Why are we okay with students being locked up in their dorms?

[JKRowlingIsMyQueen]

I just heard about the students in Manchester who are not allowed to leave their dorms.

Why on earth is this allowed to happen? So the rest of us who are not students are allowed to get pissed in a pub, get on a plane and travel abroad and back etc., but if you are a student you are not allowed to LEAVE your dorms?

What science are these kind of rules following? The science of Boris needing more ammo to blame young people for spreading the virus?

I'm losing hope.

@msgreen

better to let them out into the community so they can go home, and have more parties ?, got a better plan? personally i am sick of young people breaking the rules, and even more sick of the old ones doing the same, parents letting kids have big gatherings in the garden etc, its socially irresponsible f f s stands firmly at the door of brought up with no morals or feeling for others ,lets start teaching our kids to care it starts here !!!!!!

If the students who are taking legal action are successful, what impact do you imagine that will have on universities attempting to manage isolation measures in the future?

I'm absolutely NOT OK with it. I was horrified to see the news reports over the weekend of police officers and security guards in situ. The students are being scapegoated and used to distract "us" from the bigger picture, which is the government's appalling incompetence.
As for not "being allowed to go home for Christmas" - bugger that.

What’s going on is completely unlawful.
Under what powers do the police, private security or the universities have to keep people under house arrest?

And it comes to something when it’s the right wing back bench stories who are chasing this up!

*tories

@LaVitaPuoEsserePiuBella

I'm absolutely NOT OK with it. I was horrified to see the news reports over the weekend of police officers and security guards in situ. The students are being scapegoated and used to distract "us" from the bigger picture, which is the government's appalling incompetence. As for not "being allowed to go home for Christmas" - bugger that.

Interestingly the police have said they weren't there at MMU. Not sure about the other unis.

Jdoe, I see so they could have gone out but not back in again?

@Crackery

I was feeling concerned by this until someone reminded me that its just for 10days/ 14 days... whatever the self isolation period is...

They were not allowed to even do thier laundry, nor get food, security guards were trying to stop parents takung food in to them that's not normal. If you isolated would you appreciate security guards stopping you having food deliveries, stopping you using your washing machine? I very much doubt it.

Some of these kids had already isolated for that long.
Then more would be expected to isolate after the 10/14 day imposed on everyone.

No help or guidance provided by the university, only vague emails saying they were working on putting things in place

@MintyMabel

As long it doesn't require any outside intervention from security to open them, no fire exit door should be blocked ever.

It’s part of the automated building management system. The doors auto lock and auto unlock. Fire exit doors will unlock when the fire alarm goes off.

What if fire exits are obstructed/ blocked with cable ties, wire and cones?

That’s a different issue. Any fire officer would report an organisation for doing that. If this has been done, I can guarantee it isn’t at the behest of university management.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-54334393?fbclid=IwAR19NHCSF6vup9mlw4Wi-giy3VtOt9O3G_xDBDhE-Xxk6P15H7DjfquH8bo

The fire gates cant open automatically if they have been tied shut!

@Fluffalo I also said some Universities have been excessive.

I am not ok with it at all. These are legal adults being placed under house arrest without having committed any sort of crime. It is a clear violation of their civil rights. If it were my child I would most certainly be calling the police and demanding that they clear off the security guards on the grounds of false imprisonment.

There are restrictions in Manchester on where and with whom you can socialise, and on other activities outside the home. But there is no law preventing residents of Manchester from leaving their homes to shop, or exercise, or sit outside. Students have the same civil rights as any other resident.

I have heard of healthy care home residents also being stopped by force from leaving the home, or their rooms. Also a shocking violation of their human rights.

its not ok at all ,bless them imagine if its your child & then they are locked in & they/you are paying ££££ for the privilege .so many poor covid 19 decisions being made but because the word covid 19 is used its like oh ok & we all accept it ,its like being on a hamster wheel .

So what would have happened if (God forbid) one of them had fallen ill with meningitis.

@HeIenaDove

So what would have happened if (God forbid) one of them had fallen ill with meningitis.

They'd be given appropriate medical treatment....Although that depends on whether the hospital beds are already full of Covid patients. Also whether doctors and nurses and other HCP are off ill with Covid or not.

@HeIenaDove

So what would have happened if (God forbid) one of them had fallen ill with meningitis.

the meningitis charities are raising this as an issue, I have told DS to make sure and be aware and check on any of his flatmates if they are ill.

www.meningitisnow.org/support-us/news-centre/news-stories/students-assume-coronavirus/

• obviously sheepandcow chooses to ignore the fact that students can die in hours from this and not necessarily make it to hospital

Plus she's talking utter bullshit

They'd be given appropriate medical treatment....

This is an assumption.

@OpenlyGayExOlympicFencer I agree. I think there is a real danger of meningitis symptoms being mistaken for Covid and the young person being told to self isolate. Thanks for the link Eve.

How do students with meningitis get treatment - or a quick diagnosis, if the hospitals are full and doctors and nurses ill with Covid?
Which is what will happen if measures aren't taken to contain it.

Nobody on this thread appears to be suggesting zero measures though. The problem is that some of you are presenting this as a binary choice: nothing, or breaking the law and preventing people who arent even legally obliged to isolate from moving freely.

But there is no law preventing residents of Manchester from leaving their homes to shop, or exercise, or sit outside. Students have the same civil rights as any other resident.

An excellent point. This is an appalling situation. I can’t believe it’s been allowed to unfold.

I mentioned meningitis earlier and it was rubbished. It is a terrifying and real threat. A lot of the symptoms look like a hangover.

Yep. A lot of inconvenient points are being ignored by the roolz is roolz even though these aren't actually roolz brigade. I asked upthread what impact it's likely to have on attempts to contain outbreaks in the student population in future if the uni and/or LA are found to have acted unlawfully and face financial penalties. Nobody engaged with that either.

Sheepandcows there are no grounds to suggest hospitals are anywhere remotely close to full - 320 something hospital admissions across England due to covid 19 yesterday.