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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder what the ‘sweeping new measures’ will be?

405 replies

Greatthumbsdown · 19/09/2020 15:30

As covered widely in the media, Boris Johnson is now said to be considering ‘sweeping new measures’ for the whole UK, sooner rather than later. What do people think these will be? No mixing between households? Pubs closed at 10pm?

OP posts:
loulouljh · 19/09/2020 21:05

Anything less than full time school does not work. If children are at home the parents cannot work. Worse case they lose their job! Most parents are working parents and less kids are mid teens they cannot be left all day.

Tunnocks34 · 19/09/2020 21:06

We’ve had to plan for tier two are school so maybe that - basically It’s a two week on, Two week off type learning with full online learning and lessons provided when that year group isn’t in.

I’m hoping my year 11s would be allowed in constantly If this is was the case however.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 19/09/2020 21:09

@Oaktree55

I know it’s not popular but blended learning is really the only sustainable way forward till a breakthrough like therapeutics or a vaccine.

The studies show (I think from Germany the latest one) if class sizes are kept small, 50% in Germany. In low transmission areas schools can operate well without increasing transmission.

I know everyone wants full time but if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work 🤷🏽‍♀️

Blended learning where needed and fully remote on subjects where it’s not. Have them in the bare min possible to keep numbers down and stop them taking the virus home to parents or passing to school staff.

I’d imagine if they close the pubs people will simply meet more indoors with friends at home and buy alcohol elsewhere. You’d need to ban the sale of it altogether.

ButteryPuffin · 19/09/2020 21:09

Depends what Cummings's next genius idea is Hmm Johnson has clearly given up even trying to get a handle on it. He looks utterly witless these days.

As half term is generally a week different in different areas, I can imagine they might announce a two week lock down that covers both those. Effectively a double length half term everywhere, but where everyone stays at home instead of going to Alton Towers...

MadameBlobby · 19/09/2020 21:12

The government couldn’t have fucked this all up any more if they had tried. All they can do is close things, which they can’t really afford, as people won’t bother their arse to follow any more rules re seeing family etc. Oh well. We get what we vote for. Sadly those who didn’t vote for incompetent government will suffer just as much as those who couldn’t see past the end of their nose and Brexit and did.

MadameBlobby · 19/09/2020 21:14

That’s not what’s being offered @IceCreamAndCandyfloss. We had our blended learning plans and they said that there would be no additional support or resource on your child’s non school days, because the teacher will of course be teaching the other half of all the classes. The “blended learning” that people talk about is not going to happen. It’s pie in the sky.

Oaktree55 · 19/09/2020 21:15

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss yup so true re closing pubs. Heard this from friend in police. It just moves it to homes which I’d imagine are more prone to viral spread as no regulations. For those who think there are easy answers to this situation unfortunately there aren’t.

Oaktree55 · 19/09/2020 21:18

@MadameBlobby the 2 week on 2 week off is in Gov Guidance and from other threads I’ve read schools need to prepare for it ie prepare work for the 2 weeks off. What that will comprise of I don’t know. I do think though 2 weeks being taught by the appropriate subject teacher consistently is better than the full time show school will be over winter.

XingMing · 19/09/2020 21:19

We've kept ourselves SD from everyone except our married couple friends who are retired medics with health issues since before lockdown, and DH's colleagues who are another close group, but not likely to oversocialise. I had four weeks mainly 1-2-1 with my DM85, helping her through an injury. DS who was out and about while lockdown was lifted is now at university in another town 70 miles away. I go out to walk the dog and to the supermarket, for which I wear a mask and take all the sanitary precautions. Most of our friends are equally careful, or more so. But we are 60+ and cautious. Not stupid, nor easily panicked. Some of us are high risk categories, so we're not going to defy the rules either.

It will be boring, and everyone hates having life on hold or stop, but I think we older people have to step back from unnecessary activity and exposure to allow COVID to rip through the younger population who will mostly be asymptomatic if they get it in order to develop herd immunity. The NHS has now proved several interventions to mitigate the worst problems.

DMIL, 91 has multiple chronic illnesses including rapidly advancing dementia and while I love her to bits, she has written DNR on every document she's signed for the last 20 years, so she cannot be a priority for the NHS. Keep her comfortable, let us know in time to say goodbye if possible please, but use the energy and know-how to save a life that still has potential. Anyone between 40 or 50 should always rank above someone of 80 or 90 for medical intervention.

If you're in your 60s or 70s, then I think you should behave intelligently and with restraint. We are getting to the end of our utility economically. It really doesn't matter that you haven't ticked off everything on your bucket list. That's irrelevant. (If this seems hard, I have mostly lived in rural areas, where animals are bred to go into the food chain, and in inner cities, where violence was commonplace. Neither accommodates much soft fluffiness).

MarshaBradyo · 19/09/2020 21:20

[quote Oaktree55]**@MadameBlobby* the 2 week on 2 week off is in Gov Guidance and from other threads I’ve read schools need to prepare for it ie prepare work for the 2 weeks off. What that will comprise of I don’t know. I do think though 2 weeks being taught by the appropriate subject teacher consistently is better than the full time * show school will be over winter.[/quote]
I wonder who provides childcare for KW etc

Or maybe everyone is home for the two weeks off

Oaktree55 · 19/09/2020 21:20

It’s so frustrating that most don’t look deeper than “schools open”. A deeper look at education in its true sense would result in a better plan.

Oaktree55 · 19/09/2020 21:22

@MarshaBradyo maybe the plan France have come up with to pay the lowest paid parent.

Schools have always been open to key workers and the vulnerable.

MadameBlobby · 19/09/2020 21:22

@Oaktree55

It’s so frustrating that most don’t look deeper than “schools open”. A deeper look at education in its true sense would result in a better plan.
Maybe. But it isn’t going to happen.
MarshaBradyo · 19/09/2020 21:27

[quote Oaktree55]@MarshaBradyo maybe the plan France have come up with to pay the lowest paid parent.

Schools have always been open to key workers and the vulnerable.[/quote]
I know but it gets harder to provide remote learning if you are looking after a KW group ft too.

What’s happening to these groups when bubbles isolate for 14 days? I assume they are home too

lyralalala · 19/09/2020 21:28

Pubs and restaurants that are not following rules need to be closed.

There's two pubs local to us. One is being super strict. They're even insisting on ID for the "lead" person in the party and have said if they get any detail of people lying about who is in their party they'll insist on ID for everyone. The other is not giving a single fuck. In fact they even joked on Facebook about someone putting "Mr M Mouse" on their form. The owner found it hilarious. It won't take a lot to guess which posted the "Sorry folks, we've had to close for a deep clean" yesterday.

Hollowtree3 · 19/09/2020 21:30

this
Can anyone remind me of the point of masks if cases are now rising as quickly as they were in Feb before we had to wear them?

Oaktree55 · 19/09/2020 21:31

Just get frustrated with the lack of realism. I’m a great supporter of education but it feels like most just want a building to drop kids off named “School” which adheres to opening times and Term times pre Pandemic.

If they truly want education they need motivated, enthusiastic, specialist teaching staff who can consistently support and educate their children. Especially in Senior School and especially as Public Exams loom.

That ain’t going to happen this winter under existing plans I’m afraid.

BikeTyson · 19/09/2020 21:34

Probably what’s in place in the new local lockdown areas (NE from last Friday, Merseyside and Lancashire from next tuesday)

MarshaBradyo · 19/09/2020 21:35

The thing is no one answered the what happened in June question beyond we had very few cases and very few symptoms. Because the main difference between now and then is community cases not SD. It gave a false indication of how lovely and stable SD is. Yes only when community cases are very low.

Disruption still hits part time. In primary because you send them all home not just the positive case. In secondary because bubbles are still large and no where near 15.

rookiemere · 19/09/2020 21:36

I reckon they are deliberately waiting for further action until half term, because previously they flattened the curve too successfully.

The NHS has a certain amount of capacity and lockdown will delay cases only, so put bluntly putting us on lockdown too early now is just pushing the problem further down the line. Makes more sense economically- obviously not for the people impacted- to wait until NHS is almost at capacity to then do a hard lockdown.

I think they decided the timing a while ago, otherwise in Scotland it would make no sense that as cases started to exponentially rise, they still opened gyms and pools earlier than planned.

safariboot · 19/09/2020 21:38

Boris is going to get a giant stable door and theatrically slam it shut on the Mall while a horse runs off in the distance.

lyralalala · 19/09/2020 21:38

The HT of DS2 and DD3's school is pushing to be allowed to carry out her original plan.

There's a large community centre on the grounds of the school that she wants to use to spread classes around more. There's also a stand alone gym building that was used for the KW bubble during early lockdown.

She wasn't allowed to borrow or hire the community centre (even though it's completely unused atm). It has two entrances, two sets of toilets and 6 rooms. She could house two completely self contained bubbles in that centre.

There's also another primary school less than 2 miles away (random village layouts) and the two HT's (and the staff) wanted to be allowed to work together, but the LA wouldn't hear of it.

1Morewineplease · 19/09/2020 21:40

As long as you have schools full to capacity with no social distancing ( primary) and teachers not wearing masks, then the virus will continue to spread.

Piggywaspushed · 19/09/2020 21:44

There's no SD in secondary either!

Purplespup16 · 19/09/2020 21:53

[quote Greatthumbsdown]@Purplespup16 I really hope schools aren't closed from half term to new year Sad

Agree with those who say lockdown at half term seems too late - it's the end of October! God knows where we'll be by then.[/quote]
Even if you believe what the government says about children not being spreaders of Covid they are when it comes to flu and Norovirus amongst others. Last year hospitals were nearly over whelmed with out breaks of Norovirus. This is why I think there will be a school closure to limit not only Covid but to try and limit having to close wards for other reasons.

Can you imagine a hospital struggling with staff who are isolating for 2 weeks because of Covid THEN being hit with an outbreak of Norovirus?? So keep kids isolated for 8 (to include the usual Oct and Christmas break) weeks or so means numbers of Covid drop so does the number of Norovirus open schools again in Jan numbers will rise again but it’s a short few weeks until February half term where hopefully a mini lockdown (no socialising outside/mixing of house holds can keep Norovirus at arms length of hospitals. Then in March/April restart loosening of restrictions as generally this is the time Norovirus/flu subsides. Rinse and repeat.

I just wished they were honest with us! 90% of Covid stress is uncertainty!!

This is only a guess and NOT what I hope happens.

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