To think a total lockdown is unlikely?

[DreamInLavender]

It's just that, given the fact a huge chunk of the UK have an 'I'm alright Jack' attitude, surely a total lockdown won't happen? We also aren't use to just doing what we're told and following leadership without question and loyalty like the Chinese.

You can't force people to stay inside and I don't think they will.

Who on earth is going to police all of this?

I dare not leave my own house in this area. Lots of do gooders who will tut!

On the contrary I think we’re being eased into it.

There’s a lot of backlash over Boris current measures (or lack of them) which will make it easier in two weeks to announce total lockdown “because the public asked for it”

Lockdown worked extraordinarily well in China and last I checked they were humans not robots - if they can do it surely we can?

Two weeks ago it seemed unthinkable in Italy, and yet...🤷‍♀️

I think it's imminent

Lockdown worked extraordinarily well in China and last I checked they were humans not robots - if they can do it surely we can?

Do you really think the UK will go to the same measures that China did?

There's not enough police in the first place so I doubt that it will be a total lockdown.

You just have to read the posts on here by people who've said they'd go to the beach, walk their dog, jog regardless of official advice

Well Italy has done it and they are a lot less compliant as a nation than the Chinese.

Ireland are doing it.

The police will police it if necessary, and the army.

China had a lot of additional measures, from electronic 'tagging' (having to swipe in and out of places so they know where you are and where you have been), to mandatory temperature checks and boots on the ground. Italy had issues to start with due to people fleeing the infected area and spreading it, now it's largely adhered to due to fear. As has been said, taking measures slowly and making it seem as though 'this is what the people want and have been listened to' is much more likely to be successful than telling people what to do.

They are still allowed to go for walks in Italy so we’d probably be similar.

I think a total lockdown is inevitable and part of the plan. I think the government knows it would be impossible to enforce for any more than a short time (maybe 2-3 weeks), which is why it is using best endeavours to identify the period when it would be most important.

If public opinion means govt is forced to go too soon, I think we'll end up with a "phoney war" where people are in isolation but "nothing" is happening and people will decide it's not important, just at the point it becomes vital.

IMO (which I'm sure I'm still entitled to!) Those insisting that we should all be self isolating now and organisers cancelling events are likely doing more harm than good.

I think we are also being eased into it. Businesses and schools are making preparations. Everyone is being made to think about contingency plans.

In China if you dont obey the state no one ever hears from you again!

Well Italy has done it and they are a lot less compliant as a nation than the Chinese.

Not to the same extent as in China they haven't.

@adaline why do you think they wouldn’t?

It seems like total isolation is the only thing to prevent the spread of this disease.

So I that’s what works then that’s what works.

Look at Italy, they’re in “lockdown” but they’re not really, or not seriously until the last couple of days - so they have devastating spread and death rates due to an overloaded medical system. If they’d locked down like China who knows what the current situation would be.

I’m not saying China’s response was perfect, far from it, but they’re the only country in the world whose infection numbers are going down not up so they did something right.

@BanjoStarz because I can't see the British complying that way.

People are already kicking up a fuss because they can't walk the dog or go to the beach when they're supposed to be isolated. Unless the government physically locks everyone in their homes, how will you stop people from going out?

We don't have the CCTV and security measures in place that China does.

On the contrary I think we’re being eased into it

This.

We will have to see what happens in China when everyone goes back to school and work. Only a few schools opened yet in Wuhan.

I think we're being eased into it and bojo advising that we are 4 weeks behind Italy is a fairly strong indication that we will be in lockdown by then.

I think they are planning this to coincide with Easter.

Yes Easter is key.

Will be a very quiet Easter.

Yes I think schools will probably close week early for Easter and we'll be locked down for 3 weeks.

The government needs to hold it's nerve against all the public pressure to go earlier though.

I also think this will happen slowly over the next few weeks. Thursday afternoon they had no intention of banning mass gatherings yet, yet here we are less than 2 days later.
This is very early days for us, unfortunately normal life is going to be suspended for quite a while.

Mass gathering haven't been banned. The organisers have chosen to cancel against government advice (so far)

I think they are planning this to coincide with Easter.

Agreed, as lots of people will be off already so it won't seem as harsh and won't have as much impact on people's finances.

Once we're on lockdown, they can then extend it if necessary.

We might not have enough police but combined with the army...