Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

zero covid or zero deaths with/from/related to covid or nphet disbanded.

Only one option, however unlikely to happen, is feasible.

It's been extreme since this time last year, maybe even before that but the poor 2020 Christmas call left the government in a position where they feel obliged to comply. Having some hypercautious people in government is also part of it.

They got it bang on last year on when to drop everything and didn't flinch last month when Scotland and Wales did. The stats back them up. They were correct.

It also be noted that originally they were sticking with the "What to do if we have a pandemic" plan but came under too much media and public pressure to lockdown. And if you think it was a good idea to lockdown back in March 2020, it should also be noted that we locked down after the UK. I remember having to turn up to work here despite all of my UK colleagues being told to stay home.

It's also a gamble taking this approach. It's just that the fallout won't be seen immediately.

It depends really, we would need clear communication on what was left..

Is table service only gone? is the need to take 5 days or more off work for a mild cold gone? Can i eat in the canteen at work? can I walk over to a colleagye desk and hava chat?.. can I send a child to school with a slight cough? Do we need boosters every 4 months to be a part of society.. if my battery dies or I lose my phone on a night out, I have no pass and the night ends..so are passes going to be a strict and continue?. Any massages/ spa day treatments are done with gloves on.. can all this PPE protective gear be dropped for treatments.. is social distancing still going to be a thing, so the queues for the till go way back down the shop, are limited numbers in shops gone? Are changing rooms back? Are all restrictions on pubs etc gone, in respect to dancing and wandering around to eachothers tables to say hi to another group, are we allowed to dance and hug each other in a packed pub.. are non COVID treatments in hospital back on fully.. can i visit my doctor for non covid related issues without having to get a PCR test?. there is alot more than just closing times and numbers at a concert.. I really hope this is made clear other than, 2 hours more in a pub... I understand these are all only minor inconveniences, however they are things we could do, pre COVID; Of course they were all required at a time of real concern.. in my opinion, the majority of the above are no longer required .. and is being overly cautious in a lot of cases, for a huge section of society..

Covid 19 was never dangerous to children in any meaningful form.

What was dangerous was closing schools, banning children from playgrounds, destroying their social lives, instilling a culture of fear and generating a huge debt that they will be saddled with when they grow up.

But sure as long as Timmy Work From Home is happy, thats the main thing.

I think about my primary school children. They’ve been treated like plague carriers in all of this, with their freedoms and joy whipped away at any opportunity. I’m very grateful the temptation to close the schools was resisted despite constant calls from main stream media, social media whingers and people scared of their own shadows.

However, my primary school children have to endure the following in their school. Every restriction and reminder of this needs to go – every single one.

• Yard time is restricted to a tiny subset of the outside space.
• Classes are not permitted to mix outside.
• Wearing masks all day.
• Classes broken into pods of 4 or 5 - no inside mixing.
• Windows open regardless of weather.
• Some children wearing hats and coats inside.
• Staggered school start and end times.
• Children must wait outside school gates until exactly school start time.
• Parents banned from entering the school yard.
• I have never met, or even seen, any one of their teachers this year.
• Constant “social distancing” reminders all over the school and permanently painted on the ground.
• Regular ventilation breaks.
• School “assembly” done via Zoom.
• All other usual social events cancelled (plays, fairs, etc.)

As a parent of two young children I can confirm that for working parents it was shīt before Covid came along. There are little to no supports for working parents other than handing over a fortune every month for childcare.

I can also confirm that it has been even worse since the pandemic started for parents. Trying to juggle WFH and doing school work during those long months when schools were closed was extremely stressful. Then there are the frequent stories of families having to isolate for extraordinary lengths of time because of the crazy policies we have in place.

So, sure, we get to spend more time at home but that time is more stressful than it ever was trying to balance work, schoolwork, etc.

your first line is a bit unfair as you are suggesting it could have been near 0 with anyone else in charge. In broad terms the UK tracked France in 2020

It could be strongly argued that vaccine passports led to more infections when they were introduced- people let their guard down incorrectly believing they had total immunity from infection and transmission of the virus.

I know some people think keeping them is punishment for anti vaxxers- it's not, they have made their choice and are getting on with their lives. We need to be able to do the same without the rigmarole of showing documents for a cup of coffee and the threat of having passes up dated to include boosters. The freedoms we gave away and restrictions we agreed to are not the governments or NPHET to slowly re-issue to us, it's our right. The emergency is over- more people infected in the last couple of months that the rest of the pandemic put together and hospitals no worse than a flu season according to Leo. We need to get rid of all restrictions now, remembering everybody has the right to keep living their lives with masks, social distancing- hell anybody can continue to show proof of vaccination to hospitality staff if they really want. But people in this country have for the majority toed the line and stepped up when it comes to compliance to rules, vaccination etc. They need to be rewarded now.