Are people you know IRL actually taking this seriously?

[HouseElfy]

Because the people I know generally really aren't. There seems to be a massive disconnect between mumsnet, social media in general, the actual news and what people IRL are doing. Yes, a lot of them are working from home now but other than that they are going shopping, to cafes, seeing friends etc. Just had a phone convo with a work colleague and she said even though the schools are closed now, "of course" they will still have playdates and so on because "kids would go mad" otherwise. My 76 year old granddad and his wife are still queuing for their pensions at the post office and going to their bloody bridge club. My FIL is still playing golf. My father says he is self isolating but then is still inviting visitors round for dinner. My own mother seems incapable of staying indoors longer than a couple of hours at a time and is currently out mooching about the shops.

Is it just me and people I know?!?!

Drove past my local cafe earlier on the way to take ds for a walk in the woods (totally empty) and the cafe was utterly heaving.

No.
Work messaged to say some face to face meetings over next few weeks.

I don't think they realise we will soon be in lockdown.

Toby Carvery steady stream yesterday.

But bojo has no said no to lockdown.

Now said even.

Yup. A week ago, no. Now they are all having to run around looking for food, which is actually quite sad.

Totally agree. On here and indeed on social media it would appear the majority are staying at home/adhering to government advice.

In real life - see lots of people out and about. Cafes around here busy. Restaurants posting about mother’s day meals etc. Many of our soft plays are still open! (Albeit not all).

I honestly don’t think people will listen until it’s a strict lockdown and establishments are made shut. My parents arnt taking it anywhere near seriously enough. They are perhaps going out less than usual but still way more than actually necessary let alone essential!

It’s frudyrating when I’m keeping my young kids at home and yet I see so many of the older generation out and about with what appears not a care in the world.

Well, they don't close forty tube stations for nothing do they?

My dp is social distancing, no people round, including me and his sons, not shopping, he's having one walk and one bike ride a day, on his own. I am in his schedule somewhere...... for a phone call or face time thing.
I might try and do a face time glass of wine tonight where we really just chat instead of a call while we're doing other things.

I'm social distancing but I did just pop to the Coop (they put a shout out on FB last night for more hand sanitizer so I took them some), but stayed away from others. Which was easy because they have no food so don't need to stay in there long.

From today I'm going to try to have a half an hour walk in the day. It's hard because my job is very busy, worse at the moment. But I need to stop and make headspace for myself.

But I'm not generally going out. Home for the foreseeable, or unforeseeable, future I think.

Yes, IRL people we know are taking it seriously, taking precautions, but generally pretty calm and pragmatic. So middle way, really.

Err, yes. My boss is risking his business (15 years work) and our livelihoods by having us all work at home. But better than putting our staff at risk .

There doesn’t seem to be ANY comms plan at all beyond press conferences and usual social media.

How are they ensuring these messages go out to all different sectors of society? Non English speakers? Etc?

I just dont see how this will improve unless it is proper lockdown. But the PM has said this will not happen.

Most of our close friends definitely are - working from home, taking their kids out of school and avoiding pubs etc.

On the other hand, one of DH’s friends posted on our Fb group chat that he’d been round no less than 5 local pubs/bars last night and went to Wetherspoons this morning too. He’s just been to the Radio 6 festival in London so no doubt had lots of close contact with god knows how many people and now for some reason thinks the guidance doesn’t apply to him. It makes me so cross.

DS'd nursery is still open too, for all children.

Pretty much everyone I see is taking it seriously, but I'm in the US and I think we're getting clearer messages from the local government and (to some extent at last) the federal government.

just dont see how this will improve unless it is proper lockdown. But the PM has said this will not happen.

I honestly think - hope - it is semantics.

They can see that scary words like “lockdown” are causing panic, but they also know how many days and weeks we are behind Italy, France etc.

So they’re dreaming up a “nearly lockdown” and soft soaping it. It’s the balance between keeping the populace safe and calm, I think.

You need a word with nursery then as Boris clearly said they were to close.

Everyone I know is taking it seriously, but we are in London so maybe we are ahead in that respect as the situation is worse here.

Yep
People a bit that we’ve taken DC out of school & are minimal contact except for shop/walk
People really don’t get just how serious this is!!

Or just extremely thick

Loads of people out and about here. Car dealership I work in is still busy, lots of people booking in for car service/MOT etc

My next door neighbour is. She's in the at risk group and won't let her son visit. He works in a customer facing role. We'll be able to keep each other company in our gardens.

Many of my Irish based friends are taking it very seriously but not so much in the UK. I'm in a constant battle with my parents to try and get them to self isolate as they are vulnerable. It's pretty much business as usual where I live and I get the impression that my friends and family think I'm overreacting because I've been doing my best to stay in. I don't understand how many seem to think we're immune to what's happening in other countries.

I’d say probably 30% are the rest aren’t but that’s changing rapidly.

I went through the initial terror stage a couple of weeks ago (still prone to random bouts of utter despair if I’m honest) but I’m seeing more and more people hitting that stage as they realise what’s going on. It’s fairly exhausting to be honest.

It’s just all surreal so I understand why people can’t quite process it - especially when our governments response has been so limp.

I live in a London borough and it's still busy around here. I have no idea what the pubs and restaurants are like, other than DH telling me his friends are still going to the pub (he isn't).
But the discussions on our school WhatsApp groups today certainly suggests everyone understands that there will be no play dates once schools have closed.