Press Conference at 8

[Beebityboo]

Says Peston. Predictions?

Those are some big ifs about February though.

"If our understanding of the virus doesn't change dramatically once again"

*@borntohula

so no 'vulnerable' children will be in school at all tomorrow?
Vulnerable and keyworker's children will be in school. Gov site should be updated, if not by now, very shortly.

Timetable as I understood it
And of everything goes to plan (ie we ignore the yet another new variant, that this works on the two new variants we’ve known about, that we manage to vaccinate as planned, that sufficient within 1-4 are vaccinated and don’t refuse etc)
Mid feb 1-4 vaccinated
He then said eventually some restrictions could be lifted. but he
Reminded us it takes fortnight to take effect
Reminded us that the necessary effect on the nhs would take some time to kick in.
Then we may have some restrictions lifted.
So I heard this to be late March even if everything goes as desired.

There's no Tier 5, people are getting confused with the announcement that the Covid alert level has moved to level 5
This means there's a high risk the NHS will be overwhelmed within 3 weeks.

"I could accept 600,000 extra people dying" @Xenia
disregarding the dodgy ethics , those "dying" also use up NHS resources so others wouldn't be able to get potentially life-saving treatment

@Lemonpiano

Those are some big ifs about February though.

"If our understanding of the virus doesn't change dramatically once again"

Yes, and given that variants are now starting to appear, it is likely that there will be dramatic changes, not just in our understanding, but in the virus itself.

Does anybody know the likelihood of the virus creating a variant that gets round the vaccines?

I actually feel quite down now
I have always tried to be positive, but I just feel like shit.
DS will have remote learning which he finds extremely dull. Tough times

@HeronLanyon

Timetable as I understood it And of everything goes to plan (ie we ignore the yet another new variant, that this works on the two new variants we’ve known about, that we manage to vaccinate as planned, that sufficient within 1-4 are vaccinated and don’t refuse etc) Mid feb 1-4 vaccinated He then said eventually some restrictions could be lifted. but he Reminded us it takes fortnight to take effect Reminded us that the necessary effect on the nhs would take some time to kick in. Then we may have some restrictions lifted. So I heard this to be late March even if everything goes as desired.

hopefully schools reopened before? but no mention of vax for teachers

@Xenia

It is the wrong decision. Tier 5 will work no better than tier 4 - i.e. it won't work. We were conned into accepting the first 3 week lockdown in March by being told it was only 3 weeks. This has been far too long. I could accept 600,000 extra people dying.

That post makes me feel sick, how could you accept more than half a million people dying? This virus is a shit storm but it shouldn't strip us of our humanity.

I'm glad of this decision, I just wish full lockdown had happened sooner.
My kids think it's a holiday though, they're not too keen on the timetable we've presented to them 😂

I think that would be around 25% more deaths than the total GB military and civilian casualties during the Second World War, Xenia?

I was already scared of ending up in hospital again this winter. I'm starting to feel suicidal reading what's just been said about the position we're in.

That post makes me feel sick, how could you accept more than half a million people dying? This virus is a shit storm but it shouldn't strip us of our humanity.
I agree. And there will be people who've lost loved ones to it on here. Reported.

That post makes me feel sick, how could you accept more than half a million people dying?

How can you accept loads of children and young adults having years of their life down the toilet, double-digit unemployment, 6 million people on antidepressants, suicide, lack of socialisation, a mountain of debt for generations and shit quality of life for years? It's not just about lives saved, it's also about actually enjoying that life too.

I feel for anyone with children or anyone else who is massively impacted by this announcement there are no words.

My oldest child missed out on getting the A levels he would have worked hard for had he got the chance to sit them. Now he isn’t going to get that chance this year. So that’s that for him. My second child is meant to be sitting GCSEs this summer so I assume he is going to be stuffed too. I feel like screaming.

I'm in fucking tears here my little DHS was so excited to go back to school today, he's WhatsApped me to say he can't underst6why baby school can go back and he can't. Bloody unfair se ding them back for one day.

It wasn't a surprise but I'm disgusted at the decision to close schools again. Millions of kids are never going to recover from this, thrown on the scrapheap.

I would also add I have friends who are medics who are seeing rises of child abuse and also domestic violence incidents during these lockdowns.

Will write what I think in a bit. Just couldn't read and run when I saw a PP say she could "accept another 600,000 people dying". Christ. I've known to be harsh at times but that is just savage. These are peoples parents, children, their partners.

It's an online thread and many here will be scared for vulnerable family members. Saying something so callous is uncalled for. You've essentially said to these very people "I don't give a fuck if little Tommy dies because I want to get back to my nice cosy life with dinners out and drinks after".

Certainly have an opinion but maybe keep things like that to yourself. Show some class.

[quote Calmandmeasured1]*@borntohula

so no 'vulnerable' children will be in school at all tomorrow?
Vulnerable and keyworker's children will be in school. Gov site should be updated, if not by now, very shortly.[/quote]
It's changed to Critical workers now

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workerss_. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open.

@Xenia

It is the wrong decision. Tier 5 will work no better than tier 4 - i.e. it won't work. We were conned into accepting the first 3 week lockdown in March by being told it was only 3 weeks. This has been far too long. I could accept 600,000 extra people dying.

Bloody hell @Xenia. Whoever described you as a sociopath wasn’t far off the mark.

Don't do this, people. Don't take all your fear and anger and grief and worry and frustration and target it at each other on here.

It won't help. It won't make anything better.

Different people have different worries, but everyone is just doing what they can to drag themselves through this shit storm.

@Coffeeandcocopops that truly sucks

My son needed specific grades for his career. Now he can’t even “resit”the A levels he didn’t sit last year and as he is not at college but is working he has no work to be assessed on. What a bloody waste of a year. I could cry.