Page 7 | Public reaction if there is another major lockdown

Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 11:49

It's an interesting question OP

The impression I get in our area at least is that everyone has mentally had enough and in their heads they have moved on and consider we are on our way out..

I'm not sure why they would think this. The Gov't/science/experts have rightly never said or promised that lockdowns will end. Maybe people only hear what they want to hear?

Overthebow · 19/04/2021 12:22

@Flaxmeadow

It's an interesting question OP

The impression I get in our area at least is that everyone has mentally had enough and in their heads they have moved on and consider we are on our way out..

I'm not sure why they would think this. The Gov't/science/experts have rightly never said or promised that lockdowns will end. Maybe people only hear what they want to hear?

Boris has though. He has used the word irreversible to describe lockdown easing, which has obviously led people to believe there will be no more. I know we can't trust everything he says, but that is a pretty clear message.

sleepwouldbenice · 19/04/2021 12:30

It's going to depend on the reason and context isn't it
Despite what antilock downers spout, we arent there yet. Either in terms of herd immunity or knowing that vaccines will get us where we want to be. There is also the world wide impact and new variants to consider
Hopefully we will crawl our way out of this. Gradually. But if there are local flare ups or nhs pressures to consider (e.g. the rather large case backlog) then There might be short term lockdowns to address this
Even Australia etc have mini lockdowns

Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 13:06

Boris has though. He has used the word irreversible to describe lockdown easing, which has obviously led people to believe there will be no more. I know we can't trust everything he says, but that is a pretty clear message.

But in the interview it was obvious he was talking about THIS particular lockdown, and how we come out of THIS one, hopefully, in irreversible stages. But yes, people only hear what they want to hear. I'm not criticising them for it, it's just human nature

MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2021 13:10

@Flaxmeadow

Boris has though. He has used the word irreversible to describe lockdown easing, which has obviously led people to believe there will be no more. I know we can't trust everything he says, but that is a pretty clear message.

But in the interview it was obvious he was talking about THIS particular lockdown, and how we come out of THIS one, hopefully, in irreversible stages. But yes, people only hear what they want to hear. I'm not criticising them for it, it's just human nature

What was your interpretation? That we’d have lockdowns - when?

There has been commentary from scientists on it being the last one. Even from the more pessimistic.

I don’t think it is all down to people hearing what they want to hear.

LucilleTheVampireBat · 19/04/2021 13:14

So I think when we do go into the next lockdown people will accept it and get on with things

Haha, bless you.

Delatron · 19/04/2021 13:18

‘Even Australia’ do we think they have mini lockdowns as they have not started vaccinations and have zero natural immunity? Maybe.

We are in a different position to them. There will always be Covid, there will always be mutations. Viruses mutate, it is what they do.Are people suggesting the way we deal with that fact is continual lockdowns for years? Or do you think the government will need a new plan?

TheVampiresWife · 19/04/2021 13:39

@Flaxmeadow

It's an interesting question OP

The impression I get in our area at least is that everyone has mentally had enough and in their heads they have moved on and consider we are on our way out..

I'm not sure why they would think this. The Gov't/science/experts have rightly never said or promised that lockdowns will end. Maybe people only hear what they want to hear?

They have, though. They've said this will be the last one and that the steps are irreversible. So the public's reaction to any further major lockdown in future (as per the OP) would, quite rightly and understandably, probably not be favourable and compliance would likely be low.

MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2021 13:44

Even Australia etc have mini lockdowns

Yes because they have a different strategy which means very few cases trigger lockdown. They may well need to do so for longer than us as vaccination programme isn’t as fast.

sleepwouldbenice · 19/04/2021 14:01

But we aren't there yet.
It's quite simple really.

If we reach a stage whereby society is threatened either locally or nationally by the level of hospitalisations we would need to take action to address this.
Hopefully this won't happen which is why a series of actions are available to try to manage this
My hope is that things will massively improve and next winter the worst it will get is maybe a lockdown for a few weeks As we did in November. But there is too much uncertainty to say for sure

Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 14:08

MarshaBradyo
What was your interpretation? That we’d have lockdowns - when?

There has been commentary from scientists on it being the last one. Even from the more pessimistic

I tend to go with what has been said from the start, rolling lockdowns with no definite end

TheVampiresWife
They have, though. They've said this will be the last one and that the steps are irreversible

I haven't seen them say it's the last one, unless it was something like 'hopefully the last one' ?

The 'steps' refers to this lockdown. The exit plans for this one. Boris was in an interview in Wales discussing this lockdown

MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2021 14:10

I tend to go with what has been said from the start, rolling lockdowns with no definite end

Even after vaccines? Whitty doesn’t say this iirc. He says going back to normal with acceptable level of deaths. Did you hear something different or disagree with him?

MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2021 14:16

You might to hear exact words but here’s a recent statement

L
ockdowns are unlikely to happen again in Britain as we learn to treat Covid-19 like flu, Professor Chris Whitty has said.

The UK’s chief medical officer said that the UK will need to learn to live with coronavirus as it is “not going to go away”.

Speaking on a Royal School of Medicine webinar, Professor Whitty said around 20,000 to 25,000 people died of flu three years ago and “no one noticed”.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-lockdown-britons-covid-19-flu-prof-chris-whitty-b927622.html%3famp

scaevola · 19/04/2021 14:18

The vaccine will make an enormous difference, for as long as there are not vaccine escaping variants. Variants which escape the vaccine may also escape natural immunity.

It's a risky time. If we allow rates to remain too high in a population where it everyone is vaccinated yet, and which has extensive trade and other contacts both with neighbouring countries and globally, then we have set the conditions to favour immunity-escaping variants and/or ones which produce a higher viral load in younger people (again driving transmission)

The government scientists have always said this. But the emergence of variants is crystal-ball stuff. So the twin messages shouid be
a) don't take the piss out of the easing of restrictions
b) enjoy the summer, outdoors where possible

Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 14:20

Even after vaccines? Whitty doesn’t say this iirc. He says going back to normal with acceptable level of deaths. Did you hear something different or disagree with him

No 'definite end', meaning no end date. Im not saying there is no possibility of an end, but that they/we just don't know

MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2021 14:22

@Flaxmeadow

Even after vaccines? Whitty doesn’t say this iirc. He says going back to normal with acceptable level of deaths. Did you hear something different or disagree with him

No 'definite end', meaning no end date. Im not saying there is no possibility of an end, but that they/we just don't know

But Whitty has made statements more than we don’t know.

Legoninjago1 · 19/04/2021 14:26

@Teawaster

Why would we need another lockdown? The chances of being hospitalised and dying from covid were very low anyway for those under 60 . Everyone older than that will have had both vaccines by now or will do so very shortly . Anyone between 40 and 60 will have had one vaccine , their chances of catching the virus is significantly reduced, their chances of being hospitalised and dying are tiny. And they will all be vaccinated in the coming months...apart from under 18's. People who have had the vaccine can still possibly transmit covid but they would be transmitting to people who are extremely unlikely to get very sick or die . The only reason that I can think of for another lockdown would be if there is a strain that will be resistant to the vaccine . That doesn't seem too likely we are being told .

Exactly this.

Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 14:28

MarshaBradyo
You might to hear exact words but here’s a recent statement

But the linked newspaper article uses their own wording and chopped up quotes. Unless we hear or read it quoted, exactly as it was said then it's hard to know the context.

Same with the previous Boris stuff mentioned. Boris was, in the full interview, was obviously talking about this particular lockdown but it's been wrongly quoted as him meaning all lockdowns

MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2021 14:35

@Flaxmeadow

MarshaBradyo You might to hear exact words but here’s a recent statement

But the linked newspaper article uses their own wording and chopped up quotes. Unless we hear or read it quoted, exactly as it was said then it's hard to know the context.

Same with the previous Boris stuff mentioned. Boris was, in the full interview, was obviously talking about this particular lockdown but it's been wrongly quoted as him meaning all lockdowns

Yes as I said you may want exact wording

A video is attached in link

MrsPsmalls · 19/04/2021 14:38

Can people honestly not imagine a varient could emerge entirely resistant to current vaccines? Or that is much more deadly? If shit hits fan and people fear for their own lives they will lockdown. If all is going well they won't.

Legoninjago1 · 19/04/2021 14:40

@Flaxmeadow

Boris has though. He has used the word irreversible to describe lockdown easing, which has obviously led people to believe there will be no more. I know we can't trust everything he says, but that is a pretty clear message.

But in the interview it was obvious he was talking about THIS particular lockdown, and how we come out of THIS one, hopefully, in irreversible stages. But yes, people only hear what they want to hear. I'm not criticising them for it, it's just human nature

I disagree. I think the majority of people inferred that 'irreversible' meant out of lockdowns altogether. Forever. By definition you wouldn't be going back into the same lockdown anyway - it would be a new one. Once everyone has had two jabs, barring any horrendous vaccine busting mutant strains - there should be no need for any more lockdowns, which exist purely to ensure we have a functioning national medical system.

TheKeatingFive · 19/04/2021 14:42

My feeling is that many, at the end of their tether with lockdowns in the autumn/winter, were persuaded by Boris to hang on for the vaccines, one last push. So after this one, forget it, that hand has been played.

Lockdowns aren’t a solution in themselves, they are a time buying exercise. So if vaccines don’t mostly solve this, the government need another plan.

Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 14:46

Yes as I said you may want exact wording

A video is attached in link

And in the video he doesn't say there will be no more lockdowns. Or even that it's unlikely. He is talking about possible long term strategy in the future, this could mean 2 years, ten years or a hundred years or whatever. The man interviewing him mentions lockdown but Whitty doesn't

MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2021 14:47

@Flaxmeadow

Yes as I said you may want exact wording

A video is attached in link

And in the video he doesn't say there will be no more lockdowns. Or even that it's unlikely. He is talking about possible long term strategy in the future, this could mean 2 years, ten years or a hundred years or whatever. The man interviewing him mentions lockdown but Whitty doesn't

It cuts out suddenly I’d need the full interview

His last word is that’s unlikely to something about Leicester

TheKeatingFive · 19/04/2021 14:47

Can people honestly not imagine a varient could emerge entirely resistant to current vaccines?

I think entirely resistant to vaccines is unlikely. Though equally boosters and vaccine tweaks probably will be needed to maintain good efficacy.