Will 21st June go ahead?

[Mrgrinch]

I desperately need to know. Of course we won't until they tell us, but what are your thoughts?

Very mixed opinions in the media. Lots of advice to delay but Boris saying there's nothing he can see that would make us deviate from the roadmap.

@TakeYourFinalPosition

The Times today reckons they’ll keep face masks in exchange for allowing events, and getting rid of the rule of 6 for hospitality. They’ve been pretty spot on so far...

For weddings, I guess it’ll depend if the bride and groom want masks at their weddings, and if they’ve got any power to change the date.

Face masks seem a small price to pay for that much freedom. I would happily continue to wear one for a bit longer if it meant weddings etc could resume.

I’m in Kirklees, we’ve barely been out of lockdown since this started, and now, inevitably, we are an Indian variant hotspot. Here’s our latest hospitalisation data.

Nine people in hospital. Nine!

The death numbers have thankfully remained very low. I can't even remember the criteria for restrictions to lift anymore. It's been going on forever.

If cases continue to grow at such a massive rate it would be stupid to ease lockdown further. Theres more to this that hospitalisations or even deaths. Too many sick at once stops infrastructure from functioning.

Hold off until more are vaccinated. That's the only way out of this mess.

Hospitals don't need to be full of covid patients for other treatments to get disrupted - even a few will mean they'll have less ICU space for those having cancer operations and similar life-saving but planned surgery, as they can't put covid patients on the same ward with them.

And we're already hearing there are people in their 30s and 40s in hospital after having one jab, so letting the Indian variant run wild at this stage of the vaccination programme would lead to more hospitalisation. It was always a gamble to set the date before a large proportion of the population is vaccinated. Of course we wouldn't be in this situation if they hadn't let the variant come into the country at the time they did, anyway.

@murbblurb

If cases continue to grow at such a massive rate it would be stupid to ease lockdown further. Theres more to this that hospitalisations or even deaths. Too many sick at once stops infrastructure from functioning.

Hold off until more are vaccinated. That's the only way out of this mess.

How many more? Seriously, people who want to stay home will still have the choice.

I think it's promising. Rates in the hotspots are stabilising, and the rest of the country a are low and stable or generally decreasing. They also haven't geographically spread to wider areas like they did through the autumn because vaccination is sucessfully reducing opportunities for transmission and also significantly reducing complex cases putting strain on the NHS either because more vulnerable people are better protected or it's spreading through younger, low-risk groups.

Maybe Boris got married now so he could have a quiet one with less fuss about it?

Masks are not a small gesture to make though. They are a massive impedimemt to millions of people with hearing impairment and a wider range of communication, social and processing difficulties. The average pocket mask (repeatedly) used in public is not fitted or meeting any kind of medical standards and they have minimal effect on public transmission, particularly now that vaccination is clearly making a massive difference in reducing rates and severity. The only way they significantly reduce transmission is by putting people off doing things, which is bad for businesses trying to recover.

Restrictions are still damaging to society at their current level. Restrictions on sport are reducing particpation which is bad for wider health. Community events still can't be planned which effects community and individual well being.

We have to keep moving back to a real normal and lose this tunnel vision of Covid being the only hazard.

If the government has any sense they will delay for at least a couple of weeks, possibly a month, to allow more people to be vaxxed. Looking at what’s happening in countries with a similar level of vaccination to us (eg Bahrain) and with the Indian variant really taking off, it would be really reckless to abandon all measures in June. But then they have a track record of ignoring scientific advice, so who knows what will happen.

How many more? Seriously, people who want to stay home will still have the choice.

People still have to go to medical appointments or to work. Public transport will be a lot busier with the offices back, particularly rush hour.

It's not a case of 'don't go to the pub/cinema if you don't want'.

But the teens and 20's won't have had a job (or the 3 week period after 1st jab) by 21st June.

So what? They've got a miniscule chance of becoming really ill with it

I don't see the issue with letting the lockdown lovers stay home and the rest of us get on with it. We have more than enough vaccinated now. That's the two tier society I could go for.

The average pocket mask (repeatedly) used in public is not fitted or meeting any kind of medical standards and they have minimal effect on public transmission

People are just paying lip service with masks. They're not at all hygienic the way a lot of people use them and store them.

The way out of this has always been vaccines.

@Mygardenisanightmare

But the teens and 20's won't have had a job (or the 3 week period after 1st jab) by 21st June.

So what? They've got a miniscule chance of becoming really ill with it

Because they'll be freely mixing indoors in large groups and will increase transmission.

No, sadly I don't think it's going to happen.

It would be good if they put our money where their mouth is!

Delay the loosening if restriction in line with the guidance they set. Data not date!

A few more weeks, get more people vaccinate & past the 21 days.

Help any business that needs another boost for a month.

Else we're going to end up with unnecessary deaths & repeat of last September.

@Iloveasda1000

I don't see the issue with letting the lockdown lovers stay home and the rest of us get on with it. We have more than enough vaccinated now. That's the two tier society I could go for.

No we don't. That's the point people are making!!

@AlmostSummer21

It would be good if they put our money where their mouth is!

Delay the loosening if restriction in line with the guidance they set. Data not date!

A few more weeks, get more people vaccinate & past the 21 days.

Help any business that needs another boost for a month.

Else we're going to end up with unnecessary deaths & repeat of last September.

I'm all for opening up in June if we can, but once we're open now we need to stay open. Therefore opening in June to lead to more restrictions by September is unacceptable.

If we need to wait a few weeks then so be it. Enough things are already open, but there can't be any turning back once the last step is made. Alas, Boris will just want to avoid freedom marches and the right wing media on his case to make a tough decision to delay.

I'm not diminishing the effect of the indian variant, and , if the news reports from India are anything to go on it is something to be very cautious of.
However (and I do understand exponential growth) when numbers are small any increase can equate to a large %. The other day I saw some stats that said deaths were up by 11%....they had gone from 9 to 10 , I think on a given comparison of one weekday to the same weekday the following week. It would have been impossible for them to increase but less than 11% .

"And we're already hearing there are people in their 30s and 40s in hospital after having one jab,"

Are there are figures available for this? It would be very interesting to know - is the suggestion that the current variant is affecting younger people in the UK more seriously than previous ones did, and if so what does the UK data show?

@TimeForLunch

It's not just about us as individual though. Businesses, particularly hospitality, cannot carry on indefinitely with social distancing measures in place. Many are still struggling to break even. I sincerely hope SD is dropped on the 21st, both personally and for the sake of the economy. My prediction, however, is that some of the restrictions will go but not all. Sadly, I suspect masks will continue as this is an easy one for the government to use to pacify the fearful with no financial cost.

I am worried that the fearful will be pandered to for a long time

@Youhavetoquitwhileyoureahead

"And we're already hearing there are people in their 30s and 40s in hospital after having one jab,"

Are there are figures available for this? It would be very interesting to know - is the suggestion that the current variant is affecting younger people in the UK more seriously than previous ones did, and if so what does the UK data show?

Take claims like this with a pinch of salt. This is an anonymous forum people can post anything.

Even the indian variant concerns seem to have settled somewhat - case numbers are stabilising in the hotspots and the number of deaths is still very low.

You obviously aren't hearing what is being said. Ravi Gupta on the Today show, was quite explicit that we are on the potential verge of a third wave.

I recall a thread about opening up, it was before the indian variant was here, I said this exact thing would happen with the plan to open up. A new variant would emerge and we'd hit a third wave. Everyone rounded on me, bleating about vaccines and how we wouldn't ever see another wave because we are just so much better than all these other places. And yet....here we are.

It isn't about deaths, it is about stopping the spread to avoid hotspots where a new, potentially vaccine resistant, potentially dangerous to younger people variant.

Our kids are being sent into large gatherings, mask free, every day and are now far more likely to be infected, the largest group infected in the past month is 10-14 year olds. You want to risk our kids for the sake of a few more weeks of restrictions?

@Youhavetoquitwhileyoureahead

"And we're already hearing there are people in their 30s and 40s in hospital after having one jab,"

Are there are figures available for this? It would be very interesting to know - is the suggestion that the current variant is affecting younger people in the UK more seriously than previous ones did, and if so what does the UK data show?

I don’t know about UK data but Bahrain is regularly reporting deaths of citizens in their 30s and 40s, which suggests it is more dangerous for younger people now.

I’m 100% sure restrictions should lift on 21st but 50/50 about whether they will be.

One thing for certain- there’s absolutely no way I’m going to the cinema, theatre or a gig if I have to wear a mask. If forced mask wearing continues then for me it’s the end of lockdown.

We don't know and won't until June 14th. I suggest OP you have a plan B on the presumption it may be delayed.

I agree that uncertainty is awful.