Alert level down from 4 to 3

Personally I think it’s tactical. They can’t reduce distancing with us on 4 and they’re under pressure to do that, so they’ve moved it to 3 in good time for the announcement so that our pubs etc are happy. They say they’ll do these things when safe...but safety is relative. The economy is a huge driver.

I feel so sad for businesses that are going under or on the brink, it would be good to do whatever helps them survive. That can be helped by children going to school which releases parents who want to work. I, myself, choose not go to the shops yet because I dare not get another lung condition or it could be curtains, which I am not ready for.

Anyone see the rainbow last night? here in Swindon, sign from God,, there is Hope! don`t knock it...

I haven't seen the news for a few days. It was a conscious decision because I had been feeling low. To hear that the level is now down to 3 is marvellous ( if it's right)

I went on a trip to a shop today for the first time since 22/3. I am living with my family far from my own home and my daughter is keeping me very safe. It was so exciting just to be doing something normal, even though I was wearing a mask. It was a farm shop near here and everything was extraordinarily well organised and safe.

I found myself crying when I came out. How daft is that, but I was overwhelmed with it all.

I do so agree that the children should return to education as soon as possible however the virus is not going to disappear .
A number of countries have a second wave and we have to be very ,very careful that we do not return to lockdown for that would be disasterous for the country.
No schoolchild can be reliable to keep their distance and teachers are just as valnerable to the virus.
Lifting of lockdown has come too soon, I am afraid the government is too interested in money rather than the welfare of people.

I will continue to take the health and safety measures I have been doing since March. I don't trust government officials to tell me when it's safe to do something. Will continue to use my commonsense around my particular situation.

CleoPanda- I'm very sorry that you've been one of the unlucky people to have had a nasty case of Coronavirus. It is a percentages game and you were one of the very unlucky percentage to have had this reaction to it.
We cannot go on condemning children to a lack of education and others to widespread job losses. Read the other posts on the irrationality of it all.

Delene100 You are right not to trust government officials, they have been formulating untruths and certainly cannot be trusted with the 'alert level' status. The actual numbers of deaths mentioned at daily briefings in April especially were rigged to ensure they could say they were doing everything they could. In today's paper this makes particularly stark reading:
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/19/over-1000-deaths-day-uk-ministers-accused-downplaying-covid-19-peak
We will certainly be sticking to the 2metre rule for a few weeks longer yet.

The government are still lying about testing levels, and contact tracing, and the less said about their idiotic go it alone notion with a "world beating" app the better.

Maybe some of us retired IT types should volunteer to help them out?

Franbern
Quote, four weeks is a 'helluva long time' what then is six years ?? The UK has as many other nations across the world survived in time of crisis many of those times going into years not weeks many never seeing loved ones again let alone being concerned with education or business..Chin up count your blessings.

We haven't been out since March 13 (yes, a friday!) and are very wary of venturing out before it is certain that the virus is no longer spreading and there have been no more cases for many weeks. Given the way it is spreading again in the USA and the re-occurrence in China makes it seem obvious that relaxation of the rules was premature.
Even if the R figure is 1 or even less, there is still a risk and you could be the "one".
We value what lives we may have left too much to take this risk

Very good Franvern I enjoyed your post. Thought of what you said somany times myself. Well done!!

I am shielding and wonder what the safety implications are for me and others also shielding of any loosening of the rules. I acknowledge of course that children need educating and that the country needs economically to get going.

I have been going out most days for an hour or more, and have re-discovered parts of the town which I had forgotten. Have not been to any shops - everything bought on line or delivered from supermarket as usual - and do not feel the need to especially given the restrictions.

I agree with you, catladyuk, I see no point in putting myself at unnecessary risk and in fact I have quite enjoyed lockdown - and I have saved quite a lot of money by not going shopping and coming home with impulse buys which I did not really need.

I have a nasty feeling we may be moving too fast, and another lockdown is more than probable.

As others have said, the government have been systematically lying to us and massaging the news throughout. In April, over 1000 people a day were dying. On one day, it was 1400. The government only admitted to 400, never once acknowledging that daily death rate had gone up to four figures! They have lied about testing (counting each person tested as two tests as two swabs (nose and throat) were taken), tracing, the app etc and don’t get me started on the mistakes and mess they have made of so much of the public health guidance. The way in which the Dominic Cummings fiasco has been handled is a disgrace. All of the evidence points to our Government be untrustworthy. As a behavioural scientist, I make my decisions based on evidence, so I don’t trust our Government and I look directly at scientific views myself, and make my own decisions based on what I learn. Most, if not all scientists now disagree with the Government’s actions and advice (why do you think no scientists are present at the Daily Briefings these days?).

Based upon the above, IMO and that of most Scientists, the lockdown was introduced too late and lifted too early. A scientist from the Government’s own SAGE committee has stated that the late start resulted in at least 25,000 more deaths and they (and the NHS) are expecting another huge surge in cases and deaths by August.

Embrace the lifting of lockdown if you wish. I’m just going to watch the chaos from the sidelines.

Along with a lot of people I expected to see rises in infection when the beaches were crowded, demonstrations etc. It hasn't happened, so I am wondering if it's going to continue, despite what we are doing. I hope so.

Putting the level down to 3 is giving out the wrong message people will not take as much care, social distancing in our shops in Essex apart from queuing is non existent. This is far from over.

I dont believe any of it!!! I think the government are telling us what THEY want us to think- what fits in with what they want, In reality, how the hell would we know? It could be any ruddy number?!

The public are already ignoring the rules. I suspect they've had enough of it. A main reason for imposing lockdown comparatively late was for fear of lack of compliance. That started weeks ago and infection rates are going down.

I think that its been around a LOT longer than we've been led to believe as well, i think this in march was the second wave, that's why its affected/killed so many people worldwide- i believe the first wave was in december- there's so many been ill in december, especially around xmas time with very similar symptoms, both to covid19 and to each other, and so many had developed pneumonia, that it couldn't just be a coincidence? They didn't want to tell us back then as the big pre- christmas spend /thus economy would have even more horrendous than it is now! Oh and look, Boris is trying to get everything open and back to a 'normal' semblance by september- which is usually the time they start bombarding us (retailly) about christmas soon being coming!!! Thats right Boris, put the cash before folks lives eh??

I think it would be useful for local councils to publish how many teachers and how many pupils in each of the schools in their area have become infected each week. Ours sends out a weekly e-mail about bins and parking, it would be easy for them to gather the stats each week and then parents would be able to decide whether or not to send their children back to school.
Only my middle grandson has been back at school full time for 3 weeks , no news on the youngest and oldest has had one 30min session over skype in 12 weeks.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Not down enough Jane10, in my opinion, if theres STILL folk dying, it should not be done! They should put more into developing a vaccine instead of forcing kids to 'take a hit' by shoving them back into schools before we know we can protect them via vaccines.

And they should be offering free pneumonia vaccines too to all who at least get the free flu vaccine each year- or at least work with pharmacies to offer half price- Boots do it(usually) £70 each one but they're aren't able to at moment due to gov't needing it! Same with the antibody tests. My DD paid for one online for herself,her partner, and for me.Hers arrived,but other 2 tests cant yet be sent out as gov't have taken them all.So now we cant even pay to help protect ourselves.

The public have ignored the rules a bit, at first, but most complied- now most are not because of Cummings and other gov't officials flouting it! And because gov't seem to have stopped listening to the scientists- and are just focussing on getting the revenue back in.They hardly even have a scientist on briefing anymore as theyre scared they'll disagree with them again