Leicester facing full lockdown

[Ifailed]

According to the BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-53206506.
Anyone living there - how do you feel about this? Personally I would feel terribly trapped, almost like I was being punished, like when teacher's used to keep a whole class behind due to the behaviour of a minority.

Maybe if people see Leicester in a proper lockdown it might make people think about following the rules. I don’t want the city I live in to be put into lockdown again but if you see Leicester carrying on as normal what is the point of it all, it will just spread anyway. The same with flights into the UK, you need to test and trace everyone or what’s the point of it all.

"The Army have often stepped in to fill civilian roles in times of need."

That is true but they are not another form of police which is what some people seem to think/fantasise about.

No they can back up the police though, look at Northern Ireland which is part of the UK.

As I said down-thread I'm from just outside Leicester. I'll accept a lockdown or slowdown of release measures if that's required. I'm not clear though how we actually find out the official guidance?

Peter Soulsby has told us what the official email he received the government said, and what he thinks of it, and that there was an official meeting this morning. Some press are reporting that decisions have actually been made but I suspect they are jumping the gun and confusing people as usual.

Can anyone suggest how we will be told officially what's is happening?

To answer this from upthread: How do people know places of worship failed to close down?

I know because my family, friends and I know lots of people who continued to worship both in the usual places of worship or in large gatherings in homes and halls.

To many people their faith is such a huge part of their life that to stop completely was unfathomable. Ordinarily they visit temple daily, sometimes more than once. Their entire social life, family life, celebrations, meetings, charitable giving, volunteering, direction, socialising is tied to with their faith.

They don't think Corona virus guidance applies to them so of course they carried on. They don't think those setting the rules understand their way of life, they feel their faith is more important that guidelines set by a government with which they feel no connection.

Their entire social life, family life, celebrations, meetings, charitable giving, volunteering, direction, socialising is tied to with their faith

So they just want to do what they have always done and sod everyone else as they think they are better than everyone else and the rules don’t apply to them

Our church shut down the minute it was told to and we have zoom services, it's tough on the members particularly the elderly ones on their own but they want to do the right thing.

Very hard to understand this attitude particularly when it has been pointed out that some people are more susceptible to Covid

@Binterested

Not RTFT but apparently Northern Italy is a major centre of modern slavery in Europe - all those luxury goods ‘made in Italy’ are actually made in China and finished in Italy by illegal workers with no employment rights.

The biggest centre of modern slavery in the U.K. is apparently Leicester.

In both places it would make sense if there were people who can’t afford to lockdown, employers who are breaking all the rules, illegal workers who dare not attend a healthcare centre if they get ill.

We worked with a campaigning organisation last year who told us about N Italy and Leicester. Long before Covid. I doubt this is a coincidence.

I don't know much about modern slavery but surely there's no way those involved would be going for testing. And wouldn't have much contact with the general public.

Whilst infection might be rife within their communities I don't think that's what's being measured now is it?

Very hard to understand this attitude particularly when it has been pointed out that some people are more susceptible to Covid

As Chaotic45 said they don’t think Covid has anything to do with them and I think don’t care if they kill themselves or anyone else. As long as they can still do what they have always done.

In some of the Asian population in Bradford it was reported that they think the doctors won't try and help them in the hospital etc, there seems to be lots of odd ideas around the virus. Fear I suppose and denial? Not sure.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52623455

If they put road-blocks around Leicester, then that would include the M1 & M69 (just been looking at a map). There are loads of roads in and out of the city, so presumably the military would have to get involved, likewise for footpaths?

For traffic you can use number plate recognition, not to stop people but to issue fines or alert local police.

As for the army, they have been used to fight fires, at the London Olympics and a hundred other things.

What's to stop them going to a neighbouring town for a hair cut or the pub? And, why are they waiting?

Unless you have roadblocks, a lockdown could be worse as it would just encourage wider spread.

I imagine the threat of it will cause the average person in Leicester to be much more cautious than your average person elsewhere... The threat of a lockdown is hopefully enough.

The problem is you can tell people to stay in but if they haven’t done so in the past then they are hardly likely to now.

Re the motorways. Wouldn’t you just shut off the exits and keep the road in use with CCTV and police to monitor traffic

There are loads of roads in and out of the city, so presumably the military would have to get involved, likewise for footpaths?

How many miles of barbed wire fences would be needed to seal Leicester off? If we can put up a nightingale hospital in a week or so, how long for the Great Wall of Leicester?

The problem is you can tell people to stay in but if they haven’t done so in the past then they are hardly likely to now.

Some people in Leicester will have always flouted the rules and will continue to do so... Some will always have been very cautious.... However, most will have largely followed the rules but will have become more lax over past weeks - those will respond accordingly to the news their city is the Covid capital of the U.K.... I bet there’s now a much higher level of mask usage now in Leicester shops than the national average for instance.

What's to stop them going to a neighbouring town for a hair cut or the pub? And, why are they waiting?

Presumably because you can’t (legally) have a haircut or go to the pub at the moment....

*To many people their faith is such a huge part of their life that to stop completely was unfathomable. Ordinarily they visit temple daily, sometimes more than once. Their entire social life, family life, celebrations, meetings, charitable giving, volunteering, direction, socialising is tied to with this.

My local church has been having Zoom (attendance increased apparently!) to have meetings etc., so it’s no excuse.

Also, don’t aren’t non-religious people equally part of communities that involve social life, family life, celebrations, meetings, charitable giving, volunteering, socialising etc.?

My local church has been having Zoom (attendance increased apparently!) to have meetings etc., so it’s no excuse.

And many people at the church are equally as committed as those in other religions, many of whom would meet in one form or another 3 or 4 times each week.

@Chaotic45, thats what I thought but I held back saying it.

Apparently there is to be an announcement at 5pm so I will put the news channel on.
I feel desperately sorry for small businesses who might go under with a further lock down if that is the decision.

I think keeping people informed as to what the local case numbers are is so curious either way. If nationally my chance of being exposed is 1:1250 but locally it’s 1:250. I’d behave very differently,

Also, don’t aren’t non-religious people equally part of communities that involve social life, family life, celebrations, meetings, charitable giving, volunteering, socialising etc.?

Yes of course. What I am trying to say is that for some people of some faiths almost their entire life is tied up with their faith and that attending a collective place or worship is a critical part of everyday life and is almost their entire social life etc.. This continued for many people of Leicester- I know first hand of this happening on a large scale.

I know it's not acceptable but what I am trying to do is explain how from my POV people have chosen not to follow guidelines. Surely by understanding the causes it may be possible to address them.

As another poster said many people are distrustful of their government, police and doctors. They feel marginalised and misunderstood and in some cases feel safer with their own rules.

These people are currently ignoring press coverage. They don't believe there is genuinely an issue and so the threat of lockdown will not change their behaviour. It will only serve to frighten those of us who do believe there is an issue further!

This is an interesting article

www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-53197880

Once his breathing problems began, he was reluctant to call the NHS for help, because of the myth then circulating in parts of the Asian community that people admitted to hospital were never discharged alive. It was his friend, Haleem, who insisted on calling an ambulance and even helped to carry him into it, as by this stage he was unable to walk.

Maybe if people see Leicester in a proper lockdown it might make people think about following the rules

That's what I meant about almost using it as an example ahead of the coming relaxations ... as I said, a sort of "this'll happen to you too if you take risks"

The difficulty seems to be that, no matter where it is and who's involved, some simply won't listen and will go on doing exactly as they choose. Put enough of those people in close proximity and chuck in official reluctance to get involved and you've got potential for a major problem