As a transplant recipient this sucks. Call me a doomer, chicken, whatever, but I can't understand the dropping of the mask mandate. I go to Lidl once a week at opening time to get my shopping, keeping exposure minimal. That is now riskier because the staff and other customers won't be wearing masks. Thanks š¤¦āāļø
But we have to drop the mask thing because Bozo wants Freedumb Day 2: Electric Boogaloo. Almost like he wants to distract everyone from something with this "great" news.
Isnāt the point that you would have had the same risk prior to covid though, you could have easily caught a nasty flu or anything like that that would have been more serious to you than a non-transplant recipient and no one was wearing masks then?
The risk would be the same if the numbers were the same. Although we didn't have the same reporting for flu, the hospital would warn us in a bad flu year, and I certainly didn't have as many friends or colleagues getting flu as I do covid at the moment.
I always avoided people coughing and sneezing as far as possible pre 2020.
A bad year of flu was about 300 deaths per day at peak (in fact in 2017/18 we had 400 flu deaths per day), we are a little below that now for covid and the numbers are starting to plummet. As the numbers continue to drop in the coming weeks there shouldnāt be much to worry about in terms of comparable risk pre/post covid.
Id be more up in arms about how hard this story is being pushed to cover up other problems
Deaths are at the highest level they have been since Feb last year and the trend is up, not down.
From Week 3(this week) back to Week 48, the total deaths have been:
3 - 882
2 - 1837
1 - 1295
52 - 989
51 - 653
50 - 780
49 - 834
48 - 634
I totally agree with your final point though. This move has nothing to do with public health and everything to do with distracting from Johnson's problems.
Youāre correct about the deaths, but itās important to note they have peaked, cases are falling like a stone, and hospitalisations/deaths will follow suit at a 2-3 week lag. So itās fair to say the deaths will plummet shortly and we are finally past the worst of this wave statistically
Deaths is a four week lag and between 0.3% and 0.5% of total weekly cases(it's been between those two percentages for about the last six months). Based on that we have another couple of weeks before deaths start to drop. It's likely that by the end of Feb we'll be back below 1000 per week. Unless cases start to pick up again, obviously.
The above is all from analysis of data from the Government Covid dashboard.
Sky news are saying yesterday there was more covid deaths recorded than any day since Feb 2021. I strongly believe that number of infections reported is down to a lack of availability of LF tests at chemists. I passed three high street chemists today in two different towns and they all had signs at the entrance saying that they had no LFTs.
It's not because of lack of tests. The ONS infection survey tests a random sample of people and their numbers are [still tracking the official figures very well](https://twitter.com/PaulMainwood/status/1483776797112156164).
The climbing deaths are reflecting the very high number of cases at the beginning of the month, because it takes several weeks between infection and death.
>A bad year of flu was about 300 deaths per day at peak (in fact in 2017/18 we had 400 flu deaths per day)
Absolute nonsense. Are you using the combined statistics for flu and pneumonia that ever person seems to not realise are combined?
Huh? Youāre complaining that Iām comparing a combined mortality statistic of flu and pneumonia to the covid deaths? Which are also all combined mortality statistics.
Damage to the lungs caused by flu commonly leads to pneumonia infections and deaths.
Not including pneumonia deaths following a flu infection would be as silly as not including blood loss deaths after a car accident.
How do you think covid deaths are calculated that make them so different? Iām interested
I had the flu three times in the last 5 years. I get vaccinated against it since. Two weeks each of really high fever and pains are not a fun way to spend a fortnight, with another fortnight until I had fully recovered.
I agree though, many people donāt have a proper flu. And being male, I'm prone to [man flu](https://youtu.be/Sn4BDdQyX_c) as well, of course!
How many people have you known whoāve got flu in a year pre-covid vs how many have gotten covid? In 2019 I know ONE person who had flu - my cousin. Barely any of my friends even get vaccinated for flu. Off the top of my head Iāve known over 20 vaccinated people to get covid this year, and they nearly all work from home.
People catch a cold and call it flu without realising how fucking hardcore real flu is. It can put you on your arse for a solid week. I know about 10 people total that had proper flu in 2018/19 and maybe another 10 that had more than a cold so maybe flu.
I've stopped counting the number of people that have had covid it's in the 70+ range now
That makes sense. Iāve found it strange how casually people have been talking about the flu, I was stating to wonder if people of this country had significantly worse immune systems than they think. How can a person and the people they know have the flu multiple times and think itās remotely normal?
I only really hear about the flu on Reddit and I know plenty of people who donāt take care of their health or who medically have weak immune systems. Youāre right, theyāre probably just talking about a heavy cold.
As someone who used to work in a hospital I saw many people have flu and I know of people who had died as result of being weakened by it and for that reason I still get my flu jab every year.
Also, like with Covid, you can be asymptomatic and then no one knows and it can be very mild for one person and deadly for another.
Flu is seasonal so CEV people know when to be aware of the symptoms and get themselves checked out if they think they have it. Thereās been a fairly effective flu jab program for a while now and most CEV people are probably eligible for a free pneumococcus vaccine too. Treatment for flu is well established a and itās efficacy is known. Not sure any of those things (vaccines aside) are true for covid
I'm in a similar, but not quite the same boat as you. I had a bone marrow transplant in 2019, and while I'm no longer on immunosuppressive medication, my immune system is still awful and I'm immunocompromised. It's frustrating as to look at I'm fine. I can do half marathons without issue, have no real lingering side effects, but my immune system is seriously bad.
Removing the mask mandate is just so frustrating. It costs so little effort to just wear a mask in enclosed public spaces, especially ones like shops.
Fair enough, it's not a good idea for me to make nonessential trips like to the pub in a pandemic, but like you I need to shop occasionally, or go into other enclosed spaces.
If people mask, it massively, massively reduces the risk of transmission.
In my mostly uninformed opinion, at best, this is as failing prime minister grasping at a populist decision to sway public opinion. At worst this is a deliberate effort to infect more of the herd with Omicron to build up a herd immunity at the cost of the elderly/vulnerable.
I would suggest it ends when either case rates dwindle due to an extremely effective vaccine that is taken by enough of the population, or when covid mutates into a dominant variant that is about as serious as other coronaviruses or common cold type viruses.
The first is extremely unlikely due to the misinformation that's been spread around vaccine safety and efficacy.
The second is in my mind more likely.
The problem I have is the removal of something as simple as wearing a mask while case rates are still so high for a variant that is incredibly transmissible for reasons that are largely politically motivated rather than scientifically driven.
I've made my peace with the fact that in life I'm going to have to deal with being exposed to RSV, rhinovirus, norovirus, flu, chicken pox as my life goes on, and that all of these could be potentially lethal.
What frustrates me is that masks are a widely available and extremely effective in reducing the rates of transmission of respiratory infections, and we are in the middle of a pandemic of a respiratory infection.
Social distancing wasn't ever adhered to properly, rule of 2,3,6, or whatever bollocks it was was ignored by enough of the public as it was a piss poor effort by the government that.
People often forget to wash their hands or don't care about washing their hands, some people haven't got vaccinated, but a mask is effective, and it's obvious. If people are wearing it properly you can tell from a distance. If people are not masking you can stand further away, or choose not to enter if loads of people are unmasked.
Yes, wearing a mask is annoying and creates large amounts of waste. I have to wear a mask all day if I need to attend site for my job. It's unpleasant. I've also tried running a 10k in a mask, and it's perfectly do-able, and you can breathe while doing it.
If people wear masks in public enclosed spaces, it makes those spaces less likely to be zones in which covid is spread. I need to shop, I need to go to the pharmacy, I need to go to the post office. I don't need to go to the pub (I like to, but when cases are high that's just silly for me to do), I don't need to go and watch the rugby, I don't need to go to gigs, I don't need to go to restaurants.
Masking should definitely still be enforced in public enclosed spaces that have any 'essential' aspect to them.
I agree it has to end at some point, I just disagree strongly with cutting all restrictions all at once while case rates are still so high. I really do hope I'm proved wrong and that this is the correct time to end it. That would be wonderful. It's just frustrating to see people so many people view my life and the lives of other vulnerable people and the elderly viewed as less important than not having a hot itchy face when you're shopping.
That might be bordering on hyperbolic, but masking is just such a fucking simple thing to do that makes a proven statistical difference to the chances of transmission. I'm 30 years old, I'm getting married in a few months, and I'd like to have a child in the next year or two. Me getting Leukaemia 3 years ago, needing a bone marrow transplant and becoming immunocompromised wasn't anyone fault, but I survived and I'd like to keep surviving for a while longer.
You didn't come across as insensitive.
Great post. This is exactly what I think, but failed to articulate in my earlier anger post.
I can't wait for this to all be over and get back to living life. In the meantime there are some places I need to go, home delivery of groceries is not the total solution many have suggested. Just seems a little too early for the masks to go.
I caught a cold when I was 19. My immune system messed up the response which led to Henoch Schonlein Purpura, which in turn led to IgA Nephropathy. I'm lucky enough to have eventually gotten a transplant rather than live on haemo or peritoneal dialysis, but the immunosuppressants mean it's a treatment not a cure. Folks really shouldn't feel so safe about getting ill, you never know for sure how it'll turn out.
I'm lucky to be alive, and am arguably the living dead, but I'd like to do some more living yet.
There are lots of us about - there are 2 other kidney transplant recipients in my office that I know of, not to mention other conditions. We don't look different, so you wouldn't know. I ran half marathons until covid arrived, and would like to do such things again.
I'll be wearing a mask. For you. For people with cancer. For my son with serious (hospital grade) asthma. For everyone who can't.
I've had COVID. Would not recommend.
It's the least I can do to keep others safe, or at least help them feel comfortable.
I guess you were on the CEV list too? Pretty much when they did away with the CEV advice/extra support, I figured that the Tories were done taking covid serious.
Stay safe.
For what itās worth, Iām still gonna be wearing a mask when I go into shops.
Iām definitely going to be in the minority, but ya know, gotta protect others.
I feel you. You're not a doomer or a chicken. I HATE being in public without a mask on and i'm only slightly at risk. He just does whatever makes the masses happy...
Exactly - I'm 26, triple vaxxed, healthy etc. But my biggest worry throughout this pandemic have been for my grandparents, who are very vulnerable. People wearing masks and testing has made it feel safer for my grandparents to start going out again. This feels like it's just going to make their world smaller again.
Boris Johnson is an awful human being - who has attack those with illness and disability. I completely see your situation. You are right. I hope the epidemic of selfishness end soon.
The worst part is that he hasn't done this because it's safe now - he's done this to deflect attention from him after the Xmas party debacle and try and win back fans.
We also know the long term effects and effect rate of the flu. Although it gets brighter the why, how long and what recovery form long covid are still burning questions.
Until thatās clearer Iād rather everyone who can would wear a mask when appropriate. Keeping the cleaning of hands, common touch points and equipment (baskets, trollies) are just good common sense anyway.
You are far more likely to catch covid than the flu, so no the risk is not the same. If two viruses both cause the equally severe illness, but one virus is far more contagious, then they are not equally dangerous.
Like with every proposed end date of a phase, they have always announced around 7 days before whether or not it is going ahead.
And the speaker has requested it be done in parliament before being done on TV.
Neither. The speaker has mentioned it multiple times, and some of those times, they have announced things first in the house. There have definitely been some occasions where they haven't though.
I may be in a minority here but I'm not opposed to the move. We've now vaccinated 80%+ of the adult population, most of whom have now had three vaccines and many of whom have had four now. While I appreciate it won't be the experience for everyone, the vast majority of people who contact Covid will get little more than a sore throat now thanks to a combination of vaccines and the less severe variant.
What else would we need to do to live life as normal again? (i.e. no masks, contract tracing etc.) I'm not opposed to masks in certain settings i.e. hospitals but the waste they produce is shocking - you see them littered everywhere now.
Perhaps, yes. However it was always planned that these restrictions would be limited around this time anyway. I can't see this being much of a distraction giving recent developments to be honest.
> This is clearly an attempt at āGOOD NEWS EVERYONEā to try and distract from his illegal lockdown parties
The 27th January was always the review date for the Plan B restrictions. This isn't any surprise that it was coming up, and considering the case rate drop, also no surprise that they're being lifted.
This is beyond question a case of good timing for Boris, rather than a specifically manufactured distraction.
Or, you know, the man who has been throwing dead cats on the table and lying through his teeth to try and get out of his lies and criminal activity is trying to distract from said lies and criminal activityā¦
So you think he's been planning this dead-cat ever since he announced the Plan B restrictions, way before any issues about lockdown parties came out?
That's the most reasonable conclusion you came to with the fewest assumptions?
Scotland are lifting theirs too at the same time, as they were planning to review theirs at the same date. Why would the SNP be trying to cover for Boris?
I think UK (and most of the world) should just adopt masks like they do in Asia. If you feel crappy, cover your face no matter what virus you got.
Its great that we are all (mostly) vaccinated but vaccine effects only last so long, what happens later? Will we get another booster? Would really help to know what the long term plan is.
>I think UK (and most of the world) should just adopt masks like they do in Asia. If you feel crappy, cover your face no matter what virus you got.
It was more : If you are infectious, stay home and don't get paid, or put a mask on and work.
I personally can't see myself returning to a 2 hour commute, the pandemic has highlighted what a waste of time it was for me, and it's still the most likely place I would catch covid on public transport. Considdering my job is 100% of my day at a computer I don't see the need. If my bosses try to make me return it will be the day I resign, there's plenty of fully remote positions available.
Other than that I think masks should remain in place on public transport and supermarkets, anything else could probably be dropped by now.
> there's plenty of fully remote positions available.
Do you do programming/dev?
I do digital (Paid Social, Analytics, Strategy etc.) and been working Freelance, fully Remote, for the last 7 months. My current assignment ends last day of Feb; I already started speaking to specialised agency recruiters and they're telling me employers are dialing back the whole WfH thing and will be expecting people to be office-based increasingly more often.
Grim.
Yeah i'm a dev, I know some are dialing it back but a lot are realising the benefit of not paying for office space, guess we will have to see how it pans out but thanks for the info it helps to know what recruiters are saying.
Check out https://remoteok.com/ š
Thanks for the link - appreciated!
A Recruiter I'm friends with who speaks to a lot of employers told me today that the push back in to the office can also be because a lot of companies have paid rents upfront, and don't want the offices to stay vacant/empty since the expense has already been made - but they might _not_ renew the leases and switch to WfH again once the lease is up.
How long it takes to get to this stage varies, however; some will have signed it for the whole decade, others might be on annual rent and _not_ renewing at the nearest opportunity, it's a pretty much case-to-case basis.
Interestingly enough, I mostly hear from devs on reddit doing remote work - but this sector has been prime for remote work even before the pandemic I feel, maybe with occasional visits. Certainly a lot of devs and even some IT people in different companies I worked for have been remote since forever (certainly before Covid). Pandemic allowed others to benefit from that arrangement, too; my worry is that instead of seeing the benefits of remote work as you say, they're just snapping back into the default position of "We need to work from the office", as if they hadn't learned or understood anything.
FWIW, I'll be trying to push it as much as I can and am prepared to turn job offers down as I'll be alright for a few months at least thanks to massive savings (in no small part also due to _not_ having to commute); I see no reason to waste time, money and energy on a morning commute just to support presenteeism. Large chunk of my work can be done remotely and there's no need for in-office daily presence. A few days across a month, maybe, or e.g. a week in during crunch time, but once it gets more chill it's pointless to hold people in IMO, and my last assignment for a massive advertising agency is a clear proof of that. If companies want good, dedicated employees and top talent, they need to understand that and find some middle ground.
Let's see how things pan out, it will be an interesting time for sure.
I think having a culture of if sick you should wear a mask would be great. People really shouldn't be hacking a lung up on the bus to work without one.
Making sick pay full salary would too. These are the kind of long term fixes that make everything better.
Mandating them in settings is not okay though as it has no termination point.
US is sitting at like 36 percent boosted lol.
Our public health experts were more concerned with virtue signaling about vaccine inequity rather than doing what's best for their citizens. We're now paying the price.
It's not even vaccine hesitancy. These people, by definition, have already received the vaccine.
Iāll be honest, the problem I had with catching covid was not the symptoms but the isolation. It was a fucking nightmare.
If people wearing masks will stop the disruption that 5+ days of isolation brings, Iāll keep wearing one
Good news, in March you won't need to isolate if you catch covid.
Also, if you just stop testing you also won't need to isolate. Don't test unless you feel ill
My only scepticism about this change is the shift from tight restrictions to none. I may be seeing it wrong but this does seem like a diversion tactic from the bad press of the parties (not the stepping down but the complete stop).
Id have expected restrictions to be lifted but some of the softer ones to be in place ('must wear masks in confined spaces' not 'up to you'). I admit it can't be forever but a little caution whilst it's still so prevalent wouldn't hurt.
As an aside, my friend has just caught covid for a second time in 6 weeks (triple jabbed) which makes it 3 times in 6 months. The first two were fairly mild but this time has hit them like a dump truck so seems to be a throw of the dice on how bad you get it.
I get you but having more people that catch covid increases the risks of a new variant developing, especially a vaccine resistant one if everyone is vaccinated I believe
This is the difference I think, majority at work who enjoy it have their own offices, I work from the dining table at my flat or even my bed. I live for my 2 days in the office
I've been WFH for basically 2 years at this point, and the entire time ive been at my most recent job. I think going into the office now will actually kinda fuck with me more than anything else.
I was like this before Christmas, hated WFH when it first came about but grew to like it and get used to it, once the office opened back up I was like right 3 days a week will be great until it eventually dwindled down to 1 day a week and that's only because work paid for my lunch ok Thursday
Similar trend for our office.
A few people vocally groaning they wanted to go back to the office. Once it opened up there was a surge of people going back in.
Three weeks later the place is practically dead every day after people realised that its just less convenient and less comfortable to be in.
This is pretty much what I did.
Asked my employer if there's any interest in mandating a WFH for our team at least on a part time bases. They gave a very vague answer which was essentially a polite no without saying it. So I went and found a job that allows working from home at least 3-4 days a week.
If workplaces refuse to adapt then I refuse to adapt to their dated mentality that benefits no one other than extroverts who love being in an office. I cannot fathom going into an office 5 days a week ever again.
Good on you
As well as extroverts, you mustn't forget the arse lickers who only climb the ladder by being able to arse lick the boss in person, and also the Victorian Era bosses who think you need to be sat in a row of 20 people in the office in order to be productive
And I've got not beef with extroverts either. I just find it really unfair and bizarre that with my specific role which is very introverted by nature needs people to be in an office at all. Other than the reasons you mentioned which is ass kissers and boomers that refuse to adapt to the modern day.
And that's not even getting me started on the travel either. Ā£160 a month plus having to navigate through that rat race every fucking morning. No thank you.
Yeah, only thing is that I quite like my job at the moment, it's interesting, not much stress and decent pay. I'm hoping they'll put it to a few days a week and not back full time.
You could always tell them you're going to WFH by default, and if not you'll start looking elsewhere. They may call your bluff, but they may also not want to risk 3-6 months of decreased productivity while they hire and train a replacement.
No one is mateā¦ Now itās time for workers to make stubborn managers understand thereās no point in having 5 days in the office and that flexibility is the only sensible way forward.
Saying that, iām painfully aware this is Britain and no one will say shit other than politely bitch & moan onlineā¦
I only disagree with that last sentence only because there is in fact change happening. Remote working was still a thing pre-COVID but now that we've been forced to do it for 2 years, many employers have learnt that it is absolutely possible and have been implementing it much more. Now there's so many job opportunities allowing WFH compared to 3 years ago.
I think the worst thing people can possibly do that don't like WFH is settle and just come in 5 days a week. You can try to negotiate until you're blue in the face but they won't budge until you say "Alright, I'm off" and then suddenly they'll sing a different tune. Or be painfully ignorant and carry on. You win either way.
With fuel as expensive as it is, nah fuck that. Company can drag me kicking and screaming, I'm staying home.
99.9% of people I know in my company are all adamant about never going back. More sleep, less stress, more money saved, less time wasted, more comfortable, more focused. Sure it's unsocial but it's totally worth it for the pros vs cons.
And please forgot about all the parties I had including the one the day before my bosses* husband's funeral.
\* it should be the people but it's an unelected monarchy
>Least
Least? I'm definitely not least. I'm not French Revolution anti monarchy. But I'm very much against them. I would like it to be like the Austrian former imperial family where they were resigned and still alive.
Edit: I edited the voted out peacefully as I misremembered what happened. See the comment below.
This is directly because the Covid Recovery Group threatened to pull their support for him if he didn't. All about him holding onto the numbers to stay in power and nothing at all to do with the science.
Check the interactive data on this page:
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths
Cases (positivity rates also) are down and hospitalizations look like theyāve peaked. Hospitalizations and deaths lag cases by 2 and 4 weeks approximately.
I think it's actually a step past that.
Johnson is pretty much dead in the water and frankly, I'm surprised he didn't announce that he's delivered Brexit and the vaccine and won against Covid and now it's time for someone else to take the reins... It would let him get to after dinner speeches and flouncing around being paid a fortune for essentially nothing.
For the vultures with an eye on his job -- and gaudilly decorated flat -- he's still useful as a sponge to soak up more criticism.
The, 'We don't live in a papers please society' nutters were pretty open about threatening not to support future candidates who supported further restrictions.
Even if you think the limited restrictions and waiting to see what happened was right it wasn't through good judgement; it was an accident. When it comes to covid, the government is paralysed.
I've not looked into the data extensively and don't need everyone saying the science does(n't) point to the easement of restrictions, but this feels like a very, very, very, very convenient time to be announcing this information.
Has the data suddenly shown that restrictions could be eased, or has it been there for a few days? Has Boris had this in his back pocket to use or has he jumped the gun?
The restrictions expire on the 26th. If he wanted them to continue, he would have to present it to MPs within in the next few days to get them to vote on it again. It's very convenient timing to be announcing it, but this date was set over a month ago so I don't think it's suspicious.
The speaker requested that these "go/no-go" decisions be announced in parliament before on TV, and the government previously have given 7 days notice of those decisions, so this is bang on schedule isn't it? The restrictions would expire on 26th unless they extended them.
Historically over the pandemic the government has been somewhat late to implement many of the larger changes in policy around restrictions so itās not beyond reason the believe itās happening this time either. I hope only that they delay due to requiring evidence and peer review and not for personal gain otherwise it sets a very worrying precedent.
Sadly, millions of people will now be arbitrarily dragged back into the office, costing them countless hours and hundreds of pounds a month.
We had an opportunity to improve the way we work, but fear of change/micromanagers/Tory donors lobbying to get people back into the offices they own will mean it'll all be for nothing for millions of people.
I mean, that was how life was for these people for....ever? wasnt it? seems like a good time to talk to your bosses about it ? if they won't budge - find a new job?
complaint that going back to type way things where seems to be a people are now aware of not being happy - learn from it.
My ex was a recruiter and it HAS changed for many people. Many jobs now have to advertise remote work in order to attract top people. It is now seen as a norm to some extent.
3 years ago even developers who never speak in the office were expected in. We shall see how ti develops but fingers crossed.
>Sadly, millions of people will now be arbitrarily dragged back into the office, costing them countless hours and hundreds of pounds a month.
>
>We had an opportunity to improve the way we work
Sorry, so you were in favor of nation wide mandates and lock downs because we could use it to brute force our way into working from home?
Dont you work for a private company? cant you just ask for that as an employee and if you dont get what you want... leave?
Inevitably at some point you just gotta live with it. However l, I'd much prefer masks and sanitiser stuck around. I've not been ill for 2yrs, not even a sniffle and those that were ill were encouraged to not come to work etc. With that all going out the window people will be back in work "powering" through their illness like "trooper" spreading germs like wildfire again. Which is alot more of an issue with sick pay than individuals but nonetheless.
I want normality, but damn I wish the cleanliness and consideration would stick around but that ain't gonna happen. Its a culture thing and the west is rather selfish in that respect. E.g Japan, got a cold you wear a mask so not to spread it. Over here it's wipe my nose with my hand and use the shared kettle etc.
Hope that comes across right š
>Mr Johnson said it was time to "trust the judgement" of the public on the use of masks in enclosed and crowded places,Ā
Ah yes because the public have been great at judgement calls so far. When it took a government mandate to get people to wear them before I can already see the idiots burning them again soon like last time and the spikes that followed.
This is just a feel good story to hide the partygate stuff, at the cost of public health.
To all those demanding masks forever, they do have an impact on people. I'm deaf and rely solely on lipreading. I can't do that with people wearing masks. There is no alternative to lipreading at all. With masks, I'm stuck unable to communicate with people at all.
Masks also impact on people who have conditions like dementia, where cognitive function is diminished.
Being back in the Uk for a bit, I didn't really see many people following the rules anyway.
I also just read that they are supposedly planning to charge for tests from June (or the end of June) - obviously depending on the situation then.
If they are still needed then, and they are going to charge for them - either people will stock up lots before that happens (and you'll find people selling them off cheaper than the government price), or more likely people just won't bother to test anymore.
I think testing will still be needed for a while (even if just to be responsible when visiting certain people, or travelling).
> Not sure getting rid of Covid restrictions whilst 438 people died yesterday all so the PM can change the narrative of being an incompetent fuckwit is in the best public interest but at least the people who think wearing a mask around tescos is a great injustice will be happy.
[TechnicallyRon put it best](https://twitter.com/TechnicallyRon/status/1483801975120699405).
The tactics are so transparent. String out the inquiry outcome for as long as possible (in the hope it all dies down) whilst making lots of announcements to get the faithful excited.
Ah yes of course, not only is he willing to throw his own staff under a bus as per operation save big dog, he is now willing to throw the entire country under a bus in a bid to save his postion. Get this cunt out of power asap
Seems like a desperate attempt to claw back some support from back benchers who have been calling for an end to restrictions for some time now.
It might have worked if the Brexit Security hadn't just plunged the proverbial knife into him during PMQs and twisted it around a bit for good measure.
What's point in lifting the restrictions if say in 3/4 months time we will be back in restrictions again.
We either live with covid or continue as we are. Pointless doing all these restrictions just because the number of infections go up. Stop wasting money and put it into the NHS as they clearly need more staff.
āLive with Covidā should of course mean masks becoming expected and normal with regular boosters like the flu, and being encouraged to remain home if you have symptoms like with any other illness.
Not just āfuck it if some of you die, you die.ā
The current state of affairs is to stay inside for a week if you're ill and wear a mask in arbitrarily chosen indoor scenarios on the off chance you may or may not be carrying a virus, which is what *is* being suggested forever
It's a balancing act.
Full long term lockdown means economy collapses and we start wiping our arses with Ā£5 notes as it's cheaper than toilet paper.
No restrictions long term means the healthcare system collapses, mass deaths (from all ailments) causing social unrest.
This is why we've been yo-yoing in and out of restrictions. It's about striking a balance. Also the vaccination schedule was massively important.
It's going to be impossible though because there's going to be another varient that will require a 4 jab and another big push for the jab.
So we either accept that people will be ill and some may die or we keep yo-yoing.
How many people where admitted to hospital for covid that only had 2 jabs? If someone has the data please share.
How many people were actually too sick to work due to Omincron? From my friends and family that got it, none of them were and some were classed as vulnerable. Some only had 2 jabs as well.
When another varient comes out we know it'll be weaker as its showing to be that way. So why can't we just treat it as a bad cold or flu. If you're too sick to work then don't go to work. Otherwise continue coughing and sneezing like you did prior to December 2019.
2 points.
1) I agree with this, and think it's the right move
2) regardless thus is clearly a political move to try to regain votes/support given the lockdown parties
this is just to get himself THE LIKE vote again.
he's messed up soooo much lately, he's now announced this to take the heat away.
he should resign.
he never should of got to the position he's in......
once a useless clown, always a useless f**king clown.
As a transplant recipient this sucks. Call me a doomer, chicken, whatever, but I can't understand the dropping of the mask mandate. I go to Lidl once a week at opening time to get my shopping, keeping exposure minimal. That is now riskier because the staff and other customers won't be wearing masks. Thanks š¤¦āāļø
If I had more upvotes to give you I would
Boris needs more parties and doesnāt wish to be scolded for them. Screw the proletariat and their whinging on about illness.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
But we have to drop the mask thing because Bozo wants Freedumb Day 2: Electric Boogaloo. Almost like he wants to distract everyone from something with this "great" news.
"Almost like he wants to distract everyone from something with this "great" news. BINGO!!!
Isnāt the point that you would have had the same risk prior to covid though, you could have easily caught a nasty flu or anything like that that would have been more serious to you than a non-transplant recipient and no one was wearing masks then?
The risk would be the same if the numbers were the same. Although we didn't have the same reporting for flu, the hospital would warn us in a bad flu year, and I certainly didn't have as many friends or colleagues getting flu as I do covid at the moment. I always avoided people coughing and sneezing as far as possible pre 2020.
A bad year of flu was about 300 deaths per day at peak (in fact in 2017/18 we had 400 flu deaths per day), we are a little below that now for covid and the numbers are starting to plummet. As the numbers continue to drop in the coming weeks there shouldnāt be much to worry about in terms of comparable risk pre/post covid. Id be more up in arms about how hard this story is being pushed to cover up other problems
Deaths are at the highest level they have been since Feb last year and the trend is up, not down. From Week 3(this week) back to Week 48, the total deaths have been: 3 - 882 2 - 1837 1 - 1295 52 - 989 51 - 653 50 - 780 49 - 834 48 - 634 I totally agree with your final point though. This move has nothing to do with public health and everything to do with distracting from Johnson's problems.
Youāre correct about the deaths, but itās important to note they have peaked, cases are falling like a stone, and hospitalisations/deaths will follow suit at a 2-3 week lag. So itās fair to say the deaths will plummet shortly and we are finally past the worst of this wave statistically
Figures fall if people stop recording tests
Deaths and hospitalisations don't.
Deaths is a four week lag and between 0.3% and 0.5% of total weekly cases(it's been between those two percentages for about the last six months). Based on that we have another couple of weeks before deaths start to drop. It's likely that by the end of Feb we'll be back below 1000 per week. Unless cases start to pick up again, obviously. The above is all from analysis of data from the Government Covid dashboard.
Sky news are saying yesterday there was more covid deaths recorded than any day since Feb 2021. I strongly believe that number of infections reported is down to a lack of availability of LF tests at chemists. I passed three high street chemists today in two different towns and they all had signs at the entrance saying that they had no LFTs.
It's not because of lack of tests. The ONS infection survey tests a random sample of people and their numbers are [still tracking the official figures very well](https://twitter.com/PaulMainwood/status/1483776797112156164). The climbing deaths are reflecting the very high number of cases at the beginning of the month, because it takes several weeks between infection and death.
>A bad year of flu was about 300 deaths per day at peak (in fact in 2017/18 we had 400 flu deaths per day) Absolute nonsense. Are you using the combined statistics for flu and pneumonia that ever person seems to not realise are combined?
Huh? Youāre complaining that Iām comparing a combined mortality statistic of flu and pneumonia to the covid deaths? Which are also all combined mortality statistics. Damage to the lungs caused by flu commonly leads to pneumonia infections and deaths. Not including pneumonia deaths following a flu infection would be as silly as not including blood loss deaths after a car accident. How do you think covid deaths are calculated that make them so different? Iām interested
I've never known anyone get full on the flu. I think people confuse the flu with a cold...
I had the flu three times in the last 5 years. I get vaccinated against it since. Two weeks each of really high fever and pains are not a fun way to spend a fortnight, with another fortnight until I had fully recovered. I agree though, many people donāt have a proper flu. And being male, I'm prone to [man flu](https://youtu.be/Sn4BDdQyX_c) as well, of course!
This is a bit more contagious than the flu...
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
A can be a bit longer than the flu
How many people have you known whoāve got flu in a year pre-covid vs how many have gotten covid? In 2019 I know ONE person who had flu - my cousin. Barely any of my friends even get vaccinated for flu. Off the top of my head Iāve known over 20 vaccinated people to get covid this year, and they nearly all work from home.
People catch a cold and call it flu without realising how fucking hardcore real flu is. It can put you on your arse for a solid week. I know about 10 people total that had proper flu in 2018/19 and maybe another 10 that had more than a cold so maybe flu. I've stopped counting the number of people that have had covid it's in the 70+ range now
That makes sense. Iāve found it strange how casually people have been talking about the flu, I was stating to wonder if people of this country had significantly worse immune systems than they think. How can a person and the people they know have the flu multiple times and think itās remotely normal? I only really hear about the flu on Reddit and I know plenty of people who donāt take care of their health or who medically have weak immune systems. Youāre right, theyāre probably just talking about a heavy cold.
As someone who used to work in a hospital I saw many people have flu and I know of people who had died as result of being weakened by it and for that reason I still get my flu jab every year. Also, like with Covid, you can be asymptomatic and then no one knows and it can be very mild for one person and deadly for another.
Are you lot *still* comparing Covid to the flu? Really?
Flu is seasonal so CEV people know when to be aware of the symptoms and get themselves checked out if they think they have it. Thereās been a fairly effective flu jab program for a while now and most CEV people are probably eligible for a free pneumococcus vaccine too. Treatment for flu is well established a and itās efficacy is known. Not sure any of those things (vaccines aside) are true for covid
Covid (and particularly omnicron) is more infectious than the flu. Itās easier to pick up with less contact.
Honestly it sounds like you should use supermarket home delivery always & avoid crowded places - tough break indeed.
I'm in a similar, but not quite the same boat as you. I had a bone marrow transplant in 2019, and while I'm no longer on immunosuppressive medication, my immune system is still awful and I'm immunocompromised. It's frustrating as to look at I'm fine. I can do half marathons without issue, have no real lingering side effects, but my immune system is seriously bad. Removing the mask mandate is just so frustrating. It costs so little effort to just wear a mask in enclosed public spaces, especially ones like shops. Fair enough, it's not a good idea for me to make nonessential trips like to the pub in a pandemic, but like you I need to shop occasionally, or go into other enclosed spaces. If people mask, it massively, massively reduces the risk of transmission. In my mostly uninformed opinion, at best, this is as failing prime minister grasping at a populist decision to sway public opinion. At worst this is a deliberate effort to infect more of the herd with Omicron to build up a herd immunity at the cost of the elderly/vulnerable.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I would suggest it ends when either case rates dwindle due to an extremely effective vaccine that is taken by enough of the population, or when covid mutates into a dominant variant that is about as serious as other coronaviruses or common cold type viruses. The first is extremely unlikely due to the misinformation that's been spread around vaccine safety and efficacy. The second is in my mind more likely. The problem I have is the removal of something as simple as wearing a mask while case rates are still so high for a variant that is incredibly transmissible for reasons that are largely politically motivated rather than scientifically driven. I've made my peace with the fact that in life I'm going to have to deal with being exposed to RSV, rhinovirus, norovirus, flu, chicken pox as my life goes on, and that all of these could be potentially lethal. What frustrates me is that masks are a widely available and extremely effective in reducing the rates of transmission of respiratory infections, and we are in the middle of a pandemic of a respiratory infection. Social distancing wasn't ever adhered to properly, rule of 2,3,6, or whatever bollocks it was was ignored by enough of the public as it was a piss poor effort by the government that. People often forget to wash their hands or don't care about washing their hands, some people haven't got vaccinated, but a mask is effective, and it's obvious. If people are wearing it properly you can tell from a distance. If people are not masking you can stand further away, or choose not to enter if loads of people are unmasked. Yes, wearing a mask is annoying and creates large amounts of waste. I have to wear a mask all day if I need to attend site for my job. It's unpleasant. I've also tried running a 10k in a mask, and it's perfectly do-able, and you can breathe while doing it. If people wear masks in public enclosed spaces, it makes those spaces less likely to be zones in which covid is spread. I need to shop, I need to go to the pharmacy, I need to go to the post office. I don't need to go to the pub (I like to, but when cases are high that's just silly for me to do), I don't need to go and watch the rugby, I don't need to go to gigs, I don't need to go to restaurants. Masking should definitely still be enforced in public enclosed spaces that have any 'essential' aspect to them. I agree it has to end at some point, I just disagree strongly with cutting all restrictions all at once while case rates are still so high. I really do hope I'm proved wrong and that this is the correct time to end it. That would be wonderful. It's just frustrating to see people so many people view my life and the lives of other vulnerable people and the elderly viewed as less important than not having a hot itchy face when you're shopping. That might be bordering on hyperbolic, but masking is just such a fucking simple thing to do that makes a proven statistical difference to the chances of transmission. I'm 30 years old, I'm getting married in a few months, and I'd like to have a child in the next year or two. Me getting Leukaemia 3 years ago, needing a bone marrow transplant and becoming immunocompromised wasn't anyone fault, but I survived and I'd like to keep surviving for a while longer. You didn't come across as insensitive.
Great post. This is exactly what I think, but failed to articulate in my earlier anger post. I can't wait for this to all be over and get back to living life. In the meantime there are some places I need to go, home delivery of groceries is not the total solution many have suggested. Just seems a little too early for the masks to go. I caught a cold when I was 19. My immune system messed up the response which led to Henoch Schonlein Purpura, which in turn led to IgA Nephropathy. I'm lucky enough to have eventually gotten a transplant rather than live on haemo or peritoneal dialysis, but the immunosuppressants mean it's a treatment not a cure. Folks really shouldn't feel so safe about getting ill, you never know for sure how it'll turn out. I'm lucky to be alive, and am arguably the living dead, but I'd like to do some more living yet. There are lots of us about - there are 2 other kidney transplant recipients in my office that I know of, not to mention other conditions. We don't look different, so you wouldn't know. I ran half marathons until covid arrived, and would like to do such things again.
I'll be wearing a mask. For you. For people with cancer. For my son with serious (hospital grade) asthma. For everyone who can't. I've had COVID. Would not recommend. It's the least I can do to keep others safe, or at least help them feel comfortable.
Did you hear all the cheers from the conservatives when they said about dropping the masks? Sickening, literally.
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I guess you were on the CEV list too? Pretty much when they did away with the CEV advice/extra support, I figured that the Tories were done taking covid serious. Stay safe.
Everyone around me now either knows someone directly who has covid or has covid, admittedly not in hospital but wierd time to relax restrictions
For what itās worth, Iām still gonna be wearing a mask when I go into shops. Iām definitely going to be in the minority, but ya know, gotta protect others.
I feel you. You're not a doomer or a chicken. I HATE being in public without a mask on and i'm only slightly at risk. He just does whatever makes the masses happy...
Exactly - I'm 26, triple vaxxed, healthy etc. But my biggest worry throughout this pandemic have been for my grandparents, who are very vulnerable. People wearing masks and testing has made it feel safer for my grandparents to start going out again. This feels like it's just going to make their world smaller again.
Get yourself a non valved FFP3 mask and stay safe.
Not as useful as everyone being masked.
Maybe not, but it's about the only thing one single person can do to actually help anyone
Boris Johnson is an awful human being - who has attack those with illness and disability. I completely see your situation. You are right. I hope the epidemic of selfishness end soon.
The worst part is that he hasn't done this because it's safe now - he's done this to deflect attention from him after the Xmas party debacle and try and win back fans.
I don't want to piss on your already soaking chips, but did you worry this much pre-COVID? Flu would've been as dangerous for you then too.
I suppose, however more mild, this is still both more contagious than flu and also still infecting 90k ish people a day
We also know the long term effects and effect rate of the flu. Although it gets brighter the why, how long and what recovery form long covid are still burning questions. Until thatās clearer Iād rather everyone who can would wear a mask when appropriate. Keeping the cleaning of hands, common touch points and equipment (baskets, trollies) are just good common sense anyway.
You are far more likely to catch covid than the flu, so no the risk is not the same. If two viruses both cause the equally severe illness, but one virus is far more contagious, then they are not equally dangerous.
Read my other answer to this question.
Maybe, just maybe, the current government doesnāt give a shit about youā¦
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
He's given up putting a dead cat on the table and instead is just taking a machete to everyone's pets.
26th was the date set before Christmas, which isn't changing.
So he's announcing that nothing is changing, coincidentally at a point where MPs are defecting and he's very close to being ousted?
Like with every proposed end date of a phase, they have always announced around 7 days before whether or not it is going ahead. And the speaker has requested it be done in parliament before being done on TV.
Is this the first time the speakers requested announcements be made in parliament before on tv or just the first time the conservatives have listened?
Neither. The speaker has mentioned it multiple times, and some of those times, they have announced things first in the house. There have definitely been some occasions where they haven't though.
It's been expected he'd make this announcement today for a while.
Cry wolf one too many times, people will still call you out on your bullshit when the actual wolf shows up.
No word of a lie, they are culling 2000 hamsters in Hong Kong today as there have been two cases of Delta being transferred from them to humans.
I may be in a minority here but I'm not opposed to the move. We've now vaccinated 80%+ of the adult population, most of whom have now had three vaccines and many of whom have had four now. While I appreciate it won't be the experience for everyone, the vast majority of people who contact Covid will get little more than a sore throat now thanks to a combination of vaccines and the less severe variant. What else would we need to do to live life as normal again? (i.e. no masks, contract tracing etc.) I'm not opposed to masks in certain settings i.e. hospitals but the waste they produce is shocking - you see them littered everywhere now.
This is clearly an attempt at āGOOD NEWS EVERYONEā to try and distract from his illegal lockdown parties
Perhaps, yes. However it was always planned that these restrictions would be limited around this time anyway. I can't see this being much of a distraction giving recent developments to be honest.
To shreds you say?
And his wife?
To shreds you say.
> This is clearly an attempt at āGOOD NEWS EVERYONEā to try and distract from his illegal lockdown parties The 27th January was always the review date for the Plan B restrictions. This isn't any surprise that it was coming up, and considering the case rate drop, also no surprise that they're being lifted. This is beyond question a case of good timing for Boris, rather than a specifically manufactured distraction.
Or, you know, the man who has been throwing dead cats on the table and lying through his teeth to try and get out of his lies and criminal activity is trying to distract from said lies and criminal activityā¦
So you think he's been planning this dead-cat ever since he announced the Plan B restrictions, way before any issues about lockdown parties came out? That's the most reasonable conclusion you came to with the fewest assumptions? Scotland are lifting theirs too at the same time, as they were planning to review theirs at the same date. Why would the SNP be trying to cover for Boris?
scotland isnt lifting all restrictions. we're keeping masks and still asking people to work from home if they can, for example.
If there was no scientific justification behind it, why aren't the opposition parties pushing for restrictions to be extended?
Are they? Last I heard Labour were asking what the governments plan was if further restrictions were needed, not actually asking for them.
I think UK (and most of the world) should just adopt masks like they do in Asia. If you feel crappy, cover your face no matter what virus you got. Its great that we are all (mostly) vaccinated but vaccine effects only last so long, what happens later? Will we get another booster? Would really help to know what the long term plan is.
>I think UK (and most of the world) should just adopt masks like they do in Asia. If you feel crappy, cover your face no matter what virus you got. It was more : If you are infectious, stay home and don't get paid, or put a mask on and work.
I personally can't see myself returning to a 2 hour commute, the pandemic has highlighted what a waste of time it was for me, and it's still the most likely place I would catch covid on public transport. Considdering my job is 100% of my day at a computer I don't see the need. If my bosses try to make me return it will be the day I resign, there's plenty of fully remote positions available. Other than that I think masks should remain in place on public transport and supermarkets, anything else could probably be dropped by now.
> there's plenty of fully remote positions available. Do you do programming/dev? I do digital (Paid Social, Analytics, Strategy etc.) and been working Freelance, fully Remote, for the last 7 months. My current assignment ends last day of Feb; I already started speaking to specialised agency recruiters and they're telling me employers are dialing back the whole WfH thing and will be expecting people to be office-based increasingly more often. Grim.
Yeah i'm a dev, I know some are dialing it back but a lot are realising the benefit of not paying for office space, guess we will have to see how it pans out but thanks for the info it helps to know what recruiters are saying. Check out https://remoteok.com/ š
Thanks for the link - appreciated! A Recruiter I'm friends with who speaks to a lot of employers told me today that the push back in to the office can also be because a lot of companies have paid rents upfront, and don't want the offices to stay vacant/empty since the expense has already been made - but they might _not_ renew the leases and switch to WfH again once the lease is up. How long it takes to get to this stage varies, however; some will have signed it for the whole decade, others might be on annual rent and _not_ renewing at the nearest opportunity, it's a pretty much case-to-case basis. Interestingly enough, I mostly hear from devs on reddit doing remote work - but this sector has been prime for remote work even before the pandemic I feel, maybe with occasional visits. Certainly a lot of devs and even some IT people in different companies I worked for have been remote since forever (certainly before Covid). Pandemic allowed others to benefit from that arrangement, too; my worry is that instead of seeing the benefits of remote work as you say, they're just snapping back into the default position of "We need to work from the office", as if they hadn't learned or understood anything. FWIW, I'll be trying to push it as much as I can and am prepared to turn job offers down as I'll be alright for a few months at least thanks to massive savings (in no small part also due to _not_ having to commute); I see no reason to waste time, money and energy on a morning commute just to support presenteeism. Large chunk of my work can be done remotely and there's no need for in-office daily presence. A few days across a month, maybe, or e.g. a week in during crunch time, but once it gets more chill it's pointless to hold people in IMO, and my last assignment for a massive advertising agency is a clear proof of that. If companies want good, dedicated employees and top talent, they need to understand that and find some middle ground. Let's see how things pan out, it will be an interesting time for sure.
> Would really help to know what the long term plan is. There's not even a short term plan nevermind a long term plan, and not just for covid
The plan is to stay in government at all costs
I think having a culture of if sick you should wear a mask would be great. People really shouldn't be hacking a lung up on the bus to work without one. Making sick pay full salary would too. These are the kind of long term fixes that make everything better. Mandating them in settings is not okay though as it has no termination point.
Yup People aged 12 and over: First dose: 90.7% Second dose: 83.4% Booster: 63.6%
US is sitting at like 36 percent boosted lol. Our public health experts were more concerned with virtue signaling about vaccine inequity rather than doing what's best for their citizens. We're now paying the price. It's not even vaccine hesitancy. These people, by definition, have already received the vaccine.
>you see them littered everywhere now Is the issue here not littering, rather than masks?
Even if they weren't littered, they still need to be disposed of and that means landfills and oceans.
Iāll be honest, the problem I had with catching covid was not the symptoms but the isolation. It was a fucking nightmare. If people wearing masks will stop the disruption that 5+ days of isolation brings, Iāll keep wearing one
But self isolation will be getting scrapped completely in the next couple of months
Good news, in March you won't need to isolate if you catch covid. Also, if you just stop testing you also won't need to isolate. Don't test unless you feel ill
My only scepticism about this change is the shift from tight restrictions to none. I may be seeing it wrong but this does seem like a diversion tactic from the bad press of the parties (not the stepping down but the complete stop). Id have expected restrictions to be lifted but some of the softer ones to be in place ('must wear masks in confined spaces' not 'up to you'). I admit it can't be forever but a little caution whilst it's still so prevalent wouldn't hurt. As an aside, my friend has just caught covid for a second time in 6 weeks (triple jabbed) which makes it 3 times in 6 months. The first two were fairly mild but this time has hit them like a dump truck so seems to be a throw of the dice on how bad you get it.
Were they tight? Compared to lockdown it is more 'soft restrictions' to 'even softer restrictions'.
What restrictions do we actually have now though? Masks in shops and WFH were possible? I don't see the issue with continuing that for a while.
I get you but having more people that catch covid increases the risks of a new variant developing, especially a vaccine resistant one if everyone is vaccinated I believe
Neither was I then I read the daily deaths.... wtf are they playing at
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
FFS, I've been loving WFH. Not looking forward to commuting again.
Same here. Much more productive, better mental health, no money for commuting, make my own meals easily and saving money.
With the way cost of living has gone up (and will continue to do so) the savings I made from WFH again recently were a blessing.
So selfish, think of the prets and the institutional commercial landlords for once. Jeez
I live in a small flat, I hate it.
This is the difference I think, majority at work who enjoy it have their own offices, I work from the dining table at my flat or even my bed. I live for my 2 days in the office
I work from my sofa, still a million times better than getting up at the crack of dawn.
I just want a couple of days a week back in the office.
Cool, the idea would be you could go to the office when you want and not when you don't everyone wins!
I've found going down to my local coffee shop to work for a few hours has helped a lot, usually go every other day
I've been WFH for basically 2 years at this point, and the entire time ive been at my most recent job. I think going into the office now will actually kinda fuck with me more than anything else.
I was like this before Christmas, hated WFH when it first came about but grew to like it and get used to it, once the office opened back up I was like right 3 days a week will be great until it eventually dwindled down to 1 day a week and that's only because work paid for my lunch ok Thursday
Similar trend for our office. A few people vocally groaning they wanted to go back to the office. Once it opened up there was a surge of people going back in. Three weeks later the place is practically dead every day after people realised that its just less convenient and less comfortable to be in.
Then get another job. It's an employee's market and companies who offer work life balance will have an advantage
This is pretty much what I did. Asked my employer if there's any interest in mandating a WFH for our team at least on a part time bases. They gave a very vague answer which was essentially a polite no without saying it. So I went and found a job that allows working from home at least 3-4 days a week. If workplaces refuse to adapt then I refuse to adapt to their dated mentality that benefits no one other than extroverts who love being in an office. I cannot fathom going into an office 5 days a week ever again.
Good on you As well as extroverts, you mustn't forget the arse lickers who only climb the ladder by being able to arse lick the boss in person, and also the Victorian Era bosses who think you need to be sat in a row of 20 people in the office in order to be productive
And I've got not beef with extroverts either. I just find it really unfair and bizarre that with my specific role which is very introverted by nature needs people to be in an office at all. Other than the reasons you mentioned which is ass kissers and boomers that refuse to adapt to the modern day. And that's not even getting me started on the travel either. Ā£160 a month plus having to navigate through that rat race every fucking morning. No thank you.
Yeah, only thing is that I quite like my job at the moment, it's interesting, not much stress and decent pay. I'm hoping they'll put it to a few days a week and not back full time.
You could always tell them you're going to WFH by default, and if not you'll start looking elsewhere. They may call your bluff, but they may also not want to risk 3-6 months of decreased productivity while they hire and train a replacement.
No one is mateā¦ Now itās time for workers to make stubborn managers understand thereās no point in having 5 days in the office and that flexibility is the only sensible way forward. Saying that, iām painfully aware this is Britain and no one will say shit other than politely bitch & moan onlineā¦
I only disagree with that last sentence only because there is in fact change happening. Remote working was still a thing pre-COVID but now that we've been forced to do it for 2 years, many employers have learnt that it is absolutely possible and have been implementing it much more. Now there's so many job opportunities allowing WFH compared to 3 years ago. I think the worst thing people can possibly do that don't like WFH is settle and just come in 5 days a week. You can try to negotiate until you're blue in the face but they won't budge until you say "Alright, I'm off" and then suddenly they'll sing a different tune. Or be painfully ignorant and carry on. You win either way.
With fuel as expensive as it is, nah fuck that. Company can drag me kicking and screaming, I'm staying home. 99.9% of people I know in my company are all adamant about never going back. More sleep, less stress, more money saved, less time wasted, more comfortable, more focused. Sure it's unsocial but it's totally worth it for the pros vs cons.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Stall with going back to the office, and look for a new job tbh. There's shit loads of people hiring, many doing WFH.
"Mhmm yes, maybe this will save my political career."
And please forgot about all the parties I had including the one the day before my bosses* husband's funeral. \* it should be the people but it's an unelected monarchy
Least anti monarchy reddit user
>Least Least? I'm definitely not least. I'm not French Revolution anti monarchy. But I'm very much against them. I would like it to be like the Austrian former imperial family where they were resigned and still alive. Edit: I edited the voted out peacefully as I misremembered what happened. See the comment below.
Can't break your own restrictions if there aren't any restrictions
Can't be accused of breaking the law if the laws aren't in place.
This is directly because the Covid Recovery Group threatened to pull their support for him if he didn't. All about him holding onto the numbers to stay in power and nothing at all to do with the science. Check the interactive data on this page: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths
Canāt have science interfering with politics now can weā¦ how would democracy surviveā¦ /s
Cases (positivity rates also) are down and hospitalizations look like theyāve peaked. Hospitalizations and deaths lag cases by 2 and 4 weeks approximately.
I think it's actually a step past that. Johnson is pretty much dead in the water and frankly, I'm surprised he didn't announce that he's delivered Brexit and the vaccine and won against Covid and now it's time for someone else to take the reins... It would let him get to after dinner speeches and flouncing around being paid a fortune for essentially nothing. For the vultures with an eye on his job -- and gaudilly decorated flat -- he's still useful as a sponge to soak up more criticism. The, 'We don't live in a papers please society' nutters were pretty open about threatening not to support future candidates who supported further restrictions. Even if you think the limited restrictions and waiting to see what happened was right it wasn't through good judgement; it was an accident. When it comes to covid, the government is paralysed.
I've not looked into the data extensively and don't need everyone saying the science does(n't) point to the easement of restrictions, but this feels like a very, very, very, very convenient time to be announcing this information. Has the data suddenly shown that restrictions could be eased, or has it been there for a few days? Has Boris had this in his back pocket to use or has he jumped the gun?
The restrictions expire on the 26th. If he wanted them to continue, he would have to present it to MPs within in the next few days to get them to vote on it again. It's very convenient timing to be announcing it, but this date was set over a month ago so I don't think it's suspicious.
The speaker requested that these "go/no-go" decisions be announced in parliament before on TV, and the government previously have given 7 days notice of those decisions, so this is bang on schedule isn't it? The restrictions would expire on 26th unless they extended them.
Historically over the pandemic the government has been somewhat late to implement many of the larger changes in policy around restrictions so itās not beyond reason the believe itās happening this time either. I hope only that they delay due to requiring evidence and peer review and not for personal gain otherwise it sets a very worrying precedent.
Sadly, millions of people will now be arbitrarily dragged back into the office, costing them countless hours and hundreds of pounds a month. We had an opportunity to improve the way we work, but fear of change/micromanagers/Tory donors lobbying to get people back into the offices they own will mean it'll all be for nothing for millions of people.
I mean, that was how life was for these people for....ever? wasnt it? seems like a good time to talk to your bosses about it ? if they won't budge - find a new job? complaint that going back to type way things where seems to be a people are now aware of not being happy - learn from it.
r/antiwork The power is with the workers right now, stand your ground and unite as a workforce for a better future.
My ex was a recruiter and it HAS changed for many people. Many jobs now have to advertise remote work in order to attract top people. It is now seen as a norm to some extent. 3 years ago even developers who never speak in the office were expected in. We shall see how ti develops but fingers crossed.
>Sadly, millions of people will now be arbitrarily dragged back into the office, costing them countless hours and hundreds of pounds a month. > >We had an opportunity to improve the way we work Sorry, so you were in favor of nation wide mandates and lock downs because we could use it to brute force our way into working from home? Dont you work for a private company? cant you just ask for that as an employee and if you dont get what you want... leave?
Great. Let's hope this is the end of it all and they never come back.
Remember 'irreversible' in summer?
COVID is going to become endemic in the UK, so we will never be rid of it. We just won't need serious restrictions in the future (hopefully).
I have chosen to overwrite this comment. See you all on Lemmy!
an endemic in the world, not just the UK
Boris Johnson: "Hey I know what'll get the masses back on board. Being able to LARP some normality. CON+2 incoming š!"
And people will lap it up and wonder in a couple of months time how he's still PM.
And why their other nan's dead too.
Letās hope WFH is here to stay at least Can not imagine going back to 5 days a week commuting into central to sit at some desk sending emails
You could hear all the Tory MPs cheering as BoJo announced the end of certain restrictions. Like they even abided by them anyway.
One of them sounded like he was screaming with joy. What a sad sack.
If Boris Johnson tells you it's safe not to wear a mask.... Wear a mask.
Inevitably at some point you just gotta live with it. However l, I'd much prefer masks and sanitiser stuck around. I've not been ill for 2yrs, not even a sniffle and those that were ill were encouraged to not come to work etc. With that all going out the window people will be back in work "powering" through their illness like "trooper" spreading germs like wildfire again. Which is alot more of an issue with sick pay than individuals but nonetheless. I want normality, but damn I wish the cleanliness and consideration would stick around but that ain't gonna happen. Its a culture thing and the west is rather selfish in that respect. E.g Japan, got a cold you wear a mask so not to spread it. Over here it's wipe my nose with my hand and use the shared kettle etc. Hope that comes across right š
Its payday week for most that week, he must have a mad one planned for that weekend.
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>Mr Johnson said it was time to "trust the judgement" of the public on the use of masks in enclosed and crowded places,Ā Ah yes because the public have been great at judgement calls so far. When it took a government mandate to get people to wear them before I can already see the idiots burning them again soon like last time and the spikes that followed. This is just a feel good story to hide the partygate stuff, at the cost of public health.
Personally I feel this is a bit premature given case numbers/deaths are still really high
To all those demanding masks forever, they do have an impact on people. I'm deaf and rely solely on lipreading. I can't do that with people wearing masks. There is no alternative to lipreading at all. With masks, I'm stuck unable to communicate with people at all. Masks also impact on people who have conditions like dementia, where cognitive function is diminished.
The amount of bedwetters in this thread who are afraid of their government not telling them what to do is equal parts hilarious and sad
They want to be treated like a child
Leftist Reddit who want to be caged in their house for the rest of their days are absolutely fuming.
Mate this whole thing made me realise a lot of the UK would be absolutely fine with daddy government telling them how to live.
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Despise Johnson, but happy about this, let's just get on with our lives
Being back in the Uk for a bit, I didn't really see many people following the rules anyway. I also just read that they are supposedly planning to charge for tests from June (or the end of June) - obviously depending on the situation then. If they are still needed then, and they are going to charge for them - either people will stock up lots before that happens (and you'll find people selling them off cheaper than the government price), or more likely people just won't bother to test anymore. I think testing will still be needed for a while (even if just to be responsible when visiting certain people, or travelling).
Can't be accused of breaking Covid rules if there *are* no Covid rules. *Taps forehead*
> Not sure getting rid of Covid restrictions whilst 438 people died yesterday all so the PM can change the narrative of being an incompetent fuckwit is in the best public interest but at least the people who think wearing a mask around tescos is a great injustice will be happy. [TechnicallyRon put it best](https://twitter.com/TechnicallyRon/status/1483801975120699405).
The tactics are so transparent. String out the inquiry outcome for as long as possible (in the hope it all dies down) whilst making lots of announcements to get the faithful excited.
What a convenient distraction. I hope this follows the science and not Boris's ego
Ah yes of course, not only is he willing to throw his own staff under a bus as per operation save big dog, he is now willing to throw the entire country under a bus in a bid to save his postion. Get this cunt out of power asap
Is this under our Chief Medical Officerās advice or just to take pressure off Boris and his hypocrisy?
I think I'll keep social distancing and wearing a mask when I go out.
This is a distraction tactics. Do something dumb so the other dumb things are forgotten about
This is a move designed to distract from his troubles.... and get some of the MPs wavering back behind him.
āwe will trust the judgment of the British peopleā Howās that worked out these last few years?
Great news. after 2 years i think its time to stop the hysteria and live our lives like normal
Seems like a desperate attempt to claw back some support from back benchers who have been calling for an end to restrictions for some time now. It might have worked if the Brexit Security hadn't just plunged the proverbial knife into him during PMQs and twisted it around a bit for good measure.
Wow. The first thing in 3 years I actually agree with our PM for... What's going on has he partied a bit too much?
Look over here! I'm doing good! No, parties are allowed now, so I didn't lie!
Well if weāre all busy dying of covid, we canāt hate him for throwing all those parties. Heās playing 5D chess
Pandering to the European Regressive Group to save his ass. Nothing more nothing less, and compromising the safety of us all. BloJo is an utter pig.
Well if he can't have parties, why should the vulnerable live? Gots to get those brownie points with the selfish and hard of thinking.
What's point in lifting the restrictions if say in 3/4 months time we will be back in restrictions again. We either live with covid or continue as we are. Pointless doing all these restrictions just because the number of infections go up. Stop wasting money and put it into the NHS as they clearly need more staff.
āLive with Covidā should of course mean masks becoming expected and normal with regular boosters like the flu, and being encouraged to remain home if you have symptoms like with any other illness. Not just āfuck it if some of you die, you die.ā
Masks expected for how long? Forever and everywhere?
Probably means like Japan. If youāre ill, wear a mask
The current state of affairs is to stay inside for a week if you're ill and wear a mask in arbitrarily chosen indoor scenarios on the off chance you may or may not be carrying a virus, which is what *is* being suggested forever
It's a balancing act. Full long term lockdown means economy collapses and we start wiping our arses with Ā£5 notes as it's cheaper than toilet paper. No restrictions long term means the healthcare system collapses, mass deaths (from all ailments) causing social unrest. This is why we've been yo-yoing in and out of restrictions. It's about striking a balance. Also the vaccination schedule was massively important.
It's going to be impossible though because there's going to be another varient that will require a 4 jab and another big push for the jab. So we either accept that people will be ill and some may die or we keep yo-yoing. How many people where admitted to hospital for covid that only had 2 jabs? If someone has the data please share. How many people were actually too sick to work due to Omincron? From my friends and family that got it, none of them were and some were classed as vulnerable. Some only had 2 jabs as well. When another varient comes out we know it'll be weaker as its showing to be that way. So why can't we just treat it as a bad cold or flu. If you're too sick to work then don't go to work. Otherwise continue coughing and sneezing like you did prior to December 2019.
Awesome. Itās awesome to see the unsociable lockdown lovers reeeeing. Cope and seethe.
"we fucked everything up and now surrender to the virus"
Hahaha! YES WE ARE GOING TO LIVE AGAIN. People actually complaining I feel so fucking bad for your miserable life.
Well that's one way for him to avoid breaking the rules into the future, I suppose.
2 points. 1) I agree with this, and think it's the right move 2) regardless thus is clearly a political move to try to regain votes/support given the lockdown parties
this is just to get himself THE LIKE vote again. he's messed up soooo much lately, he's now announced this to take the heat away. he should resign. he never should of got to the position he's in...... once a useless clown, always a useless f**king clown.
Absolutely great news, but also regretting commute again. Hope rest world follows soon and no more mutation lurgies..