When will covid end ? Please be nice and respectful to others

[Paul ™]

On 2/10/2022 at 3:11 PM, Paul ™ said:

Looks like France to drop testing requirements for the vax'd from next week at some point, guaranteed it will be Wednesday (we fly back there on Tuesday!) 😅

Hurrah 😃

Viva la France

https://www.thelocal.fr/20220211/breaking-france-scraps-covid-test-requirement-for-all-vaccinated-travellers/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zahidf]

Piss of Nerd

 

 

[Neil]

49 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Piss of Nerd

 

 

it's cos those Germans, don't have a work ethic 😉 

[philipsteak]

51 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Piss of Nerd

 

One of the lines Shakespeare's editor made him remove

[philipsteak]

Seems to vary a lot depending on location. Been in Manchester the last couple of days and it's a lot lower than at home. Still in the minority at home, but a fair few still wearing them.

Was in the Trafford Centre today (must be at least 10 years since last time. Hopefully at least another 10 until next time. Horrific place). Absolutely packed and I'd be surprised if the number of mask wearers I saw hit double figures. 

[BobWillis2]

20 hours ago, Barry Fish said:

Masks wearers definitely in the strong minority now.  

Depends what shop you go in. 

Go in Waitrose and it’s full of middle class work from homers who still think they’re saving the nhs by wearing a bit of cut up T-shirt on their face. 
Go in most other supermarkets and its just a few of the elderly shoppers still not comfortable taking their mask off. 
 

 

[efcfanwirral]

5 hours ago, BobWillis2 said:

Depends what shop you go in. 

Go in Waitrose and it’s full of middle class work from homers who still think they’re saving the nhs by wearing a bit of cut up T-shirt on their face. 
Go in most other supermarkets and its just a few of the elderly shoppers still not comfortable taking their mask off. 
 

 

Yeah the supermarket by my dad's is a bit more older people so that's reflected in the mask wearing being a little higher than elsewhere. Same with my bus into Liverpool yesterday, was mainly just older people. 

Edited February 13, 2022 by efcfanwirral

[mcshed]

I have to say I find mask optional England confusing, almost everywhere still has signs requesting mask wearing but inside the level of mask wearing varies wildly. Surely if a shop or museum or whatever is asking you to wear a mask then it's a dickish thing to not follow the request?

On the other hand if there is a sign on the door but inside not a single customer or staff member is wearing one then following the instruction feels really odd.

[philipsteak]

2 hours ago, mcshed said:

I have to say I find mask optional England confusing, almost everywhere still has signs requesting mask wearing but inside the level of mask wearing varies wildly. Surely if a shop or museum or whatever is asking you to wear a mask then it's a dickish thing to not follow the request?

On the other hand if there is a sign on the door but inside not a single customer or staff member is wearing one then following the instruction feels really odd.

We still have signs up saying you must wear masks. We've not had any updated ones sent out since it changed so imagine we're just leaving the ones we have up until we don't need signs at all. 

[steviewevie]

In my local Morrisons most people are still wearing masks but I guess that's because they're all a bunch of idiot bastards or something.

[philipsteak]

56 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

And do you in reality enforce this ? Or is it just a sign for the sake of a sign in reality?  Do you guys wear masks ?  Genuine questions.

No enforcement, no. Even even it was compulsory we only went so far on that. 

I don't wear a mask for the most part. If I have to go in to a fairly crowded space (eg the self catering kitchen) then I might. More because some guests clearly prefer wearing them and others around them wearing them. As I said before, we seem to have an amazing ability to not catch it at my work. 

Some staff wear them. Bar staff mostly, when they are taking food and drink too customers. 

Some guests wear masks, some don't. Some ask if they have to. I always say that company policy is to recommend wearing inside but it's entirely your choice.

We get the odd online comment or questionnaire response complaining about lack of enforcement, but much less these days. 

To be honest, for all we've done and can do, if you are still that worried about covid then maybe a busy youth hostel isn't that right place for you. 

 

[Matt42]

4 hours ago, mcshed said:

On the other hand if there is a sign on the door but inside not a single customer or staff member is wearing one then following the instruction feels really odd.

Supermarket and bar staff have completely dropped the mask where I am. I went out clubbing last night and they didn’t even ask for proof of test or vaccination.

[efcfanwirral]

12 hours ago, Matt42 said:

Supermarket and bar staff have completely dropped the mask where I am. I went out clubbing last night and they didn’t even ask for proof of test or vaccination.

What country is that in? Are they supposed to still where you are?

Edited February 14, 2022 by efcfanwirral

[DeanoL]

19 hours ago, mcshed said:

I have to say I find mask optional England confusing, almost everywhere still has signs requesting mask wearing but inside the level of mask wearing varies wildly. Surely if a shop or museum or whatever is asking you to wear a mask then it's a dickish thing to not follow the request?

On the other hand if there is a sign on the door but inside not a single customer or staff member is wearing one then following the instruction feels really odd.

It's signs not being removed. I still see signs in loads of places for 2m social distancing. I still see one-way arrows in supermarkets. I don't know if it's people not wanting to remove them because they're worried they might become necessary again, or just plain laziness. 

Which does make it problematic as I don't know which establishments would actually like me to wear a mask and which haven't bothered to take down their signs. I generally just base it on what the staff are doing at this point.

[BobWillis2]

On 1/14/2022 at 9:33 PM, BobWillis2 said:

Plan B gone by the end of the month and isolation and mass testing need to be gone by the end of April. Any further doses should be akin to the flu jab, free for over 50’s and the vulnerable. Everyone else has to pay and no discrimination between how many anyone has had. 

Let’s end this horrible chapter and hope others follow suit. 

Ahead of schedule. Just the jabs to go. 

[BobWillis2]

20 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

Jabs ?  You mean covid passports ? 

They went weeks ago. I’m talking about anyone under 50 being offered them regularly for free. 

[BobWillis2]

8 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

Oh okay - I think that isn't a great ask to be honest.  Really need the JCVI and experts to rule on that one to be honest.  The strategy of giving kids and older people the flu vaccine is a sound one for multiple reasons and I can see a similar end outcome for the covid vaccine.  In fact I imagine it will be combined with the a flu vaccine into a  sniff style format (the current child flu vaccine delivery mechanism) very soon so we kill two birds with one stone. 

Kids get the flu jab because it’s a virus they’re vulnerable to. They’re not vulnerable to covid. 
 

The only possibly reason to vaccinate children is because other countries are over zealous and it effects travel rules. I would hope the JCVI stand firm and base their decision purely on the science and not the politics. There is very, very little if not nothing to be gained in vaccinating children from a health perspective. 
 

Same with anybody healthy under the age of 50. If you want one then pay for it, but the days of mass vaccination should be over. 

[Fuzzy Afro]

Getting rid of testing is absolutely the correct decision. 

[DeanoL]

On 2/15/2022 at 5:28 PM, BobWillis2 said:

They went weeks ago. I’m talking about anyone under 50 being offered them regularly for free. 

The problem there is that under 50s aren't regularly being health-screened for COVID risk-factors. And doing that would be more expensive that just doing booster jabs on the NHS for anyone that wants them.

[fraybentos1]

Feel like there’s been such a shift in the last few weeks. Even looking at how little this thread is being posted in and accounts on Twitter winding down.

Countries are opening up and things are getting way more normal - long May it continue 

[Neil]

On 2/15/2022 at 6:22 PM, Fuzzy Afro said:

Getting rid of testing is absolutely the correct decision. 

its a bit like why did we bother having it in the first place.

[Neil]

8 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

Do you not recognise the vaccine changed everything ? 

t5esting has continued long after the vaccines.

[jannybruck]

It feels completely alien to think I might be on holiday somewhere in a couple of months and not have to think about masks, distancing, vax passports. Seeing EU countries who've previously been tight on these things start to drop them is very encouraging.

I wonder if there'll be many countries this summer who won't have either restrictions or entry restrictions (eg proof of vaccination at the border) – there's surely a huge market to hoover up tourists who may be vaccinated but still see all that as a hassle.

[fraybentos1]

2 hours ago, Barry Fish said:

Yup - even the USA is now taking steps back to normal and the CDC have started to dangle the stick of restrictions being removed at a federal level as well which might open up airlines to drop masks and testing.  Sadly not in time for my trip to this weekend.  Hopefully negative tests Friday and off to LA Saturday 😄   Can't wait to get "home" 😄 

Last time I flew out of LAX in Feb 2020 it was the first signs of the world changing for good with about 15% of the flight already wearing masks just out of choice.  I actually felt quite ill - makes you wonder lol...

I’ve got Copenhagen next week, Paris in March and then a stag In Barca in April . A few weeks ago wouldn’t have been sure they’d all even happen but now it looks like I can do all of them with 0 tests. Big financial saving and good for peace of mind 

[fraybentos1]

Even  some of Asia looks to be getting looser. Vietnam opening borders in March after 2 years closed. Australia and NZ along similar lines. It’s just China and HK that’ll be shut for a long time still