[quote Thewiseoneincognito]@RedToothBrush keeping face masks and continuing a degree of social distancing is not lockdown if anything they’re a necessity more than ever given how rapidly the cases are increasing. The effect this is going to have on the psyche of those who are nervous of Covid, elderly, CEV and their family members is going to be immense, for many there can be no return to normal.
When the government eventually U turn on these ‘irreversible’ actions they will face a cataclysmic backlash from all sides.[/quote]
I don't actually disagree.
I think there is a problem here to a degree. However, we also have health anxiety at play where people will continue to socially distance at cost to their health in other ways, if its encouraged for too long too. We do need a way of drawing a line in the sand and saying that this isn't March 2020, vaccines have changed the dynamics of this and its unhealthy to stay shielding indefinitely in its own right for lots of reasons.
I also think the situation with masks may yet prove to be more complex than we think. See below twitter thread:
Adam Wagner @AdamWagner1
It really will be a huge change on 19 July if legal social distancing restrictions are lifted.
Will be the first time since 26 March 2020 that there have been no legal social distancing requirements - e.g. group socialising limits
That is 480 days
It does sound like some legal duties will remain:
1. Self-isolation for people who come into contact with a positive case, though it sounds like this will be different to current rules
2. Travel self-isolation and hotel quarantine
Interestingly:
"there will be no Covid certificate required to attend events or venues"
So domestic 'covid passports' are a non-starter (though they have been tried for big events this summer along with negative tests)
Face coverings to be guidance not law
Long-time followers will know govt has never been clear on difference between guidance & law, and why that should matter to people
It has fudged
Now it is left with the mess of convincing people to do things which are "guidance only"
People might reasonably ask why some important things (eg self-isolation) will remain law but other important things (eg face covering on public transport) will only be guidance.
I imagine the answer is as much to do with Tory backbenchers (masks have become totemic) as reason
Next question which will be on many businesses owners' minds is what to do about face coverings, tests, vaccine proof etc as entry requirements.
Just because the government is not making these things compulsory doesn't mean they are decoupled entirely from legal requirements...
Health and safety law might even require that certain businesses recommend face coverings or tests/vaccine certificates.
The truth is this is unknown territory - we have spent 480 days in government mandated land and now we are moving into 'use your discretion' land
E.g. a theatre which knows its audience is high Covid risk - e.g. elderly people - is opening up to maximum numbers.
Covid rates are high and getting higher.
If it leaves measures up to discretion of customers and there is a covid outbreak and someone dies, is it responsible?
E.g. a company knows that certain of its staff are very vulnerable to Covid and haven't been vaccinated. If it leaves measures to "personal responsibility" and there is a Covid outbreak, will it be responsible for the vulnerable employee getting Covid?
This will of course either be the end of social distancing requirements in law or the first major gap between two sets of legal social distancing requirements.
I suppose we will find out in the autumn/winter
I think the one that jumps out to me most, is the implications of the Equality Act and the need for businesses and public services to 'make reasonable adjustments' in certain situations.
I think its going to get complex and land in court fairly quickly.
The clinically vulnerable being forced to return to the office strikes me as one where we could see issues. And accessibility to do with public transport and whether sections of the public are in practice indirectly discriminated against because no one has to wear masks.
I don't know how it will play out, but I think there are some gaps in the position announced by government (though I understand the need to normalise for other reasons too) and I don't fully agree with the approach the government is taking.
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see some sort of a u-turn on public transport particularly during certain hours of the day - especially given where the majority of public opinion lies on this one.