Will the new variant affect your socialising plans?

[User135644]

After things looking promising, the panic is back over this new variant which is causing devastation in India; and has been allowed into this country, some might say due to laxity from the government.

Although things are going ahead as normal on Monday, will it affect your plans at all? I'm not sure i'll feel comfortable in an indoor pub or restaurant yet, but i'm due a vaccine soon so in my case what's a few more weeks after 14 months?

No, I have drinks booked in a pub, planning on a theme park trip and a meal out with someone else looking after the kids and I'm taking them to soft play next week.

I've been back at work in a pub for a few weeks and the gym with the kids using the kids club and the crèche.

No way am I sitting at home when things are open "just incase" My mood has improved dramatically since things started opening, I don't want to go back to the bleakness, it's bad enough as it is thinking everything will get taken away again.

No not all, booked into 2 restaurants and have booked a session at the local trampoline place for the DC. Looking forward to some normality long may it continue.

@Mathshelpme

The Indian variant has definitely been detected in the USA, Europe, Australia. It’s probably everywhere. Not everywhere is making a ginormous fuss about it though.

I really think people should get vaccinated and shut off the news.

It hasn't been detected out in the community in Australia. The only cases are people who have returned recently from India, who are all in hotel or remote centres of quarantine.

The Australian PM did make a 'ginormous fuss' blocking all flights from or via India for some weeks, and now is only allowing those who have tested negative to board government repatriation flights.

Remember in the US vaccinated peeps can act normally.

It’s only here where we have the stupid policy of one rule for all even if we’re not all the same

The new variant is definitely making me stop and think but largely, I feel like if we're heading for more restrictions (who knows) then I need to get out more and do as much as I can. I am filling my diary as a result. I'll have a few nights in London soon where I will see friends, I'm eyeing up flights to Portugal for a very last minute trip too which I hadn't planned. Honestly, if I really think about another big wave I don't know how I'll cope with that. It would be devastating. How many months would life even be restricted for? Surely we'd come out of a peak into the autumn/winter and just more issues? I can't live like this any more, I've sacrificed a lot to keep the most vulnerable as safe as possible and that was the right thing to do but I'm at my limits. If we get 4-6 weeks down the line and the variant is causing big problems then I will rein it in and start to think about coping strategies but equally the vaccines work on it and I'm hoping that's enough.

Like hell do I want to spend a second more shut away than I have to, now. Life is for living.

Its my 60th birthday next week and after more than a year of sticking to the rules (including not seeing one of my children since last July), I am planning to celebrate in style over the next 2 weeks.

We are up to London to the theatre at the weekend, and I also have a Spa Day planned, a garden party with about 20 friends, an overnight stay and dinner at a hotel, an afternoon tea and a couple of lunches and evening meals with friends.

Very excited about it all and absolutely no plans to cancel any of it

felt like indoor stuff was too soon anyway (live in an area of high transmission) so was planning to hold off on that a bit longer

Whilst I can sympathise with this. It is flawed logic, given the way everyone else on this thread is going to behave. Realistically it's as safe as it's going to be for a while.

So don't do inside stuff, but accept it is almost inevitable case will be higher in June/July than they are now

Not a chance. Will be eating inside with other people not in my household this week.

The only reason I won't hug them is I am not a hugging person and don't plan to change.

Yes, definitely. I've had one jab but it seems like madness to gather indoors with other people just when the scientists are saying we could be facing another wave. I'll wait a few more weeks, wait and see.

No way! Can't wait to get back to relative normality (although there's clearly some way still to go).

What is clear is it is going to affect the socialising plans of many scientists, who properly understand the data.

Given that someone I know had to phone around lots of restaurants to try and get a table booked for this week most people are going to eat in. I booked several weeks ago as I thought there would be a rush

Nope. This is the safest it’s going to get I reckon. Going to enjoy everything as much as I can.
If there’s another lock down I don’t want to look back and think wow I should have seen people while I had the chance.

@HelloMissus

Nope. This is the safest it’s going to get I reckon. Going to enjoy everything as much as I can. If there’s another lock down I don’t want to look back and think wow I should have seen people while I had the chance.

Yes this is my view. After the Christmas fiasco I’m not taking any chances, I’m going to see as many people as possible now so that I at least have a good month or so.