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.

@Chaotic45 do you know if there are many cases in local hospitals at the moment, are they coping?

I don’t think the government will call in the army unless there is no other option, as someone else said it didn’t end well in NI.

Army personnel are already used in testing stations, hospitals, distributing food parcels, etc. It's not a big leap for them to be stationed on roads turning traffic back. No one (I hope) is suggesting putting armed military on the streets - that's definitely a step too far, but I don't see the issue with unarmed military taking additional roles.

Matt Hancock said this morning that they don't plan to enforce anything other than shops closing (which will take a few days as a law needs to be passed).

There is a low hum in Leicester's local social media that travel restrictions will not be enforced so let's just crack on because if they can't be arsed to organise this properly then people can't be arsed to take any notice.

I don't agree but that's how people feel.

Radio Leicester have just received the official map and will be discussing it shortly.

Why are the government being so secretive about where the infections are in Leicester?

@Cantdecidewhich you are right it is ludicrous they have not given us a map, it should have been the first thing they released so everyone could get there house in order. I live and work in one of the suburban areas mentioned and also work between Blaby and Lutterworth in a role which may or may not be classed as essential-there was some confusion during the last few months. My daughter has just gone back to nursery so if they close I can't work and surprise, surprise the nursery have yet to receive any clarification! It's an absolute shambles 😡

The Emergency Powers law does not need to be changed to enforce closure of premises or restrictions on travel.

But as has been the case all along, the police not be arresting people for breaches, certainly not in the early days, but will stop and talk to people about how non-essential travel should really not be happening, and persuading a number to turn round.

Only if there are lots of people who do not respond to persuasion will sanctions be used.

I don't personally think that living in crowded houses is the big issue here. I grew up in Lancashire in a heavy Asian populated area, our direct next door neighbour had 12 people living there, in a 3 bed house. Good neighbours and you never heard a noise from them. This was the norm where we lived, it's still the same in these areas and there has been no higher rate of covid. I think as they have a whole family under one roof including very young and very old they are really careful to protect everyone.

It's not just key workers who will be able to travel to work but anyone who works in a business outside the area that is allowed to be open.

"It's not a big leap for them to be stationed on roads turning traffic back."

It is unlikely they will do that without police being present because army personnel cannot impose sanctions such as fining.

Just gone up on bbc radio Leicester Facebook

That looks like a big area.

So confused as to why the whole of Evington isn't included in that map. And the surrounding areas. Many rumours that's where the largest outbreak is.

They've just been talking about it on the radio, grey are was original planned lockdown, red line is what it's been revised to. I think grey are should have been included given where the hot spots have been and the likelihood that people will now just pop to Blaby etc for a drink on Saturday.

Why are the government being so secretive about where the infections are in Leicester?

...they don't know?

BREAKING: Leicester City Council has released a map showing the areas affected by the extended lockdown. As well as the city, it includes:

In Blaby district:
• Braunstone Town (including Fosse Park)
• Glenfield
• Glen Parva
• Leicester Forest East (East of the M1)
• Thorpe Astley

In Charnwood:
• Birstall
• Thurmaston

All areas of Oadby and Wigston.

More to follow.

This tells more about areas of the county that are involved.

The close knit communities in the city aren't going to take a bit of notice Of any government or council directions as they are massively insular and self sustaining. The powers that be need to go back to basics, it's no good giving direction on the bbc and sky or social media as many in the community don't watch English speaking news stations or listen to the radio. Religious leaders who command respect have to be bought on side and basic leaflets in multiple languages from said leaders posted through every door in the city.

[quote Alex50]@Chaotic45 do you know if there are many cases in local hospitals at the moment, are they coping?[/quote]
I know that a certain hospital type place has had a lot of cases both staff and patients. many staff have been pretty ill with it.

The close knit communities in the city aren't going to take a bit of notice Of any government or council directions as they are massively insular and self sustaining.

This is what I was thinking. If the communities in Leicester have just carried on business as usual through lockdown up to now, as a pp said, extending it isn't going to make any difference at all. There needs to be a targeted education programme

@PhoneLock

The close knit communities in the city aren't going to take a bit of notice Of any government or council directions as they are massively insular and self sustaining.

This is what I was thinking. If the communities in Leicester have just carried on business as usual through lockdown up to now, as a pp said, extending it isn't going to make any difference at all. There needs to be a targeted education programme

Yes there are people working in all kids of sweat shops on low pay.

I've just seen a report which said that daily admissions to hospital are about 10 a day, whereas the 'expected' rate in cities of similar size would be 1.

And the rise in cases overall is about 3x higher than next worst affected place

(I think I've remembered it correctly)

@Alex50 Re local hospitals. We have three. None are overwhelmed atm. One is a leading heart and lung centre which is one of a handful in England which offers echmo- a vital treatment for the sickest patients. It treats patients from all over the country. Goodness knows how this will now be managed.

There’s something else happening in Leicester that the government don’t want out in public knowledge. There are multiple house occupancy all over London and other parts of the UK. I wonder if it is a hub of illegal workers? It’s funny how the mayor of Leister went for a meeting in parliament, he was all against lockdown, and then the announcement at 9pm, the government are being very secretive on where the infection rate is coming from.

I used to know someone who was an ECMO nurse there, and she was deemed a critical national asset during swine flu!

The ECMO beds will (probably) already have been earmarked for COVID and there will be different pathways through the hospital depending on infection status (possibly patient sharing between hospitals to keep one more 'clean' for more vulnerable non-COVID issues)

I was wondering where patients from elsewhere in E Midlands will,end up if Leicester is essentially closed to out-of-towners, especially if (as someone posted above) Peterborough is also already seeing a rise.

Will they have to uplift services at Grantham?

The Leicester hospitals can't close. LRI is catchment A and E for a massive area. All of the county and much more. Also a major cancer centre. I think patients come from Northampton for cancer treatment.