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Tighter restrictions? What else can be "tighter"??

911 replies

R2221 · 10/01/2021 20:32

Schools closed, work places closed, nailbars, hairdressers, clothes shops, closed. My high street is dead and a couple of big shops are permanently closing down. We've been totally indoors, going out only to get grocery and exercise.

Oh, gyms are closed, no play dates, birthdays, dinners or even coffee with friends. WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE TO STOP THE SPREAD??? What would "tighter" restrictions mean? To me, next tighter level means no grocery and exercise :(

My local hospital is totally full. I don't understand why.

OP posts:
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7
Chimeraforce · 11/01/2021 19:45

Not everyone can afford to shop online for clothes. Delivery costs too.
I use primark or the supermarket because of my budget.

Anda001 · 11/01/2021 19:47

@cormorantes

Lockdown has been less than a week! Why are you expecting it to have made an impact yet. Clearly it should have been enforced much earlier but it has not been nearly long enough to have shown it working yet
Although some of us have been in a form of lockdown since being put into Tier 4 on 19th December. Maybe they are looking at those figures too. I know my area in Kent dropped and is now rapidly rising in numbers again, and our hospital is actually at major critical point now.
LunarSea · 11/01/2021 19:49

Retail: A tighter definition of "essential retail" (as in what can be sold, not just whether a shop happens to sell some of it, so can stay open for everything else too) - food, hygiene, cleaning, medicines, petfoods for example. A second category available by pre-order / collection for DIY, kids clothes, car/bike parts, etc to cater for all the "but in exceptionaI circumstances someone might need" crowd (be honest - most of these exceptions could wait a few hours, nobody suddenly discovers in January that every single item of last year's winter clothing no longer fits and they'd be going naked if they couldn't buy new clothes right now). Anything else by delivery only. Then all the stores which sell some "essential" items will only be selling those and won't be such a draw - a trip out to B&M to browse the ambient food and cleaning aisles isn't such an attractive proposition as candles and cushions.

And while they are at it make newspaper articles like this: www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/13634578/bm-egg-chairs-back-stock-175/ (lots of regional press doing similar) which encourage and normalise in store shopping for non essentials during a lockdown actionable against the publishers.

Curfews: probably self defeating if it forces more people to shop at busier times. Point out the quiet times so people who haven't considered changing their shopping hours actually use them to spread the load.

Schools: Yes it's shit, and they're not getting the education we want them to have, but they should only be in school if they are vulnerable or there isn't actually anyone at home - maybe not even then at KS4+ level at which age they should be capable of safely working independently. Plenty of us are juggling home working with kids at home too, even if we are nominally keyworkers but are able to do our jobs remotely.

Masks - probably more effective if people were better informed about the effectiveness of various types - and how to wear them properly. Haven't been in any retail outlet except food shops since March, and I'm still seeing quite a lot under the nose, gaping at the sides, or clearly bought more for style than function masks (does anyone actually believe that net/lace/mesh masks are going to have any effect?). Also enforce the use of trolley/ basket wipes, not just insist that people wear masks - quite often see the sprays run out, and even more often people not bothering to use them.

Takeaway coffees etc - make them only saleable in refillable cups belonging to the customer, or in refillable cups sold to them. Once everyone has forked out a few times for insulated travel mugs they will soon switch to bringing their own along if they want to walk with a drink (neatly avoids the bins overflowing with discarded cups problem too). The actual act of walking with a coffee really shouldn't be an issue, as not everyone can exercise at a pace which precludes it, and it adds nothing to the risk, but congregating / queuing at takeaways could do.

Chimeraforce · 11/01/2021 19:49

My partner works for a home improvement company as a manager. Of their admin team 8 of 11 are off 5 of which positive covid tests. Several fitters are off.
I've asked him to seek advice from hr as I don't think it's safe to work there. They've responded by giving 1 day furlough per week. 🙄 I bet there are hundreds of places doing the same. They've still got loads of business.

DollyDaydreamz · 11/01/2021 19:51

@nowmum43

Absolutely- any key worker where you HAVE to work outside the home in a single parent home or in a two parent home where both parents are working outside the home as key workers then the children should get a space - be it nurse, teacher, doctor, delivery driver, doctor, supermarket store worker, paramedic - whatever! But unfortunately that is not what the guidelines say. The guidelines pretty much make anyone and everyone a key worker - this is why school staff are teaching to near full classes though schools remain “closed”.

There are other parents who work full time and also have to homeschool at the same time. It’s incredibly hard but if you can work from home then it’s hard to see it’s any different from those who are not key workers - there are obviously exceptions to this rule so people running medical helpline etc are now working from home too.

But I think most reasonable people can see even though they “could” include themselves as a key worker based on current guidelines that they are in fact not key workers and so sensibly are not taking a place. However there are lots of parents finding any loop hole to get their kids a place in school.

JimmyTheWeed · 11/01/2021 19:56

When I heard this on the radio this morning,I did wonder what they could do to make the restrictions even tighter. Some idiot phoned in and said 'i think that ALL shops should be forced to close, including food shops and supermarkets'. When the presenter asked how people would buy food and essentials,he said 'Everyone will have to shop online'. Does he not realise that unless you have got priority status, trying to secure a delivery slot with a supermarket is damn near impossible! I speak from experience. Plus,not everyone has access to a computer/laptop/tablet,or has WiFi or mobile data. Furthermore,a lot of elderly people would have no idea how to use one of these devices,never mind place a supermarket order!

Justploddingon · 11/01/2021 19:57

I'm still trying to understand how takeaways are an essential service. I appreciate it is a way for businesses to try and stay afloat but that is all. We have people out on a Saturday evening waiting for the chip van ffs!

lljkk · 11/01/2021 19:57

This thread is full of completely impractical ideas.

Shut the nurseries Great, so then nobody WFH in payroll who has small children will get their work done. Who needs to be paid, right?

Stop self-important people from sending their kids to school you mean like the 'non-essential' payroll types, right?

Mask wearing everywhere outside the home and what will you do when that fails to bring the case count down?

Close our borders and close them NOW!! how will that go down when you ban people from Northern Ireland from coming to GB? They may have been in RoI recently.

The only places that really should be open are food shops... chemists and pet supplies. So close the hospitals since they aren't on that list right? And let the electricity companies fold too. Plus we don't need taxis to ferry people to vaccine centres, do we? What could possibly go wrong?

Tighter restrictions? What else can be "tighter"??
Stillgoings · 11/01/2021 19:57

Loads could.be tighter. I work in an estate agents. We are open. We weren't last time. Round the corner the carpet shop are still fitting carpets, the construction sites are open. The cafes are doing takeaways. Shops are doing click and collect. McDonald's is open. Gregg's is open. The Gregg's factory in our town in open- they've had a big outbreak. The schools are full because so many parents are going out to work. The nurseries are the same. This is a lockdown in name only

lljkk · 11/01/2021 20:01

@Justploddingon
I'm still trying to understand how takeaways are an essential service.

Suppose it depends if you think living on cold sandwiches for every meal is fine. I mean -- I do. Perfectly fine. But I perceive that most British fervently believe that at least one hot meal per day is a basic human need.

Tighter restrictions? What else can be "tighter"??
FromEden · 11/01/2021 20:06

Loads could.be tighter. I work in an estate agents. We are open. We weren't last time.

Surprised you were closed last time. I would have thought buying or renting a house was essential business. Or should people just become homeless?!

lljkk · 11/01/2021 20:07

Even Singapore, you know one of those places where "everyone wears a mask" and "they have good control of the virus" says that people doing strenuous exercise outdoors don't have to wear masks.

Justploddingon · 11/01/2021 20:22

Cold sandwiches every day? You've lost me there 🤔

FromEden · 11/01/2021 20:23

Cold sandwiches every day? You've lost me there

I would have thought the point was that not everyone has access to proper cooking facilities to make hot meals. Jesus, has all empathy gone out the window now?

TheSunIsStillShining · 11/01/2021 20:25

Close our borders and close them NOW!! how will that go down when you ban people from Northern Ireland from coming to GB? They may have been in RoI recently.

The definition of border is between two countries. Having a see/pond/mountain/other geo artifact doesn't mean that there is a border.

so the land border between ROI and UK (NI) would have to be closed.
It should have been done (all border closures for passengers) in March.

DenisetheMenace · 11/01/2021 20:25

howaboutme

I bet the people who suggest no household mixings (no support bubbles) are ok to live on their own or content with their own household bubble but when you add young children/babies, mental health and other factors that qualify you to be in a support bubble into the mix they don't realise it's the support bubbles that has helped these people to survive for 9 months and right now now we are talking about this going on until Easter earliest.”

Nope. Haven’t seen our 5 month old grandson, won’t until we’ve had the vaccine (and his parents are happy with seeing us before they have). Could be in a support bubble but I don’t want my husband to die.
It is achingly horrible but we understand why and will stick to it as long as it takes.

TheSunIsStillShining · 11/01/2021 20:26

@FromEden

Cold sandwiches every day? You've lost me there

I would have thought the point was that not everyone has access to proper cooking facilities to make hot meals. Jesus, has all empathy gone out the window now?

Please make an educated guess of how many households don't have a kitchen... I'd bet it's a minuscule amount. Ergo: learn to cook. and there is little diff between microwave/reheat meal and takeaway. So not having a micro OR a kitchen brings down the number to almost zero. So, I think it's fair to say that they are not a huge group who need to be serviced at all costs....
Celestine70 · 11/01/2021 20:28

No take a way.

SeaLover · 11/01/2021 20:29

You’re absolutely right @Spiratedaway
I’m very lucky to have not struggled with my mental health before, but I’m starting to waiver.
Yes it’s important for us to get rid of this virus etc, but at least in the March lockdown we had hope, we thought we would get through etc. It feels as though we are completely back to square one and it’s hard to find hope.
As always - many more in worse situation than my own as well as many more in a better situation (but I’m not invalidating my own feelings any more!) but my second maternity leave is now
over and she barely knows my family and vice versa. We need each other! Let’s hope it’s over soon, and that we don’t need tighter restrictions that are going to tip people over the edge x

FromEden · 11/01/2021 20:31

so the land border between ROI and UK (NI) would have to be closed.
It should have been done (all border closures for passengers) in March.

That is illegal under the terms of the GFA.

DenisetheMenace · 11/01/2021 20:32

TrustTheGeneGenie

“if everyone is washing their hands like they should be, that shouldn't be a problem. How do you think they get it on the shelves”

“If”, there’s your problem.
The staff are getting it on the shelves with no doubt frequently sanitised hands.

For every person I saw using the free sanitiser as they went in, 3 dozy buggers were walking straight past it. One supermarket here even has sanitiser suspended by foot pump, still doesn’t work.

Not going in any more. Refuse to be seen off by a moron.

DenisetheMenace · 11/01/2021 20:33

Dispensed, not suspended. Suspended might reasonably put a few people off 😁

kingat · 11/01/2021 20:39

I love you you can just buy clothes online idea and then complains about long lines to the post office

FromEden · 11/01/2021 20:39

Also regarding Northern Ireland, almost half of the population (who were born in NI) are Irish citizens. Many people work across the border, in both directions. I dont see how it could work. It would be chaos.

DenisetheMenace · 11/01/2021 20:45

FromEden

Cold sandwiches every day? You've lost me there

I would have thought the point was that not everyone has access to proper cooking facilities to make hot meals. Jesus, has all empathy gone out the window now?“

Our food bank is asking for food that can be eaten from the tin or made with a kettle because people can’t afford to pay for energy.