Why are so many people still convinced that following/tightening "the rules" has this thing over sooner?

[Makeitgoaway]

Or maybe it's me who's misunderstood?

"The Rules" are not intended to prevent the spread they are intended to slow it to a level where the NHS can cope with ICU admissions. So far, we have done that, new beds have been created quicker than they have been filled.

If we slow the spread more than necessary (I.e. so that there remains spare capacity) the crisis lasts longer than necessary. No additional lives are saved, the deaths are just more spread out in time and it's longer until we can get back to normal.

The restrictions were never intended to stop us getting ill, just to stop us all being ill at once. It won't be over until there is a vaccine (years?) or until "enough" people have had it that it no longer presents a substantial threat to the NHS.

The obsession with having rules followed/tightened, beyond what is necessary to protect the NHS just means the whole thing lasts longer, which is why, the rules are deliberately set up so that there will still be some, but reduced, transmission.

Why do people keep asserting that if we all follow the rules to the nth degree it will be over quicker.

FWIW I am following the rules, wfh, daily exercise, occasional essential shopping, but I'm frustrated with people who want to insist the exercise shouldn't be allowed, or that people in non essential jobs who can't wfh shouldn't be allowed to work, or that all non essential deliveries should be banned. It makes no sense.

"No additional lives are saved, the deaths are just more spread out in time"

Not true

You've only quoted part of the sentence and an explanation would help you make more sense shineaflight.

If we get the infection rate down, then we will be able to use tests currently needed for hospital admissions and staff for community based testing instead

Again there are 66 million people in the country.

Any form of trying to test everyone , well surely by the time it's done it's time to start all over again...

You also cannot make testing mandatory. Peope are free individuals in a free country and they have rights to decline or accept tests.

currently no one is tested unless they are in hospital are they?
In the countries it's been used in there's been more widespread testing, so it's been based on people actually diagnosed with Covid.

Ultimately I think the things that need to change most are employers and schools in that the reason bugs etc spread so quickly is because people are worried about attendance and sickness diciplinaries. You cannot not show up to work because of someone else you have been on contact with. It's not really acceptable and people will have and will probably continue to lose their jobs for poor attendance/high levels of sickness.

You also cannot make testing mandatory

You can. The Coronavirus Act allows for potentially infected people to be removed to premises for screening and assessment by public health officials, including taking biological samples:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/schedule/21/part/2/enacted

Geez...

Whatever happened to consent

It's not unique. If you are arrested the police can take DNA samples from you without your consent. If you are sectioned under the mental health act you can be detained and treated against your will.

But we arent talking about people who are even potentially criminals or those without mental capacity.

We are talking law abiding citizens going about their daily law abiding lives

Wasn't that long ago where there was massive outrage for that nurse who was arrested in the us for refusing to do a blood draw as the patient hadnt consented and by law she wasnt permitted to take it or hand it over to the police

But there is going to be a second peak, and lockdown presumably resumed later this year. And repeat until a vaccine is produced and rolled out.

It’s happening in China, very slowly and they’re cracking down quickly, but as we’ve seen the UK government is somewhat lacking in the speed department.

The Act makes it a criminal offence not to comply:

23(1)A person commits an offence if the person—

(a)fails without reasonable excuse to comply with any direction, reasonable instruction, requirement or restriction given to or imposed on the person under this Part of this Schedule,

(b)fails without reasonable excuse to comply with a duty under paragraph 18(1) or (2) (duties of individuals who have responsibility for a child),

(c)absconds or attempts to abscond while being removed to or kept at a place under this Part of this Schedule,

(d)knowingly provides false or misleading information in response to a requirement to provide information under this Part of this Schedule or otherwise in connection with the exercise of any power under this Part of this Schedule, or

(e)obstructs a person who is exercising or attempting to exercise a power conferred by this Part of this Schedule.

(2)A person guilty of an offence under this paragraph is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Bloody hell.

This is another thing to add to the list of shocking behaviours etc that this virus has brought out.

Not only is everyone revelling in calling out of people who are doing nothing wrong, the police are now asking civilians to challenge those they feel are flouting the rules as well as having made some massive errors themselves
And now law abiding citizens no longer have the right to determine what medical procedure they undergo and become criminals for wanting to exercise what would usually be that right ....

Law abiding citizens do not currently have the right to leave their homes except for certain very restricted reasons. I struggle to find compulsory testing extreme in comparison.

TBH I wish they would invoke this part of the Act and get proper testing, isolation, contact tracing and quarantine up and running. We need more tests to be able to do this though, obviously.

It would be far better than the indefinite cycle of lockdown - release - big surge - lockdown ... that we are otherwise in for, while hoping immunity turns out to be a thing and/or that a vaccine is invented one of these years.

I believe people with infectious TB can be detained until treated and non-infectious. I don’t think the concept is new.

Strategies in different countries vary. It will be interesting to analyse the effects (including long term non-covid related mortality which may be due to economic problems caused by pandemic). I would put my money on strategies like Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand - That do more border control, isolation and contact tracing.

South Korea high rate of testing is also interesting. There is no reason why you cannot perform multiple tests to improve the accuracy - it is whether we want to spend the money to manufacture and carry out testing.

Widespread reusable mask wearing even by asymptomatic people may also help.