Further Restrictions 'Stricter than March' Needed

[Bewareoftheblob]

From the Telegraph today:

Sage advisers are calling for a lockdown tougher than the one seen in March as they argue the current restrictions do not go far enough.

Professor Susan Michie, a health psychology professor at University College London who sits on a Sage subcommittee, said more stringent action was needed.

While around 90 per cent of Britons are sticking to the rules there are also "more people out and about”, Prof Michie told the Today programme.

"It should definitely be tightened,” she said. "This is quite a lax lockdown because we’ve still got a lot of household contact, people go in and out of other’s houses. We should have stricter rather than a less strict lockdown than we had in March.

“You have this wide definition of critical workers and therefore you’ve got really busy public transport. There's also this new variant, and we have the winter season and the virus survives for longer in the cold.”

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Do you think they'll follow through with this? Reduce the amount of children in schools, ban support bubbles, heavier policing of people going about their daily lives?

We need to remember that some 377 people under the age of 65 without underlying heath issues have died in the last 9 months

Tightening it even further won't work - the people not complying now won't suddenly comply.

@Fragileandcomposed

They will pink People will say they won’t but they absolutely will and if it is enforced by law what choice will there be? People said last March I’m not doing this for a year - yet here we are.

I don't know if you're serious or not, if you are I feel very sorry for you if this is your outlook. Yes things are bad at the moment but once the vaccines are rolled out properly things will improve. Surely you don't think the government wants the economy to collapse completely?

@Fragileandcomposed

Because they will die of old age before these restrictions are lifted, that’s why.

We should be back in tier 2 by Easter.

@Goldenphoenix

Tightening it even further won't work - the people not complying now won't suddenly comply.

They can't stand in a queue in Greggs or Costa if they're shut.

"""Had a water leak and needed an emergency dash to B&Q. The cashier said I was the first person she had served with essential items only*

And how is she qualified to judge what is "essential". Dear god we had this with Boots and then the supermarkets and now we have cashiers in B&Q policing their customers' trolleys. If the shop is open, it's open""'

Exactly!

I am 8 months pregnant and in the middle of packing my maternity bag... went to asda yesterday for a food shop and thought I'll grab a nighty and big knickers for my bag... it's all closed off.. i asked a woman if i could get them and she said no they're not essential! Im not going to browse pretty dresses for god sake!!! So I'll now buy online but not everyone likes to buy online and i like to see what im buying! I understand the principle behind it but personally i think underwear is essential ... also kettles, utensils etc all blocked off.. i think if your kettle breaks its almost against human rights to be told u cant buy a new one.. poor Margaret aged 80 with a broken kettle cant buy online or get one from shops.. i dont even think it make much of a difference just making the shop smaller... also... being told ots 1 way up an isle!!! My shopping time was doubled having to go round the isles like that and i ended up having to squeeze past people yp the isle next to the one i want to go in to get to the empty one that i need to go in as staff tell you off for going up the wrong way of a one way!!!! Its laughable

A lot of people have a very narrow world view and what constitutes a critical worker. There are many roles outside the NHs which are critical to the functioning of a civilised society but they are simply not as visible. I work in the justice system and all those staff who transport prisoners to and from court ( because yes crime happens lock down or not), all the solicitors who deal with those in court, the probation officers who monitor offenders released from prison. According to some local councils these are not critical wrokers, but these jobs cannot be done from home. What about utilities workers, mending broken pipes unblocking sewers. A lot of things happen behind the scenes and away from the mumsnet radar.

@tryinghardnottocry

We need to remember that some 377 people under the age of 65 without underlying heath issues have died in the last 9 months

But also need to bear in mind that many people would count as having underlying conditions.

Mental health issues are counted as an underlying condition for example.

I have bipolar disorder but am a fully functioning member of society, do I not 'count'?

I personally know two people under 45 who have died, both of them leaving partners and children.

I really hope i get it and I am one of the people who doesn’t make it. I’ve had enough of living like this. I won’t seek nhs help if I get I and I’m not well so I won’t be taking up any valuable resources.
I know of 53 people who have had it - a mix of older and younger, people with conditions and people without and all have been fine.

Sorry - read that back and it sounds horrible. I am sorry people have died who would have liked to survive and I’m sorry for people who have lost friends and family.

""A lot of people have a very narrow world view and what constitutes a critical worker. There are many roles outside the NHs which are critical to the functioning of a civilised society but they are simply not as visible. I work in the justice system and all those staff who transport prisoners to and from court ( because yes crime happens lock down or not), all the solicitors who deal with those in court, the probation officers who monitor offenders released from prison. According to some local councils these are not critical wrokers, but these jobs cannot be done from home. What about utilities workers, mending broken pipes unblocking sewers. A lot of things happen behind the scenes and away from the mumsnet radar.""

Im aware that its not just NHS workers that are key workers... many jobs are key! However, I do feel like a lot of businesses are taiing the piss and finding loop holes.. for example, my previous post in regards to where i work (worked before maernity leave) ... we are a call centre.. we take middleman calls for businesses like estate agents or small businesses if they are unable to pick up the phone for whatever reason... personally i dont think thats key to society? Dont know what other people think? But somehow our company have swindled it to stay open with 300+ employees in the office

My son works at Greggs and is constantly complaining about people coming in without masks on and disregarding the 3 customers-at-a-time limit. He says they have been told not to enforce the rules, which I think is ridiculous. He doesn't think Greggs is an essential service but that them being open is encouraging people to leave the house.

The government needs to show more hard hitting campaigns on SM, newspapers and TV. I’ve seen plenty of older teens & 20s hanging around in group, no masks, no social distancing. They’re spreading it throughout their friends and families.

I think bubbles need sorting and far to much in open. Far to many bubbles seem to over lap. My dh also could work from home as he did without problem while isolating due to a child testing.

@Fragileandcomposed

I really hope i get it and I am one of the people who doesn’t make it. I’ve had enough of living like this. I won’t seek nhs help if I get I and I’m not well so I won’t be taking up any valuable resources. I know of 53 people who have had it - a mix of older and younger, people with conditions and people without and all have been fine.

Fragile you sound like you're in a very dark place right now. Please get some help from your GP. 💐

Have you any idea what you are encouraging? When all your freedoms are stripped away and never reinstated you will be questioning your ideology forevermore!!! Do you have pets or growing children? Why should local business suffer anymore? Pet owners may want to go and choose their pet food or buy their kids clothes... or may need to replace their wellies that have holes... come on... get real!!!!

@Boysgrownbutstillathome

My son works at Greggs and is constantly complaining about people coming in without masks on and disregarding the 3 customers-at-a-time limit. He says they have been told not to enforce the rules, which I think is ridiculous. He doesn't think Greggs is an essential service but that them being open is encouraging people to leave the house.

I'm exempt but I always make sure I'm super-cautious about sticking to rules like this, keeping my head down (literally!) and only going into shops which are very quiet and as infrequently as possible. I feel awful for staff who have to serve me. People like those your son encounters make life harder for everyone (some people do find it harder to SD etc due to learning disabilities and other conditions however). I wish those who were able to just followed the guidance.

Tightening it even further won't work - the people not complying now won't suddenly comply.
Indeed they won't. They're likely to become even more rebellious, especially when if Saint Boris U-turns with "I know I said significant normality by Easter, but we've invented found another mutant variant, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease be patient, just six more months of lockdown..." The public who are watching their lives, jobs and businesses crumble before their very eyes will not remain compliant and docile for much longer, especially if Saint Privileged Boris and his merry men cock up again, and no amount of throwing "people will die" in the public's faces will change that.

@Fragileandcomposed

I really hope i get it and I am one of the people who doesn’t make it. I’ve had enough of living like this. I won’t seek nhs help if I get I and I’m not well so I won’t be taking up any valuable resources. I know of 53 people who have had it - a mix of older and younger, people with conditions and people without and all have been fine.

Please ask your GP for help Fragile 💐

Friend working at Pets at Home says people are bringing their bored kids in to look at the animals as an outing.

I would be really worried about my Mum if support bubbles were taken away. She is a fit and healthy 70 year old so not worried about her physical well being. I would be really worried about her mental well being. We lost my lovely Dad coming up to 2 years ago. I think she still very much struggles with living alone as it is. She is also a social butterfly and struggling with not being able to see people as it is. She really would be isolated if she would no longer be able to see myself, DH and Dd's (who are her support bubble).

As for schools I think there are too many children in and there are people taking advantage of the system. DH is a key worker, but I gave up my job in September. Officially our oldest DD is allowed in school and youngest preschool, but no way I would send them when we don't need it. Yes we have recently bought a house and the work I'd planned to do on it is on hold. It is also very difficult homeschooling my just turned 5 year old with a not yet 3 year old around. It is also not easy for DH to work from home with 2 young children in the house. But there are many people who have it harder, but have no choice but to have there kids at home. There are people in the same position as us that send their kids in though. It is abuse of the system.

Read your post back Sunrainsnow. You want to keep the things that matter to you (and I agree about your mum), but the restrictions you don’t mind so much and can manage (and I know you haven’t said it’s easy) you think others are taking the piss. Maybe like your mum they have things they are struggling with? Maybe it’s not as simple as everyone should have things the way that works best for you or they are abusing the system?

tryinghardnottocry you need to stop that "377 people under the age of 65 without underlying heath issues have died in the last 9 months" line. Lots of people have underlying conditions that wouldn't affect lifespan. Underlying condition does not mean the same thing as terminally ill. Your disregard for people who have underlying conditions is appalling, their lives are just as valuable as yours, do not dismiss them so carelessly.

It’s amazing how many people are begging to be restricted further! Most people are abiding by the rules but lockdowns are doomed to fail; too many people need to work to keep society ticking over. The moaning about the schools doesn’t seem to accept that the government made these rules abs numbers are higher this time due to the criteria being wider. My experience was despite both parents being key workers, the school put a great deal of pressure on parents not to send the kids in whereas this time they were accepted without question. The lockdown has brought out the worst in people; constant judgment and curtain twitching, competitive piety.

The fact the government fucked up with their criteria to be in school isn’t an indicator that lockdowns don’t work. It just shows an area that things need tightening even further.

Schools and those involved with education have been shouting out for things to change for the sake of the students who need to be there and the staff.

If we want to get hold of the situation then yes we need to lockdown properly not the current half hearted effort