Given that basically everywhere in Europe with a vaccine passport has covid rates that are barely 20% (if that) of that of the UK - imma go ahead and say yeah they have some benefit.

 

They’re part of a package though of basic common sense measures. Test the unvaxxed regularly (as they’re the super spreaders), self-isolate if you have symptoms, reduce contacts if you get a ping and test regularly, restrict very high risk environments to the vaccinated and recovered only and restrict high risk environments to the tested, vaccinated or recovered only, and wear f***ing masks

 

 

Im a Little nervous to be coming back to the UK this week. Mask compliance here is still around 98-99% in the places it is mandatory and we have vaccine passports for things like restaurants. Back home has none of that

Clearly something needs to be done, won't be too long before masks are re-introduced. Read a few things about vaccine passports and not convinced they are the answer personally, not sure they will have that much of an effect on transmission on a wider scale. The problem the UK has is mainly the transmission in education, it's gonna be a rough winter.

 

Are masks not used in England any more??

Are masks not used in England any more??

They haven’t been mandatory anywhere since July. I still wear one on buses and in shops, but I’m generally in a minority.

Everyone followed Rishi Sunak's lead and threw them in the bin.

Cases per 100,000 in Northern Ireland are at a comparable rate to England and we still have a mask mandate, which would suggest that there’s something more than masks causing the spike. The obvious one is more gathering indoors due to a mix of colder weather, as well as the removal of other restrictions. I also think that the importance of good ventilation indoors in stopping the spread of COVID has been overlooked. The focus still seems to be on washing hands, even though now we realise that spreading on surfaces is much less likely than airborne transmission.

Cases per 100,000 in Northern Ireland are at a comparable rate to England and we still have a mask mandate, which would suggest that there’s something more than masks causing the spike. The obvious one is more gathering indoors due to a mix of colder weather, as well as the removal of other restrictions. I also think that the importance of good ventilation indoors in stopping the spread of COVID has been overlooked. The focus still seems to be on washing hands, even though now we realise that spreading on surfaces is much less likely than airborne transmission.

 

I think it is primarily because of school transmission. European countries are way ahead of us in terms of vaccinating school children, so it spreads like wildfire. Not sure there will be a need for vaccinating kids at this stage! Be interesting to see if cases bottom out again shortly.

Mask adherence is very low I find - even on London Underground which is allegedly compulsory it's about 50% and that goes down to near zero in evenings. . Shops vary too but certainly not the norm. .

I hear quite a few of my friends bashing the SNP government for their policies on Covid. I'm not quite sure if the Scottish government has the strictest policies in the UK but I understand that Mask wearing for instance is still mandatory here in Scotland whenever you enter inside a public building, mandatory on public transport as well. I'm not sure if that's mandatory anywhere else. Most work places are still using social distancing as recommended by the government, at least staff side. Like I feel that at the end of the day, it's barely an inconvenience. Cases spiked to their highest levels since the start of the pandemic two weeks after the school's went back in Scotland which was expected and have now levelled off again to the lowest levels in just over two months. And at 2,500 cases a day, that's equivelant to just 6% of cases and with 10% of the UK population here, clearly whatever measures the Scottish government has, are working, despite that rise because the Schools went back. I just feel like taking the extra precautionary measures should be a UK wide thing. I think the rest of the UK are advising on wearing masks but they aren't mandatory. The amount of customers we've had from England since the complete relaxation of rules there, going off on one because the rules are different here is rediculous.

They haven’t been mandatory anywhere since July. I still wear one on buses and in shops, but I’m generally in a minority.

 

That’s a disgrace like

Kinda hoping plan b happens so I don’t have to go back into my office with work

Kinda hoping plan b happens so I don’t have to go back into my office with work

 

It's going to happen at some point, it's just when. Obviously this is health vs economy, but I really cannot see it being too long before the policy changes. Think they will try and get in to mid-November though.

 

A lot of the problems in the NHS now are historical ones, until the Government find a way to get the staff levels where they need to be then we're always going to be in a mess every winter. An aging population, less hospital space and lack of staff is a recipe for disaster. No idea why the Government don't offer any support for people who want to re-train midway through their working lives to work as a nurse, think it is an easy policy which would have a huge benefit!

@1450776547422613508

 

Possibly going for it tonight?

Oh it's coming, 1000%. Time to get your Christmases in early.

 

It's going to happen at some point, it's just when. Obviously this is health vs economy, but I really cannot see it being too long before the policy changes. Think they will try and get in to mid-November though.

 

A lot of the problems in the NHS now are historical ones, until the Government find a way to get the staff levels where they need to be then we're always going to be in a mess every winter. An aging population, less hospital space and lack of staff is a recipe for disaster. No idea why the Government don't offer any support for people who want to re-train midway through their working lives to work as a nurse, think it is an easy policy which would have a huge benefit!

 

Exactly this. Why is it just accepted that every winter ever from now the NHS will be under unsustainable pressure? Like, shouldn't THAT be addressed rather than just saying "oh no winter's coming ah not this shit again, ah well it's only a few months lol" which is exactly the tone it sounds like to me.

 

And if we're to believe the figures, how did they manage to cope with ~40K in hospital at one time during the third wave but now it's less than a quarter of that number (7K to 8K I think I read) and sound the alarms, panic stations! No doubt the media are back to their scaremongering too...

Exactly this. Why is it just accepted that every winter ever from now the NHS will be under unsustainable pressure? Like, shouldn't THAT be addressed rather than just saying "oh no winter's coming ah not this shit again, ah well it's only a few months lol" which is exactly the tone it sounds like to me.

 

And if we're to believe the figures, how did they manage to cope with ~40K in hospital at one time during the third wave but now it's less than a quarter of that number (7K to 8K I think I read) and sound the alarms, panic stations! No doubt the media are back to their scaremongering too...

 

A lot of the noise will be from forecasting from the bosses based off a bad flu season I suspect. So I don't think it's more that they can't cope, but they are expecting in 6 weeks to be in the position of absolute capacity. So I can understand that completely as there are wider problems in the NHS too, staff are being re-deployed to the Wards from Specialist roles, I suspect there are a significantly number of staff who are off with mental health issues from the last 18 months and because you can retire on a final salary pension, I suspect those who are able to, just retire at 55/60 because it's a demanding job. Then obviously we don't have the backlog to fill the gaps.

Yeh they should really provide better pay at least to front line staff to help it be more appealing.

 

The problem in the NHS also is that waiting list for ops are huge because of covid as well.

Am I being dumb or is there no real material difference with plan B except being advised to work from home? :???:

Plan B also includes vaccine passports for hispitality.

Am I being dumb or is there no real material difference with plan B except being advised to work from home? :???:

 

Which most sensible companies are making their own decision on anyway based on productivity and staff welfare - I can say right now that of the people I know they haven't exactly flocked back to offices 5 days a week despite the populist talk at Tory conferences/Daily Mail rants. :lol:

Which most sensible companies are making their own decision on anyway based on productivity and staff welfare - I can say right now that of the people I know they haven't exactly flocked back to offices 5 days a week despite the populist talk at Tory conferences/Daily Mail rants. :lol:

 

My work is making us come in 2 days a week but I’ve got so used to 5 full days at home I just don’t want to go back at all now, however it’s supposed to be starting from end of November who knows if it’ll get pushed back again

My work is making us come in 2 days a week but I’ve got so used to 5 full days at home I just don’t want to go back at all now, however it’s supposed to be starting from end of November who knows if it’ll get pushed back again

 

Interesting - what reasons are they giving? I can understand some teambuilding work etc but people generally find that unless everyone is working on site then meetings have to be done via zoom/teams etc and also that people get more work done at home. Not to mention environmental footprint reduced and personal costs saving on transport and fares.

Edited October 20, 20213 yr by Smint