(30 Nov 2021, 12:11 pm)Adrian wrote Our cases have remained at a 7 day average of at least 27k for almost 5 months now. Last two months have been around 33k average. No other country in Europe has followed that pattern, mainly because their policy isn't being set by a bumbling idiot.

(30 Nov 2021, 12:21 pm)streetdeckfan wrote And that should have always been the plan. People are going to catch COVID, that's just a fact. There's no stopping it, even New Zealand have admitted that now. You might as well let people get it over the summer when there is already less pressure on the NHS, with the hope being that natural immunity would give them extra protection throughout the winter. (on top of the protection already given by the vaccines)

After all, the reason for the lockdown was to 'protect the NHS'!

I'd personally much rather have a higher, but steady rate throughout the year than have massive unsustainable peaks over winter like we're seeing with other European countries.

(30 Nov 2021, 12:27 pm)Adrian wrote But to answer your question, i.e. "if masks were as great as they're made out to be then why are all the countries that mandate them having massive surges yet we're not"

We haven't had a 'surge' because we've remained consistently high, and out of cycle with every other country. That may even answer your own question regarding the effectiveness of mandatory face coverings, whereby consistently high case rates haven't been seen where they are mandated.

(30 Nov 2021, 12:21 pm)streetdeckfan wrote And that should have always been the plan. People are going to catch COVID, that's just a fact. There's no stopping it, even New Zealand have admitted that now. You might as well let people get it over the summer when there is already less pressure on the NHS, with the hope being that natural immunity would give them extra protection throughout the winter. (on top of the protection already given by the vaccines)

After all, the reason for the lockdown was to 'protect the NHS'!

I'd personally much rather have a higher, but steady rate throughout the year than have massive unsustainable peaks over winter like we're seeing with other European countries.

(30 Nov 2021, 4:45 pm)54APhotography wrote There is no natural immunity to a virus that is not natural.