Lockdown extended.

[TeddyIsaHe]

ht I knew it was coming but I think in my weird kbrain I was hoping it would be lifted slightly.

I know it’s the right thing, but the prospect of weeks more of this is hitting home now. Fuck this virus!!

As always, thank you so much to the frontline workers putting themselves at risk for us

@Iamclearlyamug bless you that sounds incredibly tough.

@Forgone90 I agree - to me there is a shelf life on lockdown before it becomes more damaging than the alternative.

I think they're hoping Boris will be out of hospital by next week and able to announce an extension himself

I agree. We are not waiting for a vaccine before we release things. The vaccine work will continue but people will get sick, just hopefully at a rate the NHS can manage

The potential lockdown is [at least] 12 weeks surely. We have done a quarter of that tomorrow evening

@TeddyIsaHe

I think the hard thing is not having a definite end in sight. I think people could crack on if they said it will be lockdown until July 1st. But because it’s 3 weeks and no info until the evening of the last day it leaves us in darkness.

I get lockdown fatigue is a thing, so they can’t do that. It’s just all a bit intense atm.

Obviously we are waiting for the peak, and then we have to get through the plateau which could be a couple of weeks at least before it starts to decline and only then can they consider lifting restrictions. If numbers are not far below what they are now then lockdown cannot be lifted as the infection rates will jump up too high. That is why people going out over the weekend, spreading it and increasing the infection and death rates are making this last longer because until the numbers plateau and decrease we cannot lift the restrictions

The economy and society cannot function waiting for a vaccine. The Irish health minister said this today: “In relation to the roadmap, there is going to be a point in this country where we will have to live alongside the virus, for want of a better phrase, where sadly people will still get sick and sadly some people will still die, but [the virus] is at a rate that is sustainable for our doctors to manage.”

I'm assuming it will be the end of May as that's when the govt have committed to the job retention scheme (furlough).

I've always been one for defensive pessimism, but I really am not expecting the lockdown to be lifted much sooner

Get used to it guys

I think beyond this (initial) peak, the fit & healthy below retirement age should come out of lockdown as the odds against falling seriously ill or dying are pretty good.

The shielded/vulnerable/elderly then have the option to distance until herd immunity kicks in or we have a vaccine.

Nobody with an ounce of common sense would think that lockdown wouldn't be extended or that it might have been relaxed even slightly. Stop trying to second guess everything and focus on what you're doing in your own houses etc, it'll go a lot quicker.

'Keeping the numbers at a level the NHS can cope with' also means continuing with a covid only NHS service. I really hope the public are ready for no normal NHS services until the vaccine is ready and it's out the equation again.

@DogInATent,of course that is not going to be what happens! We have to get back to normality as soon as possible.

No way can we be in lockdown until a vaccine is ready! What we need is the antibody test,4 out of 5 people with Coronavirus are asymptomatic,in theory all these people do not need to be in lockdown at all.

There is growing unrest in my City now,it will only get worse if lockdown doesn’t end in the next couple of weeks.

Wales already announced it's extended, can't remember to when.
My sis lives in Gran Can for her job, she said it was extended to May 10th today for them.
Much stricter too, Police check your reciept or your prescription to make sure you aren't out on a joy ride.

@cantbreatheenough That's the biggest concern in this household. DH and DM both have medical matters on hold at present and obviously no idea when that will change. Quite honestly, I'm tired of hearing about 'not overwhelming the NHS'. It was well and truly overwhelmed in this area before CV was a thing and to say that it's coping as a Health Service is complete crap. How long are we going to deny people treatment for non-Covid issues?

We cannnot be in lockdown for 18months that is absilitely ridiculous. I doubt the government will pay furlough wages that long. It'd be nice to think purely of safety but unfortunately that isn't a reality. At some point a decision has to be made. Is it really worth destroying the economy and tax hikes for years afterwards? Let's not forget that the majority who get it are fine.

@480Widdio
No way can we be in lockdown until a vaccine is ready! What we need is the antibody test,4 out of 5 people with Coronavirus are asymptomatic,in theory all these people do not need to be in lockdown at all.
These are exactly the people that must be in lockdown! but I think I know what you mean, you just meant to say "who have had and have got passed the contagious stage". The very last people you want walking round are asymptomatic carriers infecting others without knowing it.

People getting restless is not a valid reason for lifting lockdown. China have eased their restrictions after two months, but their initial lockdown was more severe than we have done, and they've already had to re-close the cinemas and similar venues after briefly reopening them.

We may be able to ease restrictions and step back from the current Soft Lockdown (imagine if we were really locked down, how restless that would make people) before a vaccine, but the shielded vulnerable won't see much of a change until there is one. If your mum is severely asthmatic, over 70 with complications, don't think you'll be visiting for a hug anytime soon. Don't expect to be welcomed in many places as a tourist any time soon. Things are not going to be back to "normal" for a long time.

This isn't doom and gloom. What makes me pessimistic is the thought that people will get restless and lose the point and we'll get a follow-up wave that makes the year-to-date look like a picnic. London will hit the target immunity level before the rest of the country, then selfishly hop in the car to the country/coast and the rest of the country will get hit twice as hard.

Deaths are climbing-lockdown won’t be lifted yet.

Dig in folks and just be glad the weather's gonna be good for all them walks.

Helpful summer hint:

You can still sunbathe if in perpetual motion.
Barrel rolls. Also tans those hard to reach areas.

You're welcome. 👍 🏖

They are legally required to review by 16th April at latest (next Thursday) but I expect they’ll be then announcing an extension of another 2-3 weeks. I think it will probably go on until end May and then they may start to relax eg perhaps open schools or allow certain regions to relax rules. But who really knows, schools are still closed in Wuhan and they had much stricter lockdown rule than us

Cee

Surely schools will be the end if social distancing unless they some how stagger it.
Not sure how that would work in a massive Secondary school.

I think the overall aim isn't a vaccine, or herd immunity.

SARS and MERS were virtually eradicated by reducing R < 1. If that can be sustained then a virus will die out naturally. That's why stricter lockdown might work for a long term solution.