June 21st* and the end of restrictions

I find this attitude astounding. Using the government's inaction to promote inaction now. The government that oversaw one of the highest excess deaths in the world (it was the highest per capita when we didn't have a mask mandate). The government that sent children back to school for ONE DAY for a super spreader event. The government who's leader said he would let the bodies pile high in the street than go back in to lockdown. The government who's lead advisor said he need to drive to a beauty spot to check his eyesight and the government said this was perfectly sane and normal. The government who left three million people excluded from their support packages during the pandemic and refused to do anything about it. Using them as an example of what should be done during a pandemic is beyond laughable to actively dangerous. 

 
This smacks of "screw you, I got mine". You aren't interested in the people who are still vulnerable to the disease, only yourself. 

We aren't ahead of schedule: www.omnicalculator.com/health/vaccine-queue-uk we are currently projecting people will still be be recieving their first dose in August, so actually behind schedule, and six weeks after you want to remove all measures. And then it will be three months after that before those people are actually vaccinated. We have given one dose to only half the population at this point, and only a quarter of the population has had it's second dose and actually fully vaccinated. coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations That is not an "enormous number", this is a vast minority. 


Everyone is potentially vulnerable to this disease. You don't wish to be seen to be advocating spreading infection, whilst advocating removing every measure to stem the spread. I'm sorry if you don't like what you see in the mirror, that's not my problem. 

He isn't advocating removing every measure. The issue is why require masks when everyones either shown proof of vaccination or a negative test? 
It's 3 weeks to stop the spread. Another 3 weeks. Another 4 week lockdown circuit breaker. Another lockdown. 

An end to remove social restrictions on June 21st has to be just that - an END to mandatory distancing and masking. Please, go ahead and wear one all you want but don't expect everyone else around you just to fall into line.

When you look at the Countries above us it may not be as positive as it looks as Italy is the only other G7 Country and only a few more if we extend to the G20.

The vaccine advantage is now being eroded, the EU are accelerating and Germany managed over 1m vaccinations a day at the end of last week, 10% of the population, a figure we failed to meet.

Well I can only go by what I read the other day that said we were about 2 weeks ahead of schedule with a further ramp up expected, so. If that's wrong it's wrong and obviously makes a difference to what I've been saying.

I think that I've gotten it wrong and a been in my bonnet over it for some reason and I'd say that it is sensible to keep it in place until everyone has the chance of high protection from their first dose. I'm still not sure I would go as far as leaving it until everyones second doses though

Maybe part of the issue comes with the governments road map and the way that it came across to a lot of people that 21st June would be the end of everything and maybe they should have been more cautious about what that actually meant. If they put an idea in your head about something it can get your back up when it doesn't seem to meet expectation. 

Sadly the vaccine rollout is a bit like the chocolate ration in Orwell's 1984, always going up yet someone staying the same. 

I would be willing for a government reassessing of masks once everyone has been given a single dose, to see if it can be demonstrated that one dose gives enough protection. Then a mask free august bank holiday for all would be a lovely thing.

And I would say that, as much as I dislike the government, it was really the media who stirred up the idea of these being hard and fast deadlines and anything other than the roadmap was some sort of mass betrayal (and why previously the government would not be drawn on when things would be able to happen). The wording on all the documents is "Not before June 21st" and the text refers to what the government's "hope" to be able to do. www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021-summary .

Hopefully we can ditch the masks soon, I find them uncomfortable and difficult to work in, but only when we know that my or your not wearing one won't cause someone to lose a mother, father, brother, sister, friend or loved one. We have seen far too many funerals this last 15 months or so.  

The predictions of a third wave seem to be diminishing: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/05/01/covid-modellers-optimistic-third-wave-may-not-happen/ but if one did start to appear I'm sure you'd agree that masking up again would be a small price to pay if cases did rise.

LFTs are being used as they are the best we've got. Basically they only detect large amounts of virus, as the trade off speed (only taking 10 minutes) for accuracy. Which means if I am infected and getting worse it may not pick up as my viral load increases and am infectious with a negative test result, sat next to someone maskless in the a theatre for example. But we don't have the testing capacity for everyone to get bi weekly PCR tests, nor would people accept the 24 to 48 hour wait for results, so it should shave off some cases. The logic is detecting some cases is better than detecting no cases, which is true, but without detecting all cases it still leaves gaps for the infection to spread. 

Comparing the US is a wee bit daft, anyone over the age of 18 can now get vaccinated in the US now. Additionally Texas has half the population of the UK but has about 50% more cases, so per captia it has double the cases we do and looks to have plateaued at the level. 

Surely as someone who has been frequently tested throughout this you must know that tests aren't 100% reliable.

And the bigger point is that the vaccinated can still spread the disease. Why on earth should those of us who haven't been given the opportunity to be vaccinated yet have extra risk forced on us just because people can no longer be bothered to wear a piece of cloth over their face for a few more months? The medically exempt will still be exempt so that has nothing to do with it.

What you are advocating is no more than people being allowed to be selfish at the expense of people lower down the vaccine priority chain instead of putting up with a minor inconvenience for a short while longer. That is not ok and I am astonished you think it can be justified in any way.

Even in the US where restrictions are being eased social distancing and mask wearing is only being relaxed among fully vaccinated people, not when they are mixing with those who haven't had a jab yet. It's just basic common sense.

It depends on how the virus mutates and how they behave against the vaccine. Smallpox isn't seasonal. Spanish flu mutated away. We just don't know yet what it will do, we are just guessing till we get there. And I realise elimination is nearly impossible but more cases = more chances for nasty mutations, hence why we had the Kent variant when we didn't have control, as well as a Brazil variant and a Indian variant but no sign of a new China variant or a Thai variant (though it appears the UK variant hitting Thailand has caused there numbers to spike). Deaths are more important, but keeping cases low is also. Vaccines should do that in the long term, so keeping masks in the short term until we get to the long term seems prudent.


Am I suggesting we wear masks in winter? Well we usually have about 17,000 deaths a year from flu and... www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-cases-covid-england-phe-latest-b1805124.html It would be wonderful if we moved to the lifestyle of far East nations and masked up when ill to proect others but unfornatunatly it is so ingrained in us that illness = weakness that I don't think it would happen. So I guess I am suggesting it, but not expecting it or am I asking for the government to mandate it. 

Then please explain how you will guarantee I've had at least my first jab by then.

Otherwise everything I've said about people being selfish remains true. I have no issue with social distancing being removed if masks are kept, but not both.

The issue of masks will be decided by the government. We will be advised whether masks will be needed or not and in what circumstances. For those who wish to go against the ruling or device then the rule of law and decency will need to come into play. We have come so far now so I can't understand the impatience or unwillingness of some .

There is no "think" about it, it's a statement of fact. You believe that not wearing a piece of fabric over your mouth is more important than my death. My mother losing her son. My sister losing her brother. One wears a mask to protect others not yourself. I wear one to protect you, but you won't do the same. Because you are monstrously selfish. Hope I've cleared that up for you.