How can the UK gov or anyone read this and not put the UK on lockdown?

[UnderReview]

The NHS won't. and shouldn't have to, cope with this...

Travel should have been stopped. Borders closed. People put in to lockdown.

ICU Doctor from Italy on current situation

I believe it is a big mistake not to advise against travel to Italy

Travel should be suspended, it beggars belief really.

Can someone explain what "putting the uk on lockdown" actually means?

in your total lockdown who keeps power stations open?

And healthcare workers/ carers out working? The petrol stations/ supply companies/ deliveries/ cleaners etc etc etc needed for any healthcare services to function?

Travel should be suspended, it beggars belief really

Why apart from your own hysteria?.

Absolutely. The last thing The Man wants is for us wage slaves to have even a couple of weeks 'unearned ' leisure. We might get a taste for it

Puerile drivel

I expect there’s some social science research showing that a universal or almost universal shutdown has to be a short, sharp Event and that after a certain length of time it becomes progressively more difficult to enforce.

Travel should be suspended,

Define 'travel'.

@todayisnottuesday I agree with you, I wanted to explain the reason behind a previous point, that most people testing positive have been abroad or knows some one that has.

Because they are the ones being tested.

111 will start posting tests now.

@Greysparkles People who keep saying it can't - it is a twitter/daily mail type headline that people keep parroting without actually thinking about anything.

I don't like Boris Johnson's policies and cannot understand why the British people allowed him to get so far but what is so dreadful about him having a Caribbean holiday? If I had one nobody would think it dodgy, even if I had rich friends with a villa who facilitated it (I don't but you get my drift).

If the economy tanks then many lives are lost anyway. Look at 1930s depression for example.

Exactly. A balance needs to be struck but how on earth can we prioritise saving lives if the economy tanks.

Yeah, there is a cynical part of me that thinks perhaps the government would like enough of this disease to pass around to bump off a good chunk of the elderly and infirm.

Yep. This is what people voted for though, probably including a chunk of the elderly and infirm themselves.

"even if you report all 3 symptoms, but answer no to being abroad or in close contact with some one who has been abroad, or has the virus, 111 will advise you to do nothing

Yes, it is called prioritising according to need. Would you prefer the NHS to just collapse under the strain already?"

The point is that saying there's nothing to worry about because most cases here are associated with travel is a mistake. Tests have been focused on people with relevant travel histories, so by definition they're not going to pick up cases without that travel link. It's no reassurance at all.

There are sensible things we should be doing that do not mean "lock down"
Restricting gatherings over 1000, sporting events, travel restrictions to northern italy.... advising folk to avoid public transport, home working...... ALL things european countries such as france Germany Ireland are doing.

Meanwhile we are told to wash our hands and keep calm, so what does Johnson know that other european countries don't?
Because when it comes to precautions, he ain't got a great track record of acting before its too late.

It just reminds of King Canute or King Cnut in Johnsons case.

Also interested to know what lock down means.

With all the emergency services out of action wouldn't we have looting?

There have been riots in Italian prisons over this.

Who is going to look after all the livestock? The crops? As PP mentions, who runs the power stations? The sewage works? What about all the people who have been flooded out of their homes.

So many questions.

Yes please define lockdown. Focus on practical specifics please.

The problem with lockdown is that unless all travel both in and out of the country was banned until a cure/vaccine was found, then it would be a complete waste of time.

Interesting observations about increased domestic violence in areas on lockdown
www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-asia-51705199

'Restricting gatherings over 1000'

That's every tube platform in London at rush hour!

Very interesting link about the impact on women and children, thanks PickAChew

Lockdown would be a drastic over reaction. Much better to keep the economy up and running and put money into services to treat sufferers of CV. Sadly it doesn't look like the govt will do that so it's up to us to try to limit social interaction and so on.

I agree Op.
I think they won’t do anything until we are in a dire situation like Italy, and then it will be too late, thousands will be infected.
There are critically ill young people in Italy and the US, so those that think this won’t affect them as they are under fifty, it could.
All the models prove that slowing down the virus saves both lives and the economy. Yet they are allowing this to spread unchecked.

They stated their aim a few days ago saying they "aim" for 80% to contract the virus, at a low to moderate level

No they didn't. They said that 80% could become infected. That is a worst case, not an "aim".

And healthcare workers/ carers out working? The petrol stations/ supply companies/ deliveries/ cleaners etc etc etc needed for any healthcare services to function?

People seem to think this is some kind of gotcha - but essential workers like that have been the ones allowed out in China.

Sure, if one of us here was to order a citywide lockdown, with no allowance for that, then it wouldn't work. But if it is ever done here (and I'm not saying it should be right now), then things like that would have to be planned for just as in China.

Other countries have had to do these things despite the very obvious problems they cause - they're not stupid and they're clearly not doing it lightly. That should tell us something about what an emergency it is for them and might soon be for us.

Social distancing is the only way to contain the spread.