July 19th 2021, Freedom ? Day.

[Paul]

I wonder how many of you stayed up until midnight on Sunday to waive goodbye to the coronavirus? No? Me neither. I am close to assigning the aforementioned Freedom Day similar white elephant status as given to Jan 1st 2000, the "millennium day". Foretellers of doom were proved wrong you might remember. Computers didn't stop working, the internet didn't collapse, planes didn't fall from the sky, in fact nothing really changed and such appears to be the case with "freedom day". Out and about in Norfolk and Suffolk over the last 48 hours and nothing seems to have changed. A trip to Latham's yesterday saw everyone in store sticking with their face coverings. The cafe at Sea Palling was still serving take away only, order at the door and wait outside. 

Our favourite cafe, the Mere Tearooms at Thorpeness was likewise serving takeaway only at lunch time today which could at least be enjoyed on it's outdoor seating by the mere. Ideal for a sunny Suffolk lunch time.

It appears that, so far at least the switch from civil enforcement to social responsibility is being taken very seriously, and that is good to see. Remember, the virus hasn't gone away. These changes are not being made because there is no longer any danger to you and your loved ones. They have been made because there is now less likelihood of the NHS being overwhelmed by the dead and dying as many of us are vaccinated. 

The one time we saw these newly won freedoms being openly flaunted was at a shop in Leiston this afternoon. The window still clearly displayed a limit of persons inside and the request that all shoppers wear a face covering and, with there being already two more than the prescribed number inside we waited at the door,only for two young ladies to walk straight past us in to the store with no face coverings evident. At this I donned my mask and began to enter when the shop keeper asked me to wait outside as the capacity was already exceeded. Being an understanding and forgiving individual I explained why I had not waited outside, as others had clearly been allowed in and suggested a place of limited sunlight penetration where the shop in question would fit perfectly. A valuable sale lost to a nearby supermarket. 

It does beg an interesting question. When will we discard our face masks? When will we be able to stand side by side with fellow customers? When will we get back to normal, or will there be a new normal the basis of which we are already seeing?

[Meantime]

So far I'm treating "freedom day" as if it didn't exist. Still got my N95 masks distributed around various pockets and in the car always at the ready to be used. Hand sanitiser is now a permanent fixture. I quite like the fact I haven't had a cold or the flu in 15 months. But more importantly the reminders are still there of how this thing hasn't gone away. I have a friend who is self isolating after having been in contact with someone who has Covid, despite being double jabbed. His partners son is having a very bad time with Covid and he was single jabbed when he got it.

My local pub is still asking people to sign in or use the app for contact tracing and all the staff are still wearing masks. Some of the customers aren't, but I feel it is the least you can do to show the staff some respect working in these hot conditions and still wearing masks.

I hope I'm proved wrong, but I think that as one or two stop wearing masks, others will think why are they bothering and ditch the masks as well. I'll be one of the last to stop wearing a mask. Todays figures of nearly 100 deaths should be a warning to all.

[ExSurveyor]

I hope natural caution will remain as long as numbers are rising.

Went to the barbers yesterday and no staff were wearing masks, I went in with a mask on and they all donned masks. I thanked them.

B and Q today, probably 95% in masks.

[floydraser]

We're still wearing masks and will continue to do so until the infection and death rates are very low.

[YnysMon]

I too hope that people will continue to exercise caution. I just have a problem with the idea that we have spent so much time following certain precautions and then all precautions are suddenly lifted. I’m not encouraged by news from other countries that lifted precautions before we did, like the Netherlands.

[Smoggy]

Southwold and red lion is working to old rules as young staff not fully jabbed, all others are staffed mostly masked by choice and most customers doing the same.

Works for me, it was never a let loose day it was a use your own sense day.

[Cal]

We are going to continue wearing our masks in shops, pubs and restaurants as we have been throughout.

We know more people who are isolating or who have had a positive test now then we did in the first and second waves of rising infections. This round seems to be much worse despite the vaccines.

[ZimbiIV]

Still wearing a mask.

Not so much for covid reasons but all those other nasty bugs that have not had a fair chance to infect, while we were masked and distanced.

paul

[Cal]

29 minutes ago, ZimbiIV said:

Still wearing a mask.

Not so much for covid reasons but all those other nasty bugs that have not had a fair chance to infect, while we were masked and distanced.

paul

It was in the news the other day that Norovirus was running rife in some areas despite it not being the "season" for it. So obviously some folks are not adhering to the same cleanliness standards they have done for the previous 18 months or so!!

[BroadAmbition]

We are both continuing with masks in confined busy areas. Purdey of course is not having any of it

Griff

[andyg]

I'm sticking with my mask, I've really enjoyed table service when we've been out. I'm more then happy to pay a service charge to keep it. I'm staying at the Premier Inn along Yarmouth seafront for 3 days this week. It will interesting to see what has changed since my last stay a few weeks back. Hand sanitiser is a must in our cars now,even our grandchildren are encouraged to use it. My wife's friend has sadly tested positive this week. She is double jabbed and like my wife was vaccinated some time ago as nhs front line staff. These next couple of months will no doubt give us all the answers we need regarding the vaccines effectiveness. Fingers 🤞

[tim]

Freedom day became locked up day for me, last day before so called freedom day was a trip to the testing station!

I’d like to comment of the situation in my area but all I’ve seen is 4 walls and a garden

But when I’m allowed out I shall continue to take the old precautions until I see infections fall dramatically, and even I may continue 

[Meantime]

Was surprised and very disappointed to see that my local Sainsburys has removed the plastic screens between the self service tills!!!! I know legally they are no longer required, but having made the investment why not keep them until the infection rate falls?

[Oddfellow]

I feel significantly less "freedom" now than I have for months. It only takes a few selfish idiots to spread this. Today, it is reported that there is a 162% weekly rise in infections in the Yarmouth area with Winterton, Scratby, Sommerton and Hemsby all getting PCR testing sites rushed in with the aim of mass-testing the occupants of these villages. As a resident of Martham, this is horribly close. 

I absolutely will not be going into any crowded space (inside or outside) regardless of mask wearing or not for a long time to come. 

 

[Lulu]

We haven’t changed what we are doing. Still wearing masks when shopping  and avoiding large groups of people.  We will continue for the foreseeable future.  Being selfish, providing I can see my parents, my kids and go to the boat we are not bothered by going anywhere else.  
 

I was fuming at the scenes of masses of people gathering for the Euros with the infections rising and continuing to do so.   I completely understand we will need to accept covid will be around for a long time but not everyone is fully vaccinated yet and its early days with how the vaccinations are working. Just wish we could have carried on for few more months as we were and especially quarantine for people travelling in and out of the country.

[grendel]

I was informed yesterday that we now had a new hybrid working policy, we were allocated a number of days we could work from home based upon our roles and ability to work from home and remain productive, up to 3 days per week allowance they said, well everyone I know was allocated 1 day, to get all 3 days it has to be authorised by your manager.

so as someone who the government decided was extremely vulnerable 1 week before the end of the period extremely vulnerable were supposed to remain isolated, and i have had the double jab, I am expected to go back into the office and mingle with my colleagues, most of whom have as yet not had a jab or have only a single jab (some only left university this year), the policy is effective as per next monday, but my manager is on holiday until that date, so we have been advised not to go in, until we have spoken with him, let us see what they will require of me after Monday, personally I think it will take a minor miracle for them to get me much more than 2 days a month, and if they get that they should consider themselves fortunate.

[Ray]

2 hours ago, Oddfellow said:

Yarmouth area with Winterton, Scratby, Sommerton and Hemsby all getting PCR testing sites rushed in with the aim of mass-testing the occupants of these villages. As a resident of Martham, this is horribly close

I live in Winterton, not really surprised by the local surge as there have understandably been very high visitor rates. People are allowed to travel and on the face of it there are miles of beach and dunes to keep apart from others but of course there are pinch points in that the village itself is the access point before you reach the wide open spaces!