'Covid exit strategy leaked - self isolation/testing could be scrapped by April'

[DavidDevantsSpiritWife]

Reported by the Mail originally but picked up
elsewhere.

Could be a load of old tosh, could be that thing where they leak stuff/deny all knowledge/it happens anyway.

It was always bound to happen eventually of course, and I suppose post-winter would be the most sensible time to do it.

Feels strange, though, after everything. Positive in some ways, troubling in others - if you're immunocompromised or vulnerable in any way it's going to be worrying.

Shops

@ExceptionalAssurance I honestly don’t think most people expect personal space in the busy bread aisle etc. What I don’t personally understand is why someone in a queue - for example in a supermarket, feels the need to stand right up my back when they aren’t going to be served any more quickly.

I’ve always hated this though!

[quote Timescale]@ExceptionalAssurance I honestly don’t think most people expect personal space in the busy bread aisle etc. What I don’t personally understand is why someone in a queue - for example in a supermarket, feels the need to stand right up my back when they aren’t going to be served any more quickly.

I’ve always hated this though![/quote]
I don't share your optimism unfortunately, I've seen plenty of posts on here complaining about people getting too close in supermarkets. Covid has really brought out the sense of inappropriate entitlement in some people.

The issue is that retail isn't generally set up so people can be assured of personal space. There's no reason it would be. Same with a lot of activities that people have got used to being able to engage in with lowered numbers during the pandemic in fact.

Now I accept that the person next to you in the queue shouldn't be right in your face, but equally, in some shops if the queue is more spread out then it's going to be more difficult for people to browse, for passers by to see what's on offer, it might look busier than it is and deter shoppers. This is particularly an issue for non essential retail. If you're eg a clothes or toy shop, something that relies on people wanting and choosing you rather than need, the things you are asking for here come at a potential cost. Will you be paying it?

@Fairylights25

I personally think this country has had enough of any restrictions, and quite rightly after so long. For once the gov advisors have read the room correctly. You can not ask people to put up this level of intrusion indefinitely. You will just have riots and mass protests and 'rule breaking' on a nationwide scale, stripping the government in the process of any authority whatsoever. Better to scale everything back and wait until we really really need it (if we do) and let people live their lives. We are a free country, and I am so glad for it when I see what is happening in Austria, Italy etc and the backlash it is creating.

What's happening in Italy? (I'm in Italy) Do you mean the Green Pass protests? 18% of Italians are against the Pass. The protests have been infiltrated by the far right in most towns, and Trieste now has almost the highest rate of infection in the country (it's been the epicentre for the protests) Idiots are to be found everywhere. Thankfully they're a fairly small minority here. Our town (100,000) had a protest the other Sunday and about 14 people turned up, with all the local kids riding round then on bikes and laughing.

@DavidDevantsSpiritWife

Reported by the Mail originally but picked up elsewhere.

Could be a load of old tosh, could be that thing where they leak stuff/deny all knowledge/it happens anyway.

It was always bound to happen eventually of course, and I suppose post-winter would be the most sensible time to do it.

Feels strange, though, after everything. Positive in some ways, troubling in others - if you're immunocompromised or vulnerable in any way it's going to be worrying.

As someone who is immunocompromised which does leave me vulnerable, I have felt worried, but as time has gone on, its become business as usual, very few people now seem to sanitise, very few wear masks of their own voilition, few people test as they should, most people havent used track and trace in months.

Its (atleast in my case!) become just another thing to worry about, before Covid it was Pneumonia, the flu, chest infections etc that I was more concerned about. We just have to do all we can to protect ourselves as much as we can with the tools we have.