Some restrictions back, fed up

[Ireallydontcare55]

Just heard the news about masks returning as of next week and changes to travelling rules.

It’s not so much that wearing a mask is inconvenient, it’s the fact that we were told restrictions were over and that we could get on with our lives.

I know I will get shot down for this post, but if it isn’t the ‘omnicron’ variant then it’ll be something else.

I’m sure many people will be in favour of tighter restrictions ‘until numbers drop’. And then what? In a few months’ time when the latest variant is out, will we have to do the same again?
“it’s just for a few weeks/months”

This isn’t going away. What’s the point of having 3 vaccines?

I’m fed up with it all, are people really prepared to do this for the foreseeable future ?

[worriedatthemoment]

@Chloemol where is the link that they run for 4 years ??
Nobody knows how long this will last

[RosesAndHellebores]

I don't mind wearing a mask in shops or on public transport. However I had to remove my mask to get on the escalator yesterday because my glasses fogged up and I had to quickly risk assess falling (with osteoporosis) or passing on the virus when I am boostered and took a -ve LFT yesterday morning. Regrettably not everyone else is as cautious or sensible.

I keep reading about self isolating if people are in contact with Omicron. How will we know what virus we have been in contact with? When my son had covid his PCR didn't specify the strain, it just said +ve.

[GiveMeNovocain]

Spot the mask mandates

[worriedatthemoment]

Op whilst i wear a mask and continue to do so i totally understand where your coming from and in real life know many people
Thing is they have brought masks back on public transport and shops
No pubs, restaurants or schools so it seems kind of half hearted anyway .
I think the concern many have is that this is the start and further restrictions could happen and rightly so that scares some people as much as covid scares others

[Abraxan]

@Ireallydontcare55

The point that people are making ‘it’s just a mask, it’s just a couple of days of isolation, well we were told this would not be returning. This is not normal life

We were never told this wouldn't return.
As much as I dislike the people in charge, they haven't actually said that no restrictions will ever return.

We have always known that restrictions had stopped and we would learn to live with it BUT that restrictions could return if cases got hugger, new variants, etc. Plan B, for example, has always been talked about since restrictions lifted.

People like to tell themselves life is back to normal. However, for a while yet it isn't fully. Some of the less intrusive restrictions may come and go for a while as the pandemic goes through different variations.

Regardless, it's still not likely to be forever.
Though I guess other pandemics are always a possibility. It's just the first one we've ever had to live through, but others have existed before and will continue to do so.

[the80sweregreat]

My positive pcr on Tuesday just said ' positive' for covid
I very much doubt I've got the new variant, but how would I know which one I have got ?..

[Abraxan]

The travel restrictions can be minimised for returning to work quicker - although called a day 2 test it can be done anytime up until the end of day 2.
So, you can take the test literally as you leave the airport and send it off - most airports have drop boxes or postboxes. Almost all of the travel PCRs can get results back to you within 24-48 hours max. You can also pay for 3 hour and 12 hour returns. You will pay more them though.

[SueSaid]

'Why do many people blame this Government for manipulation of people, when many other countries have restrictions in place, in fact some countries have much tighter restrictions and enforce them too'

It's bizarre isn't it. Tedious as fuck the ​way people always blame Boris Johnson, we've had it much better than many countries in recent months but we don't hear people saying that do we. So there's a new variant, until they have definitive data to prove it isn't virus resistant then face covers for a few weeks. They act on the recommendations of scientists, the government don't make it up. Look at Wales and Scotland they've always had face covers haven't they, yet we don't hear folk bleating on about evil Nicola.

[worriedatthemoment]

@MatildaIThink are you medically trained to make that diagnosis? Also you have zero idea how people on the continent are dealing with this , you don't know them
All personally

[Starplek]

@the80sweregreat

My positive pcr on Tuesday just said ' positive' for covid
I very much doubt I've got the new variant, but how would I know which one I have got ?..

You wouldn't, the labs probably would though and in this case you would have been contacted if you have the new variant as they're being super cautious around contact tracing.

[Stiffcondomhat]

There should have never have been any exemptions, they don't exist on the continent and the lack of the exemptions has not presented a problem there.

It doesn't seem to have stopped their covid rates spiralling out of control though does it? They are significantly higher than UK. Where we stopped wearing them. Hmm.

[MGMidget]

I have been putting a mask on in shops and other crowded places all along so no concerns there. The travel restrictions will have more of an impact for those affected but it is either that we risk being back to where we were before vaccines. They will develop a new one if they find the current variant evades the vaccines but it would likely be six months before you would have it in your arm unless you are one of the most vulnerable and get jabbed first.

I never believed Boris’s irreversible promises anyway so this is no surprise to me. I am just pleasantly surprised we have managed several months with few restrictions.

[Stiffcondomhat]

Oops did struckthrough instead of of bold doh!

[KurtWildesChristmasNamechange]

Because there are vanishingly few actual medical conditions which mean an individual cannot were a mask, especially on a self certification basis. There should have never have been any exemptions,

In your opinion. Christ this is depressing.

[Abraxan]

At present the new restrictions re masks is very limited anyway.

Public transport - until the news I hadn't realised it wasn't already a rule. I was on a train on Friday and pretty much everyone had a mask on. On planes it is still a requirement. Every taxi I've been in have said that masks should be worn. I haven't been on a bus for a few weeks, but the one that I drive past each morning most people are wearing a mask.

Shops - this has been about 50/50 locally anyway. The smaller the shop the more likely I've seen people wearing them.

[Abraxan]

And yes, I will follow these new restrictions.
Not because I'm docile, over complaint, a sheep or what other insult some posters want to throw at me.

I'll follow them if it's less likely I'll catch covid again. Just like I've had my vaccines and my boosters, and I've followed other guidelines and rules,

Covid last year out be in hospital. A cat 1 ambulance had to be called. I had to wave dh and Dd off as I was taken into a and e on my own, having been told I had a high risk of having a heart attack or stroke imminently. I was off work for 7 weeks. I'm on new medication for life as a result of my time with covid.

So yes, if wearing a mask might make a difference to me or someone else like me, then I'll wear one again for a bit,

[Scottishskifun]

@MatildaIThink actually there are exemptions in other countries and you carry a exemption certificate which can be obtained from medical professionals.

Again you have no idea why someone is exempt, we are not villains because we cannot wear masks.
Frankly your views are quite disgusting and says a lot about what is wrong on a societal judgement level!

How about you stop judging others and just get on with focusing on you?!

[TheVampiresWife]

There is a vanishingly small number of people who can't wear masks, most won't because they aren't particularly pleasant to wear

What are you basing your 'vanishingly small' assertion on, @MatildaIThink?

14 million people in the UK live with disabilities. Millions more live with health conditions which aren't necessarily disabilities but impact daily life. Hundreds of thousands live with things like trigeminal neuralgia or sensory issues, or with PTSD as a result of sexual violence or DV. There are those who have temporary issues which may pass in time, for example a flare up of a skin condition or recent surgery.

Not all of these will be unable to wear masks. But given that the numbers we're dealing with are in the millions, it's safe to assume that a fair few million will be exempt. You're likely to encounter a good number while you're on your average shopping trip, for example.

Please, stop making assumptions based solely on your opinions and expressing them as fact.

[MatildaIThink]

[quote worriedatthemoment]@MatildaIThink are you medically trained to make that diagnosis? Also you have zero idea how people on the continent are dealing with this , you don't know them
All personally[/quote]
The government's own analysis showed that there were also no people who could not wear masks, the vast majority of whom were those with developmental issues. However they went down the self-cert route to involve having to implement another system and to reduce the burden on doctors from lots of people asking to be exempted.

You don't have to know everyone personally to understand an issue, anecdote is not data.

[TheVampiresWife]

And, @MatildaIThink, mask exemptions absolutely do exist on the continent.

[Ghoulette]

What is very apparent to me is that Wales, NI and Scotland continued with their new normal just fine and England is the only one who decided to ditch the masks. So now this is going to be an England problems as nothing changed for anyone else.

I feel VERY sorry for hospitality and retail staff this year as it is, nevermind having to now enforce this and get screamed and spat at by these fucking idiots. Not going to help with retention in any way which is bad enough at the moment.

Just wear a fucking mask unless you are genuinely exempt. It's a piece of cloth across your face, not a fucking ball gag!

[SueSaid]

'Because there are vanishingly few actual medical conditions which mean an individual cannot were a mask, especially on a self certification basis. There should have never have been any exemptions, they don't exist on the continent and the lack of the exemptions has not presented a problem there.'

This.

The gov should really have put out a list to prevent all the self diagnosers. I mean obviously the very few with extreme ptsd under the care of a mh team, those with the rare extreme tgm which causes them to be incontinent if anything should touch their face or those with neuro conditions which would cause them distress would be exempt. But we all know from our own experience that many refusers are self diagnosed, with 'anxiety' or maybe once had a wheeze 10 hrs ago and now say they have asthma, or who feel a bit uncomfy with one on and think that is a condition. They should use them like everyone else.

[DottyHarmer]

It’s just a circular argument. There are some people who can’t wear a mask. There are many people who won’t wear a mask.

There may be 14 million disabled people in Britain, but I would contend the vast majority of those would a) not have a disability which prevents them from wearing a mask and b) actually be very pro-mask in order to be protected.

Sadly the anti-maskers have been allowed to get away with piggy-backing on the genuinely exempt. That is why a medical exemption should be required.

[Getyourarseofffthequattro]

@JaniieJones

'Because there are vanishingly few actual medical conditions which mean an individual cannot were a mask, especially on a self certification basis. There should have never have been any exemptions, they don't exist on the continent and the lack of the exemptions has not presented a problem there.'

This.

The gov should really have put out a list to prevent all the self diagnosers. I mean obviously the very few with extreme ptsd under the care of a mh team, those with the rare extreme tgm which causes them to be incontinent if anything should touch their face or those with neuro conditions which would cause them distress would be exempt. But we all know from our own experience that many refusers are self diagnosed, with 'anxiety' or maybe once had a wheeze 10 hrs ago and now say they have asthma, or who feel a bit uncomfy with one on and think that is a condition. They should use them like everyone else.

Wow what an ignorant and judgemental post.