It’s never going to end is it?

[Pink98]

The legislation has been extended to give local councils lockdown powers until the 17th of July ???

Why on Earth ?? If the vaccine works... why will we need to be locked down in the summer ?

Are we just going to be trapped forever

I feel so miserable

So they have extended the powers for 6 months ? I would imagine erring on the side of caution, better to have a bit of wriggle room whilst we work our way out of it. Doesn't mean we will all be in lockdown until that date. It is suprisingly sensible, perhaps thats what has made people suspicious, the Government actually planning ahead

Of course it is going to end. Do you honestly believe it isn’t?

Agree with reallyhadenough, they've messed up even the vaccine compared to all the other countries

well that Vallance guy has said that we will probably still be wearing masks next winter. Because apparently we don't know if vaccinated people can still be asymptomatic and therefore pass the virus onto others. So what's the point? All this - shutting down the economy, ruining people's livelihoods, disrupting children's education, causing a mental health crisis - for a disease that's apparently so bad you have to take a test to find out if you've got it.

@thegosling

well that Vallance guy has said that we will probably still be wearing masks next winter. Because apparently we don't know if vaccinated people can still be asymptomatic and therefore pass the virus onto others. So what's the point? All this - shutting down the economy, ruining people's livelihoods, disrupting children's education, causing a mental health crisis - for a disease that's apparently so bad you have to take a test to find out if you've got it.

See masks don’t bother me a bit, would trade getting my life back and having to wear a mask constantly in a heartbeat

Well for starters wearing a mask isn't quite the same as children not going to school is it ?

If that's the level of restrictions we will be doing welll given how many people are willing to jeopardise everything by letting virus get worse and mutate more

@thegosling

well that Vallance guy has said that we will probably still be wearing masks next winter. Because apparently we don't know if vaccinated people can still be asymptomatic and therefore pass the virus onto others. So what's the point? All this - shutting down the economy, ruining people's livelihoods, disrupting children's education, causing a mental health crisis - for a disease that's apparently so bad you have to take a test to find out if you've got it.

Yeah. All those hospitals that are now actually completely full and sending patients to other ends of the country for ICU beds must wonder why they are bothering as it’s so asymptomatic. FGS...

It may not come to that but a few people I know quite well said a long time ago that they thought lockdown should be at least until July and felt that would happen. It does seem sensible but very difficult for so many. On the other hand we usually have very good weather in June and July so can enjoy back gardens (those who have them), and going to open spaces if they are not too far away. I have some lovely areas near to me which I haven't visited in years but will do so this summer.

When do you think people might be ok to work in an office again?

I’ve missed out on experiencing any form of Covid restrictions at work as I’ve been on maternity leave since last March.
I’m due back soon and I’ve no idea what it will be like and worried as I have no space at home for a computer or desk (I don’t have a home computer)

If wearing masks mean we are less likely to get colds and flu then I think we should keep wearing them in public places. I don’t want anyone to ever come near me without on on ever again.

I don’t understand why they can’t ease restrictions when everyone’s vaccinated

They can but realistically we don’t know when ‘everyone’ will be vaccinated.

It might not be the mask wearing that reduces colds and flu though, could be all the sanitising and extra space.
We won’t know I guess as the cold and flu season has it all

What are the point of lockdowns though, when people are still streaming through airports having travelled for "work" trips to Dubai and the Caribbean.

Until we stop people bringing new mutations/variants of this fucking virus, we're all doomed. It will just go on. And on. And on.

This Government is a joke. And that's why we are in for the long haul.

They're talking about the SA variant now. It's here, 77 known cases in the UK, add a couple of zeros to that (at least) for the unidentified cases and its endemic. Give it a few weeks and a Tory will be stood at the podium explaining how to they'd love to relax restrictions but the vaccines now less effective, which is entirely NOT THEIR FAULT. If it's not that scenario it will be something similar. They'll release a few more posters, slogans and scary news reports, and the furloughed/pensioned masses will be begging to be locked down forever. Meanwhile the economic, non-covid physical and mental health of the country will continue to plummet, to the point that lockdown related deaths outnumber covid ones my an order of magnitude. I can't see a way out of this.

@amylou8

They're talking about the SA variant now. It's here, 77 known cases in the UK, add a couple of zeros to that (at least) for the unidentified cases and its endemic. Give it a few weeks and a Tory will be stood at the podium explaining how to they'd love to relax restrictions but the vaccines now less effective, which is entirely NOT THEIR FAULT. If it's not that scenario it will be something similar. They'll release a few more posters, slogans and scary news reports, and the furloughed/pensioned masses will be begging to be locked down forever. Meanwhile the economic, non-covid physical and mental health of the country will continue to plummet, to the point that lockdown related deaths outnumber covid ones my an order of magnitude. I can't see a way out of this.

Wait until the Brazilian one starts too. The possibility of the vaccines not working with these is quite high, I think the news will drip out over the coming weeks. It’s. It good news that’s for sure.

The way out will be a huge recruitment drive in the NHS and doubling the number of hospitals we have. We have to adapt medical facilities to deal with a constant stream of covid patients before we can start to properly go back to a sense of normality.

It’s going to be a long slog and not a quick fix by any stretch.

**It’s not good news

I doubt we'll be locked down until July, they have to extend the legislation to cover themselves. Things will be very different when lots of the population are vaccinated. However, they need to keep schools off until after Easter at least, start to open up very, very slowly from May onwards I'd guess.
But of course it is a guess, we just don't know and no-one has a crystal ball that tells us....

They need to change the school holidays. So longer of in winter and school throughout August as otherwise kids go back to school in September and come out again at Xmas!!

@thegosling

well that Vallance guy has said that we will probably still be wearing masks next winter. Because apparently we don't know if vaccinated people can still be asymptomatic and therefore pass the virus onto others. So what's the point? All this - shutting down the economy, ruining people's livelihoods, disrupting children's education, causing a mental health crisis - for a disease that's apparently so bad you have to take a test to find out if you've got it.

Masks might become a normal thing for a couple of years to protect each other yes.

The reason for all of the above is to stop the NHS from coming to a grinding halt for years or just collapsing all together. That would mean no NHS medical treatment for cancers, heart disease, mental health conditions.

Covid is obviously not always so mild that you need a test to confirm you have it; it's just that you can get lots of other viruses that cause respiratory infections so you need to be tested to confirm that it's Covid.

Before everyone loses their mind (maybe too late) the thing that has been extended is the power to local councils to close premises etc. for covid reasons. It comes in blocks of 6 months and the latest 6 months were due to expire so extend for another 6 months takes us to July it has absolutely no baring on when restrictions will ease or how long we will be in lockdown for. We will categorically not be in this level of lockdown past the end of March and certainly not in the summer. Think of last summer, with no vaccine this summer will be better. Even if we have to tweak the vaccine to make it work for new variants that doesn’t take long and once the usual winter pressure eases from the NHS things will be a lot better.

If the SA variant is not covered by the vaccine what is the exit strategy? ok vaccines can be updated but then what about the next strain and the next one?

The only way to avoid variants is to suppress , that slows mutation rates,

That's worldwide vaccination programmes and strong action against outbreaks

On the plus side there will be less work to do due to lower exports and jobs moving to run the EU warehouses for UK firms.

*The way out will be a huge recruitment drive in the NHS and doubling the number of hospitals we have. We have to adapt medical facilities to deal with a constant stream of covid patients before we can start to properly go back to a sense of normality.

It’s going to be a long slog and not a quick fix by any stretch.*

Well that’s the thing even if hospitalisations and deaths drop by 90% that’s still a fair amount of bed capacity that’s going to have to be increased permanently to deal with the 10%

@Christmasfairy2020

They need to change the school holidays. So longer of in winter and school throughout August as otherwise kids go back to school in September and come out again at Xmas!!

Yeah I've been wondering that maybe the school year will have to be changed if it turns out that we'll be living like this for a few more years and if it turns out there is some seasonality to the virus. Perhaps start the academic year in Feb with remote learning for 3 months, 2 week break at the start of May, back to school in person for the rest of May, June, July, Aug and part of Sept then back to remote learning from mid-Sept to end Nov. Dec and Jan off as extended end of year holiday.

Lockdown will end once the economy is sufficiently fucked enough that there aren’t enough tax coffers to pay for the beloved NHS. Then we’ll all be blackmailed back out on to the railways and into offices, so that we can buy an overpriced Pret lunch. We’ll probably still be banned from seeing family and friends though.