No masks after 19th July - Hoo-blardy-Ray!!!!!

[TeddingtonTrashbag]

As reported in the DM.
So happy if it’s true.

We plan to continue to wear them regardless of the current rules. Too many not following isolating rules or not testing so they can carry on doing things.

I work with front line staff so need to be careful plus my immunity is pants. I wore a mask, all be it not a good one but I wore it before we had to because I didnt take what the government said as right. When I (ME) think it's safe for myself and others I will discontinue. You do you but don't complain if we have another lockdown, Tax increase, age rise you can retire.

@Ddot

I work with front line staff so need to be careful plus my immunity is pants. I wore a mask, all be it not a good one but I wore it before we had to because I didnt take what the government said as right. When I (ME) think it's safe for myself and others I will discontinue. You do you but don't complain if we have another lockdown, Tax increase, age rise you can retire.

I think we do get to complain.

Those of us that thought much of this is an overreaction, and that restrictions ought to be removed earlier.

Those of us that worried that the health benefits are all fine (though many unnecessary), but the costs in terms of education, economic disruption, and the inevitable need to pay all this money spent (much of it wasted: track and trace?) back.

We do get to complain.

However you’re right that you can keep wearing a mask. That’s fine. Your body: your choice.

Retail staff I know are delighted at the prospect of not having to wear masks for an eight hour shift anymore!

You've spoken to a wide range of retail staff then? Completed a thorough survey? Or just the odd person at your local supermarket. I'm retail staff and will keep wearing mine, this virus isn't going anywhere. We have to learn to live with it, which seems impossible for a lot of people who just want their 'freedom' back.

I know its hard, but whining and tantrumming isn't going to magically make life better. Sniping and being nasty to each other isn't helpful (except to make the poster feel better). We have to adapt our behaviour to live with this virus and lessen the effect on everyday life.

It's not strictly retail, but I volunteer in my local library (it's only still open because it's fully staffed by volunteers). Everyone's had enough of masks, and crossing fingers we can ditch them from the 19th. We've already largely given up on social distancing. Now that's not a thorough survey of every shopworker ever but it it is a good range of people - men and women, ages from early twenties to sixties / seventies. And these aren't people being forced to go in for pay - we are all volunteers, no-one has to do it if they're uncomfortable. Everyone's hit their "bugger this" point.

Another lockdown won't be caused by a lack of mask wearing. Masks - as they are worn by most of the public, i.e. not properly - don't have a significant enough impact to drive hospitalisations and deaths up. Cases, maybe. But cases are not the most relevant statistic anymore. Because at this stage Covid won't put you in hospital unless you are highly vulnerable and have been unable to have the vaccine/ the vaccine has failed in you for some reason.

Now I know someone will come along and tell me that's them, but at a population level it's not many people. The goal in the UK has never been eradication/ zero Covid deaths. It's been to keep the NHS from failing under the pressure of too many people needing treatment. Another lockdown should only be imposed if hospitalisation climbs, deaths climb, and there is a danger the NHS will be unable to cope. Even with the new delta variant, death rates are tiny. And the vaccination programme isn't finished yet, and there will be winter boosters for the vulnerable. It simply isn't reasonable for the government to continue to interfere with our bodily autonomy in the circumstances as they are.

@Stellaris22

Retail staff I know are delighted at the prospect of not having to wear masks for an eight hour shift anymore!

You've spoken to a wide range of retail staff then? Completed a thorough survey? Or just the odd person at your local supermarket. I'm retail staff and will keep wearing mine, this virus isn't going anywhere. We have to learn to live with it, which seems impossible for a lot of people who just want their 'freedom' back.

I know its hard, but whining and tantrumming isn't going to magically make life better. Sniping and being nasty to each other isn't helpful (except to make the poster feel better). We have to adapt our behaviour to live with this virus and lessen the effect on everyday life.

No, I haven't 'completed a thorough survey'. I've talked to retail staff I know. As I quite clearly said.

Also, where did I whine and tantrum? You're quite correct, sniping helps nobody. So perhaps bear that in mind when you tell people they're 'whining and tantrumming' when they're evidently not.

Also, plenty of retail staff on MN have said they can't wait to ditch masks. Many have also said they wish to keep them. A range of people have a range of differing views - whodathunkit?!

I honestly can't believe this thread. The government is letting covid rip through our kids and 20 somethings, and people who choose to still wear masks are being vilified?

I think some of you ought to have a read of this thread from SAGE scientist Christina Patel..

twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1410989321394458629?s=19

letting covid rip through our kids and 20 somethings

God lord, dial down the hyperbole. The phrase 'rip through' is very violent and emotive language, with suggestions of terrible, perhaps irreparable damage. That is not what is happening.

@SirSamuelVimes

Dial down the hyperbole though 🤣 . Just spat my tea out.

[quote Wheresthesense]I honestly can't believe this thread. The government is letting covid rip through our kids and 20 somethings, and people who choose to still wear masks are being vilified?

I think some of you ought to have a read of this thread from SAGE scientist Christina Patel..

twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1410989321394458629?s=19[/quote]
Hospital admissions remain very low, starkly so when compared to admissions last autumn. Vaccination are absolutely working. The younger population that covid is 'ripping' through are very unlikely to suffer serious illness and as they're driving this spike in infections, that's one of the reasons (along with the vaccination programme of course) why hospitalisations/deaths are so low.

On a day in January when confirmed cases were roughly as high as they are now, there were almost 1800 deaths. As opposed to figures in the mid-20s daily now.

Some perspective and less of that hyperbole is required.

At this point it is a bit odd to still complain about mask wearing and social distancing.

Yes, there are genuine reasons why people can't wear a mask, that's fine.

But we, as a society, need to accept this is something we have to live with in whatever form mutations of the virus takes. Complaining won't help and just makes it harder for everyone.

It may not be as deadly and we have become better at mitigating its effects (vaccines have been a huge help), but we have to accept this is life now.

In the supermarket last night, the attitude of the non-mask wearing group around me was pretty dominant, loud and they were not interested in allowing me to have space. I felt I had to stand back, let them pass, let them get to the counter before me.

I’m just frustrated that - I really want to do the right thing by my Mum - yet I feel like I’m the one who has play second fiddle to those who refuse to follow the guidance.

@Stellaris22

At this point it is a bit odd to still complain about mask wearing and social distancing.

Yes, there are genuine reasons why people can't wear a mask, that's fine.

But we, as a society, need to accept this is something we have to live with in whatever form mutations of the virus takes. Complaining won't help and just makes it harder for everyone.

It may not be as deadly and we have become better at mitigating its effects (vaccines have been a huge help), but we have to accept this is life now.

Most of us aren’t going to accept this is life now. I’m not going to allow it to be my life. And I certainly don’t want it to be life for our children and grandchildren because it’s no life at all. Hospital admissions are low so are deaths. We’re now into sledgehammer to crack a walnut territory. It’s time to regain some sanity.

@Stellaris22

At this point it is a bit odd to still complain about mask wearing and social distancing.

Yes, there are genuine reasons why people can't wear a mask, that's fine.

But we, as a society, need to accept this is something we have to live with in whatever form mutations of the virus takes. Complaining won't help and just makes it harder for everyone.

It may not be as deadly and we have become better at mitigating its effects (vaccines have been a huge help), but we have to accept this is life now.

Yeah, no.

Not being able to get a dental check up for a year. Being unable to get an appointment with a consultant to get medication for my autoimmune condition which seriously affects my day to day life. Watching as people's livelihoods crumble. Seeing first hand the mental health fallout. No face to face GP or counselling appointments.

This is not sustainable. This is not 'life now'.

@Blossomtoes - but it’s also no life at all for those who are vulnerable (and I seriously think my Mum could lose her life if she caught Covid in her current state) and wearing a mask when in an enclosed space is not really such a hardship if it potentially saves someone’s life.

We can name the next UK variant the "no mask variant" 🙄

With tens of thousands of cases a day it's only a matter of time before the virus mutates here and who knows if the next variant will have even more vaccine escape than the current ones.

As I say, you can either accept it and take steps to make your life easier......or don't.

I'm not saying it's ideal, it's awful and horrible.

But it IS something we have to learn to live with. Simply refusing to accept it, sticking your fingers in your ears, won't make it go away.

It's disrupted our lives and made things like referrals to CAMHS impossible. I doubt anyone hasn't been negatively impacted by this.

You can argue all you like that 'this isn't a life you want', it is just ignoring reality and not the world we live in now.

[quote Hornbill123456789]@Blossomtoes - but it’s also no life at all for those who are vulnerable (and I seriously think my Mum could lose her life if she caught Covid in her current state) and wearing a mask when in an enclosed space is not really such a hardship if it potentially saves someone’s life.[/quote]
We’ve reached the stage now where it’s the individual’s responsibility to protect themselves. We can’t all - particularly the very young - be held hostage because there’s a tiny minority of people who might die. I

I know that sounds really callous and I’m genuinely sorry if it upsets you but we need to get back to businesses up and running, children being properly educated and resumption of life as it was before March last year. The long term damage to society of carrying on like this is much greater than individual risk.

@nordica

We can name the next UK variant the "no mask variant" 🙄

With tens of thousands of cases a day it's only a matter of time before the virus mutates here and who knows if the next variant will have even more vaccine escape than the current ones.

Or to put it another way, who know if the next variant will be even more vulnerable to vaccines than the current ones?

Nobody knows. But what viruses tend to do as they mutate is become more transmissible and less dangerous because it's not in their interest to kill their hosts.

Also, the virus will continue to mutate with or without measures.

We’ve reached the stage now where it’s the individual’s responsibility to protect themselves. We can’t all - particularly the very young - be held hostage because there’s a tiny minority of people who might die

This. Just as those with vulnerabilities have had to protect ourselves and risk assess for years.

@Stellaris22

As I say, you can either accept it and take steps to make your life easier......or don't.

I'm not saying it's ideal, it's awful and horrible.

But it IS something we have to learn to live with. Simply refusing to accept it, sticking your fingers in your ears, won't make it go away.

It's disrupted our lives and made things like referrals to CAMHS impossible. I doubt anyone hasn't been negatively impacted by this.

You can argue all you like that 'this isn't a life you want', it is just ignoring reality and not the world we live in now.

You can't 'make your life easier' when the decisions to do so are out of your hands.

It's the world we live in at the moment, but it's not the world we will be living in forever. This is not 'it'.

@nordica We can name the next UK variant the "no mask variant" 🙄

For God's sake! Are you honestly going to blame anyone who doesn't wear a mask for causing the next variant. That is so unfair. People cant wear them for various reasons, mental health issues being one, and if people are now going to point the finger at anyone who cant cover their face, then NHS may well become overwhelmed again. Not with Covid cases, but those with mental health issues caused by the bloody pandemic. In my opinion masks should become a choice. If you are scared of getting the virus, wear one, but many of us want to 'live' again and that doesn't mean covering up our faces in pieces of paper or 'pretty bits of material'. It's becoming a bullying game and it's not on. I have one life, and I need to start living it again too. I do feel terribly sorry for those who still remain vulnerable, but unfortunately, they need to look out for themselves. The virus isn't going away and I personally cant take anymore staying at home. My life now is exactly the same as it was during the first lockdown in early 2020. Do you want people like me just to give up on life so that others can live theirs to the full? I've done my bit for 18months and life is absolutely horrendous. Somedays I really dont know why I bother getting up, but never mind, I'll continue to stay at home while everyone and their masks can get back to 'normal'. If I do eventually get out without a mask, then shall I worry I am the cause of the next variant, whilst others are jetting off around the world, going to sport events, etc?

It's all very well pointing at the intake and death rates and smugly saying "look, it's all ok now" but that's ignoring the other problems we face.

Long covid is a thing. A lag in intake is a thing, and even if we don't have such a spike the NHS is running so close to capacity that even a small spike means we are back in the situation of delaying other care.

Not to mention that what we are doing at the moment is practically begging the virus to mutate -> it's spreading rapidly through young people, who are going home and basically saying "look, here are some vaccinated people, have a go".

All for the sake of maybe another month or 2 until we get the vaccine program finished.

We've now got 18 months of knowledge and experience with this thing, and still we are fucking it up in the most fucking stupid of ways.

So we've gone from nearly 2000 deaths per week to 20.
And we are supposed to carry on adhering to this nonsense without engaging brain.
I have just been to a large,independent hardware store. Owner behind a screen
I chose my items,put the card on the machine and left.No mask,no risk.