When do you think lockdown will be relaxed?

[LolaLollypop]

Ireland have given a date of 3rd May, France 11 May. What about us?

And which rules do you think will be relaxed first? Personally, I am really hoping they allow slightly larger groups of people to meet (I.e friends and family). I'm not too bothered about pubs and restaurants but I'm really missing seeing family & friends.

I really hope it's 3rd May for us (providing necessary criteria are met).

Just chatted to a lady who's son lives in Spain and the government there has told them it will be the end of May for them before restrictions are lifted for day to day things. We are three weeks behind Spain as far as the virus goes I believe.

There is no easy answer. The virus is not going away and we are unlikely to have any kind of vaccine for the next two years. Even then, a vaccine will not be 100% efficient. Seasonal flu vaccines are between 40 and 60 % efficient.

So society will have to change. Health services will have to adapt to providing intensive respiratory support to large numbers of highly infectious people. Vulnerable people are going to have to stay locked up for years or take their chances. Life expectancy will drop.

If we are to have any hope of funding a changed health care system we are going to have to get the economy up and running again as soon as possible. We are also going to need to train significantly more medical staff.

My guess is that in the short term we will watch and learn from experiences in China and Southern Europe. But Lock pdowns - maybe on a regional basis will be a feature of life for the forseeable future.

I agree with PP who said it will probably be after the bank holiday. They won't risk us all flooding out on a possibly sunny weekend.

The same applies to the Whitsun bank holiday.

I think they’ll announce 3 more weeks of lockdown this week and then probably another 3 after that.

That covers the 12 weeks out of action for vulnerable people, 3 months furloughing and 3 month mortgage breaks the government have been talking about.

That takes us to mid/late June, I think?

I expect it’ll then be relaxing the restrictions on going outside, then opening more shops, relaxing distancing in shops, no need to WFH, then pubs/restaurants and opening schools last. The reverse order in which things were closed.

You’s do realise I am taking the piss when I say January? Lol

I think realistically we will have some sort of relaxation by May. Maybe more will be relaxed by June and August.

I do believe schools won’t be back until September

Ireland has not decided to ease lockdown on 5th May. It will be reviewed on that date .

Some time in May but many restrictions will stay in place.

January jeez I think it will be over by then ! I was thinking midmay.

Scottish term is August I think the schools will do a phase back then a full return in August.

Ireland has not decided to ease lockdown on 5th May. It will be reviewed on that date .
I was just going to say this. Unless I missed some big announcement today we haven't been given a specific date.

I think the end of May for some non essential businesses to reopen and us being allowed to visit family and friends again. I thought schools would be open in September but it could possibly be after May half term to coincide with that.

No large gatherings/festivals/events until September at least.

I can't find anything that says Ireland will definitely be ending lockdown at any given date? Just that restrictions have been extended for another 3 weeks and hopefully/maybe will be looking to ease them after that. Have i missed something?

Oh and I think international travel for holidays will be restricted until 2021.

I think that if it’s much longer than May there will be a lot of social unrest. People are not designed to be cooped up, they will stop caring about protecting the NHS and stop caring about the death and infection rates. If the government is smart they will realise we can’t live under a lockdown for months at a time.

Relaxation of lockdown should hopefully start to happen in another 3 weeks, there will probably be social distancing for months to come though. A full lockdown isn’t feasible for much longer in terms of society.

Sooner than the majority on here seem to think. The country can't sustain this. I think schools will go back after May half term, albeit perhaps half days to reduce class sizes. People can't work properly with kids at home. Then once schools back other measures will start to be relaxed, probably slowly. Another lockdown in autumn potentially.

The government is paying furlough until the end of May and I can't see them offering to carry on doing that any longer.

Zzz...Ok pedantic peeps... I'll add the disclaimer...

Assuming the virus figures are coming down, lockdown is working etc, relevant powers are happy etc etc... lockdown in Ireland and France probably won't be extended again past those dates.

Of course, any results deemed unsatisfactory or any increase in figures would mean the decision goes the other way.

You’s do realise I am taking the piss when I say January? Lol grin

You are hilarious

@virginpinkmartini your comment actually made me laugh out loud! Loved it.

I personally think/hope end of May. I’m hoping sooner but I don’t think it will be, but you never know.

It will be May some time. They can’t keep businesses closed much longer than that without truly fucking the economy.

Also people will only stay inside for so long before they say fuck it and start meeting up etc.

Lockdown will ease with shops allowed to open but pubs/restaurants will be the very last thing to open. Social distancing when out and about/ queuing for tesco will stick around to next year I reckon.

I also think we will be allowed to see family, as long as they aren’t vulnerable. Again they can only keep family apart for so long.

Probably have another lockdown in winter too as deaths peak again

Really hoping more the beginning off May only for the fact I haven't seen my family properly in 5 weeks and also due on the 25th off May witch also falls on the second bank holiday but I do have in my head we won't be finished with lockdown then! Witch isn't good as my daughter has never been away from me I was hoping to leave her for a hour etc leading up closer to the time but as off right now that won't be happening eaither haha! X

Once the 12 weeks of shielding and furlough payments are over so early June imo

lol at January.

I think end of May?

I think there will be another 3 weeks of what we're doing now.

Then a partial relaxation for 2-3 months over the summer, followed by another period of lockdown (unless they have a shit hot testing and tracing plan in place).

Yeah right. It was 7 weeks in China. Why would we need 10 months? Ludicrous scare-mongering.

Wuhan (pop 10 million) was locked down on the 23rd of January and has only just started lifting restrictions, so I think thats longer than 7 weeks?

Italy locked down on the 9th of March. Two weeks later, the 23rd, the UK did the same.

We have been 3 weeks in lockdown but it could become stricter, like Italys did after their 3 weeks.

The situation is unfolding so difficult to say and the lockdown would not end suddenly but be a gradual process, but as things stand at the moment. Possibly the UK could start lifting some restrictions at the end of June. That would be 12 weeks from the start of lockdown (23rd March).

The situation is unfolding so difficult to say and the lockdown would not end suddenly but be a gradual process, but as things stand at the moment. Possibly the UK could start lifting some restrictions at the end of June. That would be 12 weeks from the start of lockdown (23rd March).

Yep-think 15th March is 12 weeks.