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Covid

If you're calling for schools to go back, restrictions to be relaxed...

305 replies

GrumpiestOldWoman · 15/04/2020 20:01

...were you also in the group shouting for a lockdown a month ago?

People seem to be as desperate to open things back up now as they were to lockdown a month ago, yet we're still not over the peak.

It's hard not to conclude that the novelty has worn off.

Why are the press giving more airtime to 'relax restrictions' messages rather than 'UK worst in Europe' which we clearly are when care home deaths are added to the hospital deaths numbers? When other countries were reporting the death numbers we have today the UK was screaming for lockdown, but now it doesn't seem to be newsworthy Confused

I don't get it?

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ChloeDecker · 15/04/2020 20:04

I don't get it?

I do. They are desperate for their kids to go back to school.

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LaurieMarlow · 15/04/2020 20:05

I think the projected reduction of GDP to the tune of 35% may have something to do with it.

Furlough can’t last forever, people are worried about feeding their families.

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GrumpiestOldWoman · 15/04/2020 20:07

Furlough can’t last forever

No, but it can last until 31 May

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FuckThisWind · 15/04/2020 20:10

Well as a vulnerable person with an extremely vulnerable parent who I have to care for, no. I was one of those pain in the arse parents who wanted schools to close weeks before they did. And it's looking like we may need to have shielding measures in place for at least a year. Financial position has gone out the window.

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LaurieMarlow · 15/04/2020 20:10

No, but it can last until 31 May

It will take businesses absolutely months to get back to anything like regular cash flow you know.

Furlough finishes at the end of May, then what? There will be loads of redundancies.

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LilacTree1 · 15/04/2020 20:10

“ were you also in the group shouting for a lockdown a month ago?”

No. That would be ...weird.

I never wanted lockdown. I can’t remember the order in which things happened. The people calling for lockdown, did they already know the huge bill the Chancellor was giving us?

I think children have been cheated.

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tinytemper66 · 15/04/2020 20:11

I am a teacher and I want to be in work and teach!

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ShesGotBetteDavisEyes · 15/04/2020 20:12

When the kids go back to school it will be because we have to get people back into work and get the economy going again, not because it’s safe for them to go back. It scares me to death tbh.

It’s not going to go away though so what is the answer? I’m a sahm and can stay home with the kids but others need their livelihoods back. I’m worried about catching the virus but I’m more worried about what is possibly coming for the country in terms of a depression.

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GrumpiestOldWoman · 15/04/2020 20:12

No. That would be ...weird.

The press were/are.

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chickenyhead · 15/04/2020 20:13

What happens with the vulnerable but not shielded kids?

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Dontlickthetrolley · 15/04/2020 20:13

They wouldn't have cancelled the A'Level and GCSE exams if schools were only going to be closed for 2 weeks as Easter holidays were already happening. Even opening the schools after another 3 weeks of lock down still wouldn't explain the cancelled exams as students would have been in revision territory anyway.

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GrumpiestOldWoman · 15/04/2020 20:15

Furlough finishes at the end of May, then what? There will be loads of redundancies.

The virus won't go away just because we've decided we can't stay home any longer though Confused

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LilacTree1 · 15/04/2020 20:15

OP I’ve stopped any news intake

I’m pleased of the press are calling for that.

I think cancelling exams was part of the whole “follow the panic” policy.

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midgebabe · 15/04/2020 20:16

Lockdown or no lockdown, the economy would have been hit once we had the virus. The effect of a collapsed NHS plus the excess deaths , and possible widespread fear and panic, would have seen to that

Unless you can show that the financial impact of lockdown is long term significantly worse than letting the virus run unhindered, it's a bit disingenuous to link the lockdown and not the virus itself to the looming economic impact

The biggest ever recession was after the Spanish flu. There, lockdown was not a normal response, yet the recession still hit. More interesting, analysis of the states showed that the states that did implement a hard and long lockdown actually suffered less recession/depression than other areas

Not that it will be easy, but don't blame the wrong things,

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ilovecakeandwine · 15/04/2020 20:17

It's a interesting question I'd like to know too .
I was against schools closing so soon for the reasons as soon as school closed I can't work and if I can't work I can't pay bills . I'm furloughed and will get 80% but I'm keen for dc to go back to school for financial reasons. Of course I'm worried but I can't stay home for months .
I did ask people who were demanding schools close how long would you think stay home for . I think a lot of people thought a couple of weeks but now we are in week 4 and no sign of lockdown ending and the reality of job losses etc are looming so now the financial reality is kicking in for most .

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carriebreadshaw · 15/04/2020 20:17

As someone said above, when they reopen it'll be for economic reasons rather than because it's safe. I'm so scared of that.

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WiseUpJanetWeiss · 15/04/2020 20:22

Without lockdown we would have an NHS utterly swamped and unable to care for patients with Covid-19 or other life threatening conditions, not least because of massive staff incapacitation and death.

Are the anti-lockdown people also “herd immunity” people?

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LilacTree1 · 15/04/2020 20:29

Janet - there was a balance possible

Ignore all the containment failures- even after government botched that, they could have closed pubs, restaurants etc but still been less draconian

So allowing people to sit on grass, groups of 5 instead of 2. Am I right in thinking Germany allows visitors to individual homes? I thought they also encouraged sitting out in the sun, with social distancing?

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Bimbleboo · 15/04/2020 20:32

I know of people who were absolutely clamouring for the U.K. to lock down and were really vocal about it, yet are now the absolute worst for moaning about it, shouting for the schools to go back because their children are missing out on social interaction and lockdown is apparently impacting their mental health.
Honestly as far as I see it (and it’s just an opinion) some people just can’t seem to understand the whole picture. They wanted a lockdown because they thought THAT would make the situation stop. Now they want the schools back because they think that’s what’s going to make the situation stop. I genuinely know of people who are misunderstanding it all to that level.

They’ve shifted their focus and their shouting to the next thing they think will make it all go away.
They seem to only be able to look at it as the government just making them do something they don’t want to ....like grounded teenagers. I don’t know if it’s a protective thing? Are they just in denial and it’s easier to just whinge about lockdown because then you don’t have to think about the fact that the government and the lockdown are all irrelevant and it’s actually an invisible virus that’s affecting your life and causing all these scenarios.
And that the virus will be there after lockdown. And that your kids going back to school DOESNT mean it’s all over, and it’s safe now. In fact it’s quite the opposite but the nhs might have room for you at that point.

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Xenia · 15/04/2020 20:33

No. I was very very vocal against the schools closing and lock down happening.

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Fatted · 15/04/2020 20:34

I objected to lockdown, I objected to the schools closing. Still do. The damage to the economy will be greater than the damage caused by coronavirus. I've always said this.

The general public have had their extended Easter holidays now, they're bored and fed up. They'd sooner just get back to some kind of normal. A lot of people and businesses planned for lockdown to be temporary. Now they are facing extended lock down, they are having to address the long term and how they can continue to bring in money.

What I believe will happen is we will see an extended lock down until the end of May. Then the schools will go back in June and businesses will gradually follow afterwards.

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LaurieMarlow · 15/04/2020 20:35

The virus won't go away just because we've decided we can't stay home any longer though

Of course not.

But the virus may not ‘go away’ for a significant period of time. Perhaps years.

Keeping the country on lockdown is an extraordinarily costly measure. It was never intended to last until we’re ‘safe’.

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Davincitoad · 15/04/2020 20:36

1 To teachers dying to go back- why do you think your are invincible?

2 To people who didn’t want the lockdown are you actually out of your tiny minds? Would 10,000 dying a day be acceptable to you? Your loved one has a heart attack but there are bodies in the streets and no hospitals left?

3 To those who still think it’s scaremongering I actually worry for your sanity

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Jellycatspyjamas · 15/04/2020 20:38

I think a lot of people thought a couple of weeks but now we are in week 4 and no sign of lockdown ending and the reality of job losses etc are looming so now the financial reality is kicking in for most .

I think you may be right about folk expecting an extra week or two into Easter holidays. I’m in Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon was very clear that one of the reasons there was reluctance to close schools was because they’d then be closed for a long time - I’m not expecting mine back in school this academic year, we were well warned it wouldn’t be a short closure.

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Russellbrandshair · 15/04/2020 20:38

Nope, I never wanted lockdown and I hope it ends soon. Of course i get the need for it but people seem to be under the misapprehension that lockdown is to prevent us all getting it, ever. No. The point of lockdown is so we don’t all get it at the SAME time and the NHS collapses. We could lockdown until Christmas but covid won’t go away- it won’t go away until we’ve all had a vaccine which could be months.
Of course we should keep lockdown in place now but very soon it will have to end. It can’t go on for months, we can’t afford it to. 4 million people are in poverty now. Those people are now at risk. Dying from poverty, lack of healthcare, lack of food, domestic violence, suicide and child abuse isnt somehow “better” than dying of covid.
Lockdown will cause more deaths than covid if it goes on too long.

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