dg comments

please empty your brain below

At the start of the pandemic (January/February) the difference in how Asia and the West reacted was very stark . Now once again it is. Beijing tightening up after a couple of dozen cases a day while the UK relaxes despite around a thousand cases daily. Foreign tourists encouraged in Spain and Italy, but certainly not in Thailand, Cambodia etc. Time will tell whether Asia is being paranoid or Europe is being complacent.

Alan R | 23.06.20 - 7:54 a.m. | #

Outside seems to be very low risk. There is no visible rise from the Black Lives Matter and other protests.

Inside supermarkets are not significant spreaders and most people seem to accept that walking past somebody at less than 2m is minimal risk.

There are still 'hotspots' that need to be addressed before the unlocking goes too far.

Why do people from New Zealand arriving in London need to go into quarentine, but not people from Manchester (which had a much higher rate)?

I can't see my elderly parents going down the supermarket any time soon no matter what the government days.

Peter B | 23.06.20 - 7:56 a.m. | #

Although I am a great fan of the metric system, I wonder whether talking about "six feet" rather than / as well as "two metres" would have helped subconsciously. I am your age and, whilst I very happily estimate or measure stuff in metric units, I tend to think of the gap as "Two metres is six feet is roughly my height, so could I lay down in the gap?". Do "young people" (aaargh!) think of their height in metres or feet?

Also, "six" implicitly sounds bigger than "two", which might have a subconscious effect.

DavidC | 23.06.20 - 8:33 a.m. | #

One thing that government and the media have kept rather quiet about is the difference between South-East England (including London) and the rest of the country. While levels of infection are similar over most of England, generally they are reducing but in the South-East they are hardly changing, if at all. That means that the risk of going out is similar everywhere but the risk of a second wave starting is higher where you, DG, and I live. Re-starting lockdown would not be good. (Info from the ZOE survey.)

Tony | 23.06.20 - 8:49 a.m. | #

I'm in my 13th or 14th week of furlough, not gone stir crazy yet 😏 Happier that a few more people are going out as I can now get my groceries from Asda 'click & collect' and no longer have to shop 'in person' 😉 Yes I am in the Shielding Catagory (64+ COPD & Type 2 Diabetes). As DG rightly suggests more than one variable does alter the end product - Each to their own maybe? 🤔

Kevin Too | 23.06.20 - 8:51 a.m. | #

I'm happy easing up a little. I'll be more cautious (I think what they call 'alert') anyway, but there's no accounting for those letting down their guard and allowing easier transmission of the virus.

We will only start to see in the next few days whether there has been significant transmission from the first of the recent demonstrations.

A thing I find very uncertain, looking further down the road, is when there comes such a time that one starts to decide that (out of bubbles) something called 'safe sex' might exist again. Just saying... as they say.

NickW | 23.06.20 - 8:55 a.m. | #

ease up a little

Colin | 23.06.20 - 8:57 a.m. | #

Think i'm here. tbh part of me says open it all up, because there is a large group, me included, that aren't gonna go to a cinema, pub or public transport for a while, because we're worried about the virus and still don't really trust the government's advice. I'll personally wait until its below 300 new cases per day before i go out any more.

kilian | 23.06.20 - 9:16 a.m. | #

It's difficult, as we need to balance the immediate health risks of the virus against the long term impacts of different lock down levels (which have their own direct and indirect health implications too). Problem is I have lost trust in the government's motives now.

I'm itching to go for walks in London (too few toilets for my kids at the moment) and visit museums. I'll give pubs a miss though - indoors, drinking, talking, probably too close so you can hear each other, presumably no masks - just sounds like too much unnecessary risk for me.

Peter of London | 23.06.20 - 9:27 a.m. | #

I sometimes people forget how unnatural lockdown is, and that when things are relaxed a bit we'll still be very restricted when compared to how things were in February

Mikey C | 23.06.20 - 9:40 a.m. | #

While I think we are moving too fast it seems that since Cummings got away with it, and more things have been allowed to open, many people have begun to act as if it's all over.

I feel sorry for those who might not feel ready but will be being pressured to get back to work or whatever.

Cornish Cockney | 23.06.20 - 12:32 p.m. | #

Ease up maybe, but explain why much better. Advertisers can make us want just about anything, but the government seem incapable of using similar techniques to get the population as a whole behind them. It's not helped of course by repeatedly seeming unable to follow their own rules/guidance/whatever you call it, right back to Boris showing us how to wash our hands while simultaneously spreading the virus around the Cabinet before going to his holiday home to recuperate.

Andrew S | 23.06.20 - 1:52 p.m. | #

My instincts are to keep the restrictions in place, but rationally I think we are at the stage where we should be slowly and carefully relaxing the restrictions, and watching closely what happens.

While each of us takes the obvious steps as individuals to reduce the risks to ourselves, our friends and families, and our communities: wearing masks, washing hands, keeping our distance (ideally at least 2m), avoiding large groups, working from home.

My fear is that we are moving too far and too fast, before there is time to properly see the results. Not aided by there being inadequate testing, inadequate tracking and tracing, and mixed government messages.

The risk is that we may have to clamp down again suddenly if things get out of hand. But we have done the "Hammer" and we are at the "Dance" stage (see here).

Andrew | 23.06.20 - 1:58 p.m. | #

I think that 2m makes it impossible for many businesses to open, but I'd rather be at leave things alone.
However, looks like its basically UNLOCK coming

M | 23.06.20 - 6:18 p.m. | #

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