The end of coronavirus restrictions could be delayed by more than a month, a health minister conceded this morning

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This is from The Times today - we're already today being warned by government sources that this could drag on well beyond July 19, including possibly further "lockdown"! How does everyone else feel about this? I feel wearily unsurprised, and simultaneously angry at the directionless, incompetent drift of it all.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/19e03dea-cc88-11eb-9bfa-a3bc386e6928?shareToken=5cc2ada8bfe2082b7a4b85703fdf8c17

The end of coronavirus restrictions could be delayed by more than a month, a health minister conceded this morning.

Edward Argar said it was “possible” that restrictions could be extended again beyond July 19 as Boris Johnson prepares to announce a delay this evening.

The prime minister will appeal to the nation to be patient when he sets out the case for delay at a Downing Street press conference.

The move has angered Conservative backbenchers, with Sir Charles Walker, vice chairman of the 1922 Committee, saying he now has an “overwhelming sense of pessimism” that Covid restrictions will continued into 2022.

“If you can’t lift restrictions at the height of summer, and we are in the height of summer, then you almost certainly are looking at these restrictions persisting and tightening into the autumn and winter,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme. “We were told we were going to live with Covid-19 and it now looks like most of the remaining of this year, and certainly the first half of next year, will probably end up with some form of lockdown.”

@newnortherner111

We cannot have a further lockdown. We have never had one, and to say so is to misuse the English language and play into the hands of some of the Tories who oppose restrictions.

I do think that some capacity restrictions could remain beyond mid-July, as could be the wearing of face coverings in some places, and above all, travel abroad will not have resumed by then.

We are in the position we are in because of the refusal to add India to the red list at the same time as Pakistan and Bangladesh. Had all countries gone on the red list at the same time, numbers with the virus could be half what they are now, and most of the restrictions would I expect be lifted next week.

Entirely 100% the Prime Minister's fault, a man who can only be on time for his wedding.

With exponential growth, infection numbers may have been half of what they are today, but given a few weeks in advance, they'd be at today's numbers anyway. In a way, it's a good thing we've had the delta variant as it's highlighted the speed/ease at which covid spreads and has given a kick up the bum to increase vaccination roll out speed and spread. If we hadn't had it so bad in recent weeks, we'd be opening up next week at the worst possible time, just as delta started to spread out of control.

@Kazzyhoward to be honest, I think you may be right. Looking at other countries it just looks like the most effective strategy.

It’s rubbish for those that have loved ones abroad though.

[quote MonsterMash2210]@Kazzyhoward to be honest, I think you may be right. Looking at other countries it just looks like the most effective strategy.

It’s rubbish for those that have loved ones abroad though.[/quote]
It will be rubbish for us all too - there are already Brexit and covid related hiring pressures (e.g. hospo people choosing to go back to countries of origin) and that is going to intensify if the many foreign nationals living here are effectively told "if you live here, you will never see your families again".

The effect of that will be chilling across multiple industries including the ones which keep us alive (NHS) ...and those which make life worth living.

I’m not bothered by the delay. Enough places are open for life to be fairly normal. You can go to work, take kids to school, go shopping, see friends, eat out, get work done on your house, even go to the pub. The activities that most people engage in are open. Even some theatres are open. The only places still closed are nightclubs and festivals etc, and they’re not attended by the majority of people anyway.

Personally I think we won’t get this under control until we close our borders like Aus and NZ have. We could be living normally except with no international travel. I’d be happy with that compromise.

@rosie39forever re dental hygienist. As far as I am aware, they cannot use the ultrasonic descalers ( which my current hygeinist doesn't do anyway, though the previous one did), and the airflow machines, which mine did. This is water at high pressure to clean and remove staining.
Instead it is manual, which takes longer. They therefore charge more for a poorer service. My DS went last summer ( same dentist). He said its rubbish, doesn't do a proper clean and not to bother.
He rang them this week, but no, still not using airflow machine.

@milveycrohn that's a bit rubbish, mine uses airflow and ultrasonic but she does wear full PPE... respirator mask, goggles, full zip up suit and double gloved and you have to do a lateral flow test beforehand.

@rosie39forever it's clear, then I have to find a new dentist!

@LuckyWookie

I’m not bothered by the delay. Enough places are open for life to be fairly normal. You can go to work, take kids to school, go shopping, see friends, eat out, get work done on your house, even go to the pub. The activities that most people engage in are open. Even some theatres are open. The only places still closed are nightclubs and festivals etc, and they’re not attended by the majority of people anyway.

Personally I think we won’t get this under control until we close our borders like Aus and NZ have. We could be living normally except with no international travel. I’d be happy with that compromise.

You might be, I wouldn't! I haven't seen my mum or sisters since October 2019 (in France). They couldn't even come to visit me while I was having chemo for almost 12 months. It sucks.

You’re in the minority though. Most people won’t be affected by travel restrictions. They will however be affected by daily life restrictions in the UK. It makes sense that the restrictions which affect the fewest people should be applied. Travel restrictions that allow normal daily life to continue are preferable for the country as a whole.

Delays:

1. vulnerable kids vaccinated before return to school – pushes it back to August, okay but think of little Jimmy or Gita or Mo, and their life already full of medicines and stuff. So we give it to then

1. but come August, ooops we need to wait until everyone vulnerable gets the boosters, which need to be adjusted for the next variant, with them and the kiddoes at risk done we’re rolling to close the year in style! Re-opening it all in December no matter what, says a steely eyed Boris.

1. last week of November, oops a new variant showed up, polls run by people gaining from lockdown continue to miraculously show a majority favour lockdowns, also the NHS risks being overwhelmed by the sheer backlog, let’s look forward with resolve to a Spring Of Hope in 2022!

And on. And on.

I tell you this, you’re not going to recognise the society we have left by 2023, or what people consider normal by then, and another thing, if your current self described what’s happening now to you back in February 2020, you’d be calling her out as a raving conspiracy lunatic.

@KiaKi

Delays:

1. vulnerable kids vaccinated before return to school – pushes it back to August, okay but think of little Jimmy or Gita or Mo, and their life already full of medicines and stuff. So we give it to then

1. but come August, ooops we need to wait until everyone vulnerable gets the boosters, which need to be adjusted for the next variant, with them and the kiddoes at risk done we’re rolling to close the year in style! Re-opening it all in December no matter what, says a steely eyed Boris.

1. last week of November, oops a new variant showed up, polls run by people gaining from lockdown continue to miraculously show a majority favour lockdowns, also the NHS risks being overwhelmed by the sheer backlog, let’s look forward with resolve to a Spring Of Hope in 2022!

And on. And on.

I tell you this, you’re not going to recognise the society we have left by 2023, or what people consider normal by then, and another thing, if your current self described what’s happening now to you back in February 2020, you’d be calling her out as a raving conspiracy lunatic.

I fear this

@KiaKi

Delays:

1. vulnerable kids vaccinated before return to school – pushes it back to August, okay but think of little Jimmy or Gita or Mo, and their life already full of medicines and stuff. So we give it to then

1. but come August, ooops we need to wait until everyone vulnerable gets the boosters, which need to be adjusted for the next variant, with them and the kiddoes at risk done we’re rolling to close the year in style! Re-opening it all in December no matter what, says a steely eyed Boris.

1. last week of November, oops a new variant showed up, polls run by people gaining from lockdown continue to miraculously show a majority favour lockdowns, also the NHS risks being overwhelmed by the sheer backlog, let’s look forward with resolve to a Spring Of Hope in 2022!

And on. And on.

I tell you this, you’re not going to recognise the society we have left by 2023, or what people consider normal by then, and another thing, if your current self described what’s happening now to you back in February 2020, you’d be calling her out as a raving conspiracy lunatic.

^ this There will always be something…..

Okay, I’ll play… why exactly? What does anyone gain from this?

@Temp023

Okay, I’ll play… why exactly? What does anyone gain from this?

I would guess that those supplying ppe and testing equipment as well as any residual private tracing resource/software will be raking it in, also banks, real estate industry and supermarkets. There's a mixture of profit and also elimitation of competitors.

Personally I think we won’t get this under control until we close our borders like Aus and NZ have. We could be living normally except with no international travel.

We're not Aus or NZ, the economy and industries are structured differently so you'd have to have more "leakiness" at the UK Border due to the transit of goods, those involved with their transport and also essential workers.

Best you can do is try to ban all lesiure travel...

Apart from nightclubs and "adult" entertainment everything is else is open

Parkrun isn't.
Something the health minister was agreeing only a week or so ago was one of the greatest things for public well-being.

I think that the government will drop the 'irreversibility' language next. We need a largely unfettered summer, so shouid not have to wait for the situation to be autumn/winter- proof

I would guess that those supplying ppe and testing equipment as well as any residual private tracing resource/software will be raking it in, also banks, real estate industry and supermarkets. There's a mixture of profit and also elimitation of competitors

That's really not enough that to offset a tanking of the economy in general. Nor does it explain any of the global aspects

Sir Patrick Valance admitted that ' more variants' are on their way at yesterday briefing. He did said ' could ' but I've read this as ' probably will be' :(
It was lost amongst other things , but I just thought ' oh no' !

What I don't understand is why the government thinks that maintaining for another 4 weeks the same restrictions which are currently failing to stop the spread of the Delta variant will stop it enough to remove restrictions on the 19th July!
We've got a UK holiday booked for 24th July with my DM and DF, dsis and her family. We'll all have been vaccinated and we've seen each other separately in recent weeks, and yet we won't be able to go if restrictions continue again, because we are 10 people and 3 households.

I've lost all hope now. I'm not surprised by the extension, it's been expected for at least 2 weeks. I don't care anymore. Life is shit and not due to get better for a long long time yet.

This only ends when public opinion shifts

They made it clear last night they have public support for further restrictions - 54%

If people make it known they've 'had enough' perhaps decisons may change.

Well what do you think is going to happen in the colder months, when respiratory illnesses really thrive?

It’s just a shit show. Close all borders! Only food and medicine should be allowed to leave and enter!

@lazylinguist. The restrictions are likely to be slowing the spread.

But then you're up against the people who are ignoring them, having close contact with family and friends, saying that 'life is normal' from where they are and of course fucking #imdone.

If we don't get a real lid on it before autumn, even with most people being vaccinated (because it's not 100% protection, a lot of people will need boosters by then and that's before we get to any vaccine resistant new variants) a high percentage of people with the virus will again translate into a lot of hospitalisations and deaths over winter.

That's what they fear. We need restrictions now to try again get the number of cases to really die down over summer, or else all hell could break loose over winter.

My partner works at the airport and it’s so busy again now! It’s ridiculous!!

What I don't understand is Boris tells us this new debate varient is doubling every 7 days.
So in roughly 5 weeks by 19th July it will be a lot more cases.
We know it takes 21 days 3 weeks vaccination to ha effect and only 1 dose provides 33% protection.
We not adding any new restrictions yesterday or rolling back on freedoms.

I don't think vaccination alone o next 4 weeks is going to stop the spread.
Theres roughly 144 school outbreaks right now.

Why are we letting mass sporting events go ahead?
Why are we not breaking up schools earlier it introduced masks back into schools?
Going back to being outside as weathers nicer.
Why we not banning non essential travel.

He said before that vaccinations haven't helped the UK lockdown and restrictions jan to march sorted us out.