Tackling the virus: Other concerns and suggestions

What one change to the current conditions would have the most positive impact on your life and why? What are your main worries at the moment that are related to coronavirus restrictions?

Why the contribution is important

The Scottish Government has committed to engaging with the public and is interested to hear your thoughts on this topic.

by ScottishGovernment on October 05, 2020 at 09:01AM

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Based on: 1 vote

Comments

  • Posted by Sarahl92 October 05, 2020 at 17:55

    Isolation is the main worry for me - I work from home and have tried to keep contact with other households. It would be great if we could form extended bubbles with direct family for indoor visitation. I think stricter penalties should be in place for those breaking restrictions.

  • Posted by Trp October 05, 2020 at 18:14

    If we could meet one other household indoors. I worry for isolated family members.

  • Posted by Sarahl92 October 05, 2020 at 18:16

    Edit to above! Isolation is the main worry for me - I work from home and have tried to keep contact with other households to a minimum!

  • Posted by Ursula October 05, 2020 at 18:31

    Allowing families to meet up inside their own homes. Not allowing this is having a devastating affect on mental health as let’s face it with the deteriorating winter weather outside meetings will be a no go. I am worried about the long term mental health impact on everyone. Please please look at reviewing the restrictions on indoor visiting.

  • Posted by KBA80 October 05, 2020 at 18:46

    As a deaf person I pray you either do not introduce face masks in all workplaces or make working from home a permanent right for disabled people so that I am not stressed every day by working in an environment (non essential business so not NHS) where every colleague is wearing one and I cannot understand what is being said.

  • Posted by Redfox October 05, 2020 at 18:55

    Removing restrictions and lets get back to normal, assist with anyone who voluntarily wants to shield and allow the rest of the country to get on with it.

  • Posted by gmb October 05, 2020 at 19:30

    Allow small social gatherings in private homes. This is essential as the weather gets worse - without it, the harm to so many people will be horrendous.

  • Posted by Juneec October 05, 2020 at 19:32

    Continued emphasis on working at home

  • Posted by Kayrob October 05, 2020 at 19:49

    Make it law to work from home. Also, meeting family members and friends needs to be increased but any non monitored gathering of over say 20 people should be banned and if caught huge fines should be issued. Students or people having house parties to only be dispersed with no punishment is not going to send the message. Please note, 20 was a random number, the scientists will know better than me. Mental health needs to be at the forefront of this war against the virus. We just need to get on with our lives, wear face masks in public places, on transport, wash hands etc... the rest of the risk should be on our own shoulders. If we choose to go see our elderly 90yr old grandparent and pass it on then its on our own heads. I know there are other factors but this virus isn't going away, the vaccine will come but not all will take it, so let's just get on with our lives.

  • Posted by getusoutofhere October 05, 2020 at 19:54

    Lift restrictions and let us be hygienic, the NHS is prepared let them do their job

  • Posted by ammys83 October 05, 2020 at 21:03

    Being able to visit family and friends is so important for mental health and well-being. We are all missing out on previous time with elderly family and this is very unfair.

  • Posted by HappyPumpkin81 October 05, 2020 at 21:15

    Allow soft play to open and groups for preschoolers to run without restrictions on parent numbers. I have not seen or spoken to another parent since February. How can myself or my child make friends when we cannot meet anyone?

  • Posted by Carolscat October 05, 2020 at 22:26

    Generally, I think a complete rethink is required but to answer the question about one thing that would have the most positive impact, then returning to being able to meet my family and friends in our own homes (in small numbers) would have the highest impact to me. I live alone and I'm working from home and I'm dreading a lonely winter. I had to choose between my elderly parents or my daughter and grandchildren to create my permitted "bubble" and that was a horrible decision to make! I shouldn't have to choose between them.

  • Posted by lauz84 October 06, 2020 at 00:29

    Just let us get on with living (like we so every winter flu season) assess risk, make decisons ourselves & help those most vulnerable to shield (as much as they want to)

  • Posted by Irenehurst October 06, 2020 at 04:20

    We need clearer guidance on the use of face masks. In England it is very clear: if you come into contact with a member of the public indoors face masks should be worn. This needs to be clearer particularly for some essential offices where members of the public are coming in for face to face appointments. Thank you.

  • Posted by rmk October 06, 2020 at 10:21

    Allowing people to visit their family should be prioritised over having pubs and restaurants open. The latter might be good for the economy, but family life is more important. Any visitors we have (even family) we've been following much stricter cleaning regimes, and ensuring an appropriate distance is maintained wherever possible. It is nonsensical that pubs and restaurants, especially those with forced air recirculation, have been shown in numerous case studies globally from China, to the USA, Norway, and Spain to name a few are often locations where so-called 'super-spreaders' cause mass infection and yet they remain encouraged over social visits. I am NOT suggesting we allow house parties of 15 people, but there's a big difference between that and meeting your parents for a cup of tea in their own home, not surrounded by many others, the legislation has ceased to be proportionate. If the government have overwhelming evidence that small gatherings of 4-5 people indoors are the primary cause of spread just now, share that with the public, and share it with the world so it can be reviewed and discussion can be had why we're seeing different patterns than everywhere else with peer-reviewed studies.

  • Posted by Cookie2 October 06, 2020 at 12:32

    Changes to how close relatives or key friends are seen in care homes. We are an essential partners in our relatives care but are not allowed to play our part. We are watching our relatives wither away before our eyes due to isolation. My biggest worry is my mum thinking we have abandoned her - she has dementia and does not understand why we are no longer with her for long periods of time most days.

  • Posted by chazK October 06, 2020 at 13:48

    Keep protecting the vulnerable, let people make choices, don’t worry about “cases” if hospitals are coping most people will cope according to the science, just look & see how many are doing fine after catching it. Give people back their rights, their freedoms & stop the economic, medical mayhem.

  • Posted by Kylec October 06, 2020 at 14:41

    Tougher fines and enforcement should be and should’ve been in place right from the start for people who tested positive and didn’t self isolate as well as people coming back from their holidays outside of the UK and not self isolating for the required amount of time. Track and trace should be and should’ve been effective from containing the virus. Then possibly most people can actually get on with their normal lives if all of these were implemented correctly. This is what the countries have done who have been successfully fighting the virus have done - Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, New Zealand etc.

  • Posted by fyfe1999 October 06, 2020 at 15:53

    I would like to be able to see people indoors. Most of my friends have a limited budget and can't afford to meet me in bars or restaurants frequently. Now that the weather is getting colder we can't just always meet outside. When going to the pub with a friend you can't completely socially distance from them anyway so I don't see how going to their house would be any different. I think that this measure alienates poorer people.

  • Posted by AnaMaria October 06, 2020 at 21:19

    I understand that creating bubbles for families with grandparents and children can be challenging. For those people not blessed with these larger families a bubble option would be amazing. For example 4 single/widowed people creating a bubble so they could meet indoors in the winter would have such a huge impact on wellbeing over the winter months. Again two couples forming a bubble would probably reduce the number of visits to hospitality. Many people cannot afford regular outings and the Scottish winter weather will start to isolate those in the senior category.

  • Posted by JaneMurray October 07, 2020 at 10:34

    Like most people, I wish to be able to meet with small numbers of friends and family indoors. My daughter is an only child and she needs to be able to socialise with her peers. My biggest concern is the impact of social isolation on people's mental health and general wellbeing. I would like to see a more proportionate response to Covid that doesn't prioritise containing this virus over our nation's general health, wellbeing and liberty.

  • Posted by MooritCheviot October 08, 2020 at 20:52

    My biggest concern is authorities not being honest with people. That realistically a vaccine may take another 12-18 months to get proof of principle. Then 6 months safety testing/licensing (who's volunteering to take it before then?), then 6 months scale up, 6 months while China/EU/USA get first dibs, 3 months while England get vaccinated, 3 months to distribute leftovers to Scotland. That's 3-3.5 years away! Much faster than a 'normal' vaccine, but REALISTIC measures have to be proposed for this timescale. It won't be 'over by Christmas'. Will we end up letting it run wild? Persuade the whole island to 'do a New Zealand'? Grasp independence and do so ourselves?

  • Posted by APragmatist October 10, 2020 at 16:28

    Return to the rule of 6 indoors at the next review please.

  • Posted by FreeToChoose October 10, 2020 at 19:20

    Redbox, Getusoutofhere, Iauz84 and chasK got it right. Return our civil liberties and let us get on with our lives.

  • Posted by Sazzle36 October 11, 2020 at 11:49

    If we all knew last year what life was going to be like with all these restrictions, most of us would not have believed this would have been allowed... ( I may be overstepping or being naive with this comment). We have all been asked and (most of us) have kept to the rules. This is despite being advised that this is a new illness that we are learning about. Therefore we do not know if what we are doing helps. Many of us are scared (again I may be overstepping here) of getting COVID and/or passing it on to others. How many of us are living half a life or less? How many of us are getting up in the morning unsure of how we will make it through the day? How long is it going to last? Please let us have some contact with others inside in our own safe spaces. Those who don’t follow rules will be doing this anyway.

  • Posted by QuantumT October 11, 2020 at 15:43

    Legislate to make employers offer the permanent option of home working . Put this in the hands of the employee for those in at risk groups.

  • Posted by harviej October 11, 2020 at 18:05

    Please allow us to visit our 2 sons and their families in their own home. Otherwise there is no more point in living. No amount of hobbies can compensate for being with family, so don't tell me to take up embroidery

  • Posted by Sal1 October 11, 2020 at 19:33

    My 80 year old mum lives alone and has 2 daughters living locally to her. Sticking to the rules and for practical reasons, she has formed a bubble with one daughter and her family. This was a terrible dilemma and decision for my mum to make. It is also, leaving the 2nd daughter in an isolated position. As this situation is likely to continue for some months, can consideration be given to extended bubbles beyond one child for lone parents please?

  • Posted by Norrie October 11, 2020 at 19:40

    Devolving power to Local Authorities and Health Boards would introduce flexibility into dealing with covid. The SG should oversee and help direct resources to where best needed. Health Boards could then plan covid free hospitals themselves or with neighbouring boards to deal with other issues.

  • Posted by Carronhall October 11, 2020 at 20:39

    Let hospitality open but stop sales of alcohol in both hospitality and supermarkets. Drunk people cannot follow rules. Time to be grown up and realise it's seeing friends that makes us happy not alcohol.

  • Posted by soozham October 11, 2020 at 21:45

    Instead of a rule of 6 we should just have a 2 household max rule for meeting up, regardless of numbers. This would help immensely for large households like mine who are struggling to see friends and family as we cannot stick to 6. Surely the infection risk can't be much different if we all come from the same household?

  • Posted by soozham October 11, 2020 at 21:50

    Can we please allow places of worship to have music and singing again at the same time as indoor gyms and fitness classes starting back up? Surely the aerosol production, in a controlled manner behind masks, would not be more than a gym or fitness class where people are out of breath. Being able to worship freely in church is an essential part of our relationship with God and many Christians are struggling without this.
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