Are people oblivious to what’s happening in the North?

[Racoonworld]

I keep seeing posts where people are wondering why some people can’t see others, telling them that we’ve been able to meet family and friends for ages now. Do some people not realise that in large areas of the U.K. this isn’t allowed? And that next week it’s going to get worse? I don’t live in these areas but am horrified about what’s happening there and very aware that people are struggling with the isolation.

I live in the area where are no case in surrounding areas, including mine.
School(secondary) has made mask wearing mandatory, and children are complying. So, I think people here are taking it quite seriously.

South west here and mask wearing inside is the norm, hand gelling and avoiding casual contact also unremarkable. People seem to be being very sensible.
The only odd rule is at my ds’s school. He’s in sixth form and has one lesson on a Thursday afternoon. They expect him to come in for the whole day and wait in the study room provided for his year group. I suggested he only go in for that class and we would drive him.....apparently he is “safer” in school with 130 children moving through the room multiple time a day!

there is such a big difference between public attitudes around personal responsibility for not spreading the virus vs. personal liberty to continue your life and daily activities as if the virus is just some terrible inconvenience this sums up the problem of dealing with the virus in a nutshell. In the end it's down to every single person, individually to do the right thing and we need to think in terms of wearing masks, maintaining social distance, washing hands etc as something we do to protect others rather than to protect ourselves. In the same way that we don't drink and drive to protect others not protect ourselves. There are all kinds of ways of circumventing the rules, but we should be focused on what we can do to make things safer for others not on how we can wiggle out of complying. It's no coincidence that Germany has performed so well with a combination of competent Government and a civic-minded population.

I am in East Lancs, been under local lockdown for weeks but the cases keep on rising.

I am vulnerable and have not been out, as a family we are following the rules carefully but neighbours do not seem to give a shit. People in and out of their houses all the time, car sharing, no masks on. No wonder it is spreading.

I think it’s fair enough that most people have enough on at the moment to not have a full grasp of the rules in areas which don’t affect them. I don’t think they’re inconsiderate, they just have a lot going on right in front of them and there’s a limit as to what we can process.

@Helenj1977

I'm in the South West. I still don't know anyone who has had it. Everyone here wears masks and a few wear gloves while shopping.

I don't see how they can keep locking down areas. Surely it's all or nothing or people won't do it.

This.

I'm in Bristol. When I drop my DC off at primary school I feel a bit daring because I'm one of the only ones not to have a mask on. When I go into our corner shop everyone has a mask on. We just do. It's become a habit.

Liverpool is likely to run out of hospital beds first.

And soon.

amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/08/hospitals-in-north-of-england-to-run-out-of-covid-beds-within-a-week?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3Fw50yYA4goWDNc-v5_CPgSlLfZLHr2MKpXRHDKTj0CIq5qRL7O-dIPs8
Hospitals in north of England ‘to run out of Covid beds within a week’

Health chiefs warn they plan to ditch routine surgery as second wave seriously disrupts NHS

I'm in Bristol. I feel a bit out there because I don't wear a mask to drop off the kids at primary school. But I do wear one in shops – from the corner shop up – everyone just does. Mask in the pocket, stick it on when you go into a shop. Hand sanitiser in shops. It's just the social expectation that you will... But tbf, if I lived somewhere where no-one was doing it, I probably wouldn't either.

And now I have double posted... The other one didn't appear before

The government don’t seem to give a shit about the North. We are still the barbarian hoards to them! Who cares if we are all under lockdown eventually? No one furloughed. Hospitals closed. I hope everyone is so glad we voted this particularly altruistic bunch of assholes in.

....it’s not even ‘proper’ winter yet.

The “problem” in Europe and the US/parts of S.America is that we don’t have a collectivist mentality. That’s why many countries in East Asia hav dealt with it so well. In the West we have 90% playing by the rules and using common sense conservative approach, but 10% just think stuff it. And unfortunately that 10% is more than enough for it to continue spreading like wildfire. The mentality of constantly fighting against restrictions or “weighing up the economic damage” means that the restrictions go on and on and the economic damage goes on and on.

That’s part of the problem, the other huge part is the government haven’t got a handle on it. Rules change like the wind and no one is very clear about what they were in the first place. There is no clear, proper leadership happening. It’s reacting to a situation not planning in advance. They knew a second wave would come. They knew it would hit the nhs hard. It’s ridiculous. No planning or forethought involved, just bumbling around making arbitrary rules to suit his posh friends that want to shoot grouse.

everywhere else came out of restrictions at least for a time the poor residents of Leicester never have!

According to a plethora of posts on here, anecdata suggests the people of Leicester aren’t sticking to those rules. Maybe that’s why they haven’t been able to come out of lockdown.

@Tadpolesandfroglets

The government don’t seem to give a shit about the North. We are still the barbarian hoards to them! Who cares if we are all under lockdown eventually? No one furloughed. Hospitals closed. I hope everyone is so glad we voted this particularly altruistic bunch of assholes in.

Lots of us didn’t vote them in, but it’s not just the North they don’t care about, it’s anyone who’s not really well off or who wasn’t born in the U.K. (Never mind that Johnson wasn’t born in the U.K. himself, that’s forgotten by him and his cronies.) All they really care about is keeping the super rich, super rich, and stirring up nationalist, racist ideals while being compared to politicians from both world wars. God, I hate them. Definitely agree they’re assholes.

I'm in a local lockdown (?) area and am following the rules to the letter. I'm not saying I understand the logic or agree with them, but I'm following them. ie not mixing households - I haven't seen my family since the local restrictions were enforced.
I sometimes feel as though mine is the only household that is, though.

I'm in newcastle and have been in local lockdown a month (?) I loose track. Im currently at home self isolating with DS and DH, as I developed a horrible sore throat, temp and loss of taste and smell after a hospital appt on Monday. Managed to get a test and sent off yesterday and hoping to get the results at some point today or tomorrow so we can at least take DS to the park. But I know what you mean, people round mine seem to be behaving as if everythings normal and there isn't a pandemic going on

I know theres more restrictions up north but everywhere seems different and i cant keep up with the rules(am in the se)

@viciousoldcow

I am in East Lancs, been under local lockdown for weeks but the cases keep on rising.

I am vulnerable and have not been out, as a family we are following the rules carefully but neighbours do not seem to give a shit. People in and out of their houses all the time, car sharing, no masks on. No wonder it is spreading.

Also East Lancashire, popped to the supermarket last weekend (first time in ages) I did note that the majority of people completely ignored the hand sanitiser, and the instruction on the escalator for distance between people. A lot of masks being used to keep chins warm or just covering mouths. Compliance up here even on just the basics is not good

People in the north aren't buying into any more.
There's no reason for all this seclusion, it's really not healthy.
Mh services in the NW were struggling anyway, they can't cope with the increase in people seeking help.
Those that aren't afraid are going about their daily business and others are shielding. I don't see the problem, tbh.

I'm in an area which had been in local lockdown for ages. Unfortunately we have a massive student population which means since their return the numbers have risen considerably, likely undoing the benefit of the local restrictions. The government should never have allowed students to return to universities yet - for their own safety as well as the rest of the local population.

All this hospital stuff is bollocks too.
No nurses that I know, and that's several working across the NW, plus some surgeons and doctors have reported any increase in admissions for anything, let alone covid.
They report being at a loose end often as most of their work on hold/ cancelled because of covid.
The propaganda is ridiculous.

I'm in the worst affected area in London and I am silently freaking out. There are cases in nearly every school here. My parents are very vulnerable (one with failing lungs) so we haven't seen them in person since Aug. The mayor Sadik Khan has been asking for a London Lockdown for weeks. I personally knew 6 people who died of Covid in March/April round here and a 30 yr old who had a stroke and long term damage because of it. We are BAME. My kids have only been to the park in the last 2 weeks outside of school. I've stocked up and am basically waiting for the 💩 to hit the fan here. I'm definitely keeping an eye on what's happening up North.

I am aware of it (and originally from the NE) Millions are under lock down int he UK now again.

Also I live in what I call Covid central - which in March was I think the top area for it as we are outer London, very crowded, less well off people live here than in inner London, many many more older period, minority white borough too so any BAME issues obviously high here.

However I don't support the mandatory rules although I follow them. I have been against them since March and even if my risk of dying were 10x or that of my children it is in the greater good to make the rules all voluntary not mandatory in my view.

I'm aware of what is going on in the north - and actually told work yesterday I didn't particularly want to travel on public transport up north for a meeting that can be held via phone.

I don't understand why the government aren't actually saying much. I mean, there was 17.5k cases yesterday up from 14.5k the day before. I know things are being leaked in the press but the silence from the government is weird. Maybe this is it now, just let it grow and hope for the best. I personally don't want another lockdown (I'm in London so way off the sort of infection rates being seen up North).