Worried for the UK - what are you doing!!

[Badskinday]

I am in Ireland. Schools, universities and nurseries have been closed for a week. All pubs closed and large numbers of restaurants closed. All cinemas and playgrounds closed. All Primarks and IKEA and other large shopping stores (equivalent of Debenhams) closed. Local beauticians and hairdressers closed. Everyone working from home if they can. No clamping of vehicles near hospitals. Free food and food funded by donations being delivered to all hospitals. Supermarkets operating early opening hours for elderly people, providing gloves and hand sanitiser at the door. Installing plexi glass between staff and customers at the counter, putting down markings for where to stand to observe social distancing. No major issues with getting food. The limit for what you can tap to pay and not put in a pin has been increased. Everyone who can working from home. Drive through screening centres set up in sports grounds. All sports closed. Gyms largely closed. Public backlash against anything still open. Companies who are not working from home ordering screens and setting their staff up. Large numbers drafted into the police force with early graduation. 30,000 people responded to the health service call to come work for them in admin /contact tracing or any area they can in the last 24 hours. New pandemic unemployment payment for those made unemployed with fast track application. Freeze on evictions. Banks all agreed to fast track mortgage freezes for those in trouble.

We are still having issues with people congregating in public areas, hoping for a full lockdown soon but travel on public transport is down 75%.

The Uk seem to be running around like headless chickens with half of this measure here, bit of something else, no clear rules.

We are also affected by this because of our border with the Uk. Really worried for you all.

Fuck knows what we are doing. I am obeying the rules and not going out but seem to be only one in my area!

I am very scared. I am in a vulnerable group.

Should also add, our zoo is closed as is our center parcs.

What are we doing? We are sat here as confused as you of course

It’s so unfair on you all. People need direction and places need to be shut down by the government. They need to get a handle on this before it’s too late.

What we are doing is absolutely fucking ourselves and the NHS over. Please adopt me.

I did the nursery run for the last time yesterday as its now closed. I passed a few pubs on the way and they were all quite busy.

While I don't relish the thought of total lockdown, I really think it needs to be done here, and soon. There are still "I will carry on as normal until I'm told not to" attitudes to all the social distancing and non essential gatherings, so there needs to be a directive for those people.
I have a terrible problem with authority, and hate doing as I'm told , but I would also feel terribly guilty if I carried on and contributing to the spread. I'm very privileged that I can do my part by just staying home and waiting it out.

Totally agree with you! I went for a walk yesterday (on my own) and had to resist the urge to shout "go home" at all the pensioners out for coffee, food shopping (ok, that's kind of essential) and dog walks with their friends like nothing is going on.

I think you are rather preaching to the converted here OP You can pretty much look at any thread in this forum and see how frightened people are that our government isn't doing enough.

Thanks for the concern though, always nice to have our concerns about being totally fucked validated by those in the fortunate position of having a more proactive government 👌

We are doing a soft lockdown, whilst the government gets the army in place to ensure it is done safely. Problems vary from country to country, we need to get this right.

Although it may look ill thought out, I consider it to be the opposite of that. It has been VERY well thought out, and yes a more orderly, measured response may look complacent but is very far from that.

Some countries literally went into complete lockdown overnight, it is simply not possible to do that in cities the size of London nor desirable if it can be done slowly, it needs careful planning and thought so that people adjust and are prepared.
We are a few weeks behind the other countries, so that has bought us valuable time to do this properly.

OP I am majorly confused by their lack of decision and direction!!! They need to bite the bullet and just CLOSE the schools etc like we did. Amongst other things!! I feel like they are taking the utter piss!!

OP I'm in NI, one of the border counties. I think a lot of us ignored our own government and followed what was happening in Ireland. We took kids out of school, gyms/yoga/pilates studios closed, many bars, hotels and restaurants have closed before any advice to do so. The issue was forced by the people. Of course we have plenty of idiots disregarding this but I think as a whole we reacted very quickly.

I saw that @florialista some pubs etc closing before they had to. Hopefully it’ll continue as what the south is doing is pointless if the north follows the UK strategy. Do you know if the north is only testing those hospitalised or if tests are being done to all those with Symptoms like in south? I’d worry massive numbers now have it in the north and we don’t know which makes contact tracing in the south difficult. I’m from a border county myself and haven’t heard but I know lots of people from north in my area shop in the south as it’s their closest shop.

Those sound like really sensible measures OP, in Ireland. I can't believe we haven't done more, sooner. The advice we have been given has been drip fed which I think has fuelled panic buying. People keep being told to chill but also that we might have to go into lockdown or self isolate over 70s 'at some point'. Because they don't want to do anything too draconian people are being trusted,but many young and old are just not taking it seriously enough. They are not being responsible. They're selfish and like they're 'freedom', but inversely in behaving like this, they may cause more draconian measures such as laws and penalties to be enforced.

I am really scared now. I am self isolating for 12 weeks but outside my window the streets are busy. Roads are too and I am constantly seeing ambulances racing to the hospital opposite, you would think people might see that and worry but obviously not

Maybe you’re right wecandothispeeps but I’m not sure. I mean you say “soft lockdown” but what is that? Other than schools finally closing what else is happening? Everything just seems to be advice so it’s left up to individuals to decide what they’re doing. According to MN and my UK family and friends lots of people are still going to pubs, restaurants, gyms, shopping centres etc.

I think the messaging from the UK government has been poor and in the absence of the government deciding to severely limit opportunities for social contact, a lot of people are telling themselves well if it was THAT bad they’d close everything, they haven’t so it can’t be too risky.

I don’t know if we’re getting it right in Ireland but from what I’ve observed people really began to take it seriously when schools and then the pubs, clubs and venues closed. I don’t understand why they’ve been so reluctant to do these things in the UK. How are they slowing the spread?

I agree with the pp regarding a softer lockdown approach. It is 100% coming soon.

I've seen army trucks in the surrounding areas the last few days. I am in central Scotland and we never see that sort of stuff here so there is certainly something going on.

We are being eased into it I think.

Why are people blaming those that are following the guidelines? I keep seeing 'what are YOU doing' like its us. Its so patronising. Like its us that are making the decisions for the government. Ask Boris fucking Johnson what HE is doing. He is the one that should be telling the people what they need to be doing, especially those who seem to think its ok to ignore the pleas

We are complete destroying and changing some people's lives whilst letting others go to the pub, shopping and carry on as normal. I have never never been so angry.

@Badskinday there's no clear info on who is currently being tested in NI and I don't know anyone with symptoms so the rate could be much higher than reported here

We'll see how you guys do after a month of lockdown. We did the right thing in the UK. A long term lockdown is not practical, it's better to self-isolate. The govt is being bullied into it because of all the hysteria (which is the same group of people stockpiling).

@Alialialiali Ireland is not in “lockdown”! Honestly, I think there is a lot of confusion on MN around terms like lockdown, isolating and distancing.

Right now in Ireland we are being asked to practice social distancing which means limiting your social contacts. The government closed schools, pubs etc in order to ensure this. They also asked that people wfh where possible and those who can are doing this. Anyone with symptoms needs to isolate and the elderly and vulnerable are encouraged to do this.

We may well have a lockdown in the coming weeks but we don’t yet.

@Alialialiali you don’t know what you’re taking about. We are not in lockdown we are social distancing and being sensible.

Yesterday I had to go shopping. I needed something from a hardware store and I needed food. I went to mc Donald’s for lunch.

Here’s how it went:
Drove to McDonalds, cafe is shut. Went to the drive through where I tapped to pay when staff help out the pin pad on a long handle to keep the social distance. Then I went to woodies. Outside the shop was marked with black tape 2 metres apart and a person at the door would let someone in whenever someone else left. Waited for about 15 mins to get in, did my shopping - shop nice and quiet and fully stocked. Staff wearing gloves and spraying the pin pad after every person. Again marking of 2 metres in distance inside and everyone abiding by it. Then drove to supermarket. Same lines outside there. About a 15 min wait again. Just in the door was hand gel and plastic gloves. Sanitised hands and out gloves on before touching trolley. Did my shopping. Shop again quiet plenty of space. Got everything I needed fully stocked. All tills open so no queue. Home for the evening. Ordered some house accessories for a room I’m going to do up online and Skyped a friend for a coffee and chat for an hour. Went for a walk with my DH. Didn’t see anyone.

How are we going to get on with this after a month? Fine I’d say. Bit bored from not doing too much bit boredom is a small price to pay to save lives and stop this spreading as fast.