So it doesn’t look like the lockdown is going to be extended does it?

[HighlandSpring101]

Just caught the daily news briefing. Despite a lot of people on here last week thinking there’s no way they’ll be easing the lockdown before the end of May (and I admit, I too thought this!) it looks like BoJo may announce relaxations of the lockdown Sunday, possibly taking effect as of Monday?

I am a bit confused though as though the majority of the criteria for relaxation looks like it’s being met, there are still 4000 new infections each day, which is the pretty much the same amount as at the start of this pandemic so surely that’s still too high?

I desperately want them to ease the restrictions as I’m going stir crazy but also worried it’ll just make things worse

Out in Spain here Judging by what’s happening here and elsewhere it will be relaxed gently and in stages, so they can rein it back in for a bit if it starts to get out of hand again.

It’s a marathon not a sprint, but it is going in the right direction,

Looking at the NHS stats over 90% of deaths are over the age of 60 with deaths over 80 by far the most hit group.

So we lockdown and trash the economy. Surely there must be a better way of doing this? Maybe the older people do need to be assessed differently even though it will result in having to treat different ages in different ways.

If they drop the furlough pay down to 60% there is absolutely no way we can survive. We're eating into our limited savings every month as DPs 80% doesn't cover all the bills / food shop as it is. I'm due to start a new job in an arts charity, fuck knows if that will even be there when the lockdown ends. My depression is rising at a rapid rate.

Most Non essential businesses allowed to reopen & loosening but not complete lift of house arrest. I predict, as of Friday. Face coverings recommended in crowded places & to re-open businesses must maintain 1m distances.

I have to say in my area there has been a lot more traffic and people about the past few days. However I travel into central London yesterday and it was deserted. I think it really depends on area as to how well people are sticking to the rules.

Sunday will be the encourging people back to work, imo.

Emphasis on the fact that no one said non essential businesses have to close. But they did. Encouraging businesses to look at (if they haven't already) how they can open and maintain social distancing.

Not all businesses. Restaurants etc will remain closed. But most businesses will be told to open, with changes.

Is their talk of reducing furlough to 60% ? People on minimum wage would be going hungry.

Hairdressers and beauty salons? I cannot see how they can open safely. Wouldn’t mind if I had to wear a mask.

Surely there must be a better way of doing this? Maybe the older people do need to be assessed differently even though it will result in having to treat different ages in different ways.

Can you be more specific? How are assessments, tests, and treatment supposed to work for different age groups? Are you suggesting that older people be quarantined? How would this be managed? Does the NHS have a proposal for this? Does the government have a clue how this would be organised? Or should the lives of "over 60s" and "over 80s" be sacrificed?

I think we need some perspective. If 40,000 die that's 0.08% of the population.

Population of London just under 9m
Population of Milan just under 1.5m
Population of Paris just under 2m

Add in the fact that there is no transparency about the figures published by other countries.

Of course UK figures will sound high but all perspective has been lost.

Of course there are more cases - many will relate to minor symptoms but let's not forget testing has increased tenfold. Had there been more testing earlier cases 4/5 weeks ago would have been well into double figures.

We need an imminent and managed return to normality.

I hope they have a way of getting dentists open .

Not everyone finds this unbearable.
I am dreading going back to the daily grind, school run, rushing to work.
I am loving the fact that things have slowed down. My kids seem really happy too.
Sorry I know it's not a popular opinion for many valid reasons.

They don't need to ease the lockdown because people are breaking it anyway. Judging by the amount of traffic on the roads (which I see when driving to work- key worker)

My personal feeling is that the lockdown will be extended by another 3 weeks with no adjustments to how it is. This decreases the masses (of course some will break the rules) who decide to go out over the bank holidays and half term, as 3 weeks takes us to the end of half term.

They will not relax on Thursday. Friday is a Bank Holiday and the forecast is 20 plus degrees. No way are they relaxing it this week.

I think they will add another 3 weeks on, no adjustments. Sunday I think we will hear the plan in place for after the 3 weeks IF we meet whatever targets are in place or are well on the way.
I think that will be more business and shops allowed to open as long as strict capacity and social distancing measures are met. I think that will be the start of a phased return to schools and nurseries (not everyone at once and not necessarily everyone before summer - except possibly nurseries). I think after the next 3 weeks they will start to allow households to mix but put a limit on - either a limit on how many at a time (eg no more than a group of 10 outside for example) or a “pick your group” style system and see only them (but don’t think that could work).

I don’t know. I can’t see the politicians wanting people still furloughed etc by July. It’s already been deemed unsustainable. At some point they will put the economy on top - but I do see future lockdowns until the vaccine

I found this Roadmap of how Ireland intend to come out of lockdown very interesting and am assuming that we will take a similar staged approach spanning several weeks:

www.gov.ie/en/press-release/e5e599-government-publishes-roadmap-to-ease-covid-19-restrictions-and-reope/

I think they might tweak slightly around the end of the month (maybe some non-essential local shops opening and stuff), but I don't get any impression there's going to be a great deal of change.

@Peppafrig an emergency dentist should be able to see you if you’ve got a tooth problem! I had to go last week because the pain suddenly became unbearable! Dentist was covered head to toe....

I worry that because there is a lot more movement and traffic with businesses starting to open back up again the government will want to see what impact that has before relaxing any of the current restrictions. That could mean another 3 weeks to see what happens to infections and hospital admissions and then decisions made from there

i don't mind lockdown, i miss my parents and walking the dogs twice a day (i miss our forest walks rather than the street walks i have to do now (seeing too many people... rather than the none i used to see)).

i think it'll be hard to relax our lockdown, because the rest of europes relax looks like our current lockdown...

"Most hospitals seem to be coping well".

A third of all covid patients admitted to hospital die. On what planet is that 'coping'?!

@butterflycatcher I found that interesting too except that some of the measures they have in place we don’t (for example schools and child care are already open here for key workers) so wonder how this might affect things. Certainly agree though that there will be different stages separated by a few weeks to review each before moving on to the next

I think the govt should introduce tighter regulations. After hearing on the south east news tonight that some barbers (19 out of 50 the reporter called) are operating as normal but in 'the back room'. One of the barbers on the recorded call, said 'he didn't believe in coronavirus'. All the while you have this mentality, the situation is not going to improve. None of the barbers asked the proposed customer to use masks and were not using them themselves.

Well, considering the governments adviser on this and the chief architect of the lockdown has had to resign from SAGE because he broke the lockdown not once, but twice to see his mistress, I'd say he obviously thinks it unnecessary now.

It's still too soon to open up.

Lockdown is inconvenient and causing hardship for some.
Death is unbearable.