Is there a growing sense of apathy over the virus restrictions

[MattA7]

Despite statistics showing most people seem to support the restrictions I have observed in my area most do seem to be ignoring them. For example in Scotland we aren’t supposed to be visiting other peoples houses however you see plenty of it going on particularly among families and people are hanging out with friends without any social distancing etc.

Are we possibly (hopefully) reaching a point where people are sick and tired of the situation and just getting on with their life as normal (or at least as normal as they possibly can) especially younger people. I also walked past a barbershop the other day and noticed most customers were unmuzzled.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The US situation in the last 24 hours may change things. There certainly has been an increase in apathy in the USA.

 

[Darandio]

I also walked past a barbershop the other day and noticed most customers were unmuzzled.

It's a bit difficult to get a haircut with a mask on.

 

[MattA7]

It's a bit difficult to get a haircut with a mask on.

I was including staff and customers in the waiting area

 

[yorksrob]

I think it depends on the restrictions.

Going by a survey of one, I'm entirely on board with sensible precautions such as rule of six, track'n trace etc.

I am entirely against the further lockdown by stealth being imposed on Northern England.

 

[birchesgreen]

Are we possibly (hopefully) reaching a point where people are sick and tired of the situation and just getting on with their life as normal (or at least as normal as they possibly can) especially younger people. I also walked past a barbershop the other day and noticed most customers were unmuzzled.

Seems to me more and more people wearing the masks in the open air. I'm not sure people are apathetic, more worn down by it all. I know i am.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I am entirely against the further lockdown by stealth being imposed on Northern England.

It's almost like they're doing it that way to avoid having the Parliamentary scrutiny Hancock spoke of.

 

[C J Snarzell]

My own views are that people are just fed up of this now. The death numbers are still very low, although infections are very high and the virus seems to be more contagious than it was six months ago.

The original lockdown in March was geared up to protect the vulnerable and prevent fatalities. As I've said, few people are dying of this virus now, so I cannot understand all the panic and endless restrictions we are likely to be under until next Spring.

I compare Covid to the flu. Flu is contagious, it kills the old and the vulnerable, so why haven't we been subject to Flu restrictions in the last few centuries?

CJ

 

[yorksrob]

It's almost like they're doing it that way to avoid having the Parliamentary scrutiny Hancock spoke of.

Well, if I had my cynical hat on, I might think the same !

 

[Journeyman]

I think a lot of people are just heartily sick of all of it now. I've noticed fewer masks on buses recently. I'm doing what I'm supposed to, but my patience is wearing extremely thin, and the idiotic behaviour of Margaret Ferrier recently is making even more people wonder why they're bothering.

 

[DB]

My own views are that people are just fed up of this now. The death numbers are still very low, although infections are very high and the virus seems to be more contagious than it was six months ago.

Or the number of infections six months ago was significantly underestimated.

 

[yorksrob]

I think a lot of people are just heartily sick of all of it now. I've noticed fewer masks on buses recently. I'm doing what I'm supposed to, but my patience is wearing extremely thin, and the idiotic behaviour of Margaret Ferrier recently is making even more people wonder why they're bothering.

Ms Ferrier is an interesting one. She had symptoms and went down south, which was wrong.

But what if someone had been staying down south, had symptoms tested positive and had to isolate. If they didn't drive, would they be expected to book the hotel for two weeks, regardless of expense, or are they allowed to go home to isolate ?

Genuinely interested because I've no idea what the protocol is.

 

[adc82140]

It seems that Covid is the 24th largest cause of daily deaths in the UK. So that's 23 other causes of death that are higher and don't warrant a single column inch.

 

[Journeyman]

Ms Ferrier is an interesting one. She had symptoms and went down south, which was wrong.

But what if someone had been staying down south, had symptoms tested positive and had to isolate. If they didn't drive, would they be expected to book the hotel for two weeks, regardless of expense, or are they allowed to go home to isolate ?

Genuinely interested because I've no idea what the protocol is.

Most MPs have flats they use when in London - she's unusual in not doing so. However, if she urgently needed to get back to Scotland, there's ways and means of doing it that aren't even remotely as stupid as potentially infecting an entire trainload of people. It's all academic anyway, because she knew she was a risk.

 

[HSTEd]

The public was sold a lie that a few months would be all that it would take.
Now we are six months in, and people are being told another six months at least.

What did they think would happen?

 

[yorksrob]

Most MPs have flats they use when in London - she's unusual in not doing so. However, if she urgently needed to get back to Scotland, there's ways and means of doing it that aren't even remotely as stupid as potentially infecting an entire trainload of people. It's all academic anyway, because she knew she was a risk.

It is, but for someone like me, would I be expected to get a taxi ?

 

[Journeyman]

The public was sold a lie that a few months would be all that it would take.
Now we are six months in, and people are being told another six months at least.

What did they think would happen?

I don't think it was a deliberate lie, but a lot of mistakes have been made, and people are rightly angry.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It is, but for someone like me, would I be expected to get a taxi ?

More chance of infecting a taxi driver than anyone on a train.

It's going to London that was the serious error of judgement.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Most MPs have flats they use when in London - she's unusual in not doing so. However, if she urgently needed to get back to Scotland, there's ways and means of doing it that aren't even remotely as stupid as potentially infecting an entire trainload of people. It's all academic anyway, because she knew she was a risk.

I thought you got to do what you thought was best for your family?

 

[adc82140]

Most MPs have flats they use when in London - she's unusual in not doing so. However, if she urgently needed to get back to Scotland, there's ways and means of doing it that aren't even remotely as stupid as potentially infecting an entire trainload of people. It's all academic anyway, because she knew she was a risk.

A lot of people who test positive probably have things they urgently need to do. But the rules state that you self isolate on pain of a substantial fine. Why should she be different?

 

[yorksrob]

More chance of infecting a taxi driver than anyone on a train.

Yes, I would have thought so.

Personally, I'd be happy to sit in the guards van with a few beers (so long as I was allowed to access the loo !)

 

[Journeyman]

A lot of people who test positive probably have things they urgently need to do. But the rules state that you self isolate on pain of a substantial fine. Why should she be different?

Exactly, she shouldn't be.

 

[bramling]

It is, but for someone like me, would I be expected to get a taxi ?

It seems to be something else which hasn’t been thought through.

It’s barely ideal getting on a train, but what’s the alternative if someone doesn’t have the means to drive themselves?

Having said that, it’s a bit of a niche situation as she shouldn’t have gone to London in the first place. That is completely indefensible, as if she was bugged enough to get tested then she should have isolated.

One does start to wonder how useful all this is, given it’s becoming increasingly clear there’s so many asymptomatic people around. It does seem that this virus is going to spread to matter what we do or don’t do.

 

[haggishunter]

Ms Ferrier is an interesting one. She had symptoms and went down south, which was wrong.

But what if someone had been staying down south, had symptoms tested positive and had to isolate. If they didn't drive, would they be expected to book the hotel for two weeks, regardless of expense, or are they allowed to go home to isolate ?

Genuinely interested because I've no idea what the protocol is.

The guidance does say that if you develop symptoms away from home, eg at work then you can travel home and while public transport use should be avoided where possible, it is not a prohibition on using it under those circumstances, though travelling from London to any part of Scotland symptomatic is taking the wee wee.

The point about Ms Ferrier is that the MP should never have been in London to require to make that journey in the first place!

 

[yorksrob]

It seems to be something else which hasn’t been thought through.

It’s barely ideal getting on a train, but what’s the alternative if someone doesn’t have the means to drive themselves?

Having said that, it’s a bit of a niche situation as she shouldn’t have gone to London in the first place. That is completely indefensible, as if she was bugged enough to get tested then she should have isolated.

One does start to wonder how useful all this is, given it’s becoming increasingly clear there’s so many asymptomatic people around. It does seem that this virus is going to spread to matter what we do or don’t do.

I agree on all of those points.

 

[DB]

I don't think it was a deliberate lie, but a lot of mistakes have been made, and people are rightly angry.

If there was a clear policy and reasons were explained (and logical) then people might be more willing to accept, but the constant knee-jerk reactions, inconsistency and pointless restrictions cause people to just ignore it all. Also the fact that there is absolutely no exist strategy beyond 'let's hope for a vaccine'.

Plus the claims of "growing evidence" for masks, etc - evidence which simply doesn't exist if you look for it.

 

[MrTurbostar170]

I'd say mask compliance is still high, except on public transport.

Went to B&M and Morrisons today and didn't see anyone else without one on.

It's the things people are less likely to be caught doing that people are ignoring now, some WhatsApp group chats I'm in have people inviting others over every night.

 

[yorksrob]

The guidance does say that if you develop symptoms away from home, eg at work then you can travel home and while public transport use should be avoided where possible, it is not a prohibition on using it under those circumstances, though travelling from London to any part of Scotland symptomatic is taking the wee wee.

The point about Ms Ferrier is that the MP should never have been in London to require to make that journey in the first place!

That's useful, although if one were in London when contracting it, and lived in Inverness, I don't see how it could be taking the pee !

 

[DB]

One does start to wonder how useful all this is, given it’s becoming increasingly clear there’s so many asymptomatic people around. It does seem that this virus is going to spread to matter what we do or don’t do.

Well, quite. The unstated elimination strategy, which simply isn't going to work.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It seems to be something else which hasn’t been thought through.

It’s barely ideal getting on a train, but what’s the alternative if someone doesn’t have the means to drive themselves?

I was in an interesting position along those lines. Went to pick up a new car in July which as it had to be on a weekday involved travelling up the night before by train and staying in a hotel, working there all day, then going and getting it that evening and driving it home.

Arriving at the destination and walking up the hill from the station I got rather short of breath. Wasn't sure if it might be COVID (no other symptoms) so I checked in and stayed at the hotel but it got worse while I was there. I thought it could be, but then figured the thing least likely to spread COVID would be to pick the car up and drive it home. Any other option would have had a higher risk of spread.

(It wasn't COVID, I had a test shortly afterwards - turns out it was Pulmonary Embolism - I'd rather COVID! )

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Oct 2020 ==

Well, quite. The unstated elimination strategy, which simply isn't going to work.

Hancock has now explicitly stated to Parliament that that is not the option they are pursuing.