Escaping London ‘Lockdown’ before ‘too late’ ?

[Stircrazyschoolmum]

Since the announcement at 17.00, I’ve been pinged by 3 different mum friends/associates telling me they are escaping SW London to Norfolk / West Country whilst they still can. (There seems to be an opinion that London will lockdown imminently although that wasn’t how I read the press conference.)

To be fair, they all had plans to be away over the Easter holidays but now are saying they will go ASAP (one already packing car) and won’t necessarily return until the peak in London dies down.

I kind of thought avoiding non-essential travel meant you weren’t supposed to travel and misguidedly (?) thought restrictions on pubs/theatre etc wasn’t just a London thing? One family is staying with parents (healthy but still?)

I’m not passing judgement as everyone has to do what they believe to be best, just curious whether I’ve misinterpreted the guidance!

I live in a small village in Cornwall. I’d happily house swap for somewhere in London. I’m at home with symptoms and feeling horrendous but I would love to be near bigger hospitals that aren’t about to fall apart and to be able to have food delivered to my door. We don’t have takeaway delivery because we are not close enough to anywhere that delivers.

That should have been “selfish disregard” not regard, obvs.

I'm happy to be locked down in London

In my own home, with familiarity and safe in the knowledge that we might contain it.

Don't leave

Stupid and selfish. We should be staying in our own communities where we are familiar with everything. Perhaps if people don’t feel they have a community this will be a wake up call for after this is over but right now it would be beyond stupid to spread it further like that.

Someone I know in the village has had her adult children from London asking to come and stay with them if their nursery closes

How extremely entitled some people are! Fancy imagining pitching up with kids from a crowded social setting, family having been on public transport in London, to stay with someone of an older generation in a rural area.

I hope she told them to fuck off!

Same here.

I live in Devon. Please please dont do this. We have only a few hospitals down here (only one in cornwall!!), we have a largely older population and we are a lot further down the food supply chain. Dont put this added pressure on us. Your friends are highly irresponsible and it makes me very sad.

Is there anywhere we can go that does not have the Coronavirus?
I am worried that I might get it.
I have had the flue.
How do I know it's not Coronavirus?

Even if it's not I have been going out so I know there is a risk I could get it even if I have not got it now.

Missy.
Why go anywhere? Stay in your house.

My family's in the north east (mostly), most of my friends are in Devon or Bristol (next county down/up respectively), partner's family is in South Africa. We live in a town where the hospital lost its out of hours A&E many, many months ago and where the age profile is elderly so people need a lot of care, in general, and are really quite at risk. (It's a popular town to retire to.)

We certainly won't be going anywhere for the next few months (except for food when we absolutely have to and, for my partner, to work [nursing]) apart from the beach for short walks, which is literally 5 minutes away on foot.

And even then we'll make sure we do it at 4am or other equally empty slot when, hopefully, there'll be nobody about except the usual dog walkers who live near us. I cannot believe how silly and selfish people are being and, in some cases, downright stupid. (And we'll be at least 2 metres apart from each other, never mind from anyone else!)

Selfish idiots