Every day the vaccine rolls out

[JamesMcClean]

All of the above highlight that the decision to extend lockdown until the latter part of May (Tier 3 is basically a defacto lockdown) is flawed. Let’s not forget to see the wood for the trees for the reasons for the lockdown - reduce transmission, protect vulnerable groups, reduce hospitilisations, protect the NHS.

The evidence is clear now that vaccinations are having a profound effect on the above. Vulnerable groups are now mostly vaccinated, hospitilisations are reducing massively and now moving forward the inherent risk to the NHS being overwhelmed is being eliminated. This is where the extremely important other factors in managing a pandemic must increasingly take precedence moving forward - mental health, re-opening of normal healthcare and cracking back on with large outpatient waiting lists and finally, the economy. This whole episode has wrecked businesses, livelihoods, jobs and families and the longer it goes on risk making the country bankrupt. No one is belittling the profound effects that the loss of a loved one with Covid will have caused those affected . But continuing with extreme lockdowns is also going to affect families through redundancies, emotional detachment and regretfully in some cases, even suicide.

Balance is needed - April 26th is too long and the science does not suggest that this is necessary. I would urge the Scottish Government to re-think this and move into Tier 3 in early April, not the end.

[AraBrian]

All of the above highlight that the decision to extend lockdown until the latter part of May (Tier 3 is basically a defacto lockdown) is flawed. Let’s not forget to see the wood for the trees for the reasons for the lockdown - reduce transmission, protect vulnerable groups, reduce hospitilisations, protect the NHS.

The evidence is clear now that vaccinations are having a profound effect on the above. Vulnerable groups are now mostly vaccinated, hospitilisations are reducing massively and now moving forward the inherent risk to the NHS being overwhelmed is being eliminated. This is where the extremely important other factors in managing a pandemic must increasingly take precedence moving forward - mental health, re-opening of normal healthcare and cracking back on with large outpatient waiting lists and finally, the economy. This whole episode has wrecked businesses, livelihoods, jobs and families and the longer it goes on risk making the country bankrupt. No one is belittling the profound effects that the loss of a loved one with Covid will have caused those affected . But continuing with extreme lockdowns is also going to affect families through redundancies, emotional detachment and regretfully in some cases, even suicide.

Balance is needed - April 26th is too long and the science does not suggest that this is necessary. I would urge the Scottish Government to re-think this and move into Tier 3 in early April, not the end.

Not sure james but think they might do that.I am maybe being cynicle but think maybe the plan all along has been to say will take till end of april then at say end of march say we have done great and we will be opening up a bit a month early so vote for us in may.I might be well of target but that is what I thought was going on from the announcement.

[GUNBOAT]

The Scottish government changed the rules on the isolation grant from the 16th of Feb,my MSP got in touch with me to say you no longer need to be in receipt of Universal Credit to claim.
Its only fair i post the truth on here and me and my young lad both claimed through the Scottish Welfare fund and were successful in claiming the £500 isolation grant albeit retrospectively.
I was very grateful for the grant as no sooner was my isolation up the snow came and we ended up off work for exactly 3 weeks and during that time were not entitled to claim any other benefits.

[Chick A Saw]

Balance is needed - April 26th is too long and the science does not suggest that this is necessary. I would urge the Scottish Government to re-think this and move into Tier 3 in early April, not the end.

Its already been said that if the data was to change for the good, emerging from lockdown will be accelerated. Earlier in the week, the data said to me that the date was about right with a more than likely chance of the timeline being pushed back. It is early days since the blip of the last 2-3 weeks, but i hope that what i am seeing with new daily infection figures will make the 1 year anniversary of lockdown 1 being a very significant date

[ballumbie_arab]

All of the above highlight that the decision to extend lockdown until the latter part of May (Tier 3 is basically a defacto lockdown) is flawed. Let’s not forget to see the wood for the trees for the reasons for the lockdown - reduce transmission, protect vulnerable groups, reduce hospitilisations, protect the NHS.

The evidence is clear now that vaccinations are having a profound effect on the above. Vulnerable groups are now mostly vaccinated, hospitilisations are reducing massively and now moving forward the inherent risk to the NHS being overwhelmed is being eliminated. This is where the extremely important other factors in managing a pandemic must increasingly take precedence moving forward - mental health, re-opening of normal healthcare and cracking back on with large outpatient waiting lists and finally, the economy. This whole episode has wrecked businesses, livelihoods, jobs and families and the longer it goes on risk making the country bankrupt. No one is belittling the profound effects that the loss of a loved one with Covid will have caused those affected . But continuing with extreme lockdowns is also going to affect families through redundancies, emotional detachment and regretfully in some cases, even suicide.

Balance is needed - April 26th is too long and the science does not suggest that this is necessary. I would urge the Scottish Government to re-think this and move into Tier 3 in early April, not the end.

Excellent post mate!

[Yeats 62]

I still don't understand why quite specific dates were given. Boris getting pelters for it all being too early, then Nicola getting pelters for it all being too late. It was always going to be a no-win situation.

Would it have been so hard to come out and say that results /data etc were looking good? The vaccine seems to be doing a good job? The venerable are nearly all vaccinated, we are ahead of schedule with the later cohorts, less folk are actually dying from this now? Then tell the nation that there would be fortnightly re-assessments and then decisions would be made accordingly, even if that meant heading towards the given dates.

Hearing the dates that were given was a slap in the p*s to everyone, total deflation of any optimism we were feeling after hearing facts and figures etc.

Would be great if the politicians (for once) listened to the feedback and did a wee u-turn. It may take longer than the given dates to get out of this, but that is now looking highly unlikely.

Assess the situation as things change and adapt things to suit seems a lot more sensible to me than to scunner everyone with bad news. Some folk are that pi*sed off with those statements made by the governments that they have just went fu*k it, that's me done, back to normal for me!

#thinkagainplease.

[Chick A Saw]

I still don't understand why quite specific dates were given. Boris getting pelters for it all being too early, then Nicola getting pelters for it all being too late. It was always going to be a no-win situation.

Would it have been so hard to come out and say that results /data etc were looking good? The vaccine seems to be doing a good job? The venerable are nearly all vaccinated, we are ahead of schedule with the later cohorts, less folk are actually dying from this now? Then tell the nation that there would be fortnightly re-assessments and then decisions would be made accordingly, even if that meant heading towards the given dates.

Hearing the dates that were given was a slap in the p*s to everyone, total deflation of any optimism we were feeling after hearing facts and figures etc.

Would be great if the politicians (for once) listened to the feedback and did a wee u-turn. It may take longer than the given dates to get out of this, but that is now looking highly unlikely.

Assess the situation as things change and adapt things to suit seems a lot more sensible to me than to scunner everyone with bad news. Some folk are that pi*sed off with those statements made by the governments that they have just went fu*k it, that's me done, back to normal for me!

#thinkagainplease.

I think the message has been that the data is heading in the right way on daily infections, the vaccine effort and how it further affects transmission. Re-assessments are every 3 weeks and i think the next one is next week and it is my hope that we see enough for the published changes to be brought forward.

[Yeats 62]

I think the message has been that the data is heading in the right way on daily infections, the vaccine effort and how it further affects transmission. Re-assessments are every 3 weeks and i think the next one is next week and it is my hope that we see enough for the published changes to be brought forward.

Yeah , that would make sense Chick. Whether it happens is another thing. Even if they added a wee ( subject to change depending on data) might have helped with the general feeling of the nation when we realised it could be 8 weeks before things changed to any reasonable degree.

I know some folk were happy to see specific dates as it gave us something to look forward too, but for some it was too far away and with no guarantee that it wouldn't be extended if certain results were not as good as forecasted.

Fingers crossed though.

Glad to hear of jag#2 GB... you can now invite Peter to the bedsit with no fear of infection..... (then again)