[jfman]

Originally Posted by nffc

It's true to an extent, But closing businesses is pretty much all they can do which will be largely complied with (even then we had businesses staying open and defying these orders).

if the pub's closed, why not come round for a few pints tomorrow?

Nobody invites the whole pub round - hence it reduces the number of interactions to closer social circles.

The government wants everyone tucked up by 9pm but some people can't do that and they aren't able to police it anyway (won't the police have to be tucked up by 9 too)?

I think you have misunderstood what a curfew is.

In fact no-one's going to stop it and no-one's going to care if we cram 20 people into a massive disco party in a terrace right? Well, not at least until after it's happened anyway?

And then what if it was a work gathering?

The inability of police to police doesn't stop the deterrent effect for the vast majority of law abiding citizens.

Such a thing doesn't exist and doesn't show a sign of existing.

I'd be interested in what (if any) scientific evidence implies it's doesn't show a sign of existing. I think it was clear the premise of my post was hypothetical in any case.

Over time the disease hasn't got worse in terms of symptoms, whether by the natural course of the virus, or by exposure to infection and vaccination, it's got weaker if anything.

Has it?

Vaccine escape is always partial especially when we're using vaccines tailored to a variant which was circulating almost 3 years ago.

Is it always partial? Is there a scientific base for that or is it possible a virus mutates to the extent it completely evades all immunity?

If they needed to, they could always make another AZ type vaccine with a different spike protein and whack it through the emergency approvals and get into arms quickly.

Plus the previous immunity would no doubt be blunted not eroded.

I'm sure you'd need them to when your bins aren't emptied, your takeaway food doesn't turn up, your Amazon delivery or post isn't there, and there's no-one to open Tesco, because everyone is at home scared of Covid.

Perhaps so, but I didn't state my need I stated their intent.

Paid for by the government, so more taxes and more increase on the "cost of living" aka inflation caused by covid response making people sit at home doing nothing and being paid for it with nothing to spend it on. That's going to make it better, right?

Yes, you're right, they'd all prefer to go out and die for capitalism and keep inflation low.

The inflation comparison is a red herring - it's up to the Government to use the levers of the tax system to balance things out between the winners and losers.

I'm claiming what? where?

I haven't "not" done anything because of covid since, well, we were legally allowed to "do" it again, and certainly not since getting vaccinated.

Then you are not who I was referring to my post - I'd be wary of applying your own personal circumstances to a population of 66 million people with varying working circumstances and health situations.

Working from home is between employees and employers. If a company only wants their staff in the office 1 day a week, then are you saying that working from home on the other four isn't "engaging with the new economy"? Don't forget that working from home also reduces the load on transport and net-zero benefits from people not commuting?

I'm not saying it's not a benefit - merely that the gap between 'living with the virus' on an ongoing basis and the 2019 economy remains significant, and even attempts to reconcile the two by pretending the virus isn't an issue are doomed to failure.