Possible national lockdown over October half-term

[GetRid]

FT reports that Sage are looking at a 2 week national lockdown to coincide with October half-term.

article here

Whats the point? It will be like using a thimble to bail out a sinking cruiseliner.

Well, i think local lickdowns more appropriate

Who could disagree ;) ?

They should "consider" any measure, then dismiss it if it's not worth it. So at the moment it's just scaremongering.
That said I'm resigned to the fact that too many people have to be told how to behave by government and cannot be relied upon to exercise their own sensible judgement and self discipline to keep themselves and others safe.

There should be no need for ridiculous rules, but unfortunately there is.

You can guarantee the curtain twitchers are online to John Lewis as we speak, replacing those worn out curtains in preparation for October.

Half term is a ridiculous idea. GM needs a strict local lockdown now. So many schools have confirmed cases and we are starting to struggle to staff them. In Bolton, where my partner teachers, we have kids coming in every day coughing their guts up and parents refusing to collect them. What kind of situation is this putting staff in? None of my extended family will now see us even outside as we are both teachers and both of my kids are now isolated for 2 weeks, one from 6th form. We need a sharp lock down in our area to stop it spreading like this; I'm waiting for the results of 4 of my form then I'll probably be off too, so there goes our entire A level science teaching.

[quote Ecosse]@ReefTeeth

There’s no evidence that COVID causes any more ‘long term’ damage to the body than any other virus.[/quote]
But there is! Just because you want something to be true, doesn't mean it is.

@WhyareWehardofthinking

Half term is a ridiculous idea. GM needs a strict local lockdown now. So many schools have confirmed cases and we are starting to struggle to staff them. In Bolton, where my partner teachers, we have kids coming in every day coughing their guts up and parents refusing to collect them. What kind of situation is this putting staff in? None of my extended family will now see us even outside as we are both teachers and both of my kids are now isolated for 2 weeks, one from 6th form. We need a sharp lock down in our area to stop it spreading like this; I'm waiting for the results of 4 of my form then I'll probably be off too, so there goes our entire A level science teaching.

Oh my word what a mess, it's heading our way soon but still. Hope tests are negative.

If they want a two week lockdown I can understand why over half term is considered but that is a month away.

I
Am fully expecting this unfortunately

@WhyareWehardofthinking

Half term is a ridiculous idea. GM needs a strict local lockdown now. So many schools have confirmed cases and we are starting to struggle to staff them. In Bolton, where my partner teachers, we have kids coming in every day coughing their guts up and parents refusing to collect them. What kind of situation is this putting staff in? None of my extended family will now see us even outside as we are both teachers and both of my kids are now isolated for 2 weeks, one from 6th form. We need a sharp lock down in our area to stop it spreading like this; I'm waiting for the results of 4 of my form then I'll probably be off too, so there goes our entire A level science teaching.

September's normal increase in coughs and colds is causing 'utter chaos' in Britain because the Government has left people terrified of coronavirus, top Oxford scientist warns MPs

Professor Carl Heneghan said there has been a 50% rise in coughs and colds

This is normal for September when children go back to school and university

But Government messaging about Covid-19 has left people 'terrified', he said

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8744063/Septembers-normal-increase-coughs-colds-causing-utter-chaos-post-lockdown-Britain.html

This is the guy that should be in charge or our response to coronavirus

@PhilCornwall1

You can guarantee the curtain twitchers are online to John Lewis as we speak, replacing those worn out curtains in preparation for October.

as opposed to those who have gone out spreading the pandemic so they can have a pint of beer and live life as 'normal'? Hate it all you like, these so called 'curtain twitchers' are right and they've been right each time. And you knew it.

@middleager

In W Cornwall, people are distancing, they're doing their socialising outside and mask wearing in shops is pretty much 100%. Cases are startlingly low.

But isn't this due to size and population density and demographics rather than being good little boys and girls? Just a postcode lottery, no special skills?

I live in a city of 1million with many built up densley populated areas. Lots of multi generational living, more frontline workers etc. Our schools are being hit hard and our communities. While I admit some are not complying, the city is far bigger than the whole of Cornwall and this is part of the problem. Lots of us ARE complying still but in a city this size it is much harder to police.

That said, if we did have as few cases as you then I can absolutely see why you would find a lockdown unfair.

Yes I completely agree it's partly due to good fortune - low density housing, smaller, towns, fewer people, more constant howling gales fresh air. However that doesn't negate the fact that people have generally been being sensible. The media made them so shit scared that tourists were DEFINITELY going to cause mass death, that many residents were ultra cautious.

And the question does still remain about why you would place Cornwall under the same measures as Greater Manchester, whatever the reasons for the disparity. Why harm our economy - already shit - more than it has to be?

(and I'm not saying other areas weren't sensible, of course.)

as opposed to those who have gone out spreading the pandemic so they can have a pint of beer and live life as 'normal'? Hate it all you like, these so called 'curtain twitchers' are right and they've been right each time. And you knew it.

Hate it? I couldn't give two shits about the curtain twitchers, they just make me laugh, along with all the others ranting over this.

The local lockdowns will never work whilst pubs, bars, restaurants etc can open. It’s essentially saying if you want to see your family go somewhere with a till!

The only way out of this before a vaccine is a mass testing and tracing policy, something that our shit show of a government can not get right!

BabyLlamaZen, no the "curtain twitchers" have not been right each time. In fact with every gleeful prediction since May of certain outdoor events causing second waves and mass death - VE Day, marches, flocking in parks/beaches/mountains, BBQs - they were wrong.

However this is different, because it's Autumn and people are mixing more inside.

@Bluelinings

Herd immunity requires a vaccine. Sensible scientists have repeatedly said this. That’s why we never achieved herd immunity after hundreds of years of so many illnesses running rampant.

It just isn't true that herd immunity has never been achieved without a vaccine. Otherwise diseases that wiped out indigenous populations when they were invaded because they had no immunity would have killed all the Westerners too but they didnt. And illness have been around for a lot longer than hundred of years.

Another lockdown would be like ‘kicking the can down the road’ . I don’t know what the answer is but cases will just keep rising every time you open up.

We are still social distancing and there are measures in place. In March 100,000 people were being infected every day and this is an estimate as we weren’t testing hardly anyone.

We are in a better position now. I don’t think we’ll see the numbers we saw in March.

Expert on 5Live now confirming at least 2/3 or even more are asymptomatic. He’s arguing the question ‘are we overreacting?’ And says we know who the vulnerable are and we should protect them. Protect the care homes. He is arguing for diligent infection control in care homes and regular testing in there. Arm them with the facilities to do that.

Everyone else do their own risk assessment.

I agree with that @Delatron. Around half of the deaths from COVID have been in care homes, so if we can get testing and infection control right this can be prevented.

There was a worrying report on Channel 4 News last night though suggesting that some NHS trusts are planning to transfer COVID positive patients into care homes again. This sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Schools and workplaces will all be allowed to open so not really a lockdown.

In terms of let's keep the vulnerable shielded and everyone else get on with it, it isn't as simple as that so I am surprised that keeps being mentioned here.

Just because shielding the vulnerable is hard doesn’t mean we can’t try and come up with strategies. Focus all our efforts on that.

If we can get the care homes protected and have that high level of infection control.

It can’t be as bad as March when we weren’t testing anybody and just sending the elderly back to care homes with the virus. We put measures in to place to stop that. We direct funds towards it.

Has to be better than the psychological/ emotional/ economic impacts of constantly going in and out of lockdowns.

Exponential growth based on current doubling rate of every 7 days
18th sept - 3395 daily cases, 21 daily deaths
25th sept - 6790 cases, 42 deaths
2nd oct - 13580 cases, 84 deaths
9th oct - 27160 cases, 168 deaths
16th oct - 54320 cases, 336 deaths
23rd oct half term - 108,640 daily cases, 672 daily deaths

So back up to March levels.

My prediction has always been that half term will be brought forward 1 week and last 2 weeks. If numbers improve there will be a blended learning approach in schools, if not a full lockdown will happen and schools remain closed. This is just my theory.

@weepingwillow22

Exponential growth based on current doubling rate of every 7 days 18th sept - 3395 daily cases, 21 daily deaths 25th sept - 6790 cases, 42 deaths 2nd oct - 13580 cases, 84 deaths 9th oct - 27160 cases, 168 deaths 16th oct - 54320 cases, 336 deaths 23rd oct half term - 108,640 daily cases, 672 daily deaths

So back up to March levels.

Based on that, too late to do it at half term.

@weepingwillow22

Those kind of scaremongering numbers have not been seen in France or anywhere else, in fact.