To ask whether you would support a further lockdown?

[lola777]

Posting here simply as I don't know if voting can be enabled outside AIBU.

Vote yes- You would support further lockdown of this extent
Vote no- You would not support a lockdown of this extent after the current lockdown period

Personally, I would be happy for restrictions to slowly be lifted after this. Amongst my friends, I feel I am in the majority.

Some schools were about to close before they were told to, due to staff absence it was becoming impossible to remain safely open. Family members of mine had emails advising school likely to close for that reason, before any govt announcement. Shops and cafes were closing because they did not want to put staff at risk, and because custom was down too far to keep going. This was before any govt orders. Individual nhs trusts and GPs were changing the services they offered, partly to protect staff.

Imagine where we would be now if this virus had been allowed to grow exponentially without any lockdown. Surely no one can think they would have been keeping their business afloat, going to school, accessing healthcare. All these valid points about the effect of lockdown on the economy...but where is the counterfactual? How do we know what the impact of exponential growth of the virus would be?

If it means saving lives, yes I would support the lockdown being extended. We all need to realise that once its lifted, we are all suspectible to be infected and possibly worst! Imagine travelling on public transport or working in a public facing role. It's going to be a disaster! Lockdown should only end when the infection rate is low enough for the govt. to trace potential victims easily.

I think we will have to remain in lockdown till the end of May. If garden centres open as all their plants will need to be sold in May, markets for fruit, veg and flowers and some football back on tv that would be something positive and i think would keep many people more entertained. I really think the media channels need to step up and give us some better tv programmes. Maybe a few small shops could open after May 7th at the review period. I keep seeing restaurants doing takeaways on tv but where we live this is not happening. McDonalds is not even doing drive through. I am getting fed up of cooking everyday. Dh and 2 adult sons home all of the time and constantly wanting to be fed. I would do love to book a holiday for August but afraid to.

MargotB7
Actually the UKs death rate is more like 14%

People keep cherry-picking from my posts. I’ll repost a reply I made earlier

*That’s my whole point. The U.K. has officially had 152000 cases and 20700 deaths. The death rate is therefore 14% which is way too high, at least 7x too high. South Korea’s death rate is 2% which is also prob too high.

That’s why test, trace and isolate is unrealistic when the numbers are so high and testing capacity is currently so low.*

My point is that the U.K. has vastly under tested and thus containing it to the point where public health can test, trace and isolate is unlikely IMO.

Death rate of 14%????? No wonder people are terrified! No it isn't!

And I completely agree nolongersurprised we are too far gone to get to a place of contact testing

Look ... the UK has always been behind on this, or changing its mind on strategy. Contact testing with early lockdown - I was shouting for that back in v late Jan onwards. I sent our department into wfh lockdown two weeks early, the absolute latest we should have done it if our strategy was going to be lockdown til we could get to levels of contact testing. I disagreed with whateverthefuck our strategy was. I call it herd immunity but maybe it was just incompetence. But that's the path we chose. Too late now for talk of contact testing. We are on a different route. Still herd immunity, perhaps there is some kind of plan you can but hope, for testing in order to maintain a good protective bubble around the vulnerable. It is quite possible it is just incompetence again. Who knows. We'll know in 50 years when they release the papers.

But no, you are not facing a 14% death rate (assuming you are not very elderly).

The death rate isn't 14%. The majority of people that have had the virus haven't even been tested for it as they haven't required hospital treatment.

Last I checked, 129 people in my age range have died of the virus in this country.

On a personal level, that number doesn't terrify me at all.

I would certainly abide by further lockdown but I don't particularly want one, and not because I'm bored, but because the longer time goes on the more likely it is that I'll have no job to go back to.

It is probably those calling and screaming for lockdown that now want it ended?

We've just wasted 5 weeks. While I've been at home constantly (apart from 2 walks since March 23) we've got others breaking the rules and not taking it seriously. Rules aren't being enforced.

People wanted an effective lockdown, not whatever this is supposed to be.

@bushhbb I agree with to a degree. I don’t feel it’s wasted because we have definitely reduced the impact of this, but it could have been lessened further if others had also followed. We are also now at a point where discussion is considering lifting or changing some of these restrictions but people are lifting their own tbh. I can’t see how the government will lift or change anything if the infection rate is increasing and/or they’re aware that people are ignoring advice, the risk of that inevitable increase is too high surely?

Ok
The government predicted lower compliance with the rules
When we started lockdown our government was not aiming to eliminate the virus

I disagree with our policy. I preferred the NZ approach, but don't be thinking the government wanted higher compliance and where we are now is a result of people going on too many walks

Yes I would.
All you lot who want to see your families and boyfriends so badly, won’t be able to when you or they are dead.

@MbwaKali actually I want to go back to work, to keep a roof over our heads. Terrible of me, I know.

@ LaurieMarlow

Who would you propose pays for this?

Maybe there's a magic money tree. It seems as though no one wants to answer this question. Instead they'll carry on ranting that those who want lock down lifted are killing people, conveniently forgetting that extending lock down will also do the same.

Yes!!

But then it's not like anyone is asking our opinion is it? 🤷‍♀️

I would support a lockdown for longer. I've enjoyed spending much more time at home and having more quality time with the Dds. (I have 4). And my DP. It's been amazing..

No, don’t support another one. The NHS can cope. We need to be able to get businesses back up and running and get back to things. Seems with the news this morning, the govt are thinking the same too.

I would not support extension of the current restrictions, they need to have some leeway because people will stop following rules.
I know a lot of people are really struggling and I think when this is reviewed lockdown like this this is not going to remain the safest option
If people want to stay at home, so be it, let them but don't forget that key worker families haven't had the choice.

MargotB7 - re your comment to me, why do the lockdown rules need to be followed for a lot longer for it not to have been a waste of time?

My understanding is we needed the initial lockdown to prepare the NHS and ensure it didn't become too stretched to treat those who needed it. It's looking now like the curve has been flattened, and the NHS is not overwhelmed, so in that regard the lockdown achieved its aim.

The goal wasn't to stay indoors until the virus gets bored and drifts away, it's going to be there whether we lift lockdown now, on May 7th, or in another 2 months.

I'm sure in an ideal world where everyone has plenty of funds, job security, comfortable living situations, and no other medical problems requiring treatment, we'd all go along with it for longer. But that's not realistic - huge sacrifices are being made, and people are understandably starting to question when the cure becomes worse than the disease.

You suggest at least another 5 weeks, maybe more - what is that based on? There are people who whose entire livelihoods have been torpedoed by this, and any further lockdown needs to be fully justifiable.

I will support whatever to keep everyone safe

There is nothing that will keep everyone safe. We have to learn to live with it. We cannot wait for a vaccine. And that wont be the answer to all strains anyway. We can carry on being careful for a while, but even that isn't sustainable long term.

If we lockdown for much longer my job will cease to exist. So many people are struggling and we just can't continue like this indefinitely. We're approaching the point where the vulnerable need to isolate and the healthy need to crack on and take their chances.

All you lot who want to see your families and boyfriends so badly, won’t be able to when you or they are dead.

Nor will those who die from cancer due to lack of testing and treatment during lockdown, or the women in abusive relationships who are killed by their partners.

The cost in terms of mental health and the economy are going to be absolutely catastrophic. Many older people are going crazy isolated on their own for weeks and months. That's just as important as keeping the virus in check. Children from lower income families are not eating properly and not being taught at home. They can't play with other children. Many people are stuck in flats in cities with limited access to to fresh air and somewhere to exercise. It's just not doable for much longer in my view. It's much easier for those who can work from home and have a guaranteed income, gardens and spacious houses. For those living alone, with no job, no one to talk to and nowhere to exercise but city streets, it's a completely different matter. Or families packed into a small space, going crazy, trying to live on benefits.