How many people actually understand what a lockdown would involve?

[Bearbehind]

I realise there’s outrage about our governments handling of this but, on one hand we appear to have countless people insisting schools must shut now

And on the other hand we have people who-

• think they could still participate in their hobbies
• think a lock down would be over in a fortnight
• think they could go on a cheap holiday while the kids are off

How many people genuinely understand locking down now will be for months and you won’t be classed as ‘exceptional’ or ‘special’ - you’ll be expected to actually stay inside for the duration otherwise it achieves nothing.

My DD lives and works in China and is very glad the government there are doing lockdown properly.

I think there has been a miscommunication here. I asked if essential trips to the supermarket would be allowed. You have explained yes they would be, by 1 person in a household every 3 days.

You were the one who mentioned ‘popping to the shops.’ Not me.

Getting food, medical and veterinary attention, and other essential functions will of course continue.

That’s really not how it worked in those countries which really took lock downs seriously

So I guess maybe we are not having a lockdown, just 'enforced social distancing'.

Yet again, people think popping to the shop or the doctor or the park to walk their dog are essential.
These are not essential and you are breaking isolation by doing so.
You cannot pop to the doctor’s to get your asthma checked or your blood pressure, fir God’s sake. My hospital has closed down all services for everyone except cancer treatment.

Unless it’s life or death, veterinary attention isn’t essential

I thought an initial lockdown would involve no travel between parts of the UK without presenting a very serious reason, and within your locality only leaving the house for certain limited purposes, with troops and or police helping to implement. Most businesses and institutions except key services closed.

Then the next stage would be ramped up to leaving the house for less and less to not at all.

I guess it might make more sense to go straight to the more extreme one. It seems like Italy have kind of done it in stages, maybe just because they saw things continuing to worsen though.

If we did go into complete lockdown, what would happen about food do you think?

@ShanghaiDiva
Based on what I read on here, not many understand.
Based on my experience in China, I know exactly what it involves.

so, want to share your experience?

The Austrian, El Salvador, Italian, Irish & Belgium lockdowns haven't required everyone to stay inside all the time. Are any of those places requiring folk to only go out once every 3 days?

Lots of hobbies are indoors, anyway.

How exactly would I spread a virus by walking my dog alone in the countryside, and touching nothing but my own front door?

Bonkers.

OP you come across as a bit patronising and superior

My intention is quite the opposite

I don’t think I’m entitled to any special treatment or exemption - if we’re locked down I’d follow the rules. I wouldn’t assume my need to walk my dog, run to clear my mind or to buy quinoa superseded those rules

so what about ppl who live remotely, are they allowed to run or walk places? or. do you need a car to go places

who would police this? how would you enforce it?

i heard off a health care professional today that we are going with herd immunity.

@thenightsky how does she feel about the likelihood that surveillance methods will likely stay in place once the threat has past? Does she think similar measures would work in the UK? Just out of interest really!

That’s really not how it worked in those countries which really took lock downs seriously

You probably be my phone int

Lockdown isn't a defined term. The sense in which I used it is also perfectly calid.

You cannot leave the population to starve, nor people to die of (other) treatable diseases or from serious accident or leave livestock to suffer and die. You can't have even a residually functioning society without people attending to the national grid, fixing gas links, ensuring safe water, some sort of policing, getting food into shops etc.

If you really think lockdown routinely includes all those functions, I suspect you're not looking in enough detail.

I’m Italy people are still allowed to do outdoor hobbies and dog walking. I’m really hoping we have the same as I was thinking of taking dc’s to one of the quiet beaches around here if we have a lockdown. I expect everyone else will do exactly the same though!

How exactly would I spread a virus by walking my dog alone in the countryside, and touching nothing but my own front door?

This is exactly the problem

Person A who lives in the middle of nowhere can walk their dog

Person B who lives in central London can’t

How can that possibly work unless you just ban everyone from doing it?

My city did not have a lockdown by Wuhan standards, but the following measures were implemented:
Schools shut and everything else!
Supermarkets open and pharmacy (restricted hours for some)
Non residents could not enter your compound
Office workers at home
All private health clinics closed
Travel between cities would result in 14 days quarantine eg travel from Beijing to shanghai so effectively you cannot go anywhere
Compulsory to wear masks in public places
Temp checks everywhere eg to enter supermarket
No restriction on going to supermarket, but encouraged to stay at home
This was at the height of the restrictions in my city.
Some other cities had even more severe restrictions with only one person allowed out to shop every three days,. This was controlled with passports and identity cards.

if we’re locked down I’d follow the rules. I wouldn’t assume my need to walk my dog, run to clear my mind or to buy quinoa superseded those rules

But you don't know what the rules might be any more than anyone else (except perhaps those high up in contingency planning). The rules for someone in isolation or quarantine are obviously not the same as rules for the entire population. If absolutely everyone was in isolation they'd die.

It would not surprise me if our country had a plan, probably initially developed to prevent the invasion during WW2, that would make China look a bit disorganised.

Think about it. If you wanted to stop travel how hard would it be to block every slip road and cancel public transport. Consider restricting bank payments to £50 per day per account. All quite easily doable.

Oh dear OP. I’m assuming you’re quite wealthy, with a large stockpile in your basement? Unfortunately a lot of us aren’t in such fortunate situations and being quarantined in our house for a month with no one allowed in or out would mean starving to death.

How long would it last is the key question. People seem to think a couple of weeks, at least a couple of months is more realistic which is why it's so important not to start too early.

People are going to find this so much harder than they think they are. If there were "lockdown" during a period when here appears to be no point, no increase in cases, people will break it to, you know, earn a living.

@irial
Details in my post.

being quarantined in our house for a month with no one allowed in or out would mean starving to death.
No, that is not what it means. Neighbourhood committees would bring you food. That’s what they did in China.

I work online for a Chinese company and deal with many Chinese families. Millions of Chinese children haven't been outside since January, they haven't climbed up or down a single step since January, they are confined to their small apartments, get no fresh air or exercise. Some of them seem really miserable and unhappy. Families are monitored via an app to check they don't break quarantine rules. It's horrendous. There is no way I see this ever being enforced in the west.

Oh dear OP. I’m assuming you’re quite wealthy, with a large stockpile in your basement?

Not at all

I’m assuming that’s the case for those who insist on closing schools now because it’s a long haul solution