Thoughts on UK lockdown - what will happen on 7th may?

[Bumpandus]

Obviously no one can predict anything

But what are your opinions of what will happen and why?

For example:

Lockdown still for a few more weeks?
Or Ease restrictions but how?

Just interested in people’s thoughts.

[Tfoot75]

I don't think they will either end the lockdown or extend it with no modifications. They may say they are extending it without changes but behind the scenes, it's pretty clear to me that things are already changing. Loads of non-essential businesses and shops have either already reopened or are soon reopening. So I think we will still be asked to stay at home but the list of acceptable reasons to leave may expand.

Ie, my local B&q has reopened but technically, noone is allowed to visit it. That doesn't stop there being queues to get in and them having sold out of bedding plants. The police are hardly outside handing out fines because someone must have told B&q that it's now fine to reopen.

[LilacTree1]

No way will schools go back before September

That’s why Matt h is talking about this new disease in children

[ScribblingMilly]

The bad weather should help things along. Only other dog walkers out and about this morning. I think businesses that can operate mostly click and collect like garden centres are a cert to open soon - hopefully.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

Not to be all tin foil hat about it, yes. We are being given a lot of data, and much of it is released at times given by behaviourists advising the government.

It's going to be like that for a long time yet and, whether we like it or not, it is being done with both health and financial factors mind, not us as individuals, small groups etc.

When kids go back to school it will be because the health implications are outweighed by the financial ones.

That balance will inform every decision, and we and the media will choose to pick apart each one without knowing the wider details.

It will be shit for a long while yet!

[Kazzyhoward]

Loads of non-essential businesses and shops have either already reopened or are soon reopening.

That's because they didn't have to close in the first place. A lot over-reacted due mainly to poor media reporting giving the impression they had to close when they were still allowed to stay open as per the official allowed list. Add into that the uncertainty of not knowing how many customers there'd be, whether their staff would turn up, how to social distance, etc. Now, in the same way that the NHS has organised itself and started to re-start some services, the same is happening with shops etc who've had the time to think and plan about re-opening.

[Kazzyhoward]

my local B&q has reopened but technically, noone is allowed to visit it.

DIY shops have been on the "allowed" list since day 1. Nothing has changed.

[fluffyrice]

children are far more likely to remain asymptomatic following infection, and to date hasn’t been a single case of documented asymptomatic transmission.

I've heard similar comments from a few people, to back their view that schools should be the first thing to re-open. My concerns are that a) it does seem that children are less likely to be very ill and more likely to be a-symptomatic but at the time that schools closed (UK and elsewhere) there were fewer cases anyway so how do we know that if schools were open more children would catch the virus and become very ill (especially given viral loading, if pupils were exposed to the virus from numerous class mates before they showed symptoms) and b) there could be loads of people who are a-symptomatic infecting other people every day- since we are not testing many people we have no idea and I'm pretty certain we don't know exactly who each very ill person caught the virus from. There may not be any confirmed cases of someone catching covid 19 from an a-symptomatic person but that's not the same as saying a-symptomatic people can't pass on the virus.
I can understand why people are keen for schools to re-open but let's not bury our heads in the sand.

[lamppotkettle]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8265089/Two-year-old-boys-rash-turned-black-inflammatory-syndrome-linked-coronavirus.html

Seems he wasn't tested for Covid according to mother. Apologies for Daily M link

[Sunshine1239]

I think we will start to unlock or at least give definite end dates

France is starting to and they locked down a week before us

[Sunshine1239]

Schools return on part time basis from whit week 100%

[pfrench]

NAHT (heads union) has asked for lots of information from heads today in terms of guidance, requirements etc to open schools. They are a union, not the gov, but hopefully the gov has consulted with the unions.

[Tfoot75]

1. Government advise says 'only go outside for food, health reasons or work', not 'food, health reasons, work or for bedding plants or DIY equipment'

1. It's generally accepted that shops and other businesses have very recently received advice from HSE advising them how to return to operations safely. They haven't all just randomly decided to open in the past week. I've read that garden centres are reopening next week, not sure of the truth of that.

[Bumpandus]

@Sumshine1239 do we know what restrictions France will be easing?

[Sunshineonarainy1day]

Look at their press conference today

Schools back from 11 May onwards

[Yokeysie]

I part work in hk and uk so kinda experienced how another country have gone through covid from early on in Jan upto march. HK has now mainly controlled the spread of covid with only 4 deaths so far after 4-5 months since it started for them. I can see several problems which will have to be dealt with by the government over here and workplaces after lockdown going forward. The biggest thing I see is How will they deal with if someone in the workforce gets covid? I remember when in hk, Mc Donald's had to shut when 1 of its employee got covid and all staff had to go into quarentine or isolation along with their families too. This also happened alot in retail stores and offices too. Some would have to shut for a week or so till they could find staff to fill those who where in quarentine. It must be a nightmare for companies and small businesses to operate. At the moment in HK Restaurants and cafes are only able to operate half of their capacity and only max of 4 person per table. Which meant many businesses have gone under as they can't break even.
I understand why the government over there have take the the steps that if anyone in the workplace gets covid then they have to stop and isolate every worker that had contact with he or she otherwise it would cause clusters of outbreaks that can easily become out of control and again could potentially cause exponential growth in cases creating a 2nd wave that could be worse than the first. It's something that most of the south eastern asian countries that have covid under control are battling through at the moment. It will be interesting to see how they will deal with workers who get covid after lockdown is lifted.

[Redolent]

@Tfoot75

You realise that a lot of industry workers require DIY materials right? For repairing plumbing leaks, boiler parts etc. That’s why government legislation explicitly allowed them to remain open...

[excitedmumtobe87]

France had a much stricter lockdown, as did Spain and Italy. Their easing is in many ways our supposed lockdown

[Rosebel]

At 17:35 Borris Johnson said it's still too early to say when schools will reopen. He did not say they will be back 11th May.

[UnderTheIroningBoard]

Extension for 3 weeks, then, depending on what happens in countries in Europe that are starting to relax theirs, a gradual opening of non essential services etc.

[cantory]

A lot of shops that were not told they had to close had closed because people were staying away. It has to be worthwhile financially for them to open. So locally our newsagents closed as did some take aways.

Children with mild symptoms have infected parents. This happened to PINK and she has an interview online about it.
We don't know of asymptomatic children have infected anyone because we don't test and contact trace. So no evidence in reality means we are not looking for any evidence.
Anyway others can do what they want, but my children are not going back to school yet anyway.

[Girlinterruption2020]

You alright there, Lilac? @LilacTree1

[Peppafrig]

Three more weeks or maybe just two more .

[bettybeans]

I work for an EU company and although I have a base office in a U.K. city & we're set up to work remotely, we've been told not to expect a return to office anytime soon. Point being that even when it's technically permitted, it won't be safest option.

Predictions? Unless it's welll managed? Combination of people staying at home and others having a blow out.

[bettybeans]

There is no single moment at which it will become safe to take up old social habits. The conflict will arise between those who get that and those who don't.

[Pluckedpencil]

If it's anything like Italy, not much will change. To say they are easing lockdown here in Italy is a massive overstatement. Until 4th May we can't even go to a shop without certificate, not allowed out even to exercise alone. 4th May, the "easing" means we can go for a walk on our own, and only if our local authorities allow. Still no travel allowed between regions. It has still another five weeks before hairdressers and restaurants open. Schools have been officially closed until September. Take this as your template.