PM to decide tomorrow whether to put whole country back into full lockdown.

[Calmandmeasured1]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9109023/PM-decide-Monday-plunge-England-lockdown.html

What are people doing and where are they going?

Yesterday (Sunday)round here the roads and motorway were really busy (I was on foot going round the neighbourhood so don’t shriek that I was one of them!) .

I do wonder how people would get on if there was a war. My mum went through that and schools were shut and some lessons were delivered down the air raid shelter.

You’d be in trouble showing light in your windows with wardens on the streets.

We are at war effectively but with a hidden enemy. We are showing the lights and the enemy can then drop the bombs.

Matt Hancock, on tv earlier, only seemed to be suggesting that tier 3 areas will move into tier 4. When pressed on the fact that cases are significantly rising already in tier 4, he just waffled on about the government will act responsibly at the right time! What on earth does that mean?

It means he doesn’t know what he or they are doing.

I'm sure he spends most of his time on the roof of number 10 with his hand to his ear listening for the shouting. Then he toddles downstairs to make an announcement based on the loudest shouters. Back up to listen again, etc etc.

@treedragon

I do wonder how people would get on if there was a war. My mum went through that and schools were shut and some lessons were delivered down the air raid shelter.

You’d be in trouble showing light in your windows with wardens on the streets.

We are at war effectively but with a hidden enemy. We are showing the lights and the enemy can then drop the bombs.

Ugh.

I hate this lazy anology

At least the community pulled together in the war, families friends, neighbours all together, a billion people went to the cinema during the 2nd ww, children could be left with family, it was totally different and probably easier mentally tbh

Some of the UK is already in lockdown.We have been in lockdown sice 20th December. it is miserable, but the numbers seem to be starting to go into the right direction. I don't know what will happen if and when they open the schools though.

@AlwaysLatte

I'm sure he spends most of his time on the roof of number 10 with his hand to his ear listening for the shouting. Then he toddles downstairs to make an announcement based on the loudest shouters. Back up to listen again, etc etc.

Yes, I think you might be right. He's ever the populist, with his Narcissistic need to be liked and be the best ('World King' and all that!) which is deeply worrying, if we live in a 'he who shouts loudest society what are we teaching our kids? Also it simply increases division hugely.

I think Govt sending kids back in for a week or so and then keeping them home is the worst 'decision'. Either keep them off, or send them in and ride it out (Science / Stats should inform, not 'public opinion')
This is the worst of all possible worlds. Again. So many wasted opportunities to improve a dire situation which would have made a real difference to peoples lives.

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I would love to know what constitutes a tuck shop crisis! 😂

Back in my day it was running out of wham bars and pickled onion space raiders 🤷‍♀️😅

I know I'm missing the point here but we had a thief operating in the office tuck shop once. We had to have a sting operation and everything.

I know what Tier 4 is.

But schools are still open, ‘essential’ shops like The Range(?) which isn’t essential. Garden centres in the middle of winter. Roads are still rammed, which means people aren’t really sticking to essential travel only.

DH has just come in to me (he's in the study, I have the spare room) to say he's had his first call from a staff member to say they cannot work as their DC's school is closed. Nothing about it on the BBC when we were listening this morning (nor on RTE later) - but apparently UK Midlands have schools shut generally. (A large proportion of DH's staff are UK-based).

We are half expecting it to happen here as well this week (Ireland) - but the holidays until Wednesday were extended until next Monday after last week's Cabinet meeting. DD left a lot of books in school over Christmas, so would need to go in and collect those if we do, as expected, go back to online learning next week instead of physical attendance at school.

"At least the community pulled together in the war, families friends, neighbours all together, a billion people went to the cinema during the 2nd ww, children could be left with family, it was totally different and probably easier mentally tbh"

I am not sure if it was easier mentally - I think to have someone close away fighting, waiting for news of them all the time, must have been very stressful. Of course not everyone was in that position - relatively few, in fact. Though economically things may even have improved for some - did unemployment fall? I have just tried to check but surprisingly don't get the answer on a quick search (and it had been falling throughout 1930s anyway, I think)

Just been reading that a sage expert has said that children aged between 12 and 16 are much more likely to pass on the virus whilst being largely asymptomatic themselves.

Tbh it’s criminal to open the schools. We need a really strict lockdown whilst the vaccination programme kicks in.

I was reading yesterday re the long winded registration process for health professional volunteers to give the jabs. Why wasn’t this started months ago to have it all in place as soon as the vaccines were approved? We could have had a 24/7 appointment system in place to get as many people vaccinated as possible.

I wonder when the next press conference will be.

It is crapper this time round. It’s ten to ten and seems like twilight. It takes ages to get light in the morning then it’s time to put the lights on by 1530. It’s cold, damp. At least the last lockdown was spring and the weather was fairly OK and the clocks were forward with lighter evenings.

Personally I really struggle in the winter with lethargy.

Look at all the salivating over yet more lockdown! Enjoy the forthcoming recession, mass unemployment, suicides, and crisis of mental health that is going to be the result of your beloved eternal lockdown; to say nothing of traces of dictatorship lasting for years.

@wanderings

Look at all the salivating over yet more lockdown! Enjoy the forthcoming recession, mass unemployment, suicides, and crisis of mental health that is going to be the result of your beloved eternal lockdown; to say nothing of traces of dictatorship lasting for years.

I think that ship has sailed with the government’s failure to manage the pandemic well so far. I suspect people dying in the street and losing loved ones would have pretty much the same effect

@wanderings
What would you suggest then?

Is there anyone better who could replace him if he did design though?

Yes, almost anyone. Although we'll probably get Gove unfortunately.

Lovemusic we’re pretty much back in it. Schools shut, nothing but supermarket. Dh back on endless zoom. It’s worse this time!

@wanderings

Look at all the salivating over yet more lockdown! Enjoy the forthcoming recession, mass unemployment, suicides, and crisis of mental health that is going to be the result of your beloved eternal lockdown; to say nothing of traces of dictatorship lasting for years.

It's the result of the global pandemic not the lockdown.

How do people still not get that the economy and health are intertwined.

I think it's unfair to bash Boris all of the time.

He's stuffed whatever he does. Too harsh and people don't comply and the economy will be worse for much longer for generations to come.

Too lenient and he gets stick for that.

I know (of) someone who is in on the Cobra meetings.
Obviously they are not allowed to share information but what IS obvious is that all the decisions made are by the Cabinet and SAGE combined.

The headlines in the media are a disgrace mostly - especially the Mail- because they pick and choose sound bites and seek out dissenters and interview them. You aren't getting the full picture.

@treedragon

I do wonder how people would get on if there was a war. My mum went through that and schools were shut and some lessons were delivered down the air raid shelter.

You’d be in trouble showing light in your windows with wardens on the streets.

We are at war effectively but with a hidden enemy. We are showing the lights and the enemy can then drop the bombs.

A "war" which has killed less than 1000 under 60s withiut major underlying health conditions.

A "war" in which those people are being told that losing their jobs and businesses and financial security for years to come is worth it to save those whose working days are past and whose income is guaranteed. (I'm aware that not all fall into thumis category, but yuu get my drift).

It's a "war" based on the dodgiest of dodgy dossiers, on varied "science" but not evidence, in order to save the NHS but ruin the hopes and dreams of our young. It's a social experiment of a kind never tested, even in wartime. It's a "war" which removes the most basic levels of social support.

It's the result of the global pandemic not the lockdown.

Of course it isn’t. You imply that these restrictions were the only option!

“@MrsMiaWallis Havering is down 16.2% (2912 cases) Thurrock and Brentwood too. Numbers are awful but technically coming down.”

Perhaps because children haven’t been in school for 3 weeks?