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Post by PG on Jul 5, 2021 19:40:12 GMT
Well it's official. 19th July in England marks the end of nearly all Covid regulations apart from having to self isolate if tested positive (if I read the press correctly).
Vaccination has clearly broken the link between infection, hospitalisation and deaths. I personally do feel able to exercise the personal responsibility that we're being asked to show. As said in the other thread, I won't be going about slobbering over people, but it will be good to be able to go out for a meal and not have to take a mask and others "luxuries". I may still choose to wear one at times. I'm not sure yet.
The usual suspects are already saying this is all going to be a disaster. Keir wants us all to stay as we are until we're all double vaccinated (and then he'll no doubt think of some other reason?). SAGE are going to have a nervous breakdown. The train drivers union are up in arms.
Thoughts?
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Post by LandieMark on Jul 5, 2021 19:43:52 GMT
We need to learn to live with COVID without crippling the country and restricting its population. I'm all for freedom.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 5, 2021 20:06:24 GMT
We need to learn to live with COVID without crippling the country and restricting its population. I'm all for freedom. Yeah, we have to open up and accept the increase in cases. Best to do it now, in Summer, rather than in 3 months time, ready for Winter.
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Post by ChrisM on Jul 5, 2021 20:31:02 GMT
We need to learn to live with COVID without crippling the country and restricting its population. I'm all for freedom. ^ This, and I'm waiting for us to be able to travel freely abroad again too, not that I will be in any rush to go anywhere for a while, until I see how things are panning out. The current high level of new daily infections is worrying as it shows people are not following the rules, but if nobody gets ill or dies as a consequence, it doesn't matter that much (in general terms)
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2021 7:06:06 GMT
My only concern about personal responsibility is not my ability to look out for myself and others, its other people's ability to do so. I also think that a lot of people are going g to take a while to get used to not having rules in place. Whilst it wont be compulsory to wear masks in the supermarket, for example, there will be a lot of people who will now be too scared to go in them when they see no one wearing them. But perhaps that's a sign that the Covid rules have been in place for too long. We've had over a year of being told that going outside is dangerous so it's no wonder a lot of people are afraid to leave the house.
I think overall though that it's obvious that freedom day had to happen sooner or later and the scientists are probably right to suggest it's better that it happens. Whenever the restrictions were to be lifted the virus would start spreading like wildfire. There's just too much of it circulating in the population for it not to. But it's better that its faced with a freshly vaccinated population who are mostly all outside or in well ventilated rooms due to it being summer.
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Post by garry on Jul 6, 2021 8:36:43 GMT
It will be interesting to see what happens. Polls on Twitter suggest circa 50% of people will continue to mask up. My suspicion is that the Twitterati are as representative on this issue as they are with their political views. A friend of mine lives in Amsterdam. The day they dropped mask wearing he estimated his local supermarket went from 80% masked up to 2%. I suspect it will be similar here.
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Post by Big Blue on Jul 6, 2021 8:46:12 GMT
If such a huge swathe of the population is vaccinated and that is seeing this huge fall In hospitalisation and death then the dropping of masks is inevitable despite the issue of personal choice - most will take the choice to drop masks due to vaccination. I’d probably still wear on public transport but that’s mainly due to air quality as opposed to COVID. I’d have felt like a prick wearing a mask on the Drain a couple of years ago despite feeling it was a good idea - now I have an excuse to look like a prick (not that I ever have any choice 😆).
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Post by Martin on Jul 6, 2021 9:24:25 GMT
Overall I agree with the plan. I also agree that mask wearing will be small.
From a personal point of view, I am concerned about the impact on absence which has already started to increase quite considerably over the last few weeks. I’ve got over nearly 250 people off at any one time at the moment vs a pre COVID of c100 and of the 250 absent today, 120 are COVID related (only 10 positives, but a lot of T&T).
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 6, 2021 9:31:04 GMT
Prediction is a mug's game but I think we can safely say that it will either prove to be fine or a mistake! Since we cannot adjudge which with any certainty, that makes it de facto a gamble.
Fingers crossed. Slightly against my better judgement, we're off to Wembley tonight for Italy-Spain, so will be masked to the nines with FFP-max (I also need to source some waterproof ponchos as our cheap seats look vulnerable to getting wet - I'm hoping our local Wilko flogs them given it's next to Stamford Bridge!).
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Post by Tim on Jul 6, 2021 11:01:38 GMT
When the Aussies thought they'd eradicated the virus late last year I saw a news report from one of their shopping malls the day after the mask mandate had been lifted and NOBODY was wearing a mask. I expect it'll be the same here.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 6, 2021 11:34:29 GMT
I think if even hugely risk averse Neil Ferguson is saying it's a step that should be taken now then I'm pretty comfortable.
It's probably just to give him time to work on the next great biological disaster that's about to strike us..
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Post by PG on Jul 6, 2021 12:05:06 GMT
It's probably just to give him time to work on the next great biological disaster that's about to strike us.. With the way that the western world has reacted to Covid, can you imagine if a virus with a really serious death rate hit us what would happen? Doesn't bear thinking about really.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2021 13:27:34 GMT
I would like to know how those of us who are un-vaccinated will be reacted to. Having had the experience of self important egotists raving about how I do things as opposed to them and I must be stupid etc.
I also wonder if their consideration of those unable to get vaccinated, ended at that point.
I am aware that the population as a whole is the major consideration but what about us then?
A bit deep for this time of day, I think I shall go and clean the kitchen. Apparently the new Mr Big of haig is coming to bless us with his presence tomorrow, or maybe today or another day. Nobody really knows as we have zero notice. Apparently they think they are coming into my flat and anyone else's who they think can intimidate.
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Post by chipbutty on Jul 6, 2021 16:22:13 GMT
I’ll believe it when it happens, we’ve still got two weeks for an onslaught of fictitious projectile death wank to stop the chunky blond from opening the gates
If it does happen, then the masks go in the bin and I won’t grace any person or business with my presence or patronage if they attempt to retain any of the measures.
Is this the same Neil Ferguson who after having played a key role in removing our basic rights by virtue of his completely inaccurate modelling, was so worried about the implications of passing on a terrifying novel coronavirus he was still recovering from, that he nipped out during his quarantine period to empty his infected spuds all over his girlfriend just before she went back to her husband and kids ?
The permanently terrified are welcome to continue hiding under the duvet, picking which rules to go “full Karen” over to suit their mood, but they need to do this in their own time and space and on their own dime.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2021 17:29:08 GMT
I am not worrying over the risk as it is just one of those things we will have to get used to. As our ancestors have since they climbed into the tree's probably. Long before made Marion and tripin' Robin got to do so.
I would like to know what they propose for we who have not been able to jab or not to jab.
I know but this is just one of those weeks already.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 6, 2021 18:39:43 GMT
Minutes after Boris’ announcement the AI bots went into overdrive on Twitter:
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Post by Blarno on Jul 7, 2021 11:48:07 GMT
I'm pretty much looking forward to not having to wear a mask. Having a beard and wearing glasses is a recipe for not being able to see where you are going with a mask on. What I would like to continue after the lifting of Covid rules is an enforcement on people shopping singularly where possible. Supermarkets have been almost tolerable during this whole epidemic, not having to deal with a family of 5 in front of you queuing up to buy some bread and milk. Go in, on your own, get what you need and get out.
I hate people as a rule. They're largely dickheads in groups of more than 3.
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 7, 2021 11:49:05 GMT
Well, Wembley was an interesting experience. Frankly if we didn't catch Covid there, in the lower stands right behind the Italian goal for the crucial bits, it will be a miracle.
And the Covid checks were best described as perfunctory - you just waved your phone screen at the steward on the gate and there's no way he looked at it long enough to do more than ascertain that it showed a QR code on a blue background - didn't scan it or anything. Could have been a QR code for anything. They were far more interested in checking the actual tickets, which they did scan with a QR code reader.
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Post by garry on Jul 7, 2021 12:29:24 GMT
Well, Wembley was an interesting experience. Frankly if we didn't catch Covid there, in the lower stands right behind the Italian goal for the crucial bits, it will be a miracle. And the Covid checks were best described as perfunctory - you just waved your phone screen at the steward on the gate and there's no way he looked at it long enough to do more than ascertain that it showed a QR code on a blue background - didn't scan it or anything. Could have been a QR code for anything. They were far more interested in checking the actual tickets, which they did scan with a QR code reader. I did wonder how you found it!! I was on the lookout for a couple in a hermetically sealed bubble . It was a great game though.
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 7, 2021 13:08:58 GMT
We kept our masks on (mine was bright blue and my wife's had the Italian flag painted on it), used sanitiser and avoided public transport (in fact our ride home was a blissfully comfy 18-plate S-Class with reclining rear seats). But that's always been my point - you don't stop doing stuff - just take some minimum of precautions.
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Post by Big Blue on Jul 7, 2021 14:46:14 GMT
Blue mask…….. and mad hair
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Post by garry on Jul 7, 2021 16:04:17 GMT
Blue mask…….. and mad hair It’s not exactly how I’d imagined Mr and Mrs Racing, but on the positive side if they wear these outfits out and about it should make social distancing easy.
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Post by PG on Jul 8, 2021 6:42:43 GMT
Minutes after Boris’ announcement the AI bots went into overdrive on Twitter:... There is a group of people who don't want restrictions ever to end. And once the lockdown genie was let out of the bottle, getting it back in will be extremely hard. Any bets that next winter, even if Covid is not gettingus, these same people will demand a lockdown if flu become serious?
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Post by chipbutty on Jul 8, 2021 7:34:03 GMT
Already been floated by the crazy commie on Sage in the press a few weeks ago.
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Post by Blarno on Jul 8, 2021 12:03:38 GMT
I'm hoping schools will go back to a more common sense approach to illness as well. This week we've had both Lottie and Phoebe sent home from their respective schools because they had colds and were coughing/sneezing.
It wouldn't be such an arse but Phoebe has a Covid test twice a week as part of the return to school regulations.
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Post by garry on Jul 13, 2021 9:19:37 GMT
Boris seems to have bottled it and put us squarely in a position of continuous uncertainty. Whether you were for or against it, freedom day was a day of reckoning - Would removal of all restrictions lead to spiraling deaths or would it be the road back to normality. But now we're going to be in this horribly compromised situation where legal enforcement gets replaced with heavy 'encouragement' that I suspect will satisfy no-one. What it will do is give opposing factions enough ammo to mud sling for ever more.
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Post by chipbutty on Jul 13, 2021 10:03:48 GMT
Irreversible release of lockdown as promised is now clearly reversible and the review on 30th Sept will likely bring the re-introduction of restrictions.
So much for tough boy Javid - but then again, when faced with the tsunami of wetness, handwringing and political one-upmanship at all costs, I am not really surprised.
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Post by Tim on Jul 13, 2021 10:53:18 GMT
I haven't been to a shop in the last week or so but a friend who has said that in Halfords only about 50% of people were now wearing a mask.
No matter the rights or wrongs of the restrictions the Government have, again, made a complete mess of the message. Hancock should be banned from politics forever for his part in this but allowing a bunch of overseas footie officials in for the final with no adherence to our current rules (again, whether right or wrong) together with filling stadia with people have clearly tipped a lot of folk over the edge into completely ignoring the rules in place.
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 13, 2021 10:58:19 GMT
Boris seems to have bottled it and put us squarely in a position of continuous uncertainty. Whether you were for or against it, freedom day was a day of reckoning - Would removal of all restrictions lead to spiraling deaths or would it be the road back to normality. But now we're going to be in this horribly compromised situation where legal enforcement gets replaced with heavy 'encouragement' that I suspect will satisfy no-one. What it will do is give opposing factions enough ammo to mud sling for ever more. Boris has been fairly compared to many unsavoury characters from history. For seeking to wash his hands of responsibility for COVID compliance, perhaps now we can add Pontius Pilate...
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Post by garry on Jul 13, 2021 12:36:25 GMT
Boris seems to have bottled it and put us squarely in a position of continuous uncertainty. Whether you were for or against it, freedom day was a day of reckoning - Would removal of all restrictions lead to spiraling deaths or would it be the road back to normality. But now we're going to be in this horribly compromised situation where legal enforcement gets replaced with heavy 'encouragement' that I suspect will satisfy no-one. What it will do is give opposing factions enough ammo to mud sling for ever more. Boris has been fairly compared to many unsavoury characters from history. For seeking to wash his hands of responsibility for COVID compliance, perhaps now we can add Pontius Pilate... I don't disagree. What's shocking is that he's still (in my view) the best option. The historical equivalent to Keir Starmer is The Invisible Man. And that's only because there is no historical figure called The Irrelevant Bandwagon Hopper
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