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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we are heading for a full 2 week national half term lockdown

594 replies

Midlifelights · 04/10/2020 13:15

DS’s school ramping up the preparation to teach on MS teams & making sure they can all use it & have the tech in place.

Teachers indicating that it’s going to be half term plus another couple of weeks after.

Given the rising numbers, it’s seems more likely that’s what’s coming - and maybe even a full lockdown this time & not the half arsed one we had before.

Aibu? I am worried as my kids really hated it last time but with so many new cases, it just seems the likely path

OP posts:
Notyoungbutscrappyandhungry · 04/10/2020 14:25

@LakieLady

For those saying it wouldn’t be fair to low risk areas- I think compliance in high risk areas would be much lower if they knew elsewhere everyone was going about their business

I think some people in low risk areas may feel that they are in low risk areas because of high levels of compliance @Napqueen1234, and why the fuck should they be penalised because some people in other areas didn't exercise the same degree of restraint!

I'm in the SE where rates remain low and while it wouldn't bother me or DP if we were lumped into a nationwide lockdown, I bet a lot of people would be very pissed off if they had to lockdown again because of poor compliance in other parts of the country.

I think low risk areas are low risk because they have better quality housing, lower density, more wfh possible jobs perhaps more shielders.
Original poster
Midlifelights · 04/10/2020 14:25

@Lilybet1980 it constantly changed. The rules were constantly shifting through May, June, July. One week it was work at home, then go into the office, then stay at home etc etc. Travel, don’t travel, go to the pub, don’t go to the pub etc etc. It’s never been totally clear what was allowed & what wasn’t.

OP posts:
Greysparkles · 04/10/2020 14:26

Who's going to pay my wages then??

I can't afford to have 2 weeks off work

HesterShaw1 · 04/10/2020 14:26

@SundayReilly

Won't work. If anything will delay the peak further into Winter when NHS under greater pressure Plus people wont comply.
Exactly this. Why don't people understand? Lickdowns don't make the virus go away.
Crunchymum · 04/10/2020 14:26

We were sent a questionnaire to see what facilities we have at home (wifi / printer / laptop etc)

I have a tablet between 2 kids (not even an iPad either) and a printer with no ink Shock

We've also just come back from a 14 day SI as we couldn't get the 5yo a test in time.

Hobnobswantshernameback · 04/10/2020 14:28

Well said SoUtterly
Those who could sit at home screeching for everyone to stay the fuck at whilst some of us had no choice but go out to work every single day
And now here they are again clamouring for us to be locked in
Some of us have no choice but crack on

Original poster
Midlifelights · 04/10/2020 14:29

@Hobnobswantshernameback how do you know how many of us spent the lockdown ‘safely at home’ as you so sneeringly assume? You know nothing of anyone’s circumstances on this thread.

OP posts:
Hobnobswantshernameback · 04/10/2020 14:29

See your rules in England changed constantly
Ours here in Wales were fairly straightforward
Yet again the assumption we all live in England

SoUtterlyGroundDown · 04/10/2020 14:30

[quote Midlifelights]@Lilybet1980 it constantly changed. The rules were constantly shifting through May, June, July. One week it was work at home, then go into the office, then stay at home etc etc. Travel, don’t travel, go to the pub, don’t go to the pub etc etc. It’s never been totally clear what was allowed & what wasn’t.[/quote]
Funny, I don’t know anyone in real life who was confused by the rules. Only on here.

Original poster
Midlifelights · 04/10/2020 14:31

@Hobnobswantshernameback my entire family live in wales and currently in lockdown

OP posts:
Busybrain2020 · 04/10/2020 14:31

Lickdowns don't make the virus go away.

Lol if anything lickdowns would spread it I'd have thought.

Since half terms are all different weeks (another stupid thing about the UK) I don't think it'll be possible.

Rosebel · 04/10/2020 14:32

I don't think we can afford to go back in to lockdown even for a few weeks. I think they should have lifted the restrictions more slowly in the first place.
My daughter also has a GCSE a week after half term and will be very upset if it's cancelled as she's been working so hard for it.
I can see why lockdown could happen but then what? Everything shuts for 2 weeks, then everything reopens and cases rise again. Do we lockdown again?
I really think we just need to ride it out keeping the current rules in place. Seems the only real way to deal with the virus.

Hobnobswantshernameback · 04/10/2020 14:32

Well then you'd know our rules remained constant e.g the work from home rule has never changed here. Not my fault Boris can't organise a piss up in a brewery

HesterShaw1 · 04/10/2020 14:32

@Busybrain2020

Lickdowns don't make the virus go away.

Lol if anything lickdowns would spread it I'd have thought.

Since half terms are all different weeks (another stupid thing about the UK) I don't think it'll be possible.

😂😂😳😳

Just to clarify, I'm not advocating licking anything .

Stupid phone

LivingDeadGirlUK · 04/10/2020 14:33

I bloody hope not, after being in enhanced measures since July the numbers in my borough are finally dropping. I want to see my family.

yawnsvillex · 04/10/2020 14:34

Thankfully DS has a 2 week half term and I've got it booked off. Something has been on my side for once.

Newjez · 04/10/2020 14:34

Corbyn's idea of free broadband for all maybe wasn't such a crazy thing.

I hope we are not looking at lockdown, but the fact that the government seems to have completely lost the plot with the numbers doesn't bode well.

jessstan1 · 04/10/2020 14:35

You may be right but things change day to day.

Why did your kids hate it last time?

52andblue · 04/10/2020 14:36

I'm in north Northumberland and the rate is still going up here.
123 cases per 100,000
Newcastle upon Tyne is 239 / 100 000

Original poster
Midlifelights · 04/10/2020 14:37

@jessstan1 my son got really depressed & needed counselling - really internalised a lot & got obsessed with his weight etc. He’s just coming out if it now & a return school has been key to that.

So I definitely don’t want another lockdown & I am very anxious about it

OP posts:
Lilybet1980 · 04/10/2020 14:38

[quote Midlifelights]@Lilybet1980 it constantly changed. The rules were constantly shifting through May, June, July. One week it was work at home, then go into the office, then stay at home etc etc. Travel, don’t travel, go to the pub, don’t go to the pub etc etc. It’s never been totally clear what was allowed & what wasn’t.[/quote]
That’s just not true though. That’s a convenient spin given by a) people too stupid to understand the rules/guidance; b) the media whipping things up into a frenzy and c) people choosing to interpret the rules in a way that suits them.

What is so difficult about, for example, those who can work at home should work at home, and if you can’t work from home then you can go to work? It means If there is a physical reason you need to be at your place of work then go there!

With public transport, how difficult is it for people to understand what try to avoid using public transport if possible actually means?

Similarly, different types of businesses had different reopening dates. It was pretty clear what could open and when (although they did make some late adjustments to some reopenings if I recall.

Of course the government made changes as things evolved.

I think some of the decisions have been utter bonkers but I’ve never had a problem understanding them.

Different rules in different local lockdown areas on the other-hand...

Napqueen1234 · 04/10/2020 14:38

@LakieLady it’s more complex than just poor compliance as @Notyoungbutscrappyandhungry has said. We have always follow the rules but have barely come out of lockdown at all. It’s not because we are stupid or partying or anything like that (although onviously I can’t speak for everyone). The demographic of our area compared to the low number areas is completely different (high population density, unable to wfh, lots of students etc).

LimitIsUp · 04/10/2020 14:39

I think a full 2 week strict 'circuit breaker' lockdown over half term would be absolutely fine (if limited to strictly two weeks) as long as its only applied to the areas with the increasing infection rates. Enforced with road blocks if necessary.

Anything more than 2 weeks is disproportionate. Our economy is the fifth worst affected globally, and a balance is required.

Original poster
Midlifelights · 04/10/2020 14:41

@Lilybet1980 i disagree. The government were actively encouraging people to ‘eat out to help out’ while still telling people to work from home. You could argue that is at the root of the current resurgence

OP posts:
nannynick · 04/10/2020 14:48

In my area in the last 7 days for which there is data (26-Sept to 2nd Oct) there were a total of 13 new cases. With cases that low I can't see people in my area being happy about a full lockdown.

Also it is a military area so quite a lot of people work in the armed services, or work in support positions but are not service personnel. So many people in the area will not be able to work from home and will still be going to work. If there were road blocks, then how would those people on that checkpoint know if someone was travelling to work in a military support capacity, when those job roles are not ones where you get a Service ID card? I can't see how any enforcement of no-travel would be practical, so if there is a national lockdown then I don't think it can be enforced.