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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:
userxx · 04/10/2020 16:17

I keep hearing about this supposed lock down, think it's turned into a bit of an urban myth now.

ImSleepingBeauty · 04/10/2020 16:18

No. There was very little compliance last time and I can’t see it being any better for a second time.
In my wider family of 7 other households we were the only ones not openly flouting the rules.

ListeningQuietly · 04/10/2020 16:18

The furlough scheme finishes at the end of this month.
Many many thousands of people are going to be made redundant in the next few weeks
and will then discover that they are not entitled to Universal Credit
while still having bills to pay

how are they supposed to afford food with no income?

Many people have had no income since March
their savings have run out

how are they supposed to afford food with everything locked down again ?

MaskingForIt · 04/10/2020 16:18

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.

If there are people out and about enforcing roadblocks it won’t be a full lockdown, will it?! 😂

MadameBlobby · 04/10/2020 16:19

@AlternativePerspective

Right now cases are very stable, no increase over the last week you’re wrong. Nearly 13k cases yesterday, and even if you factor in the fact that there are some unreported cases in there that is still about 1000 cases more a day than were previously reported.

As for things which might work, if you want to compare countries who had lockdown and how they’ve managed afterwards, the best example is Italy.

Their figures have stayed stable because A, their lockdown was incredibly strict, and B, when people came out of lockdown, they stuck to the rules, precisely because the lockdown was so strict.

Mask wearing needs to be clamped down on hard. There should be a system where if you’re exempt you need a certificate from a doctor to prove it. Otherwise all and sundry are claiming they’re exempt and no-one is allowed to question that. I have 0 doubt that the majority of people claiming they’re exempt aren’t and that they just don’t like wearing a mask.

Dish out more on the spot fines for those who don’t wear masks.

Make people adhere to the rules. Pubs who don’t social distance should be shut down. Pubs who don’t take track and trace details should be shut down. People who don’t quarantine should be fined, with additional fines if they haven’t quarantined and have infected someone.

Is that the only solution really, to fine people? How does it work if someone has no money anyway to pay it? You can’t get blood from a stone. I think some sort of support to remove the obstacles to isolation would be better.
LakieLady · 04/10/2020 16:19

how do you actually know that is where transmisson is happening

Given the complete failure to get an effective testing system in place, along with comprehensive tracking and tracing, we have no fucking clue where transmission is happening, unless it's a workplace cluster like Leicester or the Norfolk turkey plant.

Bumpette · 04/10/2020 16:20

Schools genuinely have no idea whether this will happen. I work in a school. We have kept homework on Google classroom though just in case. So that everyone remembers how to use it. I imagine this is the case here. Obviously there is always a possibility this could happen and especially now cases are rising. So i expect this is a contingency plan just in case.

AuntieLydia · 04/10/2020 16:22

A full lockdown is pointless, especially if only for 2 weeks, as the virus will still be around when it ends.
Although that won't stop some people wanting another lockdown, perhaps those with houses and gardens and secure jobs.

SoUtterlyGroundDown · 04/10/2020 16:22

@ImSleepingBeauty

No. There was very little compliance last time and I can’t see it being any better for a second time. In my wider family of 7 other households we were the only ones not openly flouting the rules.
There was over 90% compliance last time.
DioneTheDiabolist · 04/10/2020 16:24

I'm in NI and am expecting another lockdown very soon. Our rates have rocketed to levels not seen in the first wave.Sad

TheNewLook · 04/10/2020 16:24

No, I don’t anticipate another lockdown.

We need to allow the virus to circulate in the community, whilst shielding their vulnerable and working on a virus. It’s not going anywhere. You can’t hide for a fortnight and hope it dies off.

SleepingStandingUp · 04/10/2020 16:24

I honestly don't know how we'll cope. DS loved Reception, he was ok at the start of lockdown but hated he schooling by the end
Now he hates yr1 and homework is a nightmare and I'm an awful mother. O don't know what a few more weeks of lockdown will ddo to us all

Newenw · 04/10/2020 16:24

AlternativePerspective I agree with the measures you suggest but would question who could enforce them?

The biggest problem is all the people who bend the rules to suit themselves. I could give numerous examples of friends and family members who by and large are following the rules, but then come up with excuses why they had to do something.
I’m in Wales in local lockdown. Our First Minister, Mark Drakeford, has said that instead of looking for ways to get around the rules we should change our mindset and think how can we see as few people as possible. Makes sense to me.

MadameBlobby · 04/10/2020 16:25

@DioneTheDiabolist

I'm in NI and am expecting another lockdown very soon. Our rates have rocketed to levels not seen in the first wave.Sad
Have they really or is it just as a result of more testing?
MaskingForIt · 04/10/2020 16:25

@LakieLady I'm intrigued as to why infection rates in the NW have risen more than in London, and why the local lockdowns are failing to reduce them.

Because London has much higher rates the first time round. But when it affects London the whole country has to lock down, but now it is affecting other regions it is only local lockdowns.

The north didn’t have very high rates when the first lockdown happened, so they’re getting higher rates now.

Mariola321 · 04/10/2020 16:30

I think it maybe because more ethnic in north and is comm9n to have three generation in one house. I see much less social distancing when I in Birmingham last week.

Disconnect · 04/10/2020 16:31

I’m in Wales in local lockdown. Our First Minister, Mark Drakeford, has said that instead of looking for ways to get around the rules we should change our mindset and think how can we see as few people as possible. Makes sense to me yes, I agree. Remember the threads last week/week before from people trying to find loopholes in the restrictions on meeting inside homes?

mum2jakie · 04/10/2020 16:32

@Mariola321

I think it maybe because more ethnic in north and is comm9n to have three generation in one house. I see much less social distancing when I in Birmingham last week.
Birmingham isn't in the North!!
Benjispruce2 · 04/10/2020 16:32

I work in school and haven’t heard this. I thought the plan was that schools would stay open no matter what.

MadameBlobby · 04/10/2020 16:33

Lockdowns are hopeless. What is is they say about madness being doing the same thing snd expecting a different result?

The people who’s job it is to manage this need to find a better solution, whatever that is. Italy seem to be doing OK so no reason why we can’t.

MaskingForIt · 04/10/2020 16:33

@IndiaMay B. I'm in the south east and cases are low so why should the economy tank here when we dont need to lock down

Why did the economy in my area have to tank when we had low rates in March, but London and South East were high? We were told that we were all in it together.

Unsurprisingly when other areas are affected the selfish south don’t want to be locked down. Newsflash. We didn’t last time, when you lot had it bad.

Mariola321 · 04/10/2020 16:34

Birmingham isn't in the North!!

I know but was passing very ethnic area with temple and halal shops and big crowds coming out with no facemask.

Ratatcat · 04/10/2020 16:34

I can’t see there being the same compliance with a national lockdown as in March. I think it would be very hard to try and go back to something like it was then. Supermarkets for example have felt quite normal for a while. Back in March, it was a 2 hour job to do a shop with all the various queues. It would be hard to justify locking down playgrounds again when outside transmission is pretty low. And, while so many of the cases are asymptomatic or extremely mild, it will be hard to win hearts and minds.

MadameBlobby · 04/10/2020 16:34

@Disconnect

I’m in Wales in local lockdown. Our First Minister, Mark Drakeford, has said that instead of looking for ways to get around the rules we should change our mindset and think how can we see as few people as possible. Makes sense to me yes, I agree. Remember the threads last week/week before from people trying to find loopholes in the restrictions on meeting inside homes?
The thing is people see restrictions as a punishment. Hard not to I guess with heavy handed police and fines.
LakieLady · 04/10/2020 16:34

@AlternativePerspective, I agree with you about the need for enforcement. The lack of consequences for people breaching guidelines means that a lot of people consider them to be optional.