Why the lack of action when case numbers are so high?

[princessandthedragon]

We’ve got more cases than the first peak. I keep hearing about hospitals struggling to cope and case numbers going through the roof and yet the government don’t seem to be taking much action. Why? Are they worried about causing a national panic? Today I heard that the nightingale hospitals are being shut down as there were never enough staff to run them in the first place.

It's coming tomorrow apparently

It will be too little too late as per fucking normal!

can we not lock down hard then mass vaccinate as priority 1 - even over testing ?

We can lock down hard, but people will not follow it...

Tier 4 is exactly the same as the recent lockdown. The only thing they can do is shut schools in those areas.

I am in Scotland so in level 4. No one is taking any notice.. Shops are deeming themselves essential and remaining open.
People are visiting each other
I work for the NHS and was told to expect a text with an appt before Xmas
Not heard a thing.
It was all guns blazing with the vaccine on the first day.. All gone quiet

I’m guessing tomorrow they’ll be an announcement involving either a lock down or more areas i higher tiers and maybe schools.

Announcement tomorrow but ever since Cummings many people bend the rules and do their own thing.

I think they will tighten things even further, but I think it's also worth remembering that you only feel they're 'doing nothing ' because we've been under restrictions for so long. Half the English population is living in tier 4 and lots more in tier 3. Scotland and Wales are in lockdown. Hospitality is shut in the majority of places, the Isles of Scilly are the only place you're allowed to socialise indoors with people not in your household or bubble. There's a bit more that can be done in England (most obviously, shutting schools) but it really isn't like we're all living normal lives while letting the virus run free. If you'd been told a year ago that this would be how we'd live now you'd have been shocked at what the government was willing to do to control this virus.

Honestly even putting us in tier 4 tomorrow (we have been tier 3 for what feels like forever) hardly anything will change. Other than a few more shops close.
Once you get into the higher tiers it really makes little difference from tier to tier. Talk of a tier 5 , honestly what more can they do unless it’s a full lockdown.

It's also only been 8 days since the first swathe of places went into tier 4 and 3 since the second lot joined them so it's too soon to say that it's having no impact.

Because the country can't afford another lockdown, the government realise people are at their limit, education is more important than people realise, and how long do we lockdown for? It is an impossible situation and there is still a lot of winter yet to come...

100% agree hardbackwriter

Boris is on his holidays, isn’t he?!

I predict he will tomorrow, eventually announce Tier 4 in loads more places, which will be in place for weeks and weeks. It won’t actually bring numbers down though, because he will leave schools open and it will just destroy loads of businesses in the process.

Rhubarb, you are wrong, people will generally follow the rules if they are clear and coherant. We need national lockdown and school/university closure. We need to stop pretending its ok, it really fucking isnt

We NEED national panic.

Im just getting over covid- i suspect it will be a long journey. I didnt see my mum before she died, what have i sacrificed that for exactly???

2020 is going to be a walk in the park if we dont get a handle on this.

Its not like this is a massive surprise?? We knew there would be a surge in cases in winter months, we knew opening schools was providing the perfect breeding ground of assymptomatic carriers. We knew they wouldnt get the vaccine out vefore the winter .

I dont blame the public, the government positively encouraged people to mix. Eat out to help out? Help who exactly? Not the small resturants and cafes, but corporate chains. Kids back to school and university where social distancing isnt a thing - my daughter is still expected to change for pe in cramped changing rooms, she still has to use public transport to get to school. Kids on trains dont wear masks!!!

We are screwed

@Fedup21

Boris is on his holidays, isn’t he?!

I predict he will tomorrow, eventually announce Tier 4 in loads more places, which will be in place for weeks and weeks. It won’t actually bring numbers down though, because he will leave schools open and it will just destroy loads of businesses in the process.

Boris was chairing a meeting this evening, Hancock is briefing MPs tomorrow, and we'll prob get a press conference too

Looking at the press, expansion of tier 4 is likeliest. But nothing's been ruled out. And the figures are concerning (as given, without even considering the possibility that the Christmas break means that not everything has been reported yest)

OP we don’t have more cases than the peak! At the peak the estimate is around 100k a day but we were not testing even half of what we are now so it’s not comparing like for like. Also the tier 4 restrictions currently in place have not yet had time to show any benefit. The action has been taken we just need time to see if it’s been effective. Closing schools is the only other thing they have that will make a significant difference. We also can’t afford another full lockdown