COVID - general discussion - Temp Locked

I think you make a fair point Rufs. Those folk we meet round our forest in large non socially distanced groups (easy to avoid) are actively aiding the spread of the virus and we may come closer to similar folk, in an indoor setting, next time we visit the local Coop or pharmacy .

I have just had to go down town to the chemist and the lock down is nothing like that of March/April. Plenty of traffic and people out on the High Street. I could walk along the main road in March and not get run over!

peedee

The government have just revised one of their definitions of "close contact" in the Test & Trace scheme. It is now defined as (and I quote) "anyone who has been within two metres of someone for more than 15 minutes whether in a single period or cumulatively in the course of one day". This of course is relating to 'someone' who has  tested positive.

The previous definition was just a single period of 15 minutes.

Interestingly there is no mention of being between 2 and 4 metres from someone for 30 minutes which is what happened to me in a restaurant earlier in 2020 when someone at a table 3 + metres away subsequently tested positive and I had to isolate for 14 days.

If I'm out walking or at the supermarket the length of time that I am less than 2 metres from someone must be counted in single figure seconds and I do all I can to avoid getting closer than 2 metres but this isn't always possible as we all know.

There was a scientist on the radio this morning (can't just remember her name, but sounded a very sensible woman) who was again making the point about mixed and confusing messages being in large part to blame for perceived transgression of the "rules". She made the point that virtually all transmission of the virus is taking place indoors and that, with social distancing maintained, it was very unlikely to be transmitted out of doors.  So it seems to me that much more attention needs to be focused on what is happening in shops, particularly large supermarkets rather than on folk drinking while walking outdoors (or even smoking/vaping,  disgusting though I personally find those habits!)

I drove through our small local town last Thursday. Apart from a few outside a local bank waiting and a couple outside the local Iceland the streets were empty. Car traffic light as well. No problems at Local Asda at 10 am either today

Our experience as well. When we visited the butchers on Friday we had to use the pedestrian crossing to cross the main road. In March / April we never pressed the button once.

"So it seems to me that much more attention needs to be focused on what is happening in shops, particularly large supermarkets rather than on folk drinking while walking outdoors (or even smoking/vaping, disgusting though I personally find those habits!)"

I couldnt agree more but personally i think both are important, though it is pointless debating drinking a couple of cups of coffee, what we should be concentrating on if we are to be free of all these restrictions and as a result go about our daily lives in an enjoyable way and continue on our travels whether it be over here or overthere is for all of us to do our utmost to avoid contact with somebody who is not in our immediate household whereever possible, to do this sensibly we need to stay at home at much as possible, stay away from folk outdoors, personally i would scrap the meet up with 1 other person outdoors for exercise, wear a mask, wash our hands, we have been doing this for nearly 12 months now it is not rocket science.

we have close to 90K deaths in the UK now is not the time to be hugging our children or the Gkids, sitting outside socialising at the local coffee shop, use Zoom or something similar, we sent MIL pay as you go mobile phone so we could keep in contact, she is 94, if she can do it anybody can.

Ditto to the chemist, but guess what......a crowd of people sat outside Costa Coffee some blocking the entrance to the Co-op, you cant make it up

"If I'm out walking or at the supermarket the length of time that I am less than 2 metres from someone must be counted in single figure seconds and I do all I can to avoid getting closer than 2 metres but this isn't always possible as we all know."

and that is a very good point that many do not understand, and dont forget you dont have to be within 2 metres of somebody for 15 minutes to get infected from somebody who is a superspreader, a couple of minutes is more than sufficient. 

Not just in towns - one of our regular dog walks involves us crossing the very busy by pass on the outskirts of town to access local fields and lanes. In the first lockdown there was barely a vehicle to be seen. Yesterday we had to take our life in our hands to get across! 

And then it was really shocking to see the amount of rubbish dumped on the side of the lane, including two bin liners apparently full of beer cans and a disused setee.  Are recycling centres closed again now?