Indian variant - will the roadmap be delayed?

[nonono1]

I was feeling very hopeful about the future until reading that the Indian variant is now spreading fast in some communities.

In light of this, do you think we will stick to the roadmap as planned, or will restrictions be kept in place for longer? It seems like we're still going ahead with the big opening up on Monday.

Also, what about weddings? My SIL is getting married in August and we're really hoping it will still go ahead!

If it's true, as I've read on here and heard on the bbc earlier, that this Indian variant is affecting people under 25, then perhaps that is an indication that the vaccine is holding up in the older population. Otherwise we'd be seeing larger numbers of the elderly succumbing.

Or have I misunderstood?

@NoMLMbots

Does anyone know if the rise in cases of the Indian variant is in areas of high vaccine uptake or low vaccine uptake?

Being positive though, IF the rise in cases with the Indian variant is shown in areas with a lower uptake of the vaccine then is proves the vaccine works.

If the rise is in areas with high uptake of vaccine then at least we will know if it protects against that or not. Although @LeSquigh workplace demonstrates double vaccinated are getting the Indian variant now.

Hart in Hampshire has very high take up of vaccines and their cases have almost tripled in a week.

I think the goalposts have to be adapted just like how the virus adapts. In my view, it’s naive and frankly irresponsible to assume we can just ignore the potential implications in the hopes that it’ll go away because we’ve had enough and it doesn’t fit in with the original goalposts we set out in the first wave.

This.

Of course, we'd all like it to be over. But there is no certainty about a Pandemic. All we (and governments) can do is the best we can based on what we know at the time.

[quote Fixitup2]@ligh years or mistrust that the government have the interests of ethnic minorities at heart. Worries about vaccine contents. Poverty in some areas so they can’t travel to big hubs 10 miles away, the Bolton vaccine bus has been solely focusing on the deprived areas with high ethnic minorities for weeks yet still there’s this situation. Also some communities work on different times, it’s not uncommon for some of the Asian population to drop the kids off at school and go back to bed until lunch then stay up really late. Plus it’s been Ramadan[/quote]
I have well-educated, reasonably off friends who refuse the vaccine. It's almost a sort of stubborness, tbh, as everyone around them have had the vaccine. Everyone can't have missed that getting vaccinated is essential. In India, lots of people refused the vaccine until they saw that those who had had the AZ equivalent, did not die or become hospitalised. Since then there has been a rush for the vaccine. Not saying we're in such a situation here as so many already protected, but the mind boggles as to why you would not take the vaccine, distrust or not, when you can see everyone around you having it and being fine.

@HesterShaw1

What is the fucking point of vaccines?

How can ANY business operate under this uncertainty?

Er..to stop people dying? To prevent people getting long covid? To stop people getting so sick they end up with ptsd? To stop the nhs being overwhelmed so they can start treating people who are on historically high waiting list? 🤦‍♀️

@PrincessNutNuts

Hart?

"Hart
26 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week 3 May-9 May. The average area in England had 17*.
25 cases in the latest week 3 May-9 May
+13 compared with the previous

Not as high as Bolton, etc?

[quote NoMLMbots]@PrincessNutNuts

Hart?

"Hart
26 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week 3 May-9 May. The average area in England had 17*.
25 cases in the latest week 3 May-9 May
+13 compared with the previous

Not as high as Bolton, etc?[/quote]
I was told it had almost tripled in a week.

If that pace continues, tripling every week that's getting close to 20,000 in 6 weeks.

There are certain countries, like Japan for example, that are further behind in vacinations but they secure their borders, so once they're vacinated by the end of this year, they'll have a normal life. We on the other hand will keep getting every single mutation from around the world within weeks of them cropping up and eventually one will be immune to the current vaccines and will be back to square one. But hey, at least we're not 'racist'

I'm in a outbreak area with reportadly 1/3 vaccinated. Seems like cases maybe linked to the local school.

DH and I have both had to have PCR tests today because we had lunch at a local restaurant outside a couple of weekends ago and it turns out 8 members of staff have tested positive with Covid, so far some have come back as Indian variant but they are expecting the rest to.
Everyone who has been there in the last 3 weeks has to have a PCR test.

Why did they not close it when they first knew? Instead they have allowed it to remain open. It is open today although there was no one there. Apparently one staff member had visited India.

Just reminds us how infectious it is. I am sure neither of us has it - both have had 2 vaccinations. No symptoms but we'll see when the results come.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/13/covid-variant-found-in-india-may-delay-lifting-of-england-restrictions-minister-admits

According to further documents released by PHE, 31.9% of cases of the India variant B.1.617.2 were in London as of 12 May, 25.4% of cases were in the north-west of England and 12.1% of cases were in the east of England.

Looks like the highest rates of the Indian strain are in London.

According the the Guardian, Bolton care homes are to stay in lockdown. Not sure what's going on. Worrying. Here's a hand hold for anyone else feeling overwhelmed with it all tonight

@Halloweenrainbow

According the the Guardian, Bolton care homes are to stay in lockdown. Not sure what's going on. Worrying. Here's a hand hold for anyone else feeling overwhelmed with it all tonight

Thank you.

It is very dispiriting to be here again.

@Halloweenrainbow Have some too.

It's a sad situation.

But, on the plus side we should be glad that proactive measures are being taken in Bolton to project the vulnerable.

Hopefully the same will be done elsewhere (including London, where around 40-45% of care home staff are vaccine hesitant).

We're at a crossroads again. If we act fast, perhaps we can still contain it?

[quote Tealightsandd]@Halloweenrainbow Have some too.

It's a sad situation.

But, on the plus side we should be glad that proactive measures are being taken in Bolton to project the vulnerable.

Hopefully the same will be done elsewhere (including London, where around 40-45% of care home staff are vaccine hesitant).

We're at a crossroads again. If we act fast, perhaps we can still contain it?[/quote]
The horse has already bolted it appears. If they allow Mondays lifting of restrictions to go ahead they’re literally welcoming the next wave with open arms. This is a perfect storm brewing.

It’s a gamble I guess. This easing of restrictions is people’s jobs. It’s actually important to try and make it work. Even if there’s a third wave it shouldn’t be as bad due to vaccines.

@RedcurrantPuff

It’s a gamble I guess. This easing of restrictions is people’s jobs. It’s actually important to try and make it work. Even if there’s a third wave it shouldn’t be as bad due to vaccines.

It is not acceptable to gamble with either lives or livelihoods.

It didn't have to be this way and the government is to blame for not shutting the border faster. Again.

Local surge testing/vaccinations and getting the fuck on with the national vaccination programme will sort this out now.

Plus if cases are going to go up exponentially in the NW in late summer or even earlier, when am I ever going to be allowed to see family there again other than this half term? We planned to go last year when things opened up and the government shut that down last minute.

Our cases are not in the NW or London region, we are fairly close to London though. There has been no surge testing here even with people who have had fairly close contact. We have been using the LFT daily but in my experience they are not picking anything up until symptoms are worthy of a PCR anyway.

So when are we going to find out if Mondays relaxation are going ahead?

It's Friday already for goodness sake!!

And why haven't we been told what the outcome of yesterday's SAGE meeting was.

Lulu that's extraordinary!

And this was from sitting outside?

This is my worry when restaurant and pubs open re opening windows. None had a window open at all, not even every so often to clear the air and I'm I concerned about this going forward.

They will reopen everything as planned then there will be an increase in cases and we will all be blamed for being too lax and another lockdown will happen.

Agree with that pickles. Fed up with this useless gov.

Vaccine minister has said on sky news that Mondays reopening will go ahead as planned

Zahawi on Nick Ferrari saying that the 4 weeks +1 gap between Monday and June 21st was chosen deliberately so that the impact of next week can be effectively analyzed and acted upon if necessary.

Cumming's is a shit-stirring with a two-way bet .......if he's wrong everybody will forget it if he's right he's got his told you so in.

"Mr Johnson's former chief adviser Dominic Cummings also shared on social media warnings by scientists that the roadmap out of lockdown should be delayed."