously OP we know. But most people I know are no longer willing to keep social distancing from family. I have just been to buy some lovely garden lights ready for having my parents over on good friday!

You do know that this virus isn’t going anywhere. It’s here to stay. You’ll need to leave your bunker at some stage. As long as the vulnerable have been vaccinated, surely we can try and get back to as normal as possible

Come on now where did I say I'm in a bunker. Do I want to go and meet my four month old niece I haven't met yet? Yes. Come May if the rules then allow socialising indoors, I will be travelling to go and stay and help my sister out with things. But almost 50% of the population haven't been vaccinated yet, plus people who's immune system is still getting going from recent jabs, plus people for whom one dose so far is only limited protection. And covid hasn't magically gone away because we're all tired of it and it's sunny. If your kid has picked it up in school this week, then it could very easily be passed on to whoever you're meeting if social distancing and other steps have all been abandoned. And they then pass it on to other people they meet and so it goes; hopefully with less risk of severe disease but vulnerable people are still out there to be infected.

Looking forward to garden visits absolutely- and hate hugging people at the best of times so all good with me.

That's nice. I'm not going to wait for the government to tell me when I can hug my close relatives

Agreed.

Boris said once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated lockdown will no longer required, so as far as I'm concerned it's over.That goes for masks/social distancing and the rest of the made up rules.