Shielding program stopped

[Egghead68]

For anyone this affects, the shielding program was stopped for good yesterday.

They snuck this news out under the cover of the cabinet reshuffle.

@Tealightsandd

Surely there comes a time people need to start thinking about whether they can do their job or if they would prefer to find something else?

As explained by the world's experts - doctors and scientists, that time isn't now. We're going into winter with a higher number of cases than last year - with increasing hospitalisations and deaths, most 12+ still unvaccinated, and booster vaccines only just starting. The NHS is struggling already. Non Covid care will be further impacted, because we can't magic up extra staff and capacity. And the risk of a vaccine resistant variant developing remains.

Once everybody particularly the vulnerable have had a mRNA booster, things should be looking more positive.

In the meantime it would be prudent to follow the science - as most of the rest of the world is doing - and implement simple and easy mitigation measures.

Stop quoting the “world’s experts” and “science” as if there is one unanimous voice on this subject. There isn’t.

And for gods sake, we were told to wait for the roll out of the vaccines, and now that is finally almost complete, immunity is already waning and we now have to wait for boosters? By the time those are all done, no doubt there will be a new round. Winter will come every year, immunity will continue to wane, there will always be the chance of new variants. Covid is endemic. Enough already. We have to move on.

"21:58herecomesthsun

They have taken away mitigations by law but for example Sajid Javid this week suggested "wearing a face mask in crowded, enclosed spaces where you can come into contact with people that you don't normally meet".

What makes you think you know better?"

I know people are fed up of it. Not all, but lots are.

They may 'suggest' masks, but that means it's optional. A choice. So, people will more than likely not wear them because they don't want to anymore. We have lived like this for 18 months now and businesses, schools etc have suffered. I'm not sure the majority of the public wish that to happen again.

That is why @herecomesthsun, I know better because like I have said, the government has not made it mandatory so that the schools and economy can continue to operate.

Well

• an awful lot of people are still wearing masks indoors and being careful

• our politicians and CMO are advising us personally to exercise caution even if it's not legislated yet

• we have been expecting a "difficult winter"

• our case rates and death rates are relatively high

I think, if we want to avoid another crisis and possible lockdown in the winter, caution is a good idea re masks indoors etc

Many people who were formerly shielding re going to be very careful anyway.

We don't individually have to take risks if we don't want to and can avoid it in our working and personal lives.

@Peteycat

"21:58herecomesthsun

They have taken away mitigations by law but for example Sajid Javid this week suggested "wearing a face mask in crowded, enclosed spaces where you can come into contact with people that you don't normally meet".

What makes you think you know better?"

I know people are fed up of it. Not all, but lots are.

They may 'suggest' masks, but that means it's optional. A choice. So, people will more than likely not wear them because they don't want to anymore. We have lived like this for 18 months now and businesses, schools etc have suffered. I'm not sure the majority of the public wish that to happen again.

That is why @herecomesthsun, I know better because like I have said, the government has not made it mandatory so that the schools and economy can continue to operate.

but a recent study suggested that over 80% people were still adopting some mitigations

maybe there are a lot of people out there with more stamina than you?

I am CEV and have managed to successfully work from home since March (my employer had already been moving towards more electronic based forms, systems ways of working and moving away from time consuming face 2 face appointments long before covid). I have worked contentiously and have been much more productive than when I was at work.

Anyway my employer has now decided we should all go back to work now part time. It frightens me the lack of hygiene in my place of work before covid, I am concerned that people may not wear masks and concerned people may not keep their distance etc and I may catch covid and be seriously ill or die. My employers rationale for having us go back to work is because they want the building to have more staff around for more vibrancy.

I have raised my concerns and have been referred to occupational health.

"but a recent study suggested that over 80% people were still adopting some mitigations

maybe there are a lot of people out there with more stamina than you?"

What study?!!!!!! Have you been outside lately?! A few wear masks, no one is really socially distancing, how can they logistically in gyms, schools etc! They are all open for business as usual. Shopping centres in full swing, parks playgrounds, football matches, cinemas the list is endless. It's brilliant to see people living, without restrictions and worrying.

Why so rude about the stamina comment?

@herecomesthsun

"our politicians and CMO are advising us personally to exercise caution even if it's not legislated yet"

So you are confident that they will legislate restrictions again? How do you know?

[quote Peteycat]@herecomesthsun

"our politicians and CMO are advising us personally to exercise caution even if it's not legislated yet"

So you are confident that they will legislate restrictions again? How do you know?[/quote]
It is what they are saying in the news sweetie

The health secretary also outlined a number of changes people can make to their daily routines, telling MPs: "Meeting outdoors where possible or, if you need to be indoors, trying to let in fresh air."

....Mr Javid suggested "wearing a face mask in crowded, enclosed spaces where you can come into contact with people that you don't normally meet".

www.itv.com/news/2021-09-13/johnson-to-set-out-plans-for-booster-jabs-and-winter-plan-to-fight-covid

@herecomesthsun

That article isn't saying anything about legislation. Guidance only.

Nothing at all about anything being mandatory. Misinformation spreading yet again. It's your favourite hobby.

Oh and the sweetie comment is just bleurgh. Not funny in the slightest. Just makes you look patronising.

I didn't say it was legislated - I said it wasn't legislated right now

misreading posts is your fave thing isn't it ?

@Peteycat

Why so rude about the stamina comment?

not rude - you said people were tired of restrictions

even if we are

a lot of us are continuing to be careful because we think it's the right thing to do

@herecomesthsun

"So you are confident that they will legislate restrictions again? How do you know?"

I didn't ask you what was legislated. This was my question, you have still not answered it?

@herecomesthsun

"lot of us are continuing to be careful because we think it's the right thing to do"

How long will you do this for?

I don’t know many people who expect to be facilitated to (do) their job to a really limited degree on full pay for the foreseeable

Unfortuntely I do, and practically all of them work in the public sector

The latest is now crowing that her manager said she "musn't come to work if she's the slightest bit worried". No health vulnerabilities or believe me we'd have heard about it, and plenty of protective measures in place - but just don't bother coming to work if you're worried

I'd like to think she's exaggerating, but this being the public sector I'm afraid she's not

[quote Peteycat]@herecomesthsun

"So you are confident that they will legislate restrictions again? How do you know?"

I didn't ask you what was legislated. This was my question, you have still not answered it?[/quote]
I didn't say that?

The government did say they have various plans A and B which you can read up about if you haven't see them?

[quote Peteycat]@herecomesthsun

"lot of us are continuing to be careful because we think it's the right thing to do"

How long will you do this for?[/quote]
it's going to be a "very difficult winter" so probably till spring and then we'll see, and revise as we go along depending on how things look

Crikey, just popped in to see where this progressed to, and here again we find Petey flogging a dead horse...

It's going to be a "very difficult winter"

It always is

Nobody's suggesting Covid hasn't been a problem, but have folk really forgotten the linked headlines from at least the last ten years, all of them insisting that the NHS is about to break down?

Except for emergencies it's gone - finished - history, and nothing much will change until it's accepted we need a better system
Trouble is, anything Boris comes up with is likely to focus more on money for the cronies than the nation's needs

My sister has advanced cancer and is going into work. She hasn't let Covid scare her. Her attitude is "you just have to get on with jt", Covid is going to be around unfortunately. I'm sure she'd love to retire on a public pension and act like a victim but she has a "can do" mentality that is extremely admirable!

How long will you do this for?

How long do we have speeding limits, and a smoking ban in public spaces?

Not that we necessarily need to be like East Asia forever. It will be safer to drop the improved infection control and hygiene in the future, if that's what people in the UK would prefer.

By the time those are all done, no doubt there will be a new round. Winter will come every year, immunity will continue to wane, there will always be the chance of new variants. Covid is endemic

Like flu? So, annual jabs then. Nothing new.

Stop quoting the “world’s experts” and “science” as if there is one unanimous voice on this subject. There isn’t.

There is, however, a consensus amongst the majority.

how can they logistically in gyms, schools etc!

Goodness! Usually people who buy into British exceptionalism are motivated by the (false) belief that we're better than the rest of the world. This is a new one. Somebody that thinks we're more incapable than everywhere else.

@FrankOrTheBeans

My sister has advanced cancer and is going into work. She hasn't let Covid scare her. Her attitude is "you just have to get on with jt", Covid is going to be around unfortunately. I'm sure she'd love to retire on a public pension and act like a victim but she has a "can do" mentality that is extremely admirable!

I take it you want to see the smoking ban repealed, and the speeding limit abolished?

Definitely it's admirable to not let unnecessary things scare you. Masks, for example. I agree. Let's just get on with it. Wear masks in public. To protect ourselves - and to be a civilised society, that takes simple and easy mitigation measures to protect those more vulnerable than ourselves.

Btw, why is assisted suicide illegal in the UK? We're told it's because life is precious.

Some strange reasoning we've got going on in the UK. Force somebody to live in unbearable pain or with lack of dignity, when they want a peaceful death. Yet at the same time, wilfully put other people at unnecessary risk of death or disability through lack of simple mitigation measures, because we must (apparently) 'live with' a disease that kills.

@TheKeatingFive

Mask mandates are not some magical shield against covid spread. We’ve seen this confirmed in country after country.

Mask mandates are very effective at reducing covid spread, we've seen that in country after country.

Perhaps you should also look at the facts that don't support your preferred race-to-the-bottom-hunger-games-capitalist ideology?