Why are we not going into full lockdown again?

[MyLifeNow20]

Im finding it difficult to understand. I work in a preschool and have a child in YR1.
Personally I think we need to go into lockdown like march but why are we not?
I guess the cost. Why are Boot, the range and shops like that still open, there is no need!

@AnneElliott I doubt Gavins knows either tbh

@Bagamoyo1

jk is absolute right. The problems with the NHS relate to chronic lack of funding. I plan to quit as soon as I can afford to, as do pretty much all my GP colleagues. None of us will work to retirement age if we can possibly help it. I know several qualified nurses in their 40s who have left nursing due to pay and conditions. This has been the situation for years. The NHS is being overwhelmed now, not because of Covid, but because it can’t function on such a tight budget. How tight do you think the budget will be when we sink into lockdown-induced recession? If you think it’s bad now, you have no idea how bad it’ll get in future.

This is what terrifies me. What’s the plan for even the next year or two? Every public device will need so much additional funding to deal with the collateral damage of lockdown and we’ll be in a Covid/Brexit induced recession or possibly depression. The future is very grim. We need a recovery plan that launches alongside the vaccine roll out.

[quote Barbie222]@Bagamoyo1 the issue about transport surely is your problem to solve? I am not really sure what you are asking for here. You had a place at a hub. Your elder child had a place at school. It's likely to be the same again soon. If this is the thing you are being asked to sort yourself to help the huge issue we're all facing together maybe it's time to look around for solutions. We're all in the same boat, I need to be in work at 7.30 and can't drop child before 9 for key worker place so have to make adjustments to day.[/quote]
Secondary school is our catchment school. 6 miles away. No public buses or taxis were operational at that time. How would I have got my child to and from school?

No one is criticising schools here @Barbie222. I was merely correcting your your assertion that 'every school was open to key workers'.

It's frustrating when posters state things as fact which are incorrect (and easily checkable) plus contradicting other previous posters' experiences.

As others said, cases didn't rise until schools reopened, and yes schools not universities, rates were rising before students started back. Shops, personal care, gyms and restaurants didn't significantly affect the rate, its schools.

Schools reopening coincided with end of help out to eat out.

We’ve had harshest restrictions for a long time, with schools open and numbers came down significantly. Pretty much everything else was shut. It shows kids can be kept in school and numbers managed (at least with the old strain).

Oh right you're a doctor are you?

Then you and other doctors are key workers. So your kids have places at school and you don't have to stay home doing phonics.

Simple.

[quote Jkrowling92]@herecomesthsun how much does your behaviour change from lockdown compared to less restrictions. Presumably you still do online shopping given supermarkets are hot beds for infection. You must homeschool your child because schools are too. I’m just thinking how much do lockdowns actually change how you have to live. You can’t see the virus so you have to be on high alert no matter what the rest of society does. Lockdowns on the other hand for others means job losses, stress about feeding their families and everything else that comes with it. I think the government needs to be funnelling resources into those who are clinically vulnerable so they can isolate safely and comfortably. As for everyone else the economy needs to get going again.

The thing with schools and hospitals is more to do with a Tory goverment cutting spending for over a decade. Hospitals are always overstretched this time of year. Schools deal with the social problems of parents who don’t have jobs or jobs that don’t pay enough to support a family. Covid has put a spot light on these problems but they aren’t new. Nurses, teachers and doctors have been leaving in droves even before this pandemic.[/quote]
Maybe you haven't heard that CEV parents can't take their children formally out of school without losing their school place?

We would really be happy to educate from home -till the vaccine comes through. (it's a bit complicated as you can imagine)

I have formally retired from work this summer and will go back at least part time when I get the jab. I'd like to do that as I am in a shortage speciality.

I'd like the kids school situation to be in a more stable place before I return if possible.

Yes, all shopping from home right now.

It has had a financial impact but we live quite simply and are lucky to be in a position to cope with that.

Yes, we need to put resources in health and education and not to lose nurses teachers and doctors.

Oh right, so it's transport @Bagamoyo1. Would your employer not facilitate a later start to allow for drop off then?

And SPAs done at home maybe?

I can see it's not ideal - it's not a fantastic situation and I would rather not be on a substantially reduced income myself right now - but it's a question of what is the alternative. And the alternative, of letting this blow unchecked, is not looking good.

I’m a GP. I work 8-8. Sometimes longer.

Thank you dear medical doctors. Thank you for looking after your patients as best you can in difficult circumstances. I am really sorry to read how you are suffering in your health and families.

I imagine that your deep intellectual understanding and lived experience of the issues at stake can be a burden as well as a comfort.

🕊

herecomes I’m not sure if you really are a hospital consultant or not, but you’re very rude. Shockingly so in fact. It doesn’t help your argument. I’m not sure if you realise that.

@Bagamoyo1
That's very intensive gosh. I can see it's a pain. But is there no flexibility with clinics? and days worked?

So if you are not working 5 days 8 to 8 - as few GPs do from my understanding -could you not spread the hours differently?

Still, very difficult being a lone parent with an intensive job like that.

And presumably wrap around child care also a problem. I've heard that a lot from friends, school being open is one thing, but then if you rely on arrangements for wrap around care which go AWOL even when lockdown ended, then how can you get on with your life?

Roll on the vaccines, not sure what else to say.

Apologies for being a bit annoyed. Lot on your plate.

@Bagamoyo1

herecomes I’m not sure if you really are a hospital consultant or not, but you’re very rude. Shockingly so in fact. It doesn’t help your argument. I’m not sure if you realise that.

Oh right. I get annoyed when people don't listen to the science. I do think it is important. I was quite annoyed by your post to me. I did apologise in my last post in fact,

@Bagamoyo1

I’m a GP. I work 8-8. Sometimes longer.

Can I ask what you normally do for childcare?

What did you do over lockdown?

The other thing is that there have been months of Us4Them posting on here and it isn't possible to know whether it is another spamming exercise, when people are posting about ignoring the SAGE advice etc.

So again, apologies.

Because it makes no difference

@WouldBeGood

Because it makes no difference

Not strictly true. It won't get us out of this. But it is likely to reduce case numbers and deaths.

Re the economy, we are between a rock and a hard place. If we have a lockdown then many businesses will suffer- but if we don't lockdown and cases rise a) business will still suffer and b) we might find ourselves locking down anyway and c) it might be for longer.

Depressingly.

Listen to Chris Whitty on this

The problem with that is he out and out lied to us in November. Stood there with his exaggerated figures on national TV knowingly terrifying us with lies. What on earth makes you think I'd ever believe anything that comes out of that man's mouth ever again?

@BonnieDundee

Listen to Chris Whitty on this

The problem with that is he out and out lied to us in November. Stood there with his exaggerated figures on national TV knowingly terrifying us with lies. What on earth makes you think I'd ever believe anything that comes out of that man's mouth ever again?

The slides were not of the scientists' choosing, I understand.

They were talking about 500 deaths a day, if I remember correctly, from the existing cases, and were looking to avert higher numbers.

We had 500 deaths a day. We probably did avert higher numbers for a while.

I think Whitty and Van Tam have a really difficult job. But better them than Profs Heneghan and Gupta.

I also think that Chris Whitty was right that there is hope in the shape of the vaccines and we would do well to hold onto that.

@BonnieDundee

Listen to Chris Whitty on this

The problem with that is he out and out lied to us in November. Stood there with his exaggerated figures on national TV knowingly terrifying us with lies. What on earth makes you think I'd ever believe anything that comes out of that man's mouth ever again?

My recollection is that sections of the media called him and Vallance scaremongers but in fact they were quite correct, and it happened sooner than they said it would be