Lampshade
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My employer has said October at the earliest.
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22nd February - Roadmap out of the pandemic, lifting of restrictions.
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Yes pretty common in Europe and North America at least.
nlogax
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September for mine, though in the light of the UK is aiming to come out of all restrictions by June, local UK policy is being reviewed next week. I'm optimistic.
Well that won't be happening - the genie's out of the bottle and 'hybrid' working will be here to stay. As to when those 2/3 days a week office workers finally start coming back, probably won't be until June/July at the earliest
Remember that 21 June is the date by which Government has indicated that all restrictions on social contact will be lifted. That’s not the same as lifting restrictions on social distancing, nor other interventions (face coverings, etc etc). That is to be covered by the review that is due to be published before June 21st (date tbc, but in reality no later than 14 June).
I’m not advocating it either way, but it is a very clear distinction by Governement.
Class 33
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Social distancing and face mask wearing can bugger right off on 21st June. We don't need these ridiculously over the top nonsense restrictions dragging on any longer than that! The way things are going with the stats, there is just absolutely no valid justifications for these to be kept any longer than that. Really they should be scrapped immediately. Another 2 more months of this is far too long. These restrictions have done enough damage to the economy and people's lives as it is. Time for them to be scrapped without question, and to get businesses and the people of this country back to normal again.
I completely agree with you, and I think most people do too (even those who are pro-restriction now seem to want this to end in June). But sadly the government will almost certainly try their hardest to continue measures beyond June. The media seem to be releasing scare stories on a daily basis, even as hospitalisations and deaths fall and vaccinations rise. I just don't see how this can ever end - my worry is that the SAGE scientists have all the power now, not us. No matter how fed up we get, or how much damage continued restrictions do - what's to stop the government just continuing them "just in case"?
brad465
Established Member
Johnson let slip last month at one point something along the lines of "people have had enough time off work". While this was retracted/buried, the overall report suggests the Government believe in trying to get people back to work and offices more than is currently the case. They did of course try and get workers doing the same last August/September before the second wave put a stop to this.
I, along with many others who've been working from home almost all the time, would prefer hybrid working, I don't think there are many who want a full return to offices or staying WFH full time.
Whilst you might want them removed and many may agree, I think changing well-defined and understood deadlines yet again is not particularly helpful. This was one of the frustrations previously levied at the government and, even if it would be a change in the "opposite" direction to timeframes changing over the past year, considering many business have no doubt planned or are in planning around these dates, it should be stuck to.
I don't think early removal of social distancing guidelines would cause any wailing or gnashing of teeth whatsoever in businesses, since implementation is mostly a matter of stopping doing inconvenient things. Early opening of business sectors without 2-3 weeks notice causes a degree of inconvenience, although less so now that outdoor areas are back in action and a proportion of the staff will already be off furlough. In any case, there's a world of difference between 3 weeks and 2 months.
philosopher
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Reading between the lines, I think Boris Johnson and particularly Rishi Sunak are not keen on WFH and want the WFH advice ended in June and workers to return to their offices, at least to some degree. SAGE however are very keen on continuing the advice to WFH as they see it as one of the lighter measures.
Perhaps not as it removes restrictions, but from a public communication point of view its potentially more confusing.
I really don't think it's worth the entire country living under restrictions for an additional 6 weeks because somebody is struggling a bit with the poster campaign. Most people I know don't know or much care what the restrictions even are beyond the fact that the pub is shut anyway.
Class 33
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I just absolutely DETEST social distancing now, and hearing "social distancing" and "socially distanced". If I hear those dreaded phrases suddenly when I'm not expecting whilst watching TV, my immediate reaction is to say or shout "Oh shut up!!!". I just can't stand that this social distancing nonsense has dragged on for over a year now and the problems, hassle and disruption it has caused me. I'm absolutely hoping like absolutely mad that 21st June we finally see the end to this nonsense restriction once and for all, and I(and indeed millions of others) can start getting their normal life back again. If it is announced next month(or is it 14th June?) that following a review that "social distancing must continue until at least the end of the year" or whatever I will be extremely angry about this, and don't know how I'm going to cope to be honest. I really can't take this for much longer now. It's really worn me down. I can't live my life properly whilst this nonsense still drags on! Many other people will be feeling just the same as me. The past 13 months I regard as a complete and utter write-off because of all these ridiculous lockdowns and restrictions.
I don't really believe though that the government wants these measure to continue beyond June. The problem is though that Johnson is too easily swayed by the likes of SAGE, Whitty, Vallance and other so called "top experts", "top scientists" or whoever. So there is a real danger that these people could get their way again, and get this nonsense restriction dragged on for a while longer. And if it drags on into the autumn, the next thing they'll be saying is "We've got the winter cold/flu season coming up soon, so therefore social distancing and face mask wearing must continue.". We just can't have this situation happening.
If social distancing continues beyond June, then nightclubs will still not be able to reopen, it will put an end to any of the many festivals that are still intending to go ahead after 21st June, cinemas and theatres won't be able to reopen fully and survive financially, many pubs/restaurants/cafes won't be able to survive financially and will go under. Just a few examples. It will be an absolute disaster for many in the hospitality business. We just can't have this situation happening!
We were told by Johnson and other government ministers that "These vaccines are our way out of all these restrictions, and our route back to normal life.". Well 21st June(over 6 months since the vaccination programme started!!), this really had better be the case. Absolutely no stupid claptrap reasons as to why these ridiculous restrictions must continue any longer! Enough is enough!
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anthony263
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Thank you though be careful the lockdown lovers will have your head
nlogax
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Fair point, thank you. That is worth clarifying.
Eyersey468
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I agree.
I thought company surveys of staff were showing that WFH is the way people want to go 2 or 3 days a week, for those that are able to of course.
I think it was HSBC who reported only 2% of their call centre staff wanted to go back to the office 5 days a week.
I used to be able to WFH but chose not to mainly because I lived only 5 miles for the office, we had a good canteen and I could not be bothered to make lunch if I was at home.
I personally never found any "social" reason to be in the office, business meetings yes but that was all really.
And Johnson's quote confuses two separate issues - those who've been working short time/furloughed/redundant, and those (like me) who've been working from home. Knowing how hard I've worked the last year, I react badly to the suggestion that I've had it easy because I've been WFH; I also completely get why it's important to allow the jobs to return for those who've been more or less involuntarily unable to work.
Me too! In my current role, I'd expect to justify 1-2 days per week in the office. But even that, spread over a lot of people, will help many jobs to return - the Pret near my office is currently open 7-3 Tues-Thurs; it used to be 7-6 Mon-Fri.
When that will be practical, who knows. Seeing increasing consensus that aerosols are the primary means of transmission, and working for a firm with a high proportion of twenty-somethings, I've a suspicion that bringing the office back to capacity will be a slow process, especially if the number allowed in a lift is kept low. If first jabs for the adult population won't be complete until the end of July, then that has me looking at mid-August before office landlords are willing to let their guards down much.
Well, if that's the case they need to make sure the pubs stay open.
Hospitality should be prioritised over ending the WFH directive.
ChrisC
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I’m surprised that things are still as bad as this in rural Suffolk now over a year since the beginning of the first lockdown. However, I do think that in many rural areas, precautions were very extreme during most of last year, and many places are only just beginning to relax.
I can understand people, especially the elderly, in these more rural locations still being frightened to go out and especially into towns and busier places. The government and media terrified many people this time last year. Many people in rural areas did not leave their villages for at least 3 to 4 months last year.
In the village where I live, which is not very isolated, being only 2 miles from a nearby town, it was like you found in Suffolk. At the village shop there was often a queue outside as only one person was allowed inside at a time. I know that mandatory mask wearing didn’t come in until later but not only did you have to sanitise your hands before entering but also wear disposable gloves. The village pub was shut, the church doors were firmly locked even for funerals, and we had no buses for 3 months. The village was silent with virtually no traffic passing through and those like myself who weren’t afraid to go out saw no-one in the village on our way to walks over the local fields. People were genuinely frightened and although it is far more relaxed here now, some elderly people are still terrified to leave their homes and village. One neighbour of mine now regularly has a supermarket delivery but still has a large table out in the garden where she washes and disinfects every package and tin before she takes them in the house.
I think this is very serious and it’s appalling that the government and media have frightened people in this way. This is another aspect of the serious state of the mental health of some people as a result of these lockdowns. I agree with your question of how the hell are we going to bring these people back to reality?
nlogax
Established Member
Interesting poll from YouGov yesterday which demonstrates the fears of some as they face a return to something looking like normality. Whether YouGov respondents are truly representative of the population is something that's been done to death here and it's a pretty stale argument either way. Looking at the responses themselves makes for interesting and slightly sad reading. I feel it does reflect on a reality for many.
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politic...britons-think-they-will-find-it-hard-re-adjus
Well of course they do. We need people to get back to working in offices and picking up their Metros (owner being one Viscount Rothermere who also owns the Daily Mail) and Evening Standards (owned partly by Lord Lebedev close personal friend of one Boris Johnson) so that the eyeballs that such titles rely on can be brought back to bear on their adverts and plug any declining revenues! Quite apart from needing all the office staff to go out and buy their coffees in the morning and sandwiches at lunchtime to help prop up that part of the economy. As well as needing people in offices to help prop up commercial property prices by ensuring that offices are still valuable real estate! People need to do their bit you know to keep things ticking along as our betters prefer! Cynical? Moi?
It's also a question of "the question"! The question asks about how hard it'll be to adjust back, not whether you're afraid of it. After a year and a half of a new routine, it's inevitably going to be tricky to break that and return to how things were
DustyBin
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Well of course they do. We need people to get back to working in offices and picking up their Metros (owner being one Viscount Rothermere who also owns the Daily Mail) and Evening Standards (owned partly by Lord Lebedev close personal friend of one Boris Johnson) so that the eyeballs that such titles rely on can be brought back to bear on their adverts and plug any declining revenues! Quite apart from needing all the office staff to go out and buy their coffees in the morning and sandwiches at lunchtime to help prop up that part of the economy. As well as needing people in offices to help prop up commercial property prices by ensuring that offices are still valuable real estate! People need to do their bit you know to keep things ticking along as our betters prefer! Cynical? Moi?
You're not wrong but on a serious note the reduction in economic activity is going to be a problem. In regard to the value of commercial real estate, I've thought about this before and a lot of pensions (my own included) are invested in this so again there could be far reaching consequences. Again, your cynicism is probably not misplaced, but there are some genuine issues as well.
You raise a fair point (speaking as someone who also has a pension which is likely invested in property). I probably am guilty of dialling it up to eleven there when I should have gone no higher than seven or eight (
).Nicholas Lewis
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Weekly Flu & Covid Survey for last week out but reporters clearly told the map was starting to look too good so they've recalibrated it again so doesn't look so good. Facts are over 80% of England is below 50 cases/100k and
Weekly vaccination report upto 11/4
Weekly vaccination report upto 11/4
I cant imagine many "normal" pensions are invested in commercial property.You raise a fair point (speaking as someone who also has a pension which is likely invested in property). I probably am guilty of dialling it up to eleven there when I should have gone no higher than seven or eight (
I can - anyone with an occupational pension, for a start.
Freightmaster
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For comparison, here is a link to the equivalent map that Nicholas posted a couple of months ago:
New lockdown in England, including school closures, announced by Johnson, 4/1/21
I don't see the point in testing any more. I don't believe that track and trace will ever work properly so what's the point in testing millions of people who feel fine and could get on with their lives? I could be missing a trick but isn't the majority of testing still of symptomatic people...
www.railforums.co.uk
At first glance it gives the impression that there was less Covid prevalence then, but as mentioned above,
the scale of colours used on the current map is a whopping five times smaller!
MARK
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