To think lockdown is now completely unenforceable?

[Cornana]

First off, this is NOT a debate on people breaking lockdown. People are- not everyone- but it’s happening, yet some people still majorly adhere, and opinions on that are not really relevant to my post.

My question is, AIBU to think lockdown is now unenforceable and extremely hard to monitor? When it was essential travel only, and we could only go to the shops, it was probably easier. Now you can drive anywhere, you can go in someone’s house under bubble rules from Saturday, etc... AIBU to think it is now unenforceable and simply relies on people doing their part and listening to advice? And that this is less likely as people from non-single adult households are now going to think, “to hell with it?”

For example, I live alone and can now visit my partner. But if I didn’t live alone, no one would know if I went and saw my partner anyway. And if I didn’t live alone and wasn’t ‘allowed,’ I don’t honestly know how much longer I could last. That’s just an example of what I mean.

Side note, I’m glad about the new changes, I’m dying for social contact at this point.

@Cam77

Not that I have to explain my thought processes to a stranger on the internet, but I am well aware of what is required, I am capable of doing my own risk assessments, and ask yourself if I know and I am prepared to do it, how desperate must I be feeling.

I wish people wouldnt use the govt as an excuse to stop behaving sensibly and following social distancing guidelines. Who will you blame if you or your friend or relatives get sick - the government? . I was disgusted by the Dominic Cummings episode too and truly wish he had been sacked but This pandemic is not their fault and they need everyone to care and do the right thing. Most people haven’t had Covid 19. I for one am scared how my body would cope being asthmatic so I’ll carry on with social distancing.

@theonlywayisapple - that's rubbish. Spreads less quickly outdoors.

Agree with Barbara

The main places of infection are indoor crowded areas so a lot of this isn’t available or is scaled back.

People should can (and should) still consider what risk to family members if meeting,

@DoorstoManual

Lock down was over for me the day Cummings the C*NT refused to resign.

Having said that I have done very little to break it, but a trip to Dublin is starting to look attractive.

But why though. I see this written all the time.

Is it because you think ‘well if he didn’t observe lock down neither will I’ ? If so that’s nothing to do with him resigning

Or

Is it - because he won’t resign your happy to risk catching Covid - which makes no sense. That’s just cutting your nose of your spite your face

It has always been unenforceable. Had large amounts of the population decided to ignore the lock down, even right at the beginning, there would have been little the police could have done. In the same way that large groups of people have been able to protest. Short of putting the army on the streets, it all relies on the public being willing to keep to the rules, which most people are, or at least were.

I am capable of doing my own risk assessments, and ask yourself if I know and I am prepared to do it, how desperate must I be feeling

But this has got zero to do with DomCum resigning.

I honestly do think people just use this as a catchphrase to say they are not observing the lock down rules anymore.

I stuck to it religiously, situations change, I now longer wish to live in my family home, I was unaware that I had to justify myself to words on a screen.

The annoying thing is that we're not in lockdown anymore really, are we?! But we can't do anything, can't go anywhere, everything remotely fun is closed. The kids are still off school. The queues everywhere make it damn near impossible to actually get what you need when you're at the shops.

It's this horrible limbo of being told to get back to normal, when in reality all you can do is stay at home, drink in your back garden and do a load of online shopping. While your kids jump around on a trampoline.

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal

For all of you not keeping up social distancing will you self isolate if you are picked up as a contact in test and trace?

I would but that's unlikely as i won't be downloading any apps backed by this government.

Track and trace isn't being done by an app, don't you keep up with the news?

It always was pretty much 'unenforceable'. Our lockdown was achieved by consent and compliance for the most part, as we don't have a large police or military presence. It's inevitable that people would start losing motivation after this length of time.
As for Dominic Cummings, I'm pretty sure thousands of people did similar or worse than he did during lockdown, it's not a 'get out of jail free' card.

@DoorstoManual

I stuck to it religiously, situations change, I now longer wish to live in my family home, I was unaware that I had to justify myself to words on a screen.

You don’t - you obviously have your own reasons but it’s nothing to do with DomCum resigning is it?

[quote LST]@LaurieFairyCake I find that hard to believe. Who do they ask? How do they know 60% of the country are still complying?[/quote]
They can monitor movement via phones, CCTV, roads, public transport, etc, also calls to the police about people breaking lockdown. Of course it's not exact and doesn't account for people popping into their neighbours type of interactions but it still gives a good idea.

No i don't tend to keep up with the news because it's just a load of panic mongering. Lockdown was meant to spread cases out so the nhs could cope. The nhs is coping, so why are we all still living this ridiculous half life, where we can go to the beach with 2000 other people but can't go sit in our relatives house? If the rules made any sense at all i would follow them as i did for the first 10 weeks.

Because being outside there is less risk of you catching the disease from someone - unless you are in close contact with them (less than 1 metre) face to face,or they cough directly at you or you snog them

where we can go to the beach with 2000 other people but can't go sit in our relatives house

Because the risk of transmission in scenario 1 is massively lower than scenario 2.

It's outdoors, probably windy, you're nowhere near most of those 2000 people or touching anything that they come into contact with, most of those 2000 people wouldn't catch it even if you did have it, whereas if you're sat in a relative's house a metre or two away from them, talking to them, in still air, for an extended period, and using their cup, touching their chair and handles, using their toilet, and perhaps giving them a hug and kiss goodbye, the chance of transmission is much higher. Makes perfect sense.

I have less chance of catching it from 2000 people on a crowded beach than i do from a relative who i know has no symptoms and has been isolating? I don't believe that even if it is what the government says. Ive assessed the risk for myself and I'll carry on seeing relatives and not going to the beach.

You are right it relies heavily on people believing they have a civic duty.

But Matt Hancock has pretty much said that. He's employed people to have that sense of duty and explained why it's necessary.

All the sage papers back from the beginning in February relied on expecting 80% adherence but requiring 75%.

I do think policing bunch sent and enforcing lockdown was never going to be the most effective combination.

Policing by consent has its advantages.
But it relies on public engagement.

Engagement is very hard during lockdowns etc when you have groups who are disenfranchised and are disproportionately affected affect by the lockdown.

My main suspicions re some things is that Cummings is behind them. We know he likes to have disenfranchised groups to get his agenda through. It's who he targets.
We also know he couldn't actually give a flying fuck about the lockdown rules and the plebs who follow them.
He doesn't even give a fuck about things like planning permission and council tax apparently.

This is why I'm watching the schools situation very carefully. He was Goves advisor when Gove fucked U.K. the system and Cummings was found guilty of bullying.

It wouldn't surprise me if he used this to seek some kind of revenge or push his original failed agenda through.

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal

For all of you not keeping up social distancing will you self isolate if you are picked up as a contact in test and trace?

I would but that's unlikely as i won't be downloading any apps backed by this government.

You don’t need the app to be called. Why are people still spouting this nonsense

[quote luckylavender]@theonlywayisapple - that's rubbish. Spreads less quickly outdoors. [/quote]
It is when there’s 15,000 people crammed in together. People go on about Cummings but ignore this because it’s the done thing to hate Tories.

I stopped following the rules after that vile Dominic Cummings did what he did.

Just going about as usual,not that there is anywhere to go much,been to the dentist,pharmacy and pet shop today.

I stopped following the rules after that vile Dominic Cummings did what he did

So you’re just as bad as him. Well done, you’re vile too

@theonlywayisapple - that's ok then. Ok for someone who made the rules, the power behind the throne, to do what the hell he wants & to 'justify' himself with more lies v. people who are protesting because of a very important cause. And these protestors do it many months later when the infection is lower. We just 'hate' the Tories. I'm not saying they are right but they're not self serving. Cummings spin his lies so his wife wrote about them too. You

I think the fact that the government backed Dominic Cummings made lockdown unenforceable. The rules are now impossible to check up on - who meets with whom, where, whether they are single etc. Personally I apply common sense I just don't shout about it if I know I'm doing something that doesn't comply.

I was unbelievably pissed off with Dominic Cummings and felt he should have offered an apology (however insincere) and resigned although since hes allegedly the puppetmaster, maybe BJ wouldnt have accepted it

BUT I dont think that should give everyone the green light to say we'll just do what we want from now. He may did behave irresponsibly and against the terms of lockdown that he made up and caused minimal impact to the spread because hes in the minority. If everyone starts mixing then we risk going back to the situation in March again.