Are we approaching another lockdown?

Half the population have now had a vaccination. Huge amount this weekend. I expect the exit plan will remain the same but I expect some foreign travel wont go ahead as planned.

grandmajet

My fear is that people will start holidaying in Europe where so few are vaccinated. The biggest surge before the first lockdown was people returning from Italy and Spain. Maybe we should just stay in beautiful Britain this year.

I agree. Selfish people who are determined to go abroad on holiday could take us back to square one. It's more than likely that someone would bring other more dangerous variants home with them. This happened with the South African and Brazilian variants.

I’m starting to wonder because as long as people are travelling as one of my friends is doing
From UK to Poland
Poland to Egypt
Egypt to Brazil
Completely denying all existence of Covid ????

Another lockdown, we are currently in lockdown, dont think anyone could survive another

Having seen all the anti-maskers marching though London recently wearing no face coverings, and definitely not social distancing, I really fear we will be back in Lockdown in the Autumn. That's if the current restrictions are not extended.
Unless we all do what is necessary to protect each other this will go on and on.

Unfortunately I feel that we must be stopped from holidaying abroad this year. Most of the rest of the world is not as well vaccinated as us and I feel sure if holidays were taken that there would be a rise in cases here.

Europe seems to be experiencing a surge in cases and coupled with low levels of vaccine will not be safe for us to visit for some time. France apparently has always been vaccine adverse and the usual take up for any vaccine only around 40 % I am sure with Macron unsettling people and Ursula Vanderlyen being a bit of a b**ch their vaccine process is not going welll

I’ve had my latest Shielding email notifying shielding ending 31st March but advising to carry on doing the same and priority supermarket access extended to June 21st. Only difference I can see is the end of SS pay for those working

If people are positive, patient, they abide by the rules and they go for their vaccination when called we will get through this without another lockdown.

My son wants me to go and fetch him from uni for Easter but I looked at the guidelines and surely he isn't allowed? He said restrictions are being lifted on the 29th March and he can come and stay with us but when I read the guidelines it said stay local and only meet in gardens?

I actually don't feel like we are in lockdown. I am staying at home but all my children are in work or in various education settings and my husband is going into work part of the week too. The first lockdown none of us went anywhere

I can only echo the views on this thread. I have just emailed my MP around my concerns about holidaying abroad this year. We simply cannot do it, we are too close to being out of this eternal lockdown nightmare and I for one will not tolerate HMG pussyfooting around on this point. They must step in and control the situation, and I speak as one who had a holiday planned for France for late August which we will now not undertake.

Does anyone feel angry and vexed when neighbours and some family blatantly flouting the rules by having visits from their kids and grandchildren and then tell you! I am livid my sister and family all mix all the time because they live on the same street it’s NOT !! a bubble for god sake! I get so angry when she tells me they all spent Mother’s Day at her granddaughters house! But I have to bite my tongue AIBU. I have six grandchildren and I’d love to see them ?

My Mum gets really angry with her neighbour, if it helps Maggie68. They appear to be doing what they want whilst slagging off anyone else who breaks those rules. I saw my Mum once last year and she saw two of my sons once too. That is it. She hasn't seen my other children at all since December 2019 and I doubt we are the only family in this situation. We don't all live close enough to one enough to go peering through each others doorways!

Re the Spanish flu, yes there were no planes moving people around the world but there were trains moving troops back home, and ships to wherever home was, people from many countries were involved and I'm sure the transport was not socially distanced, that's how it got to remote villages all over the world. We have a chance to stop the spread if we all stop travelling for unnecessary purposes, and quarantine if we do

close enough to one another! I obviously need more caffeine

My granddaughter has a holiday booked with her twin boys, partner and three other members of family in Spain in August. She is actually hoping that there'll be a ban on travel so she can not go and still get her money back. She said it's cost so much she can't afford not to have her money returned!

Of course we’ll come out of it. We will however have to learn to live with it- like influenza. We may have to have a Covid vaccination every year like the flu jab. Depends how long some immunity is conferred by the jab. There is lots we have yet to learn about it. Just be thankful to all those who have produced this vaccine so incredibly quickly.

There are still too many people thinking the rules of travel, in particular, don't apply to them! Luckily my neighbours are about 300 yards away from me so it doesn't actually affect me, but twice recently they have had family come to stay from across the border in UK. I wish, sometimes, I could be the kind of person who would report them. Makes my blood boil when I think of all the people they put at risk. Rant for the day!!

Getting worried and stressed won’t help anything, I refuse to be miserable.
We will come through this eventually, so I just look calmly forward to that time.
What else can we do?

I can’t see people adhering to the rules forever and a day, look at the protests. I find it concerning that some are making there own rules and the policing therof even more difficult.

Just like Redhead56 I have kept cheerfully busy the whole time - until now. I’ve had enough. If it weren’t for the fact that spring is here and I have a small garden I would be in the depths of despair.

Well we are still in lockdown aren't we but about to gradually come out of it. And yes, there might be another lockdown later if we don't behave sensibly. If we stick to the rules and don't be selfish we might have a chance of freedom, but as long as people insist on their right to gather in large groups, etc. then another one is inevitable.
I think, long-term, there is cause for optimism if the whole world can get vaccinated eventually.
Meanwhile, wow, it's tedious isn't it....

According to one newspaper report today, more than 34 thousand people flew into the Republic of Ireland in the last month alone, with a high percentage stating it was for holiday or visit purposes.

Our total population is less than 6 million so why are all these people being allowed to enter the country when their travel is not essential and we’ve been in Lockdown since late December?

We’re stuck with a 5km travel limit which is impossible when you live rurally as my nearest supermarket is 8km distance away. Yet other people are clearly flouting the lockdown rules and travelling throughout the Republic and getting away with it.

The better weather longer daylight will of course entice people to mingle much more whether the rules allow or not. There are those in communities who will not accept vaccination when invited to do so allowing transference if they are carriers. Vaccine will lower the liklihood of serious complications if you do become susceptible to it but it does not eliminate the possibility. Yes it would be great if young people can go about life as they would like. I do though suspect that will be some time yet. Anyone spot the item on the numbers of police who now have Covid. They were involved in dealing with an illegal football match crowd in Glasgow. What we all want and what is safe for all are a while away yet.

I find it all sad confusing and difficult. I SO desperately want to visit my daughter and grandchildren living in the Canaries. I will have had both vaccines but they wont have had any. Plus can I still spread it? What about the variants? I am a childminder so having the children every day but cannot have my 2 granddaughters that live locally. I know via fb etc and they actually say ....that my mindees families are still having parties, visits etc and ignoring lockdown. This week I have had to do a first aid course with 6 other people,Ofsted would not let us defer. So thats Ok but not ok to see my sons and granddaughters. Parents if mindees more or less saying I cannot go see them. I am SO careful and havent been inside a supermarket etc for over a year.
Sad and confused.

I think the most we can hope for is the infection rate levelling out at a low point, and staying there. I think we may end up with an annual coronavirus vaccination to go with our flu vaccinations, which will protect against new variants of the virus. Personally, I’m happy with that.