No more masks in classrooms - hurray!

[TeddingtonTrashbag]

Hurray!
I am a secondary teacher and just hope it really happens.

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/05/06/exclusive-end-masks-classroom-boris-johnson-defies-unions/

@tinytemper66

20 people died today in the UK and over 2000 new cases.

Really hate to break it to you, but A LOT more than 20 people died in the UK today. Not one person in England, scotland or NI dies from covid yesterday. How many do you think died from cancer?

Ahh cool. So now the vulnerable are vaccinated and rates are low you'll be all for getting shot of masks!

No, because I don't think the vaccination groups match up with the date of mask removal. Over 40s are still being vaccinated (parents of secondary kids) and obviously it takes time for immunity to build up post vaccine.

After half term would have made more sense, plus Y11 and 13 will be leaving then so a significant reduction in the secondary school population.

@cantkeepawayforever

palacegirl77

As I said before, Covid levels are low primarily due to the lockdown. As lockdown eases, numbers of infections will rise. The risk of transmission is particularly high where large numbers of unvaccinated people meet in very close proximity, inside, over multiple hours - ie in schools.

Vaccination is not 100% effective. So the higher the number of cases, the greater the chance that someone whose vaccination has been ineffective will come into contact with someone who is infected.

Saying the cases are low now is not really all that relevant. We saw what can happen from a low base in schools from September to December, and almost none of the children in schools have been vaccinated so their is very little to stop infection once it gets into schools.

Cases are low because of lockdown. Absolutely nothing to do with vaccines. Man alive. People really are scared.

Generally why it's called "social" distancing, not just "distancing".

In all other walks of life, doesn't social distancing mean physical distancing? Or have I been missing something?

"How many do you think died from cancer?"

Cancer is not an airborne transmissible virus.

Social distancing includes being restricted by class or bubble, not being with other year groups, eating lunch in the rain etc. Generally why it's called "social" distancing, not just "distancing".

Yeah, only in your head and Gavin Williamson's.

Everyone else uses it to refer to keeping 2m distance.

@noblegiraffe

Ahh cool. So now the vulnerable are vaccinated and rates are low you'll be all for getting shot of masks!

No, because I don't think the vaccination groups match up with the date of mask removal. Over 40s are still being vaccinated (parents of secondary kids) and obviously it takes time for immunity to build up post vaccine.

After half term would have made more sense, plus Y11 and 13 will be leaving then so a significant reduction in the secondary school population.

But again the over 40s (although in Sheffield we are on over 35s) are very unlikely to become ill! Have we all lost out minds?

Cases are low because of lockdown. Absolutely nothing to do with vaccines. Man alive. People really are scared.

I am confused. You are agreeing with me that cases are low because of lockdown.

There is a very, very significant easing of lockdown from Monday.

AT THE SAME TIME masks will stop being worn in one of the places where transmission is most likely, because of the number of unvaccinated people and the absence of any physical distancing.

Remove masks, keep lockdown - reasonably logical. Release lockdown, keep masks - also logical. Remove both? Not quite so much.

I am not sure why the two of us agreeing on these points makes me scared and you somehow superior?

@noblegiraffe

Social distancing includes being restricted by class or bubble, not being with other year groups, eating lunch in the rain etc. Generally why it's called "social" distancing, not just "distancing".

Yeah, only in your head and Gavin Williamson's.

Everyone else uses it to refer to keeping 2m distance.

Best tell the internet. We all missed that memo...en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_distancing

@cantkeepawayforever

Cases are low because of lockdown. Absolutely nothing to do with vaccines. Man alive. People really are scared.

I am confused. You are agreeing with me that cases are low because of lockdown.

There is a very, very significant easing of lockdown from Monday.

AT THE SAME TIME masks will stop being worn in one of the places where transmission is most likely, because of the number of unvaccinated people and the absence of any physical distancing.

Remove masks, keep lockdown - reasonably logical. Release lockdown, keep masks - also logical. Remove both? Not quite so much.

I am not sure why the two of us agreeing on these points makes me scared and you somehow superior?

Sarcasm. Cases are low because of vaccines.

But again the over 40s (although in Sheffield we are on over 35s) are very unlikely to become ill! Have we all lost out minds?

I don't think you get the importance of keeping rates low for vaccines to be effective.

Here's Gav making the same misleading claim as you re social distancing. Schools do not have it in the sense that everyone understands.

Also Bubbles and Hygiene. Hundreds of kids isn't a bubble and given that they don't isolate like other bubbles are expected to when there's a case, it's another misleading claim.

So we're down to hand sanitiser, Gav. Which the DfE refused to fund.

^Best tell the internet. We all missed that memo...en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_distancing^

Yeah, wikipedia. Wow. Now try asking a human what it means.

'We went out to see friends in the pub but were still expected to socially distance'. What would that mean to you?

Even Boris Johnson has stated that lockdown is the reason that cases are low. The vaccine effects are yet to be known.

Cases are low because of vaccines.

You don't think lockdown brought down cases?

@noblegiraffe

^Best tell the internet. We all missed that memo...en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_distancing^

Yeah, wikipedia. Wow. Now try asking a human what it means.

'We went out to see friends in the pub but were still expected to socially distance'. What would that mean to you?

Stick to a group of 6, not mix with other tables and wear a mask at the bar? Whats your point?

Cases dropped significantly last year due to lockdown, before we even had vaccines. Lockdown clearly drops case numbers.

You don't appear to have put 'stay 2m apart' there. Why is that?

"We went to a picnic (socially distanced of course)"

What would you expect to see?

@noblegiraffe

^Best tell the internet. We all missed that memo...en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_distancing^

Yeah, wikipedia. Wow. Now try asking a human what it means.

'We went out to see friends in the pub but were still expected to socially distance'. What would that mean to you?

Centre for Disease control? Happier with their definition?

"The CDC defines social distancing as it applies to COVID-19 as "remaining out of congregrate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible."

See the last one - where possible. Mass gathering avoidance, you could argue, could include not letting year groups mix or full year assemblies, you know that kind of thing.

Yes but palace, humans. You know, your mates. How do they use it?

@noblegiraffe

You don't appear to have put 'stay 2m apart' there. Why is that?

"We went to a picnic (socially distanced of course)"

What would you expect to see?

someone sitting on a blanket - outside - away from other people on their blankets?

Staying away from others is a good shout during a pandemic - where possible. In schools that isnt possible but other aspects of distancing can and do happen, such as no assemblies, not mixing year groups, staggered start and end times etc. I give my school credit for all these things where 2m plus distance might not be possible between students. Being as cases have still dropped seems to work well.

@noblegiraffe

Yes but palace, humans. You know, your mates. How do they use it?

I would use it as not hugging each other, sitting outside etc where possible. Not exactly sure what your point is anymore?

someone sitting on a blanket - outside - away from other people on their blankets?

Exactly, 2m away from other people.

That’s what normal people mean when they say social distancing.

So you agree that children in schools are in very close proximity in large groups and this would not be described by normal people as observing social distancing.

[quote palacegirl77]Still no comment on this?
www.brusselstimes.com/news/belgium-all-news/156628/cloth-mouth-masks-from-avrox-luxembourg-belgium-government-distributed-free-to-pharmacies-may-be-toxic/[/quote]
Good thing we left the EU, I’d say.

Glad this is happening as it’ll be better for DCs’ education and mental health.

@noblegiraffe

someone sitting on a blanket - outside - away from other people on their blankets?

Exactly, 2m away from other people.

That’s what normal people mean when they say social distancing.

So you agree that children in schools are in very close proximity in large groups and this would not be described by normal people as observing social distancing.

Not from the people they are sharing their blanket with though - because theyre outside, another mitigation.

Most "normal people" I know would say that it should be proportionate. If your 90, give people way more than 2m distance. If youre 12, tested, wearing a mask then distance is not an issue.