Lockdown will end sooner than later

[Mumlove5]

Let’s hope the government will listen to the economists. A balance needs to be created.

I honestly do not think Boris will stand for a longterm lockdown. He wants to get back to normality ASAP.

Plus, infection rates are slowing in Europe🙏🏻

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/05/behind-scenes-boris-johnsons-gang-becoming-riven-infighting/

“It’s a false argument that we are either going to save lives or save the economy,” said Sir Iain, a former Work and Pensions Secretary. “We are talking about saving lives right now versus saving lives in the future because people have got jobs to go back to, and a strong economy that can raise enough taxes to pay for the NHS.”

Yet when does the crossover point come when the Government has to start prioritising the economy above all else? “I’d say we have until the end of this month,” added Mr Duncan Smith. “We have a chance of saving the economy if we are out of this in three weeks but much longer and businesses won’t be able to be resurrected and charities will go under. And then we will see real suffering. We get this done, we flatten the curve and we get back to normal.”

I agree that there needs to be a balance. But when is the right time to do it? If you do it too early, the health service will be overwhelmed anyways. Low productivity due to illnesses etc.

I would love to go back to my normal job and for my son to be back in his usual nursery with all his friends, taking him swimming on a Saturday, going for pizza, and booking our summer holiday. I would also quite like my husband’s job to be safe! But realistically, this is going on till September.

Jesus, lock down is not going on till September for gods sake. It simply can't.

They will have to lift the lockdown sooner rather than later,people have no income,you can’t live on fresh air!

I know so many families that are not coping with this at all,sad.

It’s not hard to predict just read the scientific modelling which is all available on line. All predict a period of intermittent lockdowns and lifts until a vaccine which earliest will be Autumn 2021. This isn’t opinion it’s science. This virus is too transmissible just to open everything back up indefinitely. Testing isolation and contact tracing will help obtain some normality but we’re months off large scale testing here. I’m afraid unless there’s a major drug breakthrough this cycle of lockdown/lift is here until a vaccine.

Unfortunately the majority of mumsnet are absolutely loving all of this and would prefer it if the government nailed our front doors shut.

They could only ever lift lock down in stages, otherwise there would be two peaks. Our NHS is simply not well-provided enough to consider removing lockdown in a few weeks. I wouldn't personally wish it on the medical staff.
It's tough for everyone. I'd rather be struggling financially than have vulnerable members of my family die. I hope things stay as they are until at least June/ July. This illness is insidious and unpredictable.

@Bluntness100 I am not going back to work until it is safe to do so. And my kids are not going back to school until it is safe to do so.
I understand this government may be willing to sacrifice some lives so that some people can make more money.
My responsibility is to keep my family safe. I will not sacrifice my life or the life of my children to some "greater good". They come first.

People who keep talking about the lockdown continuing until September can't realistically be thinking about what state the world will be in when it's over. There has to be a balance - which includes a plan to protect the vulnerable.

@Lookingforwardtomyeastereggs

'' Unfortunately the majority of mumsnet are absolutely loving all of this and would prefer it if the government nailed our front doors shut. ''

And the Daily Mail comments section is equally bad.
They's love to have Red Crosses daubed upon doors, and doors nailed shut á la Plague.

I understand the reasoning behind Lockdown, but it is tragic that Bus drivers have died because of having infected people spluttering all over them.
Just listened to LBC radio Sheila Fogarty, and it is appalling the lack of care given to the workers by management safe behind lines, at home.
Ditto Nurses/Midwives dying/ fighting for life in /ICU.

We need a vaccine fast, and far more testing , antibody testing too to see if we have been exposed to this , esp younger ones who may show less symptoms.

But according to some on MN we shouldn’t be worried about how we are going to survive afterwards, it’s a national crisis! If things go on too long life won’t be worth living for a lot of people so what is the point? Yeah it’s all fine and well that people may find gaps in the markets etc to start new enterprises but a lot of people do hands on industrial jobs and they are going to suffer badly if not working for long periods

My last words(for now)

The lockdown will have to be lifted - the government increased spending combined with the loss of tax revenue and economic activity will result in financial devastation. Look at the reality - what country can live with millions unemployed and hope to maintain stability. If lifted too late, the pain will be felt by all for many years to come.

Meaning, we need to have a path to normalization outlined at the end of April (if not before!) or the economic consequences will be far more grave and disastrous.

Again, the UK government knows they can’t be in this position indefinitely or even long-term.

I am not going back to work until it is safe to do so

And that’s entirely your decision. But any form of state financial assistance will end at a certain point.

I honestly do not think Boris will stand for a longterm lockdown. He wants to get back to normality ASAP

Do you think any of the European govts want lockdown? Why do you think Boris is different?

The reason the virus is spreading less quickly in Europe is because of he lockdowns.

Of course everyone wants life back to normal. I really don’t understand the thrust of your post - what do you think you know that governments are not thinking?

@Oaktree55 and how is that sustainable? The government isn’t going to keep up furlough payments off and on for years? More companies will go bust with all the uncertainty, insurances won’t pay out off and on like that

This illness is not just going to have disappeared when lockdown is lifted - we will be dealing with it as an ongoing threat - it just needs to be a manageable one

The staff who have worked through this lockdown will need a break at some point - physically and mentally. They can't be expected to just carry on as normal and oversee a gradual return to normality after the storm without having had sufficient time to recuperate. How will that be managed, I wonder?

And my EU born niece is a nurse working her socks off for the NHS.

honestly do not think Boris will stand for a longterm lockdown. He wants to get back to normality ASAP.
Get back to Normality? Wow, really? How Awesome for “Boris”. And all the rest of us are having such a swell time stuck inside 24 hours. If people like him had taken this seriously to begin with we’d be in a much better position. This ridiculous notion that any “normality” for the economy can be reached when hundreds of people are dying of this daily in hospitals. The lockdown isn’t a bit of game or political spin, it’s an absolute last resort. The balance/mitigation option went off the table thanks to the governments dithering at the beginning of March.

That makes sense Bluntness.

What I don't understand is the people who want lock down to be removed completely even if the virus keeps killing a high large number of people. Would you start going to the pubs, restaurants and taking your children to busy places? Do some people actually still believe it's only killing the old and fragile. I couldn't put my child at risk.

Lockdown will be eased by the end of May the cost to the economy and society of more than 3 months lockdown will be worse than the alternative

Schools may remain closed until September, but the current lockdown is most likely to be relaxed at the end of May/beginning of June - that's the advice from Prof Ferguson and the Imperial modelling.

Although a downward trend in the number of cases could happen earlier than expected, which might change that advice. Or the government could simply decide to lift some restrictions earlier, despite the advice or based on other advice.

Comments on here about mental health are quite interesting. Many people saying that their mental health is being affected by lockdown.

I have horrible anxiety issues, and have had them most of my life. I’m terrified of lockdown being removed. So who’s mental health is most important? Those who want lockdown lifted and or those who don’t?

Really really wish people would stop predicting when schools will reopen. I’m a teacher, no one knows. No room for socially isolating in a school though. Unions are already concerned about lack of protection and testing for teachers.

This isn’t opinion it’s science

I think you need to read the more updated scientific reports, what you refer to is a very early one, science has moved forward.

Alloutoffucks, you need to do what you need to do. No one can force you to work and you can home school your kids. This is a free society and we have choice.

Op, yes it’s likely end of April early may when we see the restrictions start to lift, but only enough to get the economy moving. This can’t continue clearly. But as said, that doesn’t mean all restrictions are lifted, I strongly suspect there will be social distancing measures and tight controls in place for a few months as they watch this pan out, but the current situation where folks are being paid to stay at home, with increased benefits etc, will stop very shortly.

The government don’t have a magic money tree to keep it going.

Unfortunately the majority of mumsnet are absolutely loving all of this and would prefer it if the government nailed our front doors shut. Absolutely. Didn't the Chinese weld people's doors shut?

uhohimbad we have 500 cases in our hospital alone at the moment. We only had 600 beds in total pre-Covid. All non-emergency work (like looking after my sick dialysis patients) is on hold, indefinitely. All f2f clinics cancelled, indefinitely. All elective surgery cancelled, indefinitely (ie literally just life-and-death emergency stuff). All chemo, all transplants, all biopsies, all cancelled. Thousands more cases in the community. Over 50% of our ward nurses off sick or self isolating.

Do you seriously think the kids will be back in school and I’ll be taking my toddler to swimming lessons in three weeks’ time?

I’m sure they will lift lockdown in stages. That is only sensible. I have no idea what will be relaxed first. But no, I really do not think we will be “back to normal” before September.

I don’t thank that schools will not go back until September earliest. I think that until then things will be gradual, with some people returning to jobs in June. Shops may open this summer but with social distancing. And events such as gigs, cinema etc not opening until much later in the year.