Do you think there will be a 2 week national lockdown over oct half term

[Lardlizard]

As I want to make some plans but I’m unsure what’s happening

[Augustbreeze]

I think there might be, I'd guess they don't know yet. The briefing from the PM this evening might give some clues (5pm I think)?

[Suzi888]

Yes, I think there will be. Possibly over Christmas also.

[FlibbertyGiblets]

The half terms would have to have been standardised. So no.

What plans are you making that involve having the country.(presume you mean England) shut down firstly?

[IncludeWomenInTheSequel]

Are the October holidays standard across the whole of England? They're not here in Scotland so it would be tricky to implement here in a really broad way.

NS did say that people should use the holidays to retreat from others though if they can.

[Lardlizard]

I didn’t know there was a briefing tonight ? Are these briefings still happening on a regular basis ?

[CakeGirl2020]

Nobody in here can answer that, it will depend how the date rate and infections are at that time.

Like anyone making plans in a pandemic you are taking a risk if it will go ahead or not.

[Lardlizard]

I think in England most schools
Are
Off the last week of Oct
I thought perhaps it would be the last two weeks of Oct

[ilovesooty]

I honestly don't see why anyone on here would know any more than you do.

[Lardlizard]

Only thinking of making plans to go somewhere in the U.K.
but I agree any plans need to be made with knowing that’s a strong chance it could get cancelled
Could just do with a change of scene for a few days

[Redlocks28]

It wouldn’t surprise me.

If they say it’s a two week lockdown at half term, but schools are open for one of them and everyone still has to go to work and the pubs just shut a bit earlier though, it will make absolutely no difference to anything.

[Lardlizard]

I don’t think anyone person definitely knows
Even Boris probably doesn’t
But I’m just trying to get a feel of people’s general views

[Wingingthis]

God some people are so rude! “Do you think” is the question. Op is asking for opinions 🙈
I think yes

[TheVeryHungryTortoise]

I could see that happening, yes. My SIL is a teacher and referenced to this at the weekend. I'm not sure if the school actually knows anything or if they're also just preparing for a potential announcement. I'm guessing it's probably the latter.

[FourTeaFallOut]

Maybe. We've booked a few nights away during the October half term but nothing which cannot be refunded in the event of further restrictions. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and all that jazz.

[Bickles]

If they do this will they close Universities too? They don’t have a half term, in fact teaching will be just getting going and some courses have quite a bit of face to face (masked!) timetabled.

[TableFlowerss]

No I honestly don’t think there will be.

[Augustbreeze]

There was a briefing last Tuesday and one today, I hope they'll be made regular but who knows?

[JustCallMeGriffin]

I was hoping to get to half term before being locked down again and had made plans for DD2s early October birthday just 30 minutes drive down the motorway.

Nope, now living in a locked down area and we cannot leave the city boundary. Luckily her birthday treat is transferable so we just have to wait and see about rebooking.

Honestly you can't predict what they'll decide because they don't know what they're doing one week to the next.

I've given up planning anything now and we're just going with the flow.

[underneaththeash]

I don’t think there will be. The travel/tourist industry is in it’s knees and can’t afford to refund anyone else.
I think we’ll be banned from visiting private houses though.

[MrsWhites]

Yes I think there will be, there seems to be a lot of rumours of this from schools etc in our area (north west). My personal opinion is that they will shorten terms in school by adding a couple of weeks of home schooling to the normal school holidays, and possibly ban us from mixing with other households during these periods. But that’s just my opinion so who knows!

[rallytog1]

I would be surprised. The October half term is likely to represent huge economic value - bookings in lots of areas reliant on tourism are running at similar levels to the summer at the moment.

[Nestme]

Yes. I hope they do and have learnt the lessons from Feb half term - but I doubt they have.

[CountessFrog]

How will it work if holiday companies Have to refund people who live in locked down areas and allow others to go ahead with their holiday?

[BlusteryShowers]

Yes. I'm working on that assumption.

[FourTeaFallOut]

I suspect if the holiday falls in a lock down area then the company would honour a refund - if that is the contract - and if the visitor is in lockdown, then they will have to cover that risk at their own end by either taking it in the chin or covering that eventuality with insurance.