If all restrictions are ending on July 19th, why are people talking about mask wearing and social distancing continuing?

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

Johnson etc al, plus the popular press, keep saying that "all restrictions" will be lifted on July 19th. And yet the media is also talking about some measures such as mask wearing on public transport continuing. So does that mean that 19th July will be another step in easing restrictions but not a total lifting?

@ThornAmongstRoses

We can’t be expected to wear masks forever.

I’m so incredibly sick of looking at faces half covered in fabric.

Fair enough if some people want to wear them, but they should be optional.

I’m a nurse and we all hate wearing them - we all fear though that hospital staff will be made to wear them for a very long time yet.

We are all a bit deflated by it to be honest.

Same. I think it'll be an NHS standard long term (although it better be for all the patients as well as staff if it is).

@ThornAmongstRoses yep, I work in healthcare in Scotland and even if England scrapped masks tomorrow we’d probably be made to wear them for the next decade in healthcare. Horrible hindrance to effective communication never mind compassionate care, I feel that masks just make you seem cold and distant

@undertheblue that was the point I made in my last post. We have immune systems for a reason

And what about small children? They’re at a stage of development where their immune systems are still developing, how are they going to be strong when they aren’t being exposed to childhood and common illnesses

If the NHS makes masks mandatory for all staff always then the NMC better change its code on effective communication because you just can’t with a mask on

Well, this isn't helping...

Dr David Nabarro said that the emergence of new variants of coronavirus would continue to pose problems, and that some coronavirus measures would have to be maintained long-term.

“We do have to be prepared for the inevitability that viruses will continue to be a problem for us,” Dr Nabarro told BBC Radio 4. “We’re going to have to really seriously contemplate continuing to practice some degree of physical distancing, some degree of mask wearing, some degree of hygiene, some degree of protecting those who are most at risk, as long as there are these nasty viruses around, whether or not we’re vaccinated.”

In an apparent comment on the UK’s plans to lift all restrictions on 19 July, Dr Nabarro said that it was “not a cool thing” to axe all of the measures on one day.

“It makes people very angry because they want to be able to stop being careful but it’s my advice, and it’s just based on studying these things over the years, is that it is not a cool thing just to ditch our preventative measures on a particular date because we hope that’s going to be associated with less risks – the risks are going to stay,” he said.^

inews.co.uk/news/covid-lockdown-rules-who-expert-warning-countries-not-ditch-restrictions-particular-date-1078627

As far as I'm concerned this is not a good approach. We do need a specific date, if only for people's sanity. Nabarro isn't taking into account how worn down everyone is. We all know, deep down, that there could be more restrictions, but psychologically we need a firm date to regain hope that the end is in sight.

Also, you'd think viruses had only just been discovered, by these remarks. There will always be disease-causing viruses around, we can't keep living in fear of these by wearing masks and keeping our distance. This isn't what human beings are about. We've got to get back to normality.

@Wherediditgo

I think ‘freedom day’ is a con.

Few more restrictions may be lifted but not all.

Wasn’t it the media who coined the term ‘Freedom Day’? I don’t quite understand why people think an arbitrary date in several weeks time trumps a potentially fast moving situation. The next variant could be with us already, unknowingly. If it’s the one that jumps the vaccine then Freedom Day will be a long way off.

I hope businesses are allowed to determine whether they want people to wear masks or not. They should have a choice to allow unmasked.

I agree wholeheartedly with @CroydianSlip and other pp about schools and bubbles. I cannot carry on home schooling my DCs while simultaneously trying to hold down my job.

I'm not bothered about nightclubs opening - though I do care about people's livelihoods and businesses - but the priority needs to be children in school 5 days a week, week in, week out, unless they actually have Covid of course.

I work with children and we are seeing unprecedented numbers of bronchiolitis. In July.

This is a seasonal virus…usually endemic in Nov-March

I agree we are fucking up the natural order of seasonal illnesses if we continue with masks and the like. It’s worrying. Watch now old folk start dying off from flu all year round and children on ICU with diseases that would not normally overwhelm their immune system

@AnyFucker it really is a worry and a 2 sided coin. Yes it’s great my kids haven’t even had a common cold for over a year when they usually have 2 or 3 over the winter period, 1 usually enough to warrant a day or 2 off school but on the other side I’m worried that when they get illnesses now they will take it worse. It really isn’t good for us wearing masks, sanitising things 1000 times a day etc

@AnyFucker - have you seen the reports from the Southern Hemisphere (Australia and South Africa) about the rise in numbers of DC with RSV? It seems reasonably likely that all those who didn't catch it last year seem to be getting in their winter virus season, it, together with all those you would expect in a typical year. So I don't think you'll be getting many breaks for the foreseeable

Tell me about it 😳

@undertheblue

People saying we should wear masks in medical settings....staff need rock solid immunity (everyone does really) using masks long term will not help long term. We are all going to get really really sick (not with covid) once other diseases start circulating again. Every time I've returned after a break (maternity etc) I've been quite ill while it builds up (like kids in nursery) then I'm never ill. We have immune systems for a reason - children too, they need to be exposed to germs or they will get much sicker later on.

Patients deserve to be protected too.

Re masks in medical setting, I think there are real downsides to this and it certainly wouldn't be my preference as a patient to have staff in masks. I had my baby at the start of the first lockdown and couldn't hear what the midwives were saying most of the way through the birth (I have very slight hearing loss which has never been an issue before masks were brought in). They did an episiotomy on me and I didn't actually know that that was what they were doing as I hadn't heard. In a noisy environment where staff are trying to communicate quickly that must be quite common.

I also had a ridiculous appointment with the health visitor recently (my first ever face to face appointment) where they stood at the other end of the room in full ppe, said they weren't allowed to sit down and wouldn't go anywhere near my baby. If you were a new mother who had called your health visitor because you needed support with breastfeeding or something how is that sort of appointment helpful.

If a patient is particularly vulnerable despite vaccines maybe staff could just wear masks around them and not around other patients. I don't really see why a very slightly increased risk of covid to a small number of patients trumps the right of other patients to have staff be able to communicate effectively with them.

Not to mention that it must be an additional difficulty for staff in what is already a difficult job.

@AnyFucker That is scary.

@Chessie678

Re masks in medical setting, I think there are real downsides to this and it certainly wouldn't be my preference as a patient to have staff in masks. I had my baby at the start of the first lockdown and couldn't hear what the midwives were saying most of the way through the birth (I have very slight hearing loss which has never been an issue before masks were brought in). They did an episiotomy on me and I didn't actually know that that was what they were doing as I hadn't heard. In a noisy environment where staff are trying to communicate quickly that must be quite common.

I also had a ridiculous appointment with the health visitor recently (my first ever face to face appointment) where they stood at the other end of the room in full ppe, said they weren't allowed to sit down and wouldn't go anywhere near my baby. If you were a new mother who had called your health visitor because you needed support with breastfeeding or something how is that sort of appointment helpful.

If a patient is particularly vulnerable despite vaccines maybe staff could just wear masks around them and not around other patients. I don't really see why a very slightly increased risk of covid to a small number of patients trumps the right of other patients to have staff be able to communicate effectively with them.

Not to mention that it must be an additional difficulty for staff in what is already a difficult job.

Hospital acquired infections was a major problem pre covid. It's also caused a great number of deaths over the past 18 months with huge numbers of people catching covid in hospitals. Infection control in hospitals needs to be massively improved. Masks in some circumstances, other precautions in others.

I’ve felt quite sad that throughout all my antenatal appointments my midwife and I have never seen each others faces. I understand the need for them but it’s just a shame and I believe does impact on relationship building.

@Cafeaulait27 yes, it’s good to hear this from non healthcare professionals who are on the other side of a mask wearing professional. I work mainly with the housebound elderly, a lot of palliative patients etc and cannot imagine how it must feel for someone who is dying having a nurse with a mask on in your dying moments, it doesn’t feel very compassionate to me. As you say it’s not conducive to building good relationships with new patients either. I despair

What about the public sector and unions? Would they want mask wearing and WFH to continue?

The newspapers this morning are pretty universally reporting that masks will go on the 19th.

@TheVampiresWife

The newspapers this morning are pretty universally reporting that masks will go on the 19th.

Just saw this, I am quite surprised about masks I must admit.

Really thought they would keep them for a while.

@YeDancer

What about the public sector and unions? Would they want mask wearing and WFH to continue?

Well, certainly the Uni lecturers union wants staff to continue working from home. But then again, they're a militant bunch at the best of times.

The only end date I'm interested in is an end date to this shit government.

2024
2024
2024
Repeat until bored...

Because restrictions won’t be ending. Is anyone still blind to what’s actually happening?

@hoooooplahoop

Because restrictions won’t be ending. Is anyone still blind to what’s actually happening?

They are - masks and SD will end on 19 July, it's been all over the papers and news today. BJ has signed it off already according to some reports.