Lockdown won't work in U.K

[belay]

Because we are too rebellious. I cannot envisage people staying indoors for any length of time

I don't think the British are more rebellious than the Italians, or the French, or the Spanish, in fact I think they are generally better at sticking to the rules. Here in Italy the police are out stopping cars and pedestrians and checking they have a valid reason to be out, breaking the rules is punishable by 3 months in prison/a fine. I don't think it's anything to do with police being armed! 20,000 infractions commited nationwide, I think.

People are also reporting others to police or on council Facebook pages if they spot groups gathering, for example. When this all started many weren't taking it seriously, now the vast majority of people are sticking to the rules because they desperately want it all to be over.

Bars and pubs being closed, no events to police, monuments shut etc frees up a certain amount of police, and obviously others will have been reassigned (eg the financial police who normally deal with tax evasion and fraud were out in town today).

You asked who he was...

Surely the bloke didn’t say this? It would make him an absolute twat!

As others have pointed out..... if there isn't enough police they use....

@BirdandSparrow
Spaniards are no less rebellious, but if you impose a state of emergency and fine people thousands of pounds for breaking curfew you soon find they stay home. Add to that a higher death rate and massive social pressure not to be dickheads and risk others and people on the whole will do their bit.
People will beat this if given the chance. They are much tougher than the Tories think. Everywhere else in Europe people are fighting it. In Asia people are fighting it. In the US multiple states have shut schools In Canada. But just not the British. Instead, our government is planning when we should go and catch it.
Countries are and will beat it. If given a chance...and not forced to send kids to school etc at threat of imprisonment. I seriously wouldn’t put it past this government. I hesitate to use the word evil, but...

Check the Government website, it's updated every day at 2pm. Current advice is the same as Boris said, fever or recurring recent cough, self isolate for 7 days.
Says nothing about the Police arresting people with Coronavirus if they're out and about in the U.K. how can the Police arrest anyone with the Coronavirus? There is no mandatory testing.

We are on all but lockdown in Ireland now. Ya it's gonna wreck my head. I have 3 young kids and it's tough at the best of times for me to cope.
However, this is all we can do.
Some stats on how Ireland would stand.
25%population get it =1.2million
Of those, 60,000 will need intensive care.
We have 277 intensive care beds in Ireland.

I'm sure the maths and stats add up something similar in the UK. I'm not worried for my own health. I'm worried about crashing an already shit health system.
In Italy they have a good healthcare system apparently, and they have run out of equipment. Doctors having to make the choice which patient lives. They prioritise the youngest first.
It's very shit

You can't imagine how lockdown will work because it hasn't happened and it seems so far from normal life. But if it comes to it, then it will be made to work. Believe me. I am in Spain. The streets are empty (apart from people who have to be out, going to work or whatever), the shops are letting people in in smaller groups and making them wash their hands/stay apart etc.
People are being fined for going out on their bikes or inviting people round for parties.
There is a state of aler (one step down from a state of emergency) giving the government much wider powers than normal.
All this can happen in the UK. You are not special or unusual or a country where it can't work. If they decide to lock you down, it will be made to work.

If the police can’t enforce it, the army will. And if the army can’t enforce it politely they will use force. It’s naive to think otherwise.

This is fucking hilarious. I rejoined mumsnet specifically to see what hysteria has been written about the virus and you haven't let me down!

completely agree. Japan. law abiding, contained.

Pretty sure France is allowing people out for ‘light exercise.’ Also if we isolate the most vulnerable, our approach may not be so draconian

The longer you let things get out of control the less likely it will be for a lockdown to work. I'm in Ireland and we are not exactly on lockdown, but you would have seen a difference if schools and Universities closed now. We all know that once someone picks something up at school it usually comes home.

Pubs, restaurants and hotel bars closed today and most people agree it was the right decision. If you let the virus run rampant the health services become overwhelmed and you end up in a situation like Italy where they have to decide who will likely survive on a ventilator. This is real, this is happening. It takes a lot to cancel Mass in Ireland!

What breaks my heart is that all the people who are dying from this survived the flu, chronic illness, infections etc. Because there is no vaccine for this so many of our loved ones are going to die. If Leo Varadkar told us he was going to go the route of 'herd immunity' it wouldn't go down well!

Sorry to butt in, hope no one minds, M

It's not hilarious. it's hilarious to suggest that people in the Uk are unlockdownable. People are saying that if the govt decides to put you on lockdown they will make sure it's enforced, one way or another. All this "oh it wouldn't work here" is the hilarious bit.

I’m grateful to live in a rural area. If we are ‘locked down’ and well we will be going out for woodland walks, Unlikely to see a soul and certainly no police around to stop us. Can’t imagine how you cope in an city though!

@BirdandSparrow yep. My father is out there

It's dead. Not allowed outside of your house or garden. Except for food. Work or hospital.

@QueenZoopla, same here, not a city but where l am, there's no indication of anything as bad or end of days happening.

This is fucking hilarious. I rejoined mumsnet specifically to see what hysteria has been written about the virus and you haven't let me down!
Thought it was just me , I'm not sure if they are serious or not I'm actually scared of the stupidity on here sometimes.

@BirdandSparrow no saying our MILITARY (NOT army) will use force on citizens being outside is hilarious, people here have lost all sense of reality. We are not a communist state, this is not Ebola. I'm not saying it isnt serious and I'm not saying life isn't about to get very shit, but some of the utter scaremongering shite coming out of some people is unreal.

I’m grateful to live in a rural area. If we are ‘locked down’ and well we will be going out for woodland walks, Unlikely to see a soul and certainly no police around to stop us. Can’t imagine how you cope in an city though! I'm in a small village surrounded by countryside. I'm no going for walks because I can be fined under lockdown conditions. Also, everywhere on social media is #stayathome #imstayingathome and all that, the social pressure not to go out so as not to put others at risk, not to be part of the problem, is huge.

This is what I mean, people in the UK don't understand what it means to be on lockdown, how quickly it can becomes necessary, how limiting it is and what it involves. It means NOT leaving your house except to buy food or go to the pharmacy. Or go to work if you aren't working from home. I understand why you don't understand though. it's very far from normal life.

I’m grateful to live in a rural area. If we are ‘locked down’ and well we will be going out for woodland walks, Unlikely to see a soul and certainly no police around to stop us. Can’t imagine how you cope in an city though! should have been highlighted

Every “ The problem for teens will be in internet access goes”

Try dealing with my 82 year old mother if internet access goes.

Would have assumed the same here in Ireland but people are actually listening, in my local town shops, restaurants and businesses are even closing voluntarily. It will be a huge hit to all these business and I cant believe so many are closing voluntarily.
All sports and activities for the kids have been called off, playgrounds, swimming pools and cinemas closed. There is nowhere to take the kids even if you did want to take them out.
We've spent the last few days between the house and the garden.

That will be nothing, sitting in Spain tonight and telling you need to get used to these ideas fast. You either have to do this or it will get a lot worse. Take your pick.

All this can happen in the UK. You are not special or unusual or a country where it can't work
this^
right now we all think it's a bit of a joke, but if there is an exponential shift we will all be flipped into a different scenario
the govt is floating ideas watching social media etc for the response and then refining it's strategy accordingly

the ones to be concerned about are the ones who're basically saying they won't self isolate for 7 days because they can't afford to survive on statutory sick pay, so will carry on going to work.