To think "it's alright for you" for those who want lockdown for now until eternity?

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

I've seen, on both MN and social media, outrage after the PM announcement last night that strict lockdown won't be in place any more. Lots of sensationalist "great so now people can come to the Dales and kill us all" type posts. Furious that builders can go back to work and school children can go back to school in June to "kills us all". People are saying we should have lockdown until there's a vaccine, or until September. All these people on social media either:

• work from home anyway
• run their business from home
• didn't work anyway

AIBU in thinking "yeah it's alright for you!". Some of us need to return to work to keep a living and roof over our heads. I am furloughed until the end of the month but if my workplace can't re-open by around July then my job is basically fucked. I'm a single parent to 2, my ex runs a business that also relies on lockdown being eased, so if he loses his business then I lose maintenance payments.

I think it also shows a woeful misunderstanding of what lockdown is for. It wasn't implemented so that we could stay at home while the virus fairy magicked corona virus away. It was never the expectation that lockdown would solve the virus problem. There will be a second peak - NHS barely survives flu season as it is, it's important that the next peak doesn't coincide with the inevitable flu peak

I haven't got the courage to risk my life

I assume you don't ever travel by car then?

@ilovemypantry Nope. I might have a little more sanity left if I did.

The only thing that's keeping it going is the fact the middle kids are obsessed with camping so pitching a tent in the living room at bedtime has been keeping them going. DS's teacher has been setting him work about capital cities so they're camping round the world

I would like to point out as well that it's not just the risk of dying from this virus which should worry people. For the vast majority, the danger of dying is indeed very small. But for those who don't die or need hospital treatment, it can still be very debilitating. I've had COVID-19 symptoms for over 2 months now and I'm still suffering quite bad symptoms, bad cough, occasional temperature,nausea and extreme fatigue. It just won't go away. I get 'false dawns' when I appear to be getting better only to get worse again.

I already had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a result of having had pneumonia last year and had low immunity. So yes, I was vulnerable. But there have been others who have had this journey who were completely healthy before catching the virus.

The mistake was saying that the vast of people would have 'mild symptoms' only, it gave the impression that it would be like a cold. That just isn't the case.

No, sacrifice would be getting to work and taking a very small chance (if you’re under 50)

Greater riskif you travel to work by public transport, and if you're male, and if you're BAME. You only have to look at the number of bus drivers that have died to know that public transport is a good place to get infected.

Anyway, it's not just about the risk to the person going to work, but about all the other people they risk infecting during the interval between infection and displaying symptoms. If, indeed, they do display symptoms. Some people get infected and remain totally asymptomatic.

There will be jobs, we'll find the food - it may be uncomfortable and really bloody difficult - but its not irreparable as loosing a close member of a family is.

Well bully for you, I and many others won't have access to food if we aren't paid or in work. I have no family or anyone to even lend a tenner off. I rely entirely on my wage and maintenance. If I lose my job who is gonna take on a single mum with 2 kids who need full time care until October?

SeperatedSwans i think you're spot on - but it's not a 'soon' thing - it's already happened. I think each of us knows perfectly well which group we are in and can name which group each of our different family members and close friends are in.

I find it fascinating.

I'll stick my hand up and say i'm in the risk taker group. My DH is as well, and all 3 of my older (early 20s) DCs are too. (We are observing the current rules)

My 2 son in laws to be are definitely in the risk adverse group. Both are being swayed by their fearful well sets of parents, with whom they still live.

My DM and my DHs parents are in the vulnerable shielded group.

I think you left a group out though. The ... Don't Give A Fuck'ers? This group will ignore rules and (will continue to) do as they please.

I’m seven months pregnant so I’m absolutely terrified of catching it. Thankfully I’m a FE teacher so the college is most likely not going to reopen before I start mat leave and DH can WFH. I won’t be sending my DC back to school any time soon, it’s not worth the risk.

We should have had a stricter lockdown from the beginning, we’d almost be on the other side of it now. Instead we had a half arsed lockdown with typical Boris trying to be everyone’s best friend rather than a strong leader. We have the second highest death toll in the world and the daily death toll is still too high to even attempt anything like normal life.

daisy, The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 have not changed and nor has the obligation generally under English law for employers to look after the safety of workers

I'm astonished you say this, @Xenia. On what basis do you say this?

My Union would definitely push back on the assertion that employers do not have an obligation under UK law to protect and safeguard their employees safety! The fundamental principles on which existing legislation under the Health and safety at work Act (1974) are based, would provide the framework and terms of reference. The current Government guidelines for handling the CV19 outbreak across society must surely be the context in which employers must be bound to operate.

Couldn't agree more with this.

Seems to be the fake woke middle class fawning outrage on behalf of people who in the case of me and my self employed relatives want to get back to work.

I agree there's a lot of fear, but it's become a trendy point of view and I would love to see how many of those shouting about this on Twitter and here actually stay inside until a vaccine is found.

I have a colleague who has taken to social media every day saying how he can't wait to get back out and to work, I don't want to be locked down any longer, I need to get back to work etc...
Last night- this is ridiculous, they can't ask us to go back to work, I won't go.

Make your mind up.

I think it's a mistake to ever say it's 'all right for' any one else tbh, regardless of circumstances. No one ever really knows what another person is going through and 'it's all right for you' in some circumstances can be a really insensitive and hurtful thing to say.

Really, some people need to get a grip, Adults and children’s mental health and education to suffer if the lockdown continues, my late Father and sister aged 4-7 were evacuees in the war, removed from their house and transported 100’s of miles away, no school to go to, helped on the farm, never saw their Mum and Dad again, They were, are lovely intelligent people, who had a good life eventually. we are just being asked to stay home, I do think BJ and the government have been very good and giving precise instructions, it all seems a bit Woolley, It’s sure up to the employers to provide a safe place to work in before many people can return to work

Let's be honest, it's the exact same people who never got up their sofas and suddenly decided they HAD to go on an unlimited amount of exercise for their mental health just because someone put restrictions.
Same people who made their own rules throughout.

The rest adapted as much as they could, and refuse to have wasted the last few weeks by blindly going back to "normal" because they are bored. Or god forbid, they had to spend time with their own children.

It's interesting to compare the numbers of the week we went into "distancing" and the numbers now people have decided they will ignore it and everybody must do the same.

In France they sign their own permits, it's no stricter than here

I have to laugh, isn't that so like the French culturally, suck their teeth, shrug the shoulders and do their own thing anyway.

I say that with affection. You know every culture will have its own unique way of dealing with Corona virus, either total obedience, deference to authority, rage again authority (as in US), lots of wingeing and complaining but doing the right thing anyway. We may all rage on here, but actually compliance across the U.K. as a whole has been extraordinarily strong, hence everyone checking in to make sure they're "allowed" to do xyz. Much rather be in UK than US right now!

Really, some people need to get a grip,

Agreed, the hysterical nonsense is tiring. It's a few weeks safely at home for the majority - without even a proper lockdown, but encouragement to exercise, no restriction on your shopping and communication.

As shit as it is, and some of us would have better things to do, it's hardly the worst life.

I very much agree. The money just isn't there to sustain closing society down past a certain point. Personally I'd love to see the furlough scheme continue at 80% for genuinely high risk individuals and businesses in sectors which really can't reopen any time soon. But that means the rest of us getting to work to sustain it all.

In France they sign their own permits, it's no stricter than here

Permits are checked, heavy fines issues, many towns have a curfew, postal services severely restricted, controls and stops on the roads, severely restricted distance to even exercise...

France is coming out of it today, but pretending that it is anywhere near strict here is laughable. You clearly don't know what is happening there.

It IS alright for those lucky enough to be paid for public sector jobs who aren't actually working

Who are these public sector workers who are being paid for doing nothing? All my public sector friends are still working. Most are working from home, several are still going to work or working in the community. The ones that can't do the jobs they normally do from home are doing things like telephone welfare checks on vulnerable people.

My public sector DP is upstairs making sure that everyone who works for one of the emergency services still gets paid. He's working from home so that the staff who can't do their jobs from home can spread out to minimise their risk of infection.

I agree with OP. But I do think people are scared however I think some people like getting paid to sit at home. What about all the shop workers NHS that have no choice but to go to work?

savehalloween yes yes yes
"Seems to be the fake woke middle class fawning outrage on behalf of people who in the case of me and my self employed relatives want to get back to work."
No doubt there are a large amount of public sector workers getting paid indefinitely, living in houses where kids have their own bedrooms.

"Permits are checked"

They sign their OWN permits! Anyone can do that!

Gwenhwyfar
They sign their OWN permits! Anyone can do that!

and they are still checked... and still fined heavily f they are committing frauds or proven to be lying...

You might want to research a bit how it works, don't you.

"France is coming out of it today, but pretending that it is anywhere near strict here is laughable. You clearly don't know what is happening there."

I talk to a friend in France every week. He prints his 'permit forms' and writes on them that he needs to go out. He hasn't been stopped on the road. There are road blocks here as well actually near tourist hotspots. He goes off on the bus to the supermarket!
We are also supposed to exercise locally, at least until today in England.

Why does me dying by suicide not matter but if I died of covid it does? People need to get a gri and accept death is better than this

This is a good point and I am struggling to be able to give any kind of counter argument. All deaths matter, you are right about that. Continued lock down is about reducing risk of covid for all and for making it possible for the NHS to manage both covid and other illness. If lockdown is released too early and R goes up, the NHS will be at risk again and so will everyone who gets ill, regardless of whether that is with covid or something else. It's a difficult balance and some of us will lose.

"and they are still checked... "

So? What is a police officer going to do if you've written 'going to the supermarket'? It's no different to just saying you're going to the supermarket. People can be checked here too. My friend's brother was asked where he was going when he was driving his car.

Not every person and every permit is checked - not even France has enough police for that. As I said, my friend hasn't been checked yet.
Here too, we CAN be checked if the police want to do so.
Heavier fines seems to be the only real difference.