Taking into account how YOU see the situation, when do YOU personally believe we will start returning to normal?

[Whitefeather01]

Just that really. When do YOU personally think restrictions will start to be lifted? Schools going back? Travel resumed? Etc.

I think life won't be "normal" until after either a vaccine or if mass testing tells us lots of people have had it and those people feel comfortable going back to normal.

Even if the government say leisure and hospitality businesses can open how many people are going to rush back and use them? No one over 70/60?, no one with diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, immuno suppressed or who has a vulnerable person in their household or who they want to socialise with like grandparents. That is a lot of people.

If there has been no mass vaccination or testing how are we going to accept that it is ok to see grandparents or use them for child care again "it's ok we've flattened the curve, if you make your elderly parents poorly then there probably will be a ventilator for them" - great.

Neuro, as far as I can tell, the peak comes a number of weeks from when lockdown started, it's not the naturally occurring peak, so whilst it would have been later in your area left unchecked, it will be at a similar time across the uk

Relaxed compared to now, some movement, DCs back at school, hopefully September.

Proper normal - able to go where we please, some flights restored, gatherings in groups allowed again - next spring

As we were before this - never -things will change because of this

Normal I think depends on so many things. Any good treatment and a significant ramp up of testing capability could see normality this side of Christmas, perhaps even September

Otherwise, not until widespread vaccination /or herd immunity

I think this lockdown will last till end April at which point new infections will be close to zero and we’ll have passed the peak in terms of deaths. There will still be some restrictions, and schools will re-open after May half term.

Hiding away waiting for a vaccine which may never come is not a strategy and certainly not how my dad wishes to spend his remaining years of healthy life. We will ease out of lockdown but with face masks on the tube and a lot of hand-washing, social distancing

Full lockdown for the majority no longer than end of May. Some business return to normal. Money will become more important than the virus. Not sure about schools at all but think all will be back after summer holidays. Agree there will be spells of repeat measures potentially.

From what I personally understand the science dictates that lockdown must be in waves rather than one solid period, for the NHS to be able to handle it better.

With that in mind, all of the following with intermittent periods of lockdown afterwards:

Schools - September
Shops and certain restaurants - maybe July/August with limited opening hours
Concerts and cinemas - Next year (gutted as I have 5 booked for June onwards 😢) - too many people in far too close proximity for this to be safe
Holidays - From October

Until we find a vaccine, only then will life return to normal. I think for years to come, no matter what happens to the economy (which will tank) we'll exhibit isolation type behaviours as people will find virtues In being at home. And hopefully will take hand hygiene and distancing more seriously. Every cloud - no more space invaders in supermarket queues?

normal prob not for a couple of years or until vaccine

lockdown i think will be a couple of months but school not until sept

oh and im hoping travel will be back in november for our 20th aniversary trip

Am I the only one thinking a June return to school? Obviously not everything back to normal as such but schools open?

My preference would be a September return.....

I think over the next month they'll work on getting more ventilators, beds etc in place so they're able to treat more people. And then slowly reopen with people going back to work first.

The economy will become more important than the virus soon. I'm with others who think lockdown will last until end of April. There will be still be social distancing, etc., but people will need to get back to work.

I don't believe lockdown will go beyond May. I'd like to think schools could go back for 1 month before summer holidays. I think waves of various measures will be more effective, if we all hide away indefinitely there will be a second large peak when we all get back to normal. Vaccine by Spring next year.

Should have added, 2nd big lockdown in winter.

shops businesses and general economy first

schools last!!

We won't emerge the same - life won't be as it was. This has prompted deeper musings about our entitled lifestyles that have wreaked havoc on our environment for far too long. You only have to listen to what many many people are beginning to say - things couldn't continue as they were. We were too negligent, too indulgent, too neglecting of our communities even. We expected too much for sure.

Perhaps the future for many households will be more homespun, less travel, people doing a lot more locally, with their families and with less outside social focus. Work will be diverted to more online routes. People will make their own dinners, instead of buying endless takeaways.

I think the shift that will come about as a result of this pandemic will be monumental - in more ways than one.

The country really cannot afford a lockdown for too long.
I expect all schools to be back by September at the latest, though I am hoping it would be sooner than that.
I expect restrictions will be gradually lifted with gatherings for large events being the last to be allowed.

Since all these MNers are saying how much more they love living under lockdown conditions than having an app temporarily on their phone that might know their movements... I guess they feel same about idea of govt actually knowing if they personally have tested +. So the South Korea model might be impossible here.

On that basis, I'm voting for 2 yrs before we might feel 'normal' again. Or maybe never.

I think there’ll be two more iterations of lockdown after this one, maybe in June and august. Then they’ll let it take its course

but is there another virus lurking waiting to pounce.....covid 20?

I think it will stay mostly as it is until the end of June or into July, they things will relax a bit through july and august. With lockdown happening again in the autumn. I'm not sure about schools. I am hoping that we are out the otherside of this by next summer.

After Easter, I reckon. I can't be negative and think this is going to last for months or I'll go insane! Admittedly leisure activities are not essential bowling, cinemas etc but we need to get the schools back to normal and working again. Those of us who can't work from home but nobody wants us are going to suffer. Even the WFH is going to dry up eventually when people run out of money to buy stuff!

@GreenTomatoes 2014 I think your too optimistic about human nature! Also I haven't been on a plane in 15 years and was hoping to be able to travel again in the future, even just once a year or every other year!

Define 'normal'.

The schools will go back in September probably and people will stop working from home around the same time.

It will take years to recover from the recession. Business aren't just suddenly going to spring back open again when lock down ends. Most of them will be well out of business by then!!

I don't see this in a money over lives way, I just think that ultimately more lives will be lost from the economic impact

Exactly this. I would prioritise lives over money any day of the week but the loss of life from a recession is massive, and there will come a tipping point where the damage caused by these measures is worse in human terms than the virus.

I think we will have some kind of lockdown till May/June, but it may well be another one is implemented before the vaccine is found.

I think things like large gatherings and travel abroad will be banned for longer but cafes and restaurants etc will be back in a couple of months.