How are you feeling about the latest COVID changes?

JustV

Whatever you're feeling, there's space here to check in and talk.

If you're out the loop, here are the changes from a BBC article:

England

From 21 February:

• staff and students in most education and childcare settings without symptoms no longer have to test twice weekly

From 24 February:

• people with Covid will no longer be legally required to self-isolate
• guidance will remain in place for those who test positive to stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least five full days
• self-isolation support payments of £500 for those on low incomes will no longer be available
• routine contact tracing will end - people in contact with someone with Covid will no longer be advised to self-isolate or take daily tests
• workers will no longer be required to tell their employer if they need to self-isolate

From 1 April:

• Covid tests will no longer be free for most people
• the use of Covid passports will no longer be recommended, except for international travel
• employers will no longer have to consider Covid as a separate risk when working out how to keep employees safe

Scotland

From 28 February:

• Scotland's Covid certification scheme will end, although businesses and venues can still keep using it if they want
• secondary school pupils will no longer need to wear masks in the classroom

From 21 March:

• masks will no longer be legally required on public transport and indoor venues (although their use will still be "strongly recommended"
• businesses, places of worship and service providers will no longer have to follow government guidance on measures to avoid Covid
• there will be no requirement for businesses and service providers to keep customer contact details

Wales

A gradual easing of Covid restrictions is under way but some measures remain in place:

• compulsory face coverings in schools, on public transport, and in shops and hospitals
• secondary school pupils are asked to test for Covid three times a week

Northern Ireland

Covid certificates in nightclubs, mandatory face coverings, track and trace requirements and the cap on 30 people in private homes are no longer legal requirements.

Legal measures have been replaced by guidance, such as recommending face masks are still worn in certain public settings.

independent_

I’m feeling ok about it, I do feel we have to live with it to a certain extent. I’m in Scotland so these changes will happen a bit later for us, I do hope they keep some form of testing for a while though especially for people having to go to work with vulnerable people.

Dandelion

Not good at all. How are we supposed to use common sense and stay away from people if we can't get the tests to test ourselves and find out if we do have it. I've managed to avoid it so far, I really don't want to get it. It's just going to make me so much more worried about being around people. I obviously do understand we need to live it, but I just feels too soon for me

JustV

Really hearing you both on your points about accepting we're going to need to live with COVID now, but also wanting testing available and accessible to make that process comfortable.

@Dandelion congrats on managing to avoid COVID so far! I have as well so I have a similar anxiety about being around people again and not knowing if I'm exposed.

Do either of you see yourselves returning to a pre-COVID normality any time soon?

Dandelion wrote: »

I obviously do understand we need to live it, but I just feels too soon for me

I'm getting this vibe from a lot of people I've been chatting to. I think folks are also understandably skeptical of restrictions being lifted right at the time of the party controversy with the government.

Dandelion

I don't really see myself returning to pre COVID soon I'm still going to wear a mask when I'm out and things like that and if I do ever get COVID ill still stay at home

JustV

Dandelion wrote: »

I don't really see myself returning to pre COVID soon I'm still going to wear a mask when I'm out and things like that and if I do ever get COVID ill still stay at home

That makes a lot of sense @Dandelion and sounds very responsible. Sometimes it's about taking it one step at a time and focusing on what's in front of us.

Dancer

When it says that covid tests won't be free for most people from 1st April, who would it still be free for?

JustV

Dancer wrote: »

When it says that covid tests won't be free for most people from 1st April, who would it still be free for?

@Dancer looks like they'll be free for older people and immune-compromised people. Here's another chunk of info from the BBC on the changes to testing:

BBC wrote:

Free lateral flow tests (LFTs) won't be available after 1 April, except for the over-75s and over-12s with weakened immune systems.

Everyone else will have to buy a test from pharmacists or other retailers.

Boots says it will start selling single LFTs online for £5.99, or four for £17, ahead of the 1 April deadline. It currently sells more expensive polymerase chain reaction tests (PCRs) and LFTs designed for travel use, which are processed in a lab.

The number of free NHS tests distributed each day in England has already been capped "to manage demand".

People without symptoms can now only order one pack of seven LFTs every three days - previously it was one per day.

Free PCR tests won't be available to people with Covid symptoms from April either, except for a small number of at-risk groups, with details to be announced in March.

Free testing will remain for social care workers with Covid symptoms. Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that NHS staff would also still get free tests, but these may not be funded separately.

AislingDM

Yeah, feeling pretty gutted about it, I feel like we're moving too quickly towards 'acting like everything is fine' and it's just a tad worrying that this can be done so fast!

gia9720

I'm feeling optimistic for the future. I understand there is a lot of concern and worry surrounding the prime ministers decision to remove restrictions. At what point do we move on from restrictions and gain a sense of normality? As with change, it can be incredibly daunting - As someone who works within health protection, I can reassure anyone that the clinically vulnerable and the elderly will still have measures in place to give them the ultimate protection where possible. Most of the national guidance is now advisory and not a legal requirement.

In my opinion, people need a sense of normality after 2 years of not seeing loved ones, being able to go out and live life. Me personally, i feel like i've lost almost 2 years of my life and i'm excited to get back out there and live my life to the fullest (taking precautions where necessary).

Theres a lot of scientific evidence to suggest that variants in circulation currently aren't posing as dangerous as they originally did when they first came about.

I understand everyone has their own personal experience with covid and anxieties that present and some anxieties as they just don't trust the government with all the recent news within the media. There is a good chance if another dangerous variant presents in the future that covid restrictions could be enforced again (as we know the government can retract conditions they've imposed).

I think a lot of people forget theres a lot of other infectious diseases floating around which get little to no media coverage. They've instilled fear into the public and now expect everyone to feel okay with going back to 'normal'.

Feel free to ask me any covid related questions as its my day job as I work within health protection.

Stay strong everyone we will make it through this

Dancer

What is going to happen about testing before going into hospital for a procedure? Is that testing going to end, still be free or will it need to be paid for? I get it with paying for testing for travel but not really for going into hospital as that is something essential.

Skive

One good thing about this virus from a parents point of view is that it tended to let children off lightly, and having two children of school age this was a massive relief.

Having had my jabs and having had covid last year, I feel pretty good about my own saftey but at 40 years old the risk to me was relatively low anyway.

The biggest worry throughout the pandemic has been for my 72 year old father but now he's fully jabbed, and the varient in circulation appears less virulent, I worry much less now.

I'm looking forward to a bit of normaility for my children. While necessary to protect the health service, lockdowns and restriction haven't been good for children and their development. I'm lucky in that I was considered a critical worker and my children were still able to attend school. Most children were stuck at home and have missed developiing important social skills.

I'm also looking forward to going back to work in the office. Working from home is utter shit.

AislingDM

yeah, I think it's stuff like this that's leaving me feeling more anxious, @Dancer because even if vulnerable people continue to be offered tests for free (which I'm not even 100% certain about) that doesn't mean that other people in their lives shouldn't also be testing (e.g., if you went to visit a vulnerable friend you wouldn't be entitled to free tests necessarily and I'm sure many would pay to ensure their friends' safety, I think it just more sets a kind of dangerous precedent for 'paying for access to healthcare'. I am glad people are feeling glad to reconnect with family and friends though obviously! xxx

Durhamjaide

I think it’s ridiculous that you now have to pay for tests and it’s £20 per box