What does a full lockdown look like and how long could it be maintained?

[DoubleAction]

The majority seem to think it would be a good thing but what does it mean and how long could communities cope for?

Presumably:
School closed
No socialising (at all?)
Shops closed, except food shops and chemists?
Transport systems closed?
What about things like boiler repairs? Are plumbers etc still be working in others' homes or do we have to make do and mend ourselves?
Are we allowed out of our homes at all, if we aren't essential services?
How do you stop the essential service people infecting others?
What else haven't I thought of?
Police/Army on the streets to enforce it?

How long would it have to go on for it to be effective?

How long, realistically could people deal with it?

[Chipperfish]

Day 2 -3 of lockdown. Here it feels a bit like Christmas morning - really quiet , not much traffic, sense of unnatural quietness. Few people about, mostly families walking with kids, pram, dog on the quieter streets and smiling/nodding in acknowledgement but not interacting more than that and keeping a wide berth. Took the kids out cycling into the country to get some fresh air and exercise, since I have to work all next week.

[Selenaw]

I'm in Belgium. Not 'full lockdown' Italy-style but only food shops and chemists allowed to open at weekends as of today. Other shops open during the week. Schools, unis closed until after Easter and all events, activities and sports cancelled. Cafés, bars, restaurants shut. Ditto sports centres, theatres and cinemas. Restaurants can deliver food (they can leave it at the door). Delivery of packages etc without contact. Working from home encouraged whenever possible, otherwise companies are being told to stagger working times to reduce crowds on public transport at peak times. This starts today - bars and restaurants all rammed last night which seems to defeat the point a bit! However, the shops are well-stocked where I am and people don't seem to be panic-buying too much. Busier than usual yesterday but not the kind of images coming from the UK.

[DoubleAction]

Thank you Chipperfish. I think you are right for two or three weeks things would be fine and the vast majority would do their best to comply, although interpretations of what that looks like may vary.

In UK we have huge sections of the workforce who dont get paid if they don't work though and so far, no real plans for the state to support them. That would need to change.

Our experts are saying that if we start shutdown now we'd have to keep it up for up to 16 weeks. I'm not sure how feasible that is.

[Chipperfish]

Ive namechanged for this - We are in lockdown in Denmark, Schools are shut (online lessons for DCs start Monday, I need to break this to them!) unis, all public services other than hospital, disability and elderly care have shut, musems sports clubs etc closed, no gatherings over 100 people. Drive through testing being made available in various places Borders were closed to most travel last night, and companies are being encouraged to have all non essential workers off
Plan (at present) is 2 weeks of school and public closures and 2 weeks self isolation if exposed to the virus, I think in most cases covered by state/sick pay. Theyve just passed a law mandating testing and control orders.

Still goods and toilet paper in the shops, pharmacies open, some reports of panic buying but not too many. Manic handwashing encouragement and efforts to make people change behavior eg not shaking hands, queuing changes in shops, Efforts to reduce the density of people on public transport by putting on more buses so there are less people in each, limiting seating on trains.

Im not great at translation but one thing that really struck me yesterday was a politicians announcement here about the lockdown - to paraphrase he said something like - 'there are who are more vulnerable to this disease and its our responsibility as a society to be their immune system by doing what we can to reduce the chances of spread and transmission' and I think there is a social sense that people want to do their bit

and while I cant speak for the whole country in my area Im seeing quiet calm, people staying in, and no great rushing of people to second homes etc, no police or army on the streets. Its pretty digitalised here already - most official stuff is online, most banking is mobile and contactless and arrangements have been made for those needing state help to be paid so the hope is that people are financially able to stay home.

Its hard to say yet if theres any effect although the number of new cases registered each day has dropped a bit over the 2 days. Im still at work (essential services) and have seen some really simple but sensible changes made to reduce contact between people eg all non essential meetings cancelled, canteen is closed (food still made and sold but without the social aspects) and we are prepping in various ways. It really does feel as though there is some coordinated effort and pulling together (which so far Ive not been seeing in the news from or hearing from friends/family in the UK) and I suspect people are responding to this and trying to comply with the changes

I have no idea how long it can go on and suspect that, if for instance there were food shortages people might act differently but at the moment, with a planned 2 weeks of lockdown it seems pretty doable here, but we will see