Coronavirus

I still wear a mask when I go shopping, and will for the foreseeable. Disappointed more don't so the same.
Yep I still wear a mask and will do so for a while I imagine. When I go shopping now I think most places it’s less than 50% of people wearing masks now.
 
We still wear masks in france. I guess this is one of the reasons our daly cases are 40,000 less than the UK. Along with the health passes etc.
 
43,000 people given false PCR results in the UK.

People given a negative result when they should have been given a positive one has resulted in a lab being shut down while the government investigate.

Seen one report on social media that the comany responsible were awarded a £120m governement contract despite only existing for 4 months and having no previous experience in this field... sound familiar?
 
Yep I still wear a mask and will do so for a while I imagine. When I go shopping now I think most places it’s less than 50% of people wearing masks now.

I'm pleasantly surprised, but it's roughly 50/50 the three main stores I visit at the minute, and i'm expecting more to go back to wearing masks again when the cold/flu season kicks in.

And I've been expecting it, but nobody has asked me why I still wear a mask yet, mind you I am a serious unit and my eyes when folk do a double take(usually a gang of teenagers in the booze isles) probably suggest it's probably not a great idea to ask.
 
Are we facing a return of restrictions?

Deaths are now as high as they were in March and it seems that uptake of the covid vaccination boost is much slower than anticipated.

They are delivering around 1.3m doses per week but every week over 2m additional people become eligable for their next dose but people aren't coming forward as quickly.

I'll be honest I pretty much live my life now as I did prior to Covid I've stopped wearing my mask I don't really social distance as this is basically the way everyone around is acting but I do wonder if some of the control measures will be coming back through the winter where we are more likely to mix indoors.
 
The problem here, in my opinion, is Boris governs for the 30 odd powerful backbenchers.

He should have insisted on masks in closed spaces, shops, etc. And introduced a health pass. This is what mainland Europe has done. I think all of all Europes daily cases combined are less than the UK's. At least they were a week ago.

UK are second to the US in daily cases at the moment.

It's been another disaster for the government. The vaccine roll out they were so proud to shout from the rooftop about (to cover up all their mistakes) has really started to fail. People cannot get the 3rd booster or the flu jab.

I've already been invited for my 3rd jab, although I did refuse it. Got my flu jab next week.
 
Long and short is they've made a public health issue a political issue from day one which has made the whole thing very divisive and we're not always the most compliant of people.

I don't think it's failing the vaccination is there for all who are offered it they just don't seem to be coming forward. Some seemed to think 2 shots that me done forever reality is this jab is something we're probably all going to be getting every 6 months until they find one that offers a longer lasting protection. That will be a key part of living with the virus and maybe some of the disciplines around masks need to come back as given the choice most will choose not to wear them but make them mandatory and you'll get the nutters calling it a muzzle again.

A lot of those that need the booster were on the AZ vaccine which they now know isn't the best at fighting the delta variant which is basically what we have here so the quicker they can get everyone onto Pfizer the better as that vaccine seems to be a lot more resiliant.

It's just not really in the news anymore people have moved on from it to a certain degree and I can understand why but it needs to come back into public view telling people to go and get their booster jabs when called.
 
I've already been invited for my 3rd jab, although I did refuse it. Got my flu jab next week.

What's made you refuse it out of interest?

Someone asked me when me yesterday if I'd get the third and I was like course I've got 2 already if I was worried about it I wouldn't have got the first two.
 
Yeah as soon as I get offered a 3rd I'll be straight in.

Think they wait about 6 months before offering it so won't get offered one until the spring.
 
I only turned it down becasue it was 4 months after my second, and recommendation was wait for at least 6. So I'll have it in Nov.
 
Health Secretary Savid Javid to hold press conference tonight at 5pm regarding booster jabs.

I think they're starting to get worried that there promises about no more backwards steps might not be reality.
 
Sounds like they're just laying the ground bait for the blame the public argument when restrictions come back the you didn't do as you were told now look what we've got to do.

Can't see another full blown lockdown but can see them asking for masks to come back, track and trace requirements for indoor hospitality events and maybe even requests to work from home again.

At a time like this you need a leader you feel you can trust and that just isn't Boris.
 
FFS, I should have guessed, every time I book flights back, something happens. Booked flights at the weekend.
 
They'll do everything they can to avoid it but the deaths are now starting to creep up again the NHS is clearly worried these people don't deserve another battering after all they've done to keep people alive through this pandemic we can't have hospitals packed with covid patients again. The knock on effect is huge with cancelled operations and procedures that may mean slower diagnosis or serious health issues where time is critical.

They really need to get these booster jabs sorted, crank up the pressure on young people to come forward for jabs and consider some minor restrictions such as mask wearing indoors that might just help keep it under control.
 

Like I said leadership is seriously lacking throughout our government on this issue.

Tories don't need masks because we all know each other I mean seriously do me a favour.

How can a mask be allowed to be come so political that our own government are to afraid to wear one even if it helps keep them safe I mean FFS our PM nearly died from Covid he was in hospital and pretty close to going on the ventilator which at the time was pretty much a death sentence.

To even try and joke about people wearing the mask shows you just how little of a f*ck these people give about this issue.

The public and politicians should not be deciding when we need to wear masks the doctors and scientists should be leading that and our politicians should be setting the example.
 
The Tories are basically acting like there isn’t an issue anymore, where as the data suggests that cases and deaths are on an upward curve.

I don’t see the problem making masks mandatory again. Sure if it was a choice between that and harsher restrictions coming in over Christmas/early next year, then people wouldn’t object to wearing a mask again.

This government has a habit of acting slowly so we shouldn’t be surprised they have no intention to place us any restrictions for the time being.
 

Better not cancel christmas again my parents have still got the turkey from last christmas in the freezer.

I fully admit I don't wear my mask anymore but it does feel like they may need to be made mandatory again through winter when we're all back indoors and they certainly should be encouraging people to work from home wherever possible.
 

Better not cancel christmas again my parents have still got the turkey from last christmas in the freezer.

I fully admit I don't wear my mask anymore but it does feel like they may need to be made mandatory again through winter when we're all back indoors and they certainly should be encouraging people to work from home wherever possible.
I could be very wrong but I just don't see another lockdown or restrictions like we saw. I think 1) the public won't follow it and so it won't be effective and 2) if they do it this year then they'll have to do it every year from now on. As a population right now this is the most we will ever be protected. Next year the younger ones won't be protected at all as their vaccination will have lost its effect.
 
I think we'll be in limbo until we find a vaccine that last a lot longer.
 
I really can't afford us to go in to lockdown this year. My Mum and Dad need major operations that could well be life saving between now and Christmas. So fingers crossed that we don't.

I think they've got to start considering the impact of these missed operations too.
 
Yeah I can’t see a lockdown but they need to bring back some mandatory measures to try and get the case numbers down.

Work from home
Mandatory Face coverings in indoor public places

Seem like easy wins that have almost no economic impact and really ramp up the vaccination message campaign
 
Boris needs to stop governing for Rees-Mogg and his cronies and make wearing a mask indoors and health passes a law
 
Yeah I can’t see a lockdown but they need to bring back some mandatory measures to try and get the case numbers down.

Work from home
Mandatory Face coverings in indoor public places

Seem like easy wins that have almost no economic impact and really ramp up the vaccination message campaign
Completely agree. And can you imagine if we have to have significant restrictions because they once again failed to get ahead of it?
 
Boris needs to stop governing for Rees-Mogg and his cronies and make wearing a mask indoors and health passes a law

Thing is could he actually get that law through parliament?

It's stupid but this issue will split the Tory vote and while other parties would likely back the law Boris knows his party will be split on it. A mask isn't a choice at this point is a responsibility as Klopp put it we can all drink and drive given the opportunity but we have a responsibility to know not to do it not only for our own safety but others.

The mask is one thing but working from home is another the Tories are desperate to get us back into the city centre offices but with case numbers this high is that really worthwhile? Businesses aren't desperate for staff to come back to offices so why not let them carry on working from home.

You then have kids/students we can't ask them to stay home they need to be in classrooms and universities but surely a robust testing regime that forces kids that test positive to isolate will help at the moment it's nothing short of a free for all.

With furlough and business support now gone they really are taking massive risks.

I really feel for the NHS at the moment they're still fighting this thing and trying to cope with the extra pressure they must be absolutely shattered and well past breaking point yet our government already seems to be putting out the message that Covid is over go back to normal life.
 
The mask is one thing but working from home is another the Tories are desperate to get us back into the city centre offices but with case numbers this high is that really worthwhile? Businesses aren't desperate for staff to come back to offices so why not let them carry on working from home.
I think the government need to accept that life has changed and we aren't ever going back to the office like we did before all of this. We may increase our trips in to the office post covid but we aren't going to go back full time. The government need to accept that and change the way we view our city centres.
yet our government already seems to be putting out the message that Covid is over go back to normal life.
Whilst for the most part I think the government have handled the pandemic badly (no duh right!) I do think this now is the way we have to approach it. If we give covid special treatment now then we will have to forever. I agree we should be wearing masks in public and that probably should stay long term. We should work from home for the most part and I think most now do. But we have to get on with our lives and part of the way to do that is to move away from the daily stats and figures and having the message in our face so much. I know that's hard but that's the only way we can return to normal.
 
I think the government need to accept that life has changed and we aren't ever going back to the office like we did before all of this. We may increase our trips in to the office post covid but we aren't going to go back full time. The government need to accept that and change the way we view our city centres.

Whilst for the most part I think the government have handled the pandemic badly (no duh right!) I do think this now is the way we have to approach it. If we give covid special treatment now then we will have to forever. I agree we should be wearing masks in public and that probably should stay long term. We should work from home for the most part and I think most now do. But we have to get on with our lives and part of the way to do that is to move away from the daily stats and figures and having the message in our face so much. I know that's hard but that's the only way we can return to normal.

The issue for them is a large number of the Tory party doners are major commercial property owners the value of his property is now at risk if companies can downsize to accomodate a more hybrid working business model. My firms already done it we've rented out some of our office space to another firm as there's maybe 50% of the people in every day compared to before covid. City centre businesses also need that steady flow of office workers during the week to survive and these sort of businesses are normally pretty big players in the retail/hospitality sectors.

I totally agree we can't let it rule our lives but we also can't just pretend like it never happened until the case numbers are right down into the low 1,000's we should still be acting with a certain level of caution because if we don't we'll just sleep walk into another lockdown as the NHS will eventually struggle with the numbers. There's also the longer term issue if the NHS are spending most of their time and resources looking after Covid patients that means they aren't able to give the rest of us the things we need that might save our lives.

Time is everything when it comes to treatment the earlier you find a problem the easier it is to solve and it's issues like this that will slip through the net if we keep allowing Covid to spread at the current rates. Now we're into Autumn/Winter this problem won't get better at best it'll stay at this level it will likely get worse.
 
City centre businesses also need that steady flow of office workers during the week to survive and these sort of businesses are normally pretty big players in the retail/hospitality sectors
But if city centres were turned more in to residencies then coffee shops and businesses would thrive from that instead. Its sort of the American model to some extent. And it would help with the issue of not having enough housing.
 
But if city centres were turned more in to residencies then coffee shops and businesses would thrive from that instead. Its sort of the American model to some extent. And it would help with the issue of not having enough housing.

It's all got to be a bit of a mix do people really want to live in city centres if it isn't convenient for work? If you are working from home will you want the slightly more suburban life where you aren't crammed into small apartments/flats?

The idea of city centre living is really that you don't spend that much time in your apartment/flat as you're either out working or out making the most of the social things on offer.

To solve the housing crisis you need the right kind of housing which is quality affordable housing but developers are never going to build this on mass because there's not enough profit margin in it for them.
 
But if city centres were turned more in to residencies then coffee shops and businesses would thrive from that instead. Its sort of the American model to some extent. And it would help with the issue of not having enough housing.
Likewise, having more people work from home would help build local businesses and communities.

Plus, surely a policy to eradicate unnecessary commuting has great green credentials.
 
Likewise, having more people work from home would help build local businesses and communities.

Plus, surely a policy to eradicate unnecessary commuting has great green credentials.

I was thinking this the other day but then you have much higher household fuel consumption so what is the balance? Offices are normally designed to be very energy efficient for obvious reasons whereas a lot of our homes really aren't.

I do think the green issue can be kept seperate as for years what the country has needed is proper investment into public transports in all cities not just London.

I agree this move to the "hybrid" style of working in theory could benefit everyone we don't need to be in offices every day my only worry with it is how will it impact the development of younger employees who I think learn way faster in a vibrant busy office as they pick up things that they wouldn't sitting at home. So I do think there has to be a bit of both.
 
I was thinking this the other day but then you have much higher household fuel consumption so what is the balance? Offices are normally designed to be very energy efficient for obvious reasons whereas a lot of our homes really aren't.
That may well be true, but also consider many homes are still occupied during the working day so still heated. Also, many offices are continually air conditioned, which I suspect is energy intensive. Especially in the warmer months.
 
That may well be true, but also consider many homes are still occupied during the working day so still heated. Also, many offices are continually air conditioned, which I suspect is energy intensive. Especially in the warmer months.

Yeah there's certainly a study that can be done on the benefits as you say in summer working from home probably greener but in the winter maybe not.

However, with Covid working from home in the winter months probably better in the summer probably not as big a problem.
 
Austria goes back into lockdown and introduces a legal requirement to get vaccinated which comes in from 1st February 2022.
 

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