Two week circuit breaker - who's in favour?

[zafferana]

Keir Starmer is in favour - so are you?

If they did it over the next two weeks I actually wouldn't mind that much, as it's half term.

@JamSarnie I'm happy for no non-essential things to happen for 3 weeks. Some of the things you mention to do with food, power and caring duties are essential IMO.

However I'd be happy to not have deliveries of anything other than food or medicine, not have any repairs to my home unless my life was in danger etc etc.

We really could be much more strict as far as 'essential' goes than in March.

Yes. Essential services only.

And how many of these do we want to do? One every six weeks?

Wouldn't having an adequate Test and Trace system be a better option in every single way?

How do we think other countries have managed without Lockdowns? (The ones who have tens of thousands fewer deaths than us)

yes if they closed my work (large supermarket no blooming chance) but not sure as everyone will just have family days out to the supermarket to prepare/ PANIC buy for christmas as they did during the so called strict lockdown, and if they reintroduce the queues outside people will not be happy if its pissing down ,plus i have a week off over the half term and im not bloody being asked to cancel them again like i did in may and july

I am.

I'd like to see some projected numbers for if we did a circuit breaker or if we carry on with the 3 tier system.

Hello people who don’t want a circuit breaker because their areas have very low cases: so did many areas of the country in March. We all locked down because that’s what was needed. Some of those very low infection rate areas are now high infection rate areas.

I would be accept even a 2 months lockdown if it meant no restrictions over Christmas as we had over July/August.

Agree we need to try and stop the case and deaths rising but it will need enforcing given how many refuse to follow the law/guidelines. We need harsher punishments as obviously the fines are stopping people.

It would work - what they are trying to do is push the virus peak back - hospitals will be overwhelmed for too many months over winter if something is not done.

They think two weeks lockdown could push it back four weeks.

When cases are doubling and you have to make it spring - that is a benefit worth having.

Of course it would work. It's not going to get rid of covid - but obviously fewer people will catch it in those two weeks.

Yes.
TBH 3 weeks would be my preference. We might get a lull before Xmas that way. Then a 4 week break over Xmas.
It would hopefully allow stocks of tests to be built up again.

I would support 2 weeks but I don't believe it would be 2 weeks. The factory my DP works for closed in march until the end of May. They employ thousands of people in the North East as well as thousands in the supply chain. They wont survive another lockdown. They have put extensive measures in place such as buying their own machines to make masks and their own testing. The sister factory in Spain couldn't reopen after their lockdown. Just this one workplace closing would put thousands out of work.

I think we need another lockdown of 3-4 weeks. So much transmission is happening at school. We need to slow that down so the NHS manages to cope.

I also think this will have to happen every so often to stop the hospital admissions. We keep being told that children suffer less with it but it’s them taking it home that is a problem.

@Jrobhatch29

What would be closed? I know schools but what else? Would it just be essential shops open?

Kier Starmer isn’t suggesting schools will close.

They will be closed for one week for half term, obviously, but if schools remain open but they just close a few shops and pubs and say ‘wfh if you can’, nothing will change.

People also won’t bother following the rules if their kids are still in bubbles of 200 and parents are still mixing in the playground.

I would only support it if it was a proper lockdown including all non-essential services. I see no point in closing the schools if the kids are just all hanging out in the shopping centre or park instead.
Even with this, I still question the effectiveness of a 2 week lockdown. How would they possibly be able to tell within 2 weeks whether it had worked and I would be concerned that those 2 weeks would turn into another 3 months.
Something needs doing though. I feel like the measures in place at the moment are severe enough (in some areas) to destroy businesses and jobs but not enough to actually beat this thing. Worst of both worlds in other words.
I don’t envy those having to make the decisions though as there are no easy answers here.

Definitely not in a favour because there's no such thing as a short sharp circuit breaker that's going to actually have any meaningful effect.

Are the people in favour of it oblivious to how long the first lockdown lasted for?

I don't know, tbh. I think many, many people would not comply now. Too much trust has been lost.

I would rather it wasnt during half term as the tourism industry desperately needs the money.

Yes, I'm for that, if it would bring the numbers down and if there was a functioning Test and Trace supported by local council workers in every area.

I’m not sure. I doubt it would be enough on its own tbh...if everything reopens as normal straight afterwards we’ll be in the same position by Christmas.

Absolutely not in favour. It’s easy for Keir to say these things but when it came to the cost of such circuit breaker he could not provide an answer.

We have to accept this virus is here and live our lives accordingly.

No

No. Isnt going to do anything much. If they are serious about getting the cases down they need to shut the schools. Anything else is a side show.

Unless you lockdown tight with nobody going anywhere for at least 6 weeks it is just pushing the can down the road

No
I'm probably going to be made redundant this week I don't know when I'll be able to find another one
So many in the same boat, so many businesses sinking overnight
I just can't see going to be much left