Expecting the government to have a plan to end lockdown?

[ZoolInMyFridge]

Just seems ludicrous to me! The virus is unpredictable. Surely it’s worse to propose a plan, only to say ‘no, sorry’ - a few weeks later? The priority should be to relieve pressure on the NHS - and vaccinate.

I agree. Last April/May the media were putting pressure on Boris to come up with a plan out of lockdown, and crucified him several weeks later when things didn't go to plan.

No one know when things can be relaxed - we could even get more restrictions before we start to relax them.

Everyone needs to be patient and let the scientists etc monitor the rates of infections, hospitalisatons, deaths, vaccinations, etc.

I'd far rather coming out of lockdown was led by the scientists than media pressure this time.

@Kazzyhoward agree!

The whole point we're IN lockdown in the first place is to shop the NHS being overwhelmed. Therefore it isn't crazy to suggest that the plan to end lockdown should come as a result of falling bed capacity in ICU.

When the NHS is no longer under pressure, the lockdown must end. Enough of these draconian restrictions on everybodies lives.

If lockdown doesn't end either as a result of vaccinations OR the NHS being overwhelmed, then wtf is the point in all this? It seems mad that some people just cannot accept there being ANY risk whatsoever for the rest of their lives.

We can't just live like this for the forseeable future with no end in sight, trying to eek out every human live forever while simultaneously removing everything that makes life worth living in the first place.

There should have a plan, a plan doesn't have to have a date on it, but having no plan would be incompetence.

They surely must have a range of plans for differing eventualities and circumstances?! They clearly should and this should be made public. So 'if xxxx happens then xxxxxx but if xxxxx happens then xxxxx' and so on. It's not putting a firm date on anything but giving reasonable outcomes depending on various situations.

They're just playing it by ear. What's wrong with that?

@Againstmachine

There should have a plan, a plan doesn't have to have a date on it, but having no plan would be incompetence.

Yes exactly.

Big difference between “we’ll lift lockdown at 7.30am on March the 5th” and “we can’t put dates on it, but we plan to start very carefully relaxing some restrictions when hospital capacity is this/total infections are below that/we’ve vaccinated enough people to reduce transmission to whatever.”

I think they should have a plan especially regarding schools and how to make them safer to get the children back as soon as possible. Rotas/masks at least.

I know they can't put a date on it yet but I hope they're doing things to prepare behind the scenes.

There is a plan for ending lockdown - when infection rates, hospital admissions and occupancy fall and at least the vulnerable part of the population are vaccinated.

I hope they're doing things to prepare behind the scenes.

I'm very sure they're not.

i doubt they expected this new variant to be 'more deadly'

not their fault

OP I agree.

Againstmachine there is a plan in the sense that we plan to keep contact low while vaccinating everyone. It's just not a plan where you can be specific since it depends on too many variables. Remember that no one has ever actually done this before. Not in a modern densely packed society.

"If lockdown doesn't end either as a result of vaccinations OR the NHS being overwhelmed, then wtf is the point in all this" what on earth made you think it wouldn't? Do you really think the government intends to have lockdowns forever? I know there are some Youtubers saying that kind of thing but no normal people.

Remember this is a Tory government. They must be crying themselves to sleep at night over the wealth being lost.

@Waxonwaxoff0

I think they should have a plan especially regarding schools and how to make them safer to get the children back as soon as possible. Rotas/masks at least.

I know they can't put a date on it yet but I hope they're doing things to prepare behind the scenes.

They have had a year to prioritise F2F education. They haven’t, they closed their eyes and hoped for the best. That is pretty much still the plan.

You won't get one. Our civil liberties have gone. We gave them away just like that
How are the Government doing it? By projecting fear ie today's news nugget about the new variant

Totally agree, they would be stupid to commit to anything now. Sick of the journalists asking the question over and over!

When the NHS is no longer under pressure, the lockdown must end

Sorry to bring this up, but here are already 4.4 million people on NHS waiting lists, 162,000 of them for over a year, and that's without considering all those who haven't yet been referred: www.kingsfund.org.uk/press/press-releases/impact-covid-19-waiting-times-NHS-patients

Whatever else ends lockdown I doubt it'll be "less pressure on the NHS", because that's simply not going to happen any time in the foreseeable future

@Puzzledandpissedoff people mean less pressure as in less on icu and routine ops not cancelled as they cannot do as too many patient with covid in, and or staff off with covid .

How can we commit to anything much when we don't know if this may evolve again, if it is more deadly ?

@faerin

The whole point we're IN lockdown in the first place is to shop the NHS being overwhelmed. Therefore it isn't crazy to suggest that the plan to end lockdown should come as a result of falling bed capacity in ICU.

When the NHS is no longer under pressure, the lockdown must end. Enough of these draconian restrictions on everybodies lives.

If lockdown doesn't end either as a result of vaccinations OR the NHS being overwhelmed, then wtf is the point in all this? It seems mad that some people just cannot accept there being ANY risk whatsoever for the rest of their lives.

We can't just live like this for the forseeable future with no end in sight, trying to eek out every human live forever while simultaneously removing everything that makes life worth living in the first place.

If we come out too soon, we risk another wave and having to go back into lockdown yet again would be catastrophic for the economy etc. We need to be certain that another wave isn't going to happen, hence coming out gradually, step by step, this time and not going gung ho and doing stupid things like eat out to help out!

Agree

Though I can imagine a few plans involving different involving different scenarios are floating about.

So many things to consider and information available changes all the time. So they definitely shouldn't announce any plans for a while yet.

People mean less pressure as in less on icu and routine ops not cancelled

We can only hope so, donewithitall, because if the backlog was to be included the "NHS pressure" may not end for years

They must have a number in mind of vaccinated people where they will feel comfortable to start to relax restrictions. They must also have projections for approx how many people will be vaccinated by X Y and Z dates. Why are they not sharing this with us, albeit on an approximate basis?

@BonnieDundee

They must have a number in mind of vaccinated people where they will feel comfortable to start to relax restrictions. They must also have projections for approx how many people will be vaccinated by X Y and Z dates. Why are they not sharing this with us, albeit on an approximate basis?

Because the media will crucify them (again) when the actual figures etc don't match the estimates/projections. The media don't seem to understand the concept of projections etc.

I’m basing my view on two family situations I’ve had recently requiring NHS treatment, one involving a child. The child had a possibly life threatening condition, that in normal times could be treated easily. Fortunately, despite a lot of worry/phone calls/tests - she was able to access this treatment. But the delays due to Covid could have had massive repercussions. My point is that we have GOT to relive pressure on the NHS, and life or death situations are the priority. There seems to be some general opinion that it’s ‘only the elderly that suffer, and if they catch the virus, it should impact the lives of the younger/fit or healthy’. I am absolutely disgusted by this attitude. We are in this together, and we make sacrifices for the good of the whole.

Sorry @shouldnt impact