It’s only the North

[Vikingess]

There are now more Covid patients in hospitals in Manchester than there were after lockdown in March including some students in intensive care. People on here are still bleating about missing birthday parties. Do it matter less because it’s “only in the North”?

It's spreading, anyway. It won't be 'only the North' that has hotspots for long - already there are some in the Midlands and South Wales.

I think it's sad that we are having to lock anyone down and hospitals are having such a bad time of it. I'm not in the North myself, but I still feel for people who are and everyone just trying to do their best.
I would hate to think that anyone ' in the south' are writing them off or not empathetic to how tough it is for people living in these local lockdowns places.
Wales are also in a bad way too.
It's been horrible and will be a tough winter I'm sure , but I certainly feel bad for people.
It's a shitty situation all round.

It isn't just happening in Manchester/and the north.

@Vikingess

There are now more Covid patients in hospitals in Manchester than there were after lockdown in March including some students in intensive care. People on here are still bleating about missing birthday parties. Do it matter less because it’s “only in the North”?

Oh ffs. No one is saying that........

Haven't seen or heard anything to suggest that.

IMO more likely down to the weather hanging quicker in the 'north' song with sociology economic factors.

The whole country had to come to a stand still when it was only the South and the North didn't have any cases. Only fair we should all suffer together again now that the North has most cases.

I also wouldn't call our current covid capital of Nottingham 'the North'

Yes we don’t matter up here. I’m also surprised at the amount of Southerners on my Facebook and on here who are still hoping their mini breaks to Liverpool will still go ahead. I don’t think a lot of people are eVen aware of what’s going on up here other than we’re coloured in red on a map.

Yeah it is just those horrible germy northerners, what use are they to anyone? Lock 'em all up I say.

@Fatted

The whole country had to come to a stand still when it was only the South and the North didn't have any cases. Only fair we should all suffer together again now that the North has most cases.

I also wouldn't call our current covid capital of Nottingham 'the North'

Nottingham is South, way off the North.

From what I can see, people aren’t complying with the existing guidance in ‘the north’ and are moaning about the current restrictions let alone tightening them.

Ie Bolton - campaigning to reopen pubs, surrounding areas busy, lots of covid deniers. In Liverpool - crowds of young people in the city centre drinking and singing after the 10pm curfew.

I don’t see what you’re asking for? For every person they please, the government will piss another off. That’s the nature of the beast.

Who is saying this about missing birthday parties etc? I have read threads where people are fed up and say how hard it's been not being able to do the normal things one would do, but generally speaking people understand that it's a novel virus and the reasons behind lockdowns and restrictions and so on even if they may not agree with it totally.
I think that it's a difficult situation made harder by a government who have given mixed messages from day one and handled some things really badly.
No wonder people are starting to flag a bit now and with winter looming it's made life a bit harder.
None of this is easy for anyone wherever you live. It's not helped by a media who speculate things at every given opportunity either!

@Youngatheart00

From what I can see, people aren’t complying with the existing guidance in ‘the north’ and are moaning about the current restrictions let alone tightening them.

Ie Bolton - campaigning to reopen pubs, surrounding areas busy, lots of covid deniers. In Liverpool - crowds of young people in the city centre drinking and singing after the 10pm curfew.

I don’t see what you’re asking for? For every person they please, the government will piss another off. That’s the nature of the beast.

Yes that is exactly why they need to all be locked up.

The whole country had to come to a stand still when it was only the South and the North didn't have any cases.

Not sure if you're just being tongue in cheek but this isn't true

Sheffield and Birmingham (yes I know not technically "the north" but similar to northern cities) overtook London in cases a few times back in the spring

I’m a northerner but I now live in the South East. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had several conversations with people here and there seems to be a genuine concern for how people in The North are, how the hospitals are coping and now how the local economies will cope if they lockdown further.

I’m just outside London and our numbers were low and steady for weeks but we’ve quadrupled since mid September - our numbers are still low but you can see them shooting up.
I’m worried about where I live now but also worried about where I used to live and my friends who are at the coal face.

Our local primary school in essex has one case and they are worried. It's brought it home to them I think that all the restrictions and hand gel and arrows and socially distanced rules will not stop this virus in its tracks. You can only do your best and wear a mask and all the rest of it but people will unwillingly walk this virus around. It's an impossible situation and it's the NHS that will suffer this winter trying to deal with it all.

I’ve not heard anyone say anything of the sort.

I really feel for you all. I think in the south it’s easy for us to think the rest of the country is as open as we are but that probably means that we aren’t being as careful as we could in some respects. I’m sure we will be locked down sooner or later.

I agree with Audrey. I think there could be a bit of complacency creeping in and we will all be in lockdown at some stage.
I hope not , but it's grim whatever your view is of all this.

The only person I’ve seen suggesting anyone is thinking it matters less because ‘it’s only the North’ is you, OP and therefore I class you as a shitstirrer 😘

I'll give you Nottingham and Birmingham, but surely Sheffield is legitimately in The North? It's in bloody Yorkshire!

@TheGreatWave

Yeah it is just those horrible germy northerners, what use are they to anyone? Lock 'em all up I say.

Who can't follow the rules!

Yes that must be it.

This isn't about northerners not following the rules vs southerners, it's about the nature of our employment mix and local economies. London bore the brunt at the start and that spread from here. The National Lockdown did get the London levels down but they are now increasing too. I think the next few weeks will see a levelling off of the north-south divide and we'll all be facing consistent lockdown rules across England.

London is different in the sense that there are lots of people here 'from other places' - either other parts of the UK or abroad and potentially don't have lots of extended family / lifelong friends whose homes they visit. I think we in London probably visit others' homes far less - for the above reason and also because our homes are often smaller and unable to accommodate larger groups. I think this reduces spread generally.

I feel sorry for everyone : the independent business holders trying to pay the bills the government trying to keep an economy moving to pay for schools and the NHS etc etc and trying to stop the virus , which is almost impossible.
Whatever your opinion it's not easy and we do need an economy to function in order to keep going! Who would even want all this on their plate ? Not to mention the covid deniers who believe it's a big conspiracy and won't play ball at all or wear a mask.
Whatever they do or don't do someone will not be happy regardless of where you live , north or south of the UK.

Very good point @Silvergreen

I’m not one for the “I’m miserable so you all should be too” but it is a bit galling that where I live, cases were pretty low going into the first lockdown, but because of London we all had to do it. Now cases are higher here and looks like from next week it will be illegal for us to do pretty much anything whatsoever apart from go to work, but in London people are still swanning around Soho meeting their friends for dinner and drinks. Obviously the answer isn’t for other areas to lock down unnecessarily but it’s easy to feel written off as unimportant.