Do you think things are opening too fast?

[onestepat]

My friend has just said she's not rushing into anything /going anywhere for the rest of the year.
Do you think Lockdown is over too fast ?

When will people realise that lockdown was NOT to stop people getting it (including the shielded) it was to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed. The peak has gone, the NHS was not overwhelmed. Job done.

This. Why don't people get the message? WAS TO PROTECT THE NHS -not you personally, numpty!

I suggest ignoring Devlesko. She's basically trolling us at this stage.

I suggest ignoring Devlesko. She's basically trolling us at this stage

Then report me if having a view is "trolling". I've been here for years.
Cheeky fucker.

We need to open up now and make hay while the sun shines, both in terms of the economy and for our own mental health. Because I think once winter comes it's going to get tricky again...

Still can't believe that people think that lockdown was to protect us personally!

Wait, you mean Boris won't ensure I don't catch an invisible respiratory virus? What a prick.

I think the govt went wrong with their message originally. People thought and still think it’s all about saving them personally.

The media (GMTV in particular) were hysterical about care home deaths, repeating this mantra that any death is unacceptable. Clearly none of these idiots had ever been in a care home and seen the state of the occupants, nor realised that in normal times people do, you know, die , especially when they’re 98 with advanced dementia.

I’m in the shielding category, and I’ve seen some utter maniacs on shielding threads. It’s one thing to be nervous of contracting the virus but there seem to be a large number of selfish people who don’t give a fig for anyone but themselves - not even their dcs who they are determined to incarcerate in the house until they’re 35.

@IrmaFayLear yes one of my work colleagues is shielding with asthma. Her 3 year old and twin 6 year olds have not been out the house since march, and they only have a back yard. I suggested they maybe go for a drive for a change of scenery which was met with horror. She has no plans of leaving the house even for a walk anytime soon. On the flip side, my nanna is 82 and "shielding" with advanced kidney disease. However she has to attend dialysis every other day and on many occasions there has been covid positive patients on the unit. She now thinks what is the point in shielding and goes for an ice cream at the beach. She would like to go in shops but she is worried about infecting other people, not people infecting her!

I think the government have made a total mess and are unlocking in an illogical fashion.

The first priority should have been a planned and systematic process to open schools. This should have included social distancing and smaller class sizes. That was the first priority.

Then the people released from looking after their dc would have been able to work, albeit still from home.

Small businesses/small shops and small cafes/bars should have been allowed to open with social distancing, as they are more likely to go under.

Younger people age under 40 could have been released from lockdown earlier.

Larger shops and outdoor sporting events next

But Boris just did a free for all.

Another big spike and schools and business will have to lock down again.

I think he has been too draconian too quickly. And he may be recreating the problem he is trying to solve by moving too fast

This should have included social distancing and smaller class sizes

We have established several times over on many threads that whilst yes thats a good idea practically it just doesnt happen because there isnt the additional space in schools to accommodate this

And it was the government’s job to sort this out.

I hope it was the right decision. Only time will tell.

You can buy whatever you want online, hence the economy hasn't been affected, much.

You're really quite deluded. Take just one sector, hospitality, the bottom has fallen out of it, airlines or hadn't you noticed? All the ancillary jobs that go with places like airports? You can't 'buy' a night at the pub, you can't go on to Amazon and get yourself on a flight to Disneyworld? You may not do those things but surely it must dawn on you that millions of people are employed in these sectors and are being made jobless in their droves right now?

The economy is critical to NHS, education, sanitary services, police, god the list is endless. Of course, you don't 'use' any of that stuff though do you

It’s depressing isn’t it, how many people are completely clueless about how the ‘evil/ pointless’ economy works. There’s a reason why first world countries have higher life expectation, higher levels of education (including state education), a functioning legal system, higher ability to achieve scientific advances like develop and produce drugs/ vaccines, diverse and rich arts and cultural performances, investment in sports and athletics... the list goes on. These things are directly attributable to the economy.
Without the economy we have nothing. Almost literally. Why is this so hard to understand?

I'm gobsmacked that anyone thinks the economy hasn't been affected.

I'm self employed and earn a living in the hospitality industry. Last year I paid around £10k in tax. This year I'll probably pay nothing. Multiply that by thousands - tax revenues will be hugely depleted. In addition I was spending on gym membership, transport, clothes, restaurants, theatres etc. I won't be now.

Take my example and multiply it by thousands.

This is what funds our healthcare, education etc. The things so many people on here seem to take for granted.

We're in a very very difficult situation.

Yeah, people act like the 'economy' is some kind of dirty word that only awful 'right wingers' would ever care about.

What a ridiculously privileged 1st world view.

It isn't hard to understand at all, and a difference of opinion doesn't mean you don't understand the subject.
I understand the basics, don't most people.
I'm just not that gloomy that I think 25% loss isn't recoverable when things open up, because people like spending.

My work relied on your children being in school, sat close together, theatres, weddings, music festivals, wherever entertainment and music was happening. I'm not looking at resuming anytime soon, unlike the football that creates far less for the economy than entertainment.

I think many posters don’t seem to realise that England is above all a tertiary and quarternary economy (over 75% of the work force) and these people have been WFH, working hard every weekday through confinement. Accountants, lawyers, bankers, economists, architects, IT consultants (also working en site). People shop online. People order food and drink online, and all
sorts of consumables.
Gov’t should have promoted all these online activities - investment in internet, offers for internet providers, online VAT reduction to encourage shoppers, plus outdoor gyms and sports initiatives, and there should have been an emergency Summer schools put in place for children. I think 60,000+ avoidable deaths have happened in this country. Pubs are non-essential and should not be reopening yet. As for the “free for all” random (american) independence day of 4th July it seems like a disaster waiting to happen for many reasons. So embarrassed to be English at the moment. If only J Corbyn had stepped aside sooner within Labour, we could now be in the much safer hands I think of DPP K Starmer.

I'm not aware of any of the services mentioned stopping during lockdown.
They still continued, a water leak up the road was still attended to. Bins were still emptied none of them lost their jobs

But they will all be affected if the lockdown continues. Do you really not get that? These things are paid for by tax revenues from employment.

I'm just not that gloomy that I think 25% loss isn't recoverable when things open up, because people like spending.

Not if they've lost their jobs! You are just being obtuse aren't you?

Possibly the worse recession in 300 years? Honest to God do you really not see that this will massive effect public services, which presumably you use? Doctors, buses, refuse collection, schooling road repair, cycle lanes, street lighting, courts, fire services oh dear lord.....

I cannot ascertain whether Develsko is just goady or really, really stupid.

Can we sign her up for an economics for beginners class?

I think it's too fast, yes. Not enough time to gauge what the last change does before the next comes along.

@fessmess- and do you have any reason to be concerned if you do catch it? Vulnerable? If not, you’ll likely be fine. Even if you consider mild to be flu like, you’ll deal with a shitty couple weeks, recover & move on. I’ve had flu flu & I was so ill. Took me a while to recover but I did. And I don’t walk around petrified about catching it again. I might, I might not. Life goes on.

Flu doesn't cause a healthy, fit young person to have a PE and other side effects.

Bold fail

It's all very well to say the economy isn't suffering as people can still buy stuff online, that is of course partly true - you can buy online. But it also ignores several things that are intact important to the economy,

One being, some people were still happy to spend some money when on furlough. Once the worry creeps in about their job security, the spending lessens. And once the furlough scheme is finished it is sadly likely that thousands more will be unemployed.

Second, it's no secret that the high street is struggling and has been for some time. But if high street jobs go then local unemployment increases. These jobs are not equally replaced online.

Our local bin services were significantly cut back in the midst of the crisis. Staff were either off sick or shielding so reduction in workforce and others were redeployed to other areas. Same with road repairs. Nothing, other than emergency repairs were done and staff had to be redeployed. No recycling centres open - and our local
One still isn't reopened, although I think it's due to either next week or the week after.

The country is hurtling towards a massive mental health crisis. Mental health services were already struggling and were significantly underfunded. This is about to get much worse. People will sadly start to die of completely curable illnesses as health care funding will dramatically fall if we cannot get the economy moving. It could take decades for it to bounce back fully - our children are likely to be paying for this crisis.