All Covid rules to be scrapped at end of the month!

[Cheekypeach]

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Welcome @MonaCorona.

@LibbyR79

The reason why so many are celebrating this is the same reason why the tories are in power. Sadly most people aren't very bright.

Did you not read the two posts above yours? Stop being a sanctimonious prick. Not everyone who disagrees with you can simply be dismissed as "not very bright", though it's easier for you do so

@LibbyR79

The reason why so many are celebrating this is the same reason why the tories are in power. Sadly most people aren't very bright.

Maybe those celebrating just aren't crippled with health anxiety and are normal folk trying to keep businesses afloat and income coming into the family.................

They all have to go at some time?! When people say let's wait... Until when? Oh spring, well why spring? We were told this wasn't a seasonal virus? Ok more people will be outside but that is in this country very weather dependent?! The risk of isolation is now (in the people I know) the very reason they don't test! The financial implications for most I know far outweighs their concern for people they have never met, harsh I agree but people have been pushed into an emotionless state after nearly 2 years of having to put others above their own. Masks (which apparently have little impact on people) have caused a detrimental effect on many in my experience, from anxiety attacks to falling asleep at the wheel! There is also no real world study to prove there effectiveness because that sort of study with the needed variables is impossible. The actual data seems to show that high levels of mask wearing equals high levels of cases, when they are removed cases show a drop or a level out! I agree that anyone unwell should stay at home or off school but what is really needed is an overhaul of sick pay (to include parents that need to care for ill kids) to allow for a couple of days and pay should be full! Not an amount that won't even cover electricity! That way everyone is protected both physically and financially!

@Wishfulthinking1977

They all have to go at some time?! When people say let's wait... Until when? Oh spring, well why spring? We were told this wasn't a seasonal virus? Ok more people will be outside but that is in this country very weather dependent?! The risk of isolation is now (in the people I know) the very reason they don't test! The financial implications for most I know far outweighs their concern for people they have never met, harsh I agree but people have been pushed into an emotionless state after nearly 2 years of having to put others above their own. Masks (which apparently have little impact on people) have caused a detrimental effect on many in my experience, from anxiety attacks to falling asleep at the wheel! There is also no real world study to prove there effectiveness because that sort of study with the needed variables is impossible. The actual data seems to show that high levels of mask wearing equals high levels of cases, when they are removed cases show a drop or a level out! I agree that anyone unwell should stay at home or off school but what is really needed is an overhaul of sick pay (to include parents that need to care for ill kids) to allow for a couple of days and pay should be full! Not an amount that won't even cover electricity! That way everyone is protected both physically and financially!

Excellently said 👏

There does need to be an overhaul of sick pay for isolation/illness. It's also horrid hearing of people who have longer term health issues now re: long covid and the associated financial impact of that. Particularly a slap in the face for those continually exposed at work - HCW, teachers who may not have caught it had better protections been in place.

@Wishfulthinking1977

Very well put. Re masks, last time they was un-mandated cases dropped in England but rose elsewhere. We are 16 full days since dropping the mandate in England again and so far all the figures continue to drop on a daily basis.

Yeah have a wee look at Scotland. We have never stopped masks. Since June 2020 we have been told to wear masks pretty much in any indoor public space and in outdoor settings like school playgrounds. Kids have been wearing masks in schools all day since August 2020.

I defy you to spot the difference in Covid rates.

And yes, the constant "just a wee bit longer" from Nicola Sturgeon is grating. Especially given that she has continued as normal throghout. Going to work in Edinburgh from her home in Glasgow, working without her mask on, seeing her friends and colleagues, gadding about at Cop26 taking selfies with anyone who glanced in her direction. While simultaneously preaching that just because you can doesn't mean you should, and telling us to take LFT tests before going to Tesco.

Same where I am. Very strict masks rules which have never been taken away. Little ones of three and four in school wearing masks all day.

Our numbers are following the same pattern as other places. Even across the country we can see what makes the biggest difference seems to be population density.

Italy have some of the most stringent mask rules there is in Europe, if not the world, yet they are recently having a huge number of cases and have a higher death rate per capita than we do.

@Blubells

It was an attempt to stop the NHS being swamped.

Exactly. Restrictions were in place in order to slow down and spread out the covid wave so that not everyone gets ill at the same time. Thankfully hospitals have been coping very well!

People need to understand that these restrictions come at a huge cost to society.

Yes - so it was not done "to protect the vulnerable" at all. So all this "haven't we done enough to protect you vulnerable people for two years" stuff is crap, isn't it?

The precautions were to help everybody - we'd all have been affected in one way or another if healthcare and other vital services had broken down and stopped working, even people not at much risk from covid itself.

All this rubbish about how we've nobly given so much for 'the vulnerable' and now it's 'our' turn is just looking for someone to blame and a reason to justify not feeling even slightly sympathetic towards the people whose lives are about to get significantly shittier, isn't it?

The precautions were to help everybody - we'd all have been affected in one way or another if healthcare and other vital services had broken down and stopped working, even people not at much risk from covid itself.

We wouldn't have been affected to the same degree though. Some people are much more reliant on healthcare provision than others. Plenty of people out there haven't darkened the door of a hospital for years. There would be strong correlation between those vulnerable to covid and those heavily dependent on healthcare and vice versa.

And yes of course no one can rule out emergency provision, but for some that would be a less concerning risk than others.

The issue is that by rolling over and wanting restrictions after restrictions, we are teaching the government that they can revoke our civil liberties not just in a time of extreme crisis (ie nuclear war), but to manage underfunded public services. I guess it depends on your outlook, I value civil liberties to a degree where I think it’s a gamble worth taking. We are not here to look after the NHS, it’s supposed to be the other way round.

@Cheekypeach

The issue is that by rolling over and wanting restrictions after restrictions, we are teaching the government that they can revoke our civil liberties not just in a time of extreme crisis (ie nuclear war), but to manage underfunded public services. I guess it depends on your outlook, I value civil liberties to a degree where I think it’s a gamble worth taking. We are not here to look after the NHS, it’s supposed to be the other way round.

@Cheekypeach - that is a very good point. I hadn’t thought of it in that way before!

Has Chris Whitty said anything about the early relaxation?
Where IS Chris Whitty anyway?

@CryingAtTheDiscotheque I was wondering too.

I was really in favour of ending all restrictions until I caught Covid (triple jabbed , 49, no underlying conditions , never had a chest infection in my life , slim etc etc)

Anyway , currently feel like someone is sitting on my chest , very scary feeling - honestly didn’t realise how bad it can be ! so I am now worried for the elderly and vulnerable when this isolation requirement ends (

@Millicent2022 I’m sorry to hear you are suffering. How can you have got this far into the pandemic and not realise how bad it potentially can be? Do you not look at hospital admissions ?

Pressed too soon. I hope that given you are fully jabbed, this is the worst of it. There really is not telling. DH is 49 and barely had a sniff, others need ventilation. That’s the whole point!

@Millicent2022
so sorry to hear you are suffering. I hope you turn the corner soon.
and yes this is exactly why those of us with vulnerable family members ( 2 complex needs kids here ) are so cautious about taking risks. My youngest aged 7 got his first jab last week . We have another 8 weeks until he has his second and in that time all measures will be largely gone. I dont expect people to isolate indefinitely in order to protect my children but I think it is no big deal to keep masks and distancing in place for a few more weeks until vulnerable 5 to 11 yr olds have been fully jabbed.
Frankly it is disgusting that vulnerable children have been largely ignored throughout and had they been vacinated along with all the other CEV people or at least with CEV 12 to 16 yr olds then families like ours wouldn't be in this situation.

Employee sickness rights need a overhaul. Companies that impose 3 'incidents' of illness in a year type policies and then instigate discipline procedures need to review their policies. Nobody should be going to work to spread illness. People shouldn't lose pay, SSP needs to be upped to living wage at very least. Given that vast numbers of companies are already propped up by state benefits being paid to their employees they need to do the right thing.

There will need to be counterbalance to stop piss taking but that goes on now anyway with individuals who know how to play the system.

@Benjispruce5

Pressed too soon. I hope that given you are fully jabbed, this is the worst of it. There really is not telling. DH is 49 and barely had a sniff, others need ventilation. That’s the whole point!

Ah thanks ! Yeah obviously I know how bad it can be but I naively thought because I am very fit , healthy, no underlying health anything , I would breeze through it . Which in a way I have because am at home Feeling a lot better on day 6 but it’s very sobering yep Yes I’m Triple jabbed (Pfizer x 3)

[quote flapjackfairy]@Millicent2022
so sorry to hear you are suffering. I hope you turn the corner soon.
and yes this is exactly why those of us with vulnerable family members ( 2 complex needs kids here ) are so cautious about taking risks. My youngest aged 7 got his first jab last week . We have another 8 weeks until he has his second and in that time all measures will be largely gone. I dont expect people to isolate indefinitely in order to protect my children but I think it is no big deal to keep masks and distancing in place for a few more weeks until vulnerable 5 to 11 yr olds have been fully jabbed.
Frankly it is disgusting that vulnerable children have been largely ignored throughout and had they been vacinated along with all the other CEV people or at least with CEV 12 to 16 yr olds then families like ours wouldn't be in this situation.[/quote]
Totally agree

Also what about old people who haven’t had 4th jab ? The nurse I spoke to at 111 said the booster efficacy drastically drops after 8 weeks so when people are walking around with the virus soon they will be infecting older people so much surely
?

@Hyenaormeercat

Employee sickness rights need a overhaul. Companies that impose 3 'incidents' of illness in a year type policies and then instigate discipline procedures need to review their policies. Nobody should be going to work to spread illness. People shouldn't lose pay, SSP needs to be upped to living wage at very least. Given that vast numbers of companies are already propped up by state benefits being paid to their employees they need to do the right thing. There will need to be counterbalance to stop piss taking but that goes on now anyway with individuals who know how to play the system.

Our company is that company..... and until recently all covid related absences for all staff were fully paid

So 2 years of it

Now is time to get back to normal so the other employees are not going to end up off work with stress related illness due to being rundown covering for all the absences

Our customers do not care if we are short staffed!!! We need employees working otherwise the alternative is the company suffers and job losses occur

@Cheekypeach

The issue is that by rolling over and wanting restrictions after restrictions, we are teaching the government that they can revoke our civil liberties not just in a time of extreme crisis (ie nuclear war), but to manage underfunded public services. I guess it depends on your outlook, I value civil liberties to a degree where I think it’s a gamble worth taking. We are not here to look after the NHS, it’s supposed to be the other way round.

Mmm, normalising the concept that restrictions on the population are an appropriate way to manage grossly underfunded public services is a dangerous precedent to set. I very much hope we've seen the last of it, but significant harm could ensue if we haven't.

normalising the concept that restrictions on the population are an appropriate way to manage grossly underfunded public services is a dangerous precedent to set

Indeed it is
I've no idea how true this is, but someone said SAGE have "hinted" about lockdowns being used for flu too, which makes me wonder just how far this idea could spread