Restrictions to be eased at Easter *MNHQ title edit to remind everyone not to get their hopes up.*

[sally067]

Not sure if it was mentioned in another thread but I saw tonight that it looks like the Government plans are that we will see this lockdown lifted at the beginning of April.

twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1351313981894483970

This thread of tweets seems to suggest that cities will likely only go back into Tier's 3 and 4 though so we'll still be in a lockdown of sorts until May regardless of the vaccine rollout due to the shear number of cases at present. I guess any hope of things opening in February or March were a bit of a long shot with the new variant.

All seems so endless. Easter is 12 weeks or 51 working days away. I've never wished my life away so much and really hope we get an early Spring.

We are seeing the infection rate drop by 10,000 every week if this continues we have every right to feel optimistic, certainly around schools reopening.

I for one would not be staying in a lockdown to autumn! You can if you want, but the rest of us intend to get our lives back long before then!

The worst thing is going back to bloody tiers which didn't work

Schools are working on the basis of going back after Easter

Why did these fools cock things up so much in December? All to save bloody Christmas which was cancelled last minute anyway. We're paying until Easter for their mistake while they blame the public.

@Dollywilde it's so sad isn't it. I'm in a constant state of wishing time away but then feeling horrendously guilty because I'll never get this time back :(

Wonder how low infection rates will be then? (Can't imagine they'll be as low as they were end of August.)

Numbers around here started rising here pretty soon after schools started in September and we're only just back to the numbers we were seeing before we broke up in this area. That felt quite scary in school with the numbers of kids being hoiked out of class with no notice.

I for one would not be staying in a lockdown to autumn! You can if you want, but the rest of us intend to get our lives back long before then!

Just regarding the comment about 'the rest of us' - current opinion polling (within last week) still has very high majority support for increasing lockdown measures.

The public in general is more in favour of lockdown than the government.

There is going to be a serious backlash against the government sooner or later. I hope the industries which have effectively been destroyed succeed in suing the fucking pants off the government. The government have been scaring us to hell and back: somebody needs to make sure that any future government is terrified of ever imposing a future lockdown. LOCKDOWNS MUST NOT BECOME A WAY OF LIFE. I do foresee that there is a very real danger of them becoming normalised. We must not let this happen.

"Aspiration". Chris Whitty not on board. "Begin" to life restrictions.

It's also being reported that's the "earliest" possible. So it isn't looking likely.

As I posted on the other thread about this:

They won't want us suddenly going and mixing over Easter

So I'd put it a week or so later for behavioural reasons (and because those being vaccinated now won't have had their second jabs (allowing for the 2 weeks after the second shot for it to 'take' fully, only those done in December will be properly covered, and we don't want to provoke the hail before Armistice)

Which is a shame because it means the most significant Christian festival gets buggered up twice.

@inquietant

I for one would not be staying in a lockdown to autumn! You can if you want, but the rest of us intend to get our lives back long before then!

Just regarding the comment about 'the rest of us' - current opinion polling (within last week) still has very high majority support for increasing lockdown measures.

The public in general is more in favour of lockdown than the government.

Interestingly. I definitely don't know any of those people IRL.

There is going to be a serious backlash against the government sooner or later.

Only a small minority think current lockdown is too harsh. They are vocal, but most support the measures or want measures to go further.

Govt ministers are denying any plan to lift restrictions at Easter.

Its in several newspapers, thats it.

So until there is anything official its just rumour.

Restrictions should be lifted when the NHS is able to cope, infections in the 100s, vaccination of anyone vulnerable (both doses) done.

Or we just go back into LD a few weeks later.

The reports are saying with the exception of schools.

So schools earlier than Easter.

Interestingly. I definitely don't know any of those people IRL.

Yes, we all live in bubbles, which is why polling is important. I don't have any friends who voted Brexit - but the national result shows I don't know everyone!

Just regarding the comment about 'the rest of us' - current opinion polling (within last week) still has very high majority support for increasing lockdown measures

Yes until it affects them......

Some of the folk i know who want tighter restrictions, also pop round for a coffee to relatives/friends too.

Schools shouldn’t reopen fully until teachers and staff are vaccinated. Schools are still not covid safe even with lower numbers in and fully reopening without any safety changes will just drive another spike!

Best the government actually decide what on earth they are doing with the thousands of Y11 and Y13’s then who have no bloody idea afar they are doing about exams this year. Exams are cancelled and they are using teacher grades but most haven’t done mocks so they can’t do that so they intend to sit “exams” set by the government and Ofqual in Spring when apparently they won’t have been at school from December to January. Honestly these poor kids are struggling so much. And before anyone says it, I’m a TA so I know how hard teachers work. What the Government has done to these kids is inexcusable.

I only know one person in RL who thinks restrictions should be lifted and life back to "normal".

He isn't awfully bright and has no understanding of basic science. A bit like Johnson.

Let's hope wiser heads prevail or we'll be back in lockdown by July.

@november90

My maternity leave started ag the same time as the March lockdown and I go back to work after Easter....... brilliant 🙃😭💔

Same here

Apologies for the mistakes in my post, my phone has a kind of it’s own!

@wanderings

There is going to be a serious backlash against the government sooner or later. I hope the industries which have effectively been destroyed succeed in suing the fucking pants off the government. The government have been scaring us to hell and back: somebody needs to make sure that any future government is terrified of ever imposing a future lockdown. LOCKDOWNS MUST NOT BECOME A WAY OF LIFE. I do foresee that there is a very real danger of them becoming normalised. We must not let this happen.

I know, no other country is like this. Even in Spain people are still allowed to see a few others and have been able to since the first lockdown. The government can’t seriously expect people not to see any family or friends until May (which is what it will be if it’s lockdown until Easter and then tier 4).

I for one would not be staying in a lockdown to autumn! You can if you want, but the rest of us intend to get our lives back long before then!

How are you going to do that if everything is closed ?

@Audacity7

Schools shouldn’t reopen fully until teachers and staff are vaccinated. Schools are still not covid safe even with lower numbers in and fully reopening without any safety changes will just drive another spike!

My concern with this is it doesn't stop parents being in the firing line.

@ihearttc

Best the government actually decide what on earth they are doing with the thousands of Y11 and Y13’s then who have no bloody idea afar they are doing about exams this year. Exams are cancelled and they are using teacher grades but most haven’t done mocks so they can’t do that so they intend to sit “exams” set by the government and Ofqual in Spring when apparently they won’t have been at school from December to January. Honestly these poor kids are struggling so much. And before anyone says it, I’m a TA so I know how hard teachers work. What the Government has done to these kids is inexcusable.

Hear hear