I've been reminded of what happened with the roll out of the Boris ban on drinking on the tube.
There was a large drunken binge at the time of introduction. Then it settled down, and is generally well observed and still has public support. No one was berated or prosecuted during the 'last hurrah' binge, but they started doing it more quietly as it settled down. No the tube is a better place for it.
They're using the same behavioural techniques here.
I'm sure it's not a coincidence that the stricter rules for the super-vulnerable are being brought in on Monday (announced a week or so ago). If they had announced at the same time that there would be partial suspension of public transport and a closure of the hospitality and leisure sector, there would have been uproar. But there was a drip feed of 'nothing off the table' (we knew it could happen, we saw it elsewhere) and then a huge swell of calls for stricter measures.
Boris has brought in the strictest ever curtailment of the activities of the British public, and there is little talk about authoritarianism. The criticism that exists is all about how it should have been done faster.
I think they did it at a time they chose a couple of weeks ago, when they first showed us trajectory graphs comparing countries. And have pulled off what was unthinkable even two short weeks ago