Life during lockdown

I traveled on the tube for the first time since lockdown yesterday. I had to go to a hospital appointment in Central London and was already concerned about making the journey.

Although most people were wearing masks, Over half the people I saw were wearing them incorrectly.  The public address system frequently announced the mask must cover the mouth and nose but asp many customers pulled them to below their chins once they had cleared the barriers.  It was the same in Tesco too.  I understand that people may not feel the need to wear a mask on the way to the station or shop, but surely the point of wearing a mask is for the protection of you and those around you, not to keep your chin warm?

Other countries are fining people for not social distancing or not wearing face masks. We are not going to get rid of this contagious disease until we do the same. The vast majority of people catching the virus is because they are ignoring the social distancing rules. 

How long is local and national government going to let this go on.

I saw a programme from Portugal. They have rid themselves as police are patrolling re social distancing. Our numbers would be so much lower if people had more fear and that will mean fines or imprisonment for not complying with the rules.

Our economy has been so affected when only 5% of the population have contracted the virus. We are all suffering for that small ignorant percentage. 

You can lockdown all you wish but those people have no fear of anything.

I have continued to work on the NHS front line during lockdown and witnessed the disregard and wilful breaking of restrictions and requirements set out nationally and locally. A lot of people appear to think the rules don't apply to them, before and during lock-down, there is no reason to expect anything different afterwards. Therefore I will be staying away from places, events and situations where there is a likelihood of people ignoring the right things to do.

Living in the outskirts of London, I've seen the measures set by the government be completely ignored by people due to lack of consequence. I think that the opportunity to "do the right thing" by yourself and others is long past as citizens have not demonstrated full ability to abide by the rules. I get that people are tired and overwhelmed, so am I, but we are not in a position to keep exposing the healthcare system to more pressure than the one it already has. Seems to me venues, organisations and shops are doing little to almost nothing to reinforce the safety precautions. Signage is important but it is also vital that staff is making sure people are compliant. "Don't feel like following the rules? Ok, then could you kindly exit?"

 I am an artist and have been really disappointed that a lot of my art fairs have been canceled or gone online. I am now hanging my paintings on the outside of my gallery wall. It is in Oaks Park in Surrey. It makes a free art exhibition for those that want to wander past whilst in the park. It would be lovely if the council would support iniatives like this. Getting people out for walks in Nature whilst also enjoying art for free. What's not to like? www.jo-sharpe.co.uk

quality ppe. In social public spaces. To create a barrier between ourselves. Protect vulnerable. 

Constant public reminder to keep distance to end covid ASAP. 

Public transport and work to share more of the days travel by distancing and time zones. 

Ie commuters north and south travel in in the first half an hour of an hour. East and west second half of that hour. 

Companies in zoned areas 

agreeing a rough time slot of incoming exiting staff. 9-5 work patterns shifted. Part home work with part face to face work. Start at home 9 travel in @12 return at 3 continue work at home. 

Share the day through zoned business cooperation. 

National trust scheme works. Booking plus one way system. 

Face masks and distance. self service drinks. contactless payment. Sectioned seating.  screened kiosks of seats for social bubbles. Daytime shows. Flexible work and weekend. To share shopping and entertainment

ie  companies work differing Woking week. Say Wednesday til Sunday. weekend becomes Monday Tuesday. Company works 5 til two. Another in same zone 11 till 8. Or zone shift people within companies. Etc etc. 

I want to reduce demand in peak times create space for people share the hours of the day. 

I need a  barrier to others. A coordinated well maintained system re enforced by Marshals and public good will to each other. With penalties to those who dis respect the health of others and staff. Businesses to work with each other and the transport networks plus city hall. alcohol reduction to help obedience in bars. Toilets marshals. 

I take the current Covid 19 pandemic crisis very seriously. I'm disabled as a result of polio prior to vaccine availability so know quite a lot about the damage caused by virus infection. However for me, in the over 70 category the quality of life is far more important than longevity. The availability of theatre, cinema, arts, museums,galleries etc in London is essential to maintain the quality of life. I rejoice in the easing of lockdown and will be prepared to take calculated risks to enjoy what London has to offer. 

I would only feel comfortable with 2 metre social  distancing in place .Partitions in restaurants with a 2 metre distance .

rderly ques 

face masks 

no drink on the premises 

I would feel happiest if all the options listed in your last question were in place. I think face masks are important but only if everyone wears them. I yearn to go back to the cinema as I prefer to see films with many others. I think this will be one of the hardest venues to re-establish. Online cinema and theatre are just not the same for me.

The lack of testing and tracing and the general handling of the pandemic by the government has been little short of a disaster. But given their ineptitude, and woolly messages, I think and hope that people will do the right things, and socially distance, wash hands etc. I'm sure that all venues will do all they can to be safe, but can they manage this economically?! I feel that restaurants and cafes, which I visit frequently, are going to be really hard pushed to be both safe and economically viable.

I certainly feel happier outside, but in the autumn and winter this won't be possible. i don't feel that younger people, the under 25s, and I don't blame them for this, take the threat of Covid terribly seriously. Of course if they catch the disease, it is perhaps more likely that their parents and grandparents may suffer.

I think it may be some time before we all feel safe - I don't think we'll go back to the way things were for some time.

I would like to go to a local professional or amateur theater but shall need to be sure the venue is thoroughly cleaned every day and there is room to distance from other people.  I shall need to know the toilets are open and hand sanitizer is available.   

i am very happy to go back to pubs, theatres, etc. I do not think that there is any greater risk of catching this in a pub than on a bus. My parents have had this and I look after them and have tested negative. I do not have any concerns about catching Covid19 - if I catch it, then I catch it. We will all have to catch it eventually unless a vaccine become widely available. You can't stay locked up your whole life!

I am keen to support ALL  cultural organisations, and have trust that they will do everything in their power to protect their customers. In theatres/concert halls if seating and queuing is organised and face coverings required, I will be happy to attend. Similarly in galleries and museums.

I am most concerned about the transport to and from events and venues, because there is no enforcement of face coverings on buses and many people are ignoring the guidance. As the numbers increase this will become more and more of an issue. That is the thing most likely to prevent me from going to events in central London rather than locally to which I could walk or cycle. If Tfl and/or the government would be stricter in enforcing this, that would mitigate my concerns.

I continue to be happy to support theatre, opera, and concerts online and to pay for these. Also to financially support institutions through memberships.

I am not interested in going to pubs, and cautious about restaurants. Pubs and bars seem to be the most 'dangerous' of places, combining large numbers of strangers whose inability to socially distance increases as drinking continues. Restaurants require trust of a large number of participants: chef, kitchen staff, wait staff, other customers. 

I am eager to be able to do some of these activities, but suspect it will take some time to build up confidence.

I have been shielding since March. I was looking forward to getting back to many of these events - choir singing, football matches, pubs, shops - until the government decided to re-open at least 2 months too early, when there are still at least 10 times as many new cases as there should be before we relax the lockdown.

We needed testing and tracing done efficiently and daily new cases in the hundreds before we re-opened. Instead, we have confirmed daily new cases in the thousands and a testing/tracing system that is so ineffective that there are probably 10 undetected cases for every one in the official count: real daily new cases in the tens of thousands.

The difference between a few hundred infectious people among London's 10m and 10 thousand infectious people among London's 10m is  two orders of magnitude. With a few hundred, I may as well go out, as the risk of infection would be lower than the risk of crashing my car. With tens of thousands, forget it. I'll be stuck in isolation indefinitely.

If they had just waited for the new cases to fall into the hundreds, the risk would be acceptable. But now, people who are shielding will be stuck indoors until sometime in 2021. So I won't be doing any of the activities on your list for the foreseeable future.

Proper availability of antibody testing would go a long way to getting back to normal. Plus active testing. It's no good just saying to everyone, if you feel a bit peaky stay home for 14 days. Test test test.

Effective track and trace is the key to making it feel OK to go out and about, and proper implementation of quarantine etc. for those who test positive for COVID-19. Without those, it's just a lottery as to whether somewhere is safe or not.

I am very worried about the survival of London's theatres - they seem to be in the worst position of all businesses, and while I would feel fairly comfortable going back to an art gallery or museum as long as masks are mandated and entrance numbers are strictly controlled, I have no desire to go anywhere with crowds of people for a long time. 
 

I usually go to pubs and restaurants a lot. They may well be opening on 4 July but I have no intention of going - and I'm a healthy single woman in my mid 40s. I want these businesses to survive but I don't think it is safe to go at the moment. I've friends who has COVID-19 who, although never hospitalised, are still unwell / have no energy four months after the contracted it. That is an entirely unappealing prospect.

I ticked 'same as before' as, in the last decade or more, I've had a compromised immune system, which has caused me to restrict my use of public transport and crowded places.  However, I've continued to go to theatre and concerts during those years.  I'd have appreciated the presence of hand-sanitser for all entrants before now, so I hope that - and temperature-taking - will be standard at the entrance of such places.  Like a previous contributor, I put 'same as before' for things I didn't do before and will continue not to do, as I assume that will help those analyzing the figures that will be created by the survey to track changes in trends more accurately.

In the survey I put "don't know" for several of the "will you do more or less..." as it didn't seem right to put "same as before" for something I rarely if ever did before Covid 19 - e.g. pubs, international travel, large gatherings...
I've been enjoying life online especially with virtual choirs, networking with birdwatching and other wildlife groups and huge variety of religious activities (more than I would normally be able to do in reality). I am keen to return to hairdresser, birdwatching outings (though fortunate to have been able to go onto Hampstead Heath couple of times a week) and actual choir but currently limited by wariness to use public transport and by lack of loos - pleased some are now beginning to reopen e.g. Kenwood.