Coronavirus update - NO MORE RESTRICTIONS

[xsnaggle]

I’m in England for a few days and on Sunday (before freedom day) we went to Clacton Pier. The indoor entrance, which is a massive amusement hall, saw hardly anyone wearing a mask. Total ignorance of them.

On Monday we got to our hotel in Norfolk and they had changed their wording to say masks no longer required indoors. The local shop I just went to had a sign saying masks at own discretion.

Clacton was a car crash, but up here they are appear more relaxed and common sensical

I'm kind of hoping that because a lot of people were only paying lip service to the rules before the opening up yesterday that maybe the surge may not be as big as is feared by some.
In response to TOBW, I saw the numbers were slightly lower too. It made me wonder if these numbers re telling us we have passed the pre opening crest of this wave, which might inform those that can work it out when we can expect to reach the crest now we re opened up?

[az city]

It made me wonder if these numbers re telling us we have passed the pre opening crest of this wave, which might inform those that can work it out when we can expect to reach the crest now we re opened up?

As I pointed out before, there are often data reporting lags/snags so single day data can be misleading. 7-day moving averages and weekly totals are more reliable. For the whole UK, as of today, there was a 40% increase in cases on a base of the previous 7 days. Just so you don't go down the Trump hole again, approximately the same number of tests were conducted over the two seven day periods. I think you can infer case numbers are rising. So are hospitalizations and deaths. Albeit the relationships that emerged in 2020 among cases, hospitalizations and deaths are now no longer valid.

Personally, I think now is a time for caution. Mask-wearing, avoiding congregate settings and social distancing works; both personally and socially. These aren't that hard to do, surely?

[surge]

It would be absolutely wonderful if we're in a strong position now* because that means we can double our efforts to help the wider world.

We (at this time referring to the UK) need to protect wider world from the Delta Variant as we need France to protect the UK from the Beta Variant. We also need to help wider world get access to vaccines.

Understanding of the risks, what actions can be used to reduce this and empathy for others in the UK and outside it.

*though everyone with any sense is still recommending caution here and slow release of pandemic habits.