Nicola grim message today …

[TheRemotePart]

Oh dear. Do you think we’re going to have restrictions in? I feel like I’ve got Stockholm syndrome and I don’t remember how bad it was or how it all starts!?
She looked pretty unhappy in the announcement..

I understand that if someone tests positive in your household you need to isolate but is this the case if you have just come out of isolation? So basically going back to the original rules and a potential never ending isolation if it hits your household in a rolling wave?

From today, even if you're double vaccinated and test negative, you have to isolate for 10 days if someone in your household tests positive

@selkiearereal I have the same issue... Ds1 tested postive end of Nov, finished his isolation on Wednesday. Ds2 now likely positive, (waiting on PCR result) does that mean ds1 needs to go back into isolation for another 10 days?

Also dp positive but due to end isolation on Thursday, will he need to continue to isolate with ds2? He's a healthcare worker just to complicate things.

Whole thing is a mess.

The whole thing is a mess and I don’t think yesterday’s 10 day isolation is going to work. I don’t know anyone who can afford to isolate for 10 days if a family member tests positive. I get paid if I’m off sick but if I am negative, who pays me to stay at home for 10 days? No furlough. The country can’t afford another furlough.

I honestly think people will do lateral flows and not bother with PCR tests and negative family members will just carry on as normal.

There will be an almighty uproar if schools close again for a variant that is milder than Delta.

Unless it's a scenario where you have to go into work, how will they know if you're someone with covid in the household or not ? T&T presumably doesn't go around checking that the full household is isolating.

I'm worried. I'm due a baby very soon and I'm anxious what this will mean for me in terms of care if staff are having to isolate.

Honestly if I was closer to the hospital, I'd now be changing my birth plan for a home birth, but I'm high risk so I need to be in the hospital. I'm scared. My mum and dad have already said they don't care if we're in lockdown, they will be coming over to meet their first grandchild regardless....

@Selkiesarereal I think until you get a negative PCR test Even if your vaccinated etc
Probably change next week.
The city centre today was mobbed- the primark staff were saying they think they’ll be restrictions soon enough

@theremotepart you can't take a PCR test if you've tested positive in the last 90 days. That will be a huge number of people.

@Invisimamma oh dear

@Selkiesarereal you’re right. There’s no release for a negative PCR

This isolation policy is just a different way of achieving lockdown.

Hospitals already back to no visitors and loads of staff off isolating. Same with ScotRail. Schools shutting because staff isolating.

It’s a very poor policy in my view.

@WouldBeGood reading between the lines of what she said, and channeling my full Janey godley - she pretty much said “ if you’re gona go dae yet parties, and aw’ get smashed and go hame wi the virus oan ye’, yer works will aw’ shut and there’s nae money tae pay anyone and industries will shut. Again. I’m huvin’ tae ask fer cash at this mad cobra meeting “

@ReginaaPhalange I had a baby in the lockdown
The visiting hours are sh*te , but hopefully you’d be out within 48hours at least? And everyone’s vaccinated now?
We self isolated 10 days before, so DH couldn’t pick up anything and miss it all
You might be para about GPs visiting anyways, if this new variant goes bananas- you could always ask them to try and isolate and LFT is possible?

Try and not worry although I TOTALLY get it.

@TheRemotePart that's exactly how i heard it lol!

I think she will increase tier levels again soon though! I'm keeping my eye on the Edinburgh Hogmanay parties.... if they are cancelled then that's guaranteeing some sort of lockdown imo

@TheRemotePart me and dh both working from home as of Monday and I finish up next week so we are laying very low now. All members of our families doing regular LFTs due to work (all nhs staff but none in clinical roles).

I'm scared the labour ward will be sooo busy and no staff :(

@ReginaaPhalange. Just mind and snag all your baby bits the now , if you don’t want everything to be from a supermarket ( nothing wrong with that - but everyone had the same plan last year and newborn/0-3 stuff was hard to find!)

@ReginaaPhalange just mind and have a plan of action sorted ie: feeding. If your going to breast feed, you won’t get a lot of support but if you’re bottle feeding - you should be fine. That was the only thing I found , even when they were run ragged. Bless them

@TheRemotePart defo sorted on that front lol! Got enough to open up a newborn baby shop haha!

Fingers and toes crossed it's not like March 2020.... :(

I don’t know how there can be more lockdowns. How will people be paid this time?

I think they just aren’t calling it lockdown so people will be left to fend for themselves fir a bit.

Them back to official lockdown

I still can’t see how there would be a lockdown. There would be massive unemployment if furlough wasn’t put back in place. The country can’t afford that.

Thanks for clarifying on the isolation rules which I think will be hugely problematic especially as there are already staff shortages in some hospitals.

@Selkiesarereal * FM did say there would be exceptions to the new update

Could not agree more with @GaolBhoAlba

I'm also sick of the constant "nothing can be ruled out" and the announcements that she will soon be making a big announcement. It's constantly leaving us all hanging and it's hideous.

I don't thank anyone ever thought a First Minister would hold such power under devolution. It's insane.

Ah ok, although I am thinking that this is just the sweetener before more restrictions come in.