Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

Interesting article in the Express Online today. Thought it was worth a read and maybe your views on it.

Quote

Express co.uk readers voted in our exclusive poll that asked whether the government should bring in an extended lock down for the over-70s due to the coronavirus crisis. A huge 75 percent of voters rejected the plan, while 23 percent backed it.

One wrote ‘’I am 72 this year, and if they think they are going to extend the lock down with me they have got another thing coming - they will have to restrain me and keep me behind bars to stay in lock down longer than we need.’’

‘’I have more common sense in my little finger than the majority of youngsters so am perfectly capable of deciding if it is safe or not to go out.’’
‘’Really, I am a little tired of younger people trying to dictate to me what I can do or not.’’

One added: ‘’I am 77 and in good health and enjoy a day out fishing and don’t see any reason why we cannot do this as we are at least three metres away from fellow fishermen and enjoying fresh air.’’

The government is thought to be considering an age-specific quarantine which could keep the most vulnerable locked up while Britain fires up the economy as it slowly lifts lock down measures.

Boris Johnson said yesterday the UK faces ‘’maximum risk’’ as it navigates through the peak, and relaxing social distancing could lead to a second wave of infections.

Britons are now in the sixth week of lock down with measures to be review on 7th May.

Another outraged poll participant hinted that the young are more unfit, writing ‘’When I look at some gf the young waddling about, it makes me wonder who is the fittest.’’

One fumed over the ‘bullying’ of the elderly, writing: ‘’How does this bullying of us oldies fit in with the Ageism bill?

Concerns were raised after Health Minister Lord James Bethell, last week refused to deny an age-specific quarantine targeting older Britons was under consideration.

His comments sparked speculation about the idea, which would leave elderly people confined to their homes for an indeterminate period of time.
Critics such as former Labour Home Secretary, Lord David Blunkett, have argued such a move would penalise the elderly. He said: ‘’Older people must not be subjected to arbitrary incarceration as well as isolation. The more the government make restrictions age-related, the more they risk people pushing back very heavily and refusing to keep to the rules.’’

The UK government has expanded its testing with millions more now able to access the service. This includes the over-65s and those living with them.

Care home residents and staff are now able to access tests even if they are not showing symptoms of COVID-19.

UNQUOTE

What are your views on the above.

Mine? I must admit, I already realise exactly how a hamster or gerbil must feel being allowed out of its cage for an hour each day before being put back on a treadmill behind bars. Do the powers that be really think that when one reaches their 70th Birthday, they suddenly become dribbling, decrepid old farts, incapable of acting like a responsible citizen?
Do they think that we are incapable of making the correct move that ensures our, and everyone else’s safety if we walk outside of our front doors?
Do they think we are incapable of putting on a face mask and plastic gloves if we know we are going to mingle with everyone else in society?

For God’s sake. Isn’t it about time that we pensioners were treated with more respect?
I for one, refuse to be treated like a second-class citizen, locked away and forgotten about.
I certainly have no intention of spending what time I have left on this earth, hidden away in my home totally isolated from the rest of the world. If lockdown is finished, I want to be there with everyone else,following the strict rules and guidelines. I am perfectly capable of following orders and don't need some patronising little Dreeb telling me that I cannot be trusted to not put myself and others at risk.

So I say to morons such as Health Minister Lord James Bethell,
MIDDLE FINGER!! (ony because I am not allowed to give you a slap due to the 2-metre distance order)

See? We are sensible at 70+.

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

There is bound to be a second wave of the Chinese plague and probably more as increasing numbers of people emerge.

Too bloody right continued lock down for us should continue. It's in our interest.

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

Our fishing club chairman was 74 and died with COVID-19 yesterday.

As I see it, if 70 year olds want to go out and about a their own risk then fine, do it as long as they observe the social distancing rules.

The problem that will be coming is stupid Sturgeon telling people to wear face masks. By doing so, people will move closer to each other thinking they will be protected and in fact, unless you are using medical grade face masks etc you are still at huge risk. Its the advice from SAGE that social distancing is far better for peoples safety and infection rates than the public wearing face masks, often ill-fitting, home made and made out of unsuitable material.

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

Hi

We are more at risk than others, so there is a logic behind it.

However we are not idiots.

We can be sensible about things.

I am not going to be hanging around in groups like teenagers.

I can quite happily go fishing and socially distance.

I can easily go to my storage container and continue to empty it without coming into contact with anyone else.

Commonsense is everything.

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

There is no Lockdown, just government guidelines, recommendation. Most of us have to sense to realise it's all for our own good.

I think they say one walk per day, I go for two.

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

The more I hear things like this, the more it sounds like they are trying to reduce the older population!
They could do it by letting us all catch this virus, but that will cost them too much money on healthcare.
On the other hand, many older people are fit enough to care for themselves & they are more likely to be ill if they are confined to their houses with little contact with friends and family. Mind you, if more of us died it would make a good saving on pensions.
I thought the UK was a place where we treat everybody as equal, so the rules should apply to everybody....including the elderly

I understand that many ethnic groups are more prone to catching the virus, so I wonder if they will also be subject of a longer Lockdown?

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

You can't resist having a nasty swipe can you, not only at our FM but the whole of Scotland this time.
Well Mr Bread, we are not so bloody stupid as that. Most of us here have been wearing face masks when going into shops and on public transport, for a while now..
Oh Yes we have also keeping the required distance from others. AND without all the marking on the floors to show us how. All our FM has done is recommend we all do that. Stupid? Not her..

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

I never said the Scots were stupid. I said that Sturgeon
recommending facemasks goes against the advice given by the UK government, causes division and damages a unified approach to this and can put people further at risk because they are less likely to social distance.

My mum is Scottish by the way.

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

I never said the Scots were stupid. I said that Sturgeon
recommending facemasks goes against the advice given by the UK government, causes division and damages a unified approach to this and can put people further at risk because they are less likely to social distance.

Well said! Although not a fan of NS ( an under-statement, if ever there was one) until now I have been impressed by her reluctance to disagree with Govt guidelines but surely unified guidance (whatever form that may take) is the way forward?

Re: Backlash after Plans to continue lockdown for Pensioners.

Regardless of external advise, I will be continuing my own lockdown indefinitely or until a tested vaccine is available. Being classed as vulnerable for a number of reasons I won't take risks.

The more I hear about C19 the less I want to go out .
What we rarely hear about is those who have supposedly 'recovered' and are then readmitted to hospital with new serious secondary health issues. There is currently a programme running on radio 4 every week recorded in a hospital in Yorkshire which discusses many things about the virus that I haven't heard mentioned anywhere else.
I won't go into detail but for some contracting the virus is beyond anyone's worst nightmares.

Better to make some sacrifices now and survive ...