What's it like in London?

[Violet9]

My dh is planning on going to a reunion from his old workplace in October at a pub or bar in central London, I'm CV and it's the first time he's done anything like this since the pandemic started, first due to me shielding and since that ended just because of the risk where I'm CV and in rubbish health (different chronic conditions, a physical disability and poor immunity leave me mostly housebound, sometimes bedbound).

I'm getting pretty anxious about it the closer it gets, he'll obviously be in a public, likely busy place being a Friday night, with a large group of people (about 25) all evening, and he also needs to get on the train up to London for an hour then the tube and back again.

What's it like in London now? Have people pretty much gone back to how it was pre Covid with socialising? Do places get packed again and are people wearing masks on public transport? Clearly people in the pub won't be wearing masks if they're drinking and chatting, so that's worrying me with the risk of him catching Covid going up in that environment. We've both had our 2 AZ jabs but tbh I'm feeling less confident about protection with more and more double jabbed people catching Covid and still getting pretty ill.

We have a 9 year old dd with ASD and every day is unpredictable and a challenge, I worry about how we'd cope if either of us caught Covid because she's so dependent on me in every sense, but I do need help from my dh with her for certain things. When I'm unwell enough to be bedbound he has to step in and help her with things like showers and all hell breaks loose, so I dread the idea of not being able to care for her, or him being unwell with Covid and not being able to step in and help when I can't function properly. We have zero support from my toxic family, and his family live hours away and are elderly anyway with their own health problems. There's also the fear of how I'd end up long term if I got Covid, I already have a pretty tough time functioning to do the basics like showering, cooking, cleaning etc, every scrap of energy I have goes on caring for our dd due to her needs, because of my health there's nothing left over for myself after that. The thought of Covid and long Covid on top of everything else fills me with dread.

He's worked freelance from home since being made redundant literally a month before the first lockdown, work has been sporadic and money is tight, I'm unable to work and get disability benefits and feel utterly useless in that sense to our family. He sees this reunion as a chance to network and try to make some contacts for work, he said if it wasn't for that he wouldn't go and take the risk. Well that and what he's not saying - that he's been stuck with no "going out out" social life for over 18 months now because of me.

Any advice would be appreciated, is it really busy again now out in London and on public transport? What could we do to reduce the risks of him catching Covid going to this night out? He can't really wear a mask if they're drinking or social distance now can he?

Mask wearing on transport is about 50/50 I would say. It used to be about 90% wearing them. Pubs are busy again on a Thursday/Friday. Street markets are back. Queues outside restaurants.
We were just saying that we know a lot of covid positive people at the moment, whereas previously we knew very few.

All that being said, there are plenty of outside area with heaters, could he avoid the tube? Go somewhere that does the temperature checks? Minimise his own risks.

I walked through Leicester Sq recently. Was crazy busy

My overriding thought was tg for the vaccine allowing all this

Back to normal.

I don't bother wearing a mask on the tube anymore.

Went to a club last night, is was rammed. Just like the good old days.

Clubbing last night. Annabels. Rammed. The youngsters are living again.

He could catch Covid at the supermarket, your child could pass it to you. Your DH might get it tuis time next year.
It doesn’t matter how busy London is, if you’re all vaccinated you have done all you can. You have to let those you love get back to a tiny bit of normality.
You of course have to let him go, encourage him even. I do understand your concerns but it sounds like you’re always at risk of Covid. So when will this end for you? I think you have to start letting him get out there

It's back to normal. Public transport is crowded. Pubs are busy. Popular areas are crowded. Some hospitality are checking lat. flows and most all have the NHS check-in app - but that is not a panacea.

I have also found that in London, people are not bothered or 'tutting' if you enter a shop without a mask or without sanitising your hands at the entrance (there are hand sanitisers in all shops). Whereas when I venture out to the 'provinces' folk tend to police that much more - or give you a wide berth or look at you suspiciously. Perhaps because they have not been out of their small area.

Honestly, I think at this stage in the game you just have to decide your attitude to risk and make decisions you are comfortable with.

The only thing you can say that might help you feel better is that you are double jabbed and MOST other people will be also. My (young people) DCs and all their friends are all certainly double jabbed.

He could wear a mask on all public transport and take hand sanitiser. That is probably the only thing he can realistically do to minimise the risk. Other than not go. But then, when will he go anywhere?

It’s great- it’s back to being buzzy and busy. I probably wouldn’t go if you’re extra anxious about COVID though.

@tpmumtobe

Zone 2 here. Still wearing masks in shops and on transport. I'd say mask wearing at about 70% in general. I've been into centre of town lots recently and yes it's busy but people seem to be being sensible. As PP said, they're making most of renewed opps to experience stuff. Pubs I've been to lately people wear masks to move around/to bar/to loo but not at table. Hand sanitiser stations everywhere so you can easily keep clean.

For comparison, we went to visit family up north on the bank hol and not a single soul seemed to be wearing a mask - not in visitor attractions, shops, or pubs etc. We looked like paranoid weirdos in comparison to the general population!
So while I can see why you're concerned, I don't think London is any riskier than anywhere else - in fact much less so in my experience.

Where in Zone 2?? I'm also in Central but definitely not 70% mask compliance.

It’s getting back to near normal here. Some people are not wearing masks on trains but pubs and restaurants are busy. I would say if he is good with hand washing and if can self isolate on his return from London, provided you have a spare room, may help you to check if he develops any symptoms . He can also use LFT to test himself.
Like others have mentioned , rates are low and most people sit outside for drinks and dining which reduces the risks of catching too.

I’m very central and work slap bang central - and you’d never have known there had been a pandemic apart from much more outside eating/drinking areas outside of restaurants and bars. Most people don’t wear masks in shops, very few outdoors.

@Blessex

Clubbing last night. Annabels. Rammed. The youngsters are living again.

Soho House here. Cheek by jowl!

London is not as busy as before but getting there. Despite lower vaccination rates, the cases are relatively low.

I live and work in central London commuting 2 days a week to my office. I believe the tube and train are relatively safe as they are ventilated. At rush hour most commuters wear masks, less so with secondary school children, or in quieter periods. For what’s it’s worth my husband regularly commutes for 1.5 hours across London on the tube and train and hasn’t caught it.

As others have said, the danger area would be the pub/ex colleagues. I think if it’s a well ventilated area and he takes precautions like washing his hands he is unlikely to get it. I realise you are worried but as you say it may help with getting work, the slight risk is worth taking.

Mask wearing on public transport has definitely dropped. Got the tube yesterday and it was really busy about 40% masks I'd say. It was full of people heading to Arsenal for the football and none of them were wearing masks

I've just come back from a few days in London and it was exactly the same as where I live. Except with lots more people obviously. Some people wearing masks, most not. Didn't use public transport but in bars and restaurants the only people wearing the were staff. It was fine. Had a great time.

@DillonPanthersTexas. .

OP, my perception, having been here throughout the pandemic, is that people in London have always had a more balanced relaxed attitude towards Covid risk than the rest of the country. The sheer volume of people here and the number of shared communal spaces which are necessary for day-to-day living mean that it's been quite difficult just to shut ourselves away in the way some people have been able to do in other parts of the country.

That doesn't mean people have abandoned all precautions. Most people still wear marks on the tube (required) and in shops and indoor spaces (not required). Most people still sanitise their hands frequently. But people become less cautious at night when drinking and the number of people using public transport and generally milling around mean that yes, the risk of catching Covid is inevitably higher than elsewhere in the country.

But on the other hand it's lovely going to restaurants and the theatre and being around other people again. It feels like the city is coming alive again .

Yes, pretty much back to normal.

What needs to happen for you to be comfortable with your dh going out in London? Covid will be here forever, we aren't going to wake up one morning and it's gone. I mean this in the nicest possible way, but if you have had both vaccines then what do you want to happen next? Isolate forever? Nothing much is going to change now.

@KittenKong

Full of tourists. Everything busier than a ‘normal’ year (I feel anyway).

Really? We were at the Tower of London yesterday and it was so quiet (vs normal). The Thames clipper was 80% full.

Last time we went to the Tower on a Saturday in September we had to queue for 40 minutes for the Crown Jewels and didn't even bother queuing for the white tower. Yesterday we walked straight in.

It was fab, we went round and round looking at the Crown Jewels loads of times.

It's a great time to be a tourist in London.

Thanks for responses, yes I will try and not worry about it so much because absolutely Covid isn't going away, and we're at a stage now where the peak has passed, we're both vaccinated as are a large number of the population, nothing else could really improve further could it? So yes at some point I have to just deal with the situation and try my hardest not to feel so anxious about what "could" happen.

Believe me I'd give anything to not have my health problems and not be cv, I feel constantly guilty that the way I am has limited my dh and dd's lives as well. I've been in a dark place about it, not just the last 18 months but before Covid. The worst of the pandemic is over and I hope won't ever get that bad again. I fully support him going and want him to go, it's been a shitty time with lack of work and money worries, aside from anything else he needs a good night out. I was just trying to gauge what it's like because I feel like I need all the facts and just feel better having as much info as possible. I've been shielding and physically unable to get out and about much for so long, I'm honestly clueless as to what it's like in the wider world outside our small area. I feel better just knowing what to expect when he goes now so thanks for the responses, I'll work on the worrying!

@CyclingIsNotOuting

Mask wearing on transport is about 50/50 I would say. It used to be about 90% wearing them. Pubs are busy again on a Thursday/Friday. Street markets are back. Queues outside restaurants. We were just saying that we know a lot of covid positive people at the moment, whereas previously we knew very few.

All that being said, there are plenty of outside area with heaters, could he avoid the tube? Go somewhere that does the temperature checks? Minimise his own risks.

Yes that's true it might have an outside area I didn't think of that, thanks! Yes he could take a taxi if he thinks it doesn't cost too much or walk

Other than masks on tube and public transport it feels like life is back to normal which is lovely

ThinkAboutItTomorrow - I don’t know where they are all going! We have a lot of hotels around us and they are really busy, and the streets/park/local shops are all heaving too.

I can understand why you're worried. Tbh, I'd ask your DH to isolate as much as possible within the house on his return for a few days and then take a lateral flow test. I love things being pretty much back to normal but no one's CV here and we don't have your reasons for being concerned.

I saw some research from TFL which basically said that the tube was incredibly well ventilated (and therefore safe) because of the volume of air which was being pushed through the tunnels by the trains. And yes, I'd say at least 50% wearing masks on public transport. This last week is the busiest I've seen public transport since the pandemic began and it's clear that people are starting to behave as of life is returning to normal.

However, there are still plenty of nervous people in London, and I haven't come across the same attitudes to mask wearing/caution that I have when with my parents and their friends.

It’s also worth remembering that London has the lowest case rates of any region in the country, by quite a long way.

I’ve seen some scientists and statisticians speculating that London may be closer to to herd immunity than other places now (and that London vaccination rates may be higher than reported as the population data used for vaccine reporting is particularly poor at accurately measuring under 70s population in London.)

I hope that’s the case because the official data for my NLondon borough is pretty low- not even 55% of population had 2 doses….
(OP- your husband will not meet locals, I suppose, so don’t worry about this. And if he’s sensible and tries to stay outside at the pub and then perhaps some distance in the days when he comes back…it should help.)
I’ve only been in the tube off peak and it wasn’t too busy. Plenty of seats, so NOT normal yet. The % of mask wearing was also very high (weirdly, the only people I saw completely mask-less in all my journeys were young, definitely pretty girls, and a few cases of people with masks used as neck warmers- but not many ;-)