My local council...... is this slightly OTT?

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/19016790.people-will-die---bcp-puts-strong-covid-message/

Just to make it clear, I am absolutely in favour of doing everything possible to reduce and manage the spread of Covid, but given that almost every other person I know is suffering huge mental stress due to the current lockdown, and even though I am fairly resilient I'm also feeling the strain, I'm quite nonplussed by the campaign in our area. And judging by the reader vote people are in favour of it.

Surely by now the majority of people are all too well aware of the seriousness of the situation, and the vaccine is supposed to be the light at the end of the tunnel?

I guess I'm more in favour of carrots than sticks, but maybe I'm in the minority. This just feels a little hysterical.....

Way to make people who have no choice but to go out feel like it's all their fault.

I read your op and assumed it would be something of nothing, like usual here when people get het up but no, op, that is absolutely ridiculous.

It's far too full on, what are they playing at?

This is the thing, isn't it? Some people have to go out. But it's now in a state of paranoia. I've never suffered from debilitating anxiety or agoraphobia but I'm starting to feel extremely anxious. I follow the rules and it's more the fear of blame and punishment than the damn virus. This is in no way healthy.

I have a friend who lives in Bournemouth, so I'm aware that until very recently it was consistently an area with low cases and less restrictions than most of the country. It's only in the last few weeks that cases have really started going up. The view I've got from my friend is that due to this, a lot of people in the area have been quite relaxed about it until quite recently. For example, my friend had a birthday party for her daughter in December (following rules) which seems like a whole other world away to me and also has done a lot of indoor socialising until very recently (again, something I can only vaguely remember ever doing!). So I do wonder if locally there are a significant number of people who perhaps don't realise quite how serious it is, because from a personal point of view, it hasn't been for most of the pandemic?

It does seem a little extreme, however the rates there are now really high. Looks as if Liverpool is going through it all again too and they had been doing well.

@RedskyBynight I agree that until recently we were very lucky here. I can only assume the new variant has pushed the numbers up, but even so as it is not supposed to be more serious in health outcomes and may even be milder, I'm not convinced by this message. If I were wildly paranoid for example I might think there's things going on we don't know. It's like were being given two wildly conflicting messages all the time.

I think it is necessary- we tend to look at it from the point of view of people who barely go out, and it looks alarming and unhelpful.

I'd say the initial focus was on 'not catching it', which leaves the young fit and healthy thinking it's ok.

We need a 'don't spread it' campaign.

I don’t like it. It’s control by fear and that is what is more wrong than even the message itself.

Bloody hell that is absolutely dreadful. I have no idea who that is targeted at.

There seem to be large groups of people who aren't getting the message, though. How do we motivate them? They think it's an exaggeration, it's not that bad etc.

There is room for a blunt message- if we mix too much, people will die.

A bit OTT? That’s an understatement. It’s completely, utterly and ridiculously OTT.

Could say the same for people driving in the snow, ice, foggy, wintery conditions. You’re more likely to have a crash in these situations but nothings said about that.

I was thinking the other day about the sales of cigarettes. There’s nothing remotely healthy about them and they will and do kill people. Yet totally still legal and sold? They’ll account for many deaths. Yes the person has a choice to smoke them, but they can only smoke them because they are available and haven’t been banned. So shouldn’t the higher powers have a responsibility to stop people killing themselves the cigarettes?!.......

smoking

It looks like the same format/background etc of the government campaigns? Is it from them or one of their templates? Odd

@TheGreatWave indeed. A minority of people who won't pay attention if they haven't done so far. It's a clarion call to snitchers and the like though, and will double down anxiety in the already paranoid.

What absolute bollocks.

Oh I just watched the insta story, looks like it is a government/NHS campaign advert, not the councils own

Crikey how are they going to empty your bin?

It’s ridiculous. And I say this as someone who’s only gone to medical appointments and on walks for exercise since the summer!

If you go out bollocks.

It is a bit OTT but maybe what is needed for those who think it doesn't apply to them and there are still plenty who don't understand how it works or think they know best.

When I saw the title I knew it was going to be this! (Hello from Bournemouth!)

I can't get het up about it. The people that need to listen, won't, no matter what they put out. Number's are getting ridiculous round here and I know 10's of people personally who are currently positive from covid. With the very high number of elderly and vulnerable in the conurbation it is only going to get worse for the hospitals.

Wow.

I am not convinced that it will persuade the people who really need persuading anyway.
If someone has been cheerfully mixing indoors, going to parties, and not socially distancing despite all previous messages then this wont convince them. It wont convince the covid deniers and those idiots who wang on about "the scamdemic".

It will terrify the already anxious though. It will make responsible people feel guilty for going out for (perfectly legal) exercise outside. It will give a boost to the over zealous, self appointed enforcers who love to waste police time by reporting imagined breaches of non-existent rules.

Horrible, needlessly scary message for children and those already suffering from anxiety to see.

I’ve seen similar nationally, I can’t remember where. If on the internet or someone like whitty doing one of those tv ads but I’ve certainly seen it.

@Covidcovid

I’ve seen similar nationally, I can’t remember where. If on the internet or someone like whitty doing one of those tv ads but I’ve certainly seen it.

The wording has been on the radio and I think also TikTok... not that I’m on there

Oh I’m on tiktok a lot so probably there.