For those who want restrictions to return...

[Warhertisuff]

When would think it reasonable for those restrictions to be eased again?

Or do you believe restrictions should be a permanent, or at least cyclical, part of life now?

I'd like restrictions on big events like indoor concerts.

Saying people have to be double jabbed it's have a negative LFT is bollocks- you can just scan your LFT and register it negative without even doing it!

I see nobody is answering you question OP!

It’s one I’ve asked over and over. How long do you want restrictions ? Just this winter? This virus isn’t really seasonal. Next winter too? What about people who can’t WFH and get their Ocado delivered?

Years? Forever? Answer the question people!!

I agree with you OP

@Brindle88

We’re are now living with an infectious disease that has the capacity to overrun health services.

Do those who propose we get on with life not want access to a functioning health service? Do they think that’s an acceptable price to pay just so they don’t have to wear a mask in winter, or work from home occasionally when COVID rates are especially high.

That’s as misrepresentative of the viewpoint as saying that other people love lockdown. You know that.

Delatron

I want compulsory mask wearing in all public spaces and work places when people have a cold or cough (that could be Covid but not necessarily) forever. Quite a few posters have said forever as well.

@WTF475878237NC

Delatron

I want compulsory mask wearing in all public spaces and work places when people have a cold or cough (that could be Covid but not necessarily) forever. Quite a few posters have said forever as well.

Compulsory? You could wish for it to become the cultural norm but it would be completely unenforceable if you wanted it to be a law

Good luck with that @WTF475878237NC but fair play for being very clear.

I’d love a functioning health service but I don’t think we should be WFH every winter to ‘protect’ it.

We may need another long term plan.

@Delatron fine but what about this winter? What do we do now?

The problem with “running hot” is that I don’t trust the govt after their track record of COVID u-turns and for me, a lengthier slower withdrawal from restrictions with more confidence that my kids school and my chance of keeping my (self employed) work in place will remain constant would be preferable.

Of course I’m enjoying pretending there isn’t any covid, but it’s a constant dull worry at the back of my mind that there’ll be another press conference and everything goes to shit again. I can’t relax about booking holidays or budget properly with no long term confidence.

Countries with barely any cases are still wearing masks, have vaccinated their kids and are probably wondering why they’re still wearing masks, but they can probably relax a little more than we can about longer term thinking. Lots of Christmas lights activities have been cancelled in England, the London fireworks for example, whereas they’ve announced a full fiesta programme where my sister lives in Spain.

So contrary to what a lot of people think, I feel like masks and gentle restrictions are closer to normal life than what we’re doing now, which feels like fiddling while Rome burns!

@Charlesbakerharris

I live in a city (not U.K.) where life feels pretty much normal, other than wearing masks on public transport, in schools, and in crowded indoor settings (concerts, theatre etc). You also have to show you’ve been vaccinated to enter restaurants and other indoor spaces.

I’m a teacher, so I wear a mask all day every day, and of course we’d all rather not, but it seems a small price to pay to be in-person and to have had six Covid cases in school since September 2020. I really don’t understand the U.K. resistance to masks. As pp have said, learning to live with Covid doesn’t mean it’s over. I’m terrified by the current case numbers and the potential impact on vulnerable family members still in the U.K.

The problem I have with this is, when do you stop wearing masks in schools? If you wear them when cases are low and 'under control', then presumably you'll wear them if cases are high... As cases will either be low or high, logically if follows that there isn't really a scenario where you wouldn't wear masks and you are, by default, supportive of permanent mask wearing in schools!

Countries with barely any cases are still wearing masks, have vaccinated their kids and are probably wondering why they’re still wearing masks, but they can probably relax a little more than we can about longer term thinking.

But it's longer term with masks... Is this a price people want to pay? Permanent masks indoors (and outdoors in some places!) and other restrictions to ensure there remain low case numbers? That's the dilemma, and one that people who enthusiastically hold up these countries as beacons can never seem to answer.

Masks, SD and household members back to isolating where there is a positive case in the household. Those things would make a difference without being in lockdown.

Yet again, wearing a mask over the worst part of the winter (for those who don't have a psychological or physical exemption) would be very sensible. In indoor crowded spaces. Also keeping some distance where you can. Meeting outdoors where possible. And so on.

How great it would be if more people joined the millions of us already doing this without legislation being passed.

Spring would seem like a good point to review whether it seems sensible to keep doing this.

Posting for a second time (as it does answer your question, which is not as clever as you seem to think )

@Porcupineintherough the plan is to allow cases to rise and then fall naturally (worse predictions are 100,000 but maybe we’ll top out at 60,000). We’re not there yet. This was all expected and predicted. Hence no intervention from the government.

Whilst ramping up boosters and vaccinations for 12+ (this is the part of the plan we’ve messed up tbh)

The argument is that going in and out of restrictions causes artificial (big) rises and falls and prolongs the pandemic. It delays it becoming endemic.

See Sweden. Also see France (they have not locked down since Nov 2020) yes they have masks but it’s vaccinations and lack of lockdown (and not as much testing) that is begin their low cases IMO. Plus they had high cases for 4 months earlier in the year.

I’m not against masks but I think people place far too much faith in them. Plus you have to get rid of them sometime. Unless we’re keeping them forever?

@herecomesthsun I’d be fine with wearing masks in some settings. Not schools. But it really won’t have the impact you think it will.

Boosters and more vaccinations will. But hell bring back masks if that would appease some of you. I don’t mind wearing one. Have one on right now! I just don’t think they’ll have a huge impact. You’d have to find something else to focus on then so that would be a bonus!

@Delatron

Masks continue to be a good idea over this winter. We can review them again in spring 2022.

There, you have an answer.

I do sense a real deja vu with this time last year.

Cases rising, hospital admissions rising, the difference is yes there is less serious illness but the vaccines are most definitely not the free pass out everyone hoped they would be.

Im off work with covid at the moment despite being double vaxxed and know many others who are too. The sickness absences over this winter are going to cripple us.

There is a few weeks delay between people getting infected and the impact on hospital beds so I’m really worried about where we will be in 4 weeks time. If the government then decide to take action we will be looking at restrictions in December again which would he catastrophic for the economy.

In my view they should do some sort of firebreak in November because we are in danger of running so hot we will catch fire (this may be my feverish brain talking)

I’m not sitting on a bloody bench drinking wine in the cold again though!

Most people will be having lots of indoor Christmas celebrations to make up for last year.. so the popping a mask on in the supermarket may not have much impact...

I don't think anyone jumps up and down with joy, tell Ng lock us all in our homes again, YEAH!!!

This question gets asked a lot but you know what question I've never seen asked is?

What's your death limit?
How many daily deaths would it take for the no more lockdowns ever freeeeeeeeeeedom posters to say yeah, actually, social distancing, face masks and fire breaks might be a good idea at this point

What's your number?

Masks should be brought back as should social distancing in crowded places like shops and theatres. How long for I don’t know.

Masks are likely to reduce spread by 20-25% (and really good ones seem to have more of an effect than that). Of course, this would involve people actually wearing them, but if the Germans can do that, so can we.

Great @herecomesthsun they may do that. You haven’t specified where though? Public transport fine. Schools not fine.

Then you’ll still have all the nightclubs open, restaurants, pubs, Christmas parties.

You can see why we are moving towards individual responsibility? I’d happily wear a mask in shops if it makes people feel better. Don’t think it will do much though.

@IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves

I don't think anyone jumps up and down with joy, tell Ng lock us all in our homes again, YEAH!!!

This question gets asked a lot but you know what question I've never seen asked is?

What's your death limit?
How many daily deaths would it take for the no more lockdowns ever freeeeeeeeeeedom posters to say yeah, actually, social distancing, face masks and fire breaks might be a good idea at this point

What's your number?

That was asked just the other day on here. There was a whole thread. I’ll try and find it for you :)

Not looking great in Germany right now. Cases up by 70% even with their proper masks!!

You bring them back in theatres and you probably decimate that industry. Again.