It's over

[starfro]

From within the Government the figures they are seeing suggest that the virus is receding far far quicker than their experts predicted.

Christ Whitty has come out and said that we'll never see a lockdown again.

We could release everything now, like Israel did when they were at a similar vaccination level, and see no uptick in cases. I'm sure they are going to continue to follow the very conservative roadmap, but really there is no need, as immunity levels from both vaccination and infection are sufficient.

Great news!

I hear what you say, but cases are going up again in my area.

Not if people are careless it won’t be
People need to keep their heads

Is that optimism OP?

You're brave!

Did you dream this? Because it feels very far from over to me

@Figgygal

Not if people are careless it won’t be People need to keep their heads

It doesn't matter.

If sending kids to school spending 8 hours in close proximity to other children has little to no effect on cases, there must be a large amount of immunity built into the population.

Sure, there will be the odd local outbreak, like there is with measles where immunity levels are a bit low, but the general pattern is down from here.

I think that was a very bold statement from the Government (never going into lockdown again) I hope they're right

I agree that it's going really well, I also think that the cautious road map is the right thing to do and that the milestones will be met.

After a hideous start and middle, it does seem like we're finally getting it right at the end.

There are still many adults to be vaccinated and there are still,people dying everyday. There are also people being hospitalised everyday and some of those will die or have life long issues as a result. It is clear things are way, way better than they were but if we relax too early, many more people than necessary will suffer in the coming months. And don’t forget that whilst children generally aren’t affected, there are a small number who are vulnerable or extremely vulnerable.

Cases will go up as people are still getting it and being tested but hopefully it means they’re the less vulnerable people and recover quickly.
If deaths and hospital admissions are vastly reduced then that would be amazing news.

I'm sure infections will go up as we leave lockdown but as we have vaccinated almost all over 50s then there will be virtually no increase in hospitalisation and death. I feel confident this is nearing the end

We are definitely seeing positive signs which is great news!

The roadmap aligns with the pace of the vaccination programme. Not a lot of us have had both doses yet.

Let's hope things keep going in the right direction and we can have this summer back to normality!

I find it bizarre that people can see no other option than lockdown to control cases. Lockdowns were never part of any government pandemic plan. They were viewed as unenforceable and illiberal. They still are the latter, but as I am scared of the police, not so much the former. It's depressing that we would accept any of this, when quarantining sick people was always the plan. We have to accept some deaths, that's what Whitty said. He was not speaking for the government. If people carry on the mawkish bollocks about zero covid , then yes there will be no life for any of us. I can't share your optimism, as most people seem to go wild about this level of unnecessary sacrifice.

I'm with you OP!

I’m not sure it’s over, but an improving picture for sure.

Can you ask Nicola Sturgeon to release her death grip on Scotland then? Vague mutterings about office workers "maybe" starting a phased return at the end of June! FFS! Yet we can get our hair cut and see physios and go to shops. It seriously boils my piss to be still working from my bedroom after 13 months

I'm cautiously optimistic but I'm also being realistic. I'd rather they stick to the roadmap just to be completely sure. Everything is going in the right direction but I can't let myself get too excited yet.

The only issue I see is the Brazil variant.
Hospitals are full of people in their 30’s in Brazil and our vaccines are only about 50% effective on the Brazil vaccine.
We could open up but would really need to keep a close eye on how that variant spreads.
I think foreign travel needs to be restricted until there is a booster jab available to cover the know variants.

Numbers are going up in my area too. But no deaths recorded on more days than otherwise, this is the key stat. It is becoming just another virus now, which is a testament to the absolutely incredible job the NHS has done rolling out the vaccine. I'm only 48 (almost - on Sunday) and got mine yesterday, I was offered a spare at the local hub. That is just phenomenal. In just over 3 months the NHS has worked a miracle.

I'm feeling optimistic too. Let's hope it carries on this way!

It might be that the pace of the roadmap is required to slowly introduce the public psyche back to normal life.

It will be weird hugging and being close to people again.

ps Pfizer has been shown to be incredibly effective against the only real variant of concern with regards to vaccine evading, B1351, so again more great news.

It was 17 people out of 66 million the other day and that's with schools back and everyone going round each other's houses etc. Enough is enough now with the restrictions - the virus isn't going to disappear so we may as well get on with it now.

@Ohnomoreno - literally no one on this thread has brought up zero covid but you. Lockdowns are absolutely extreme but until now nothing else was proven (on a global scale) to significantly control and reduce hospital pressure within our available resources.

Re OP; I’m absolutely optimistic especially as Israel are showing such fantastic results. That said I appreciate any caution and enthusiasm to monitor the situation that our government is showing. There are differences between us and Israel societally and the predominant vaccine used but overall it looks promising. Really promising.

Cases are definitely on the rise in some areas...I think foreign travel should still be closely monitored.

I'm positive too. I'm looking forward to remembering this time with a sense of disbelief that it ever happened.

I think following this, there will be some people who will always look at large events like festivals with disapproval, but I won't be one of them.

@Samedaysameshit

The only issue I see is the Brazil variant. Hospitals are full of people in their 30’s in Brazil and our vaccines are only about 50% effective on the Brazil vaccine. We could open up but would really need to keep a close eye on how that variant spreads. I think foreign travel needs to be restricted until there is a booster jab available to cover the know variants.

Brazil is just an awful situation.

I’ve been reading some boards where Brazilian residents post and i don’t know how they’re getting through it. Their president actively discourages and dismisses restrictions at local levels whilst actively promoting choloroquine and vitamins. Apparently he has said that he won’t seek vaccinations as the manufacturers should approach him if they want him to buy their product. I know they’ve definitely run out of oxygen at least once in major cities. One poster stated that people are unlikely to be admitted to hospital at 90% oxygen saturation because they will require resources that aren’t available so are being sent home with an oxygen cylinder. There’s no chance of being seen for a broken bone in some areas.

It just sounds incredibly frightening and there are murmurings about international intervention being required since the spread in Brazil poses an increasing threat internationally.