Local lockdowns!

[november90]

Hi all,
Just read a concerning article about the top ten places likely to fall into a local lockdown, all concerningly in the north west and very close to my hometown Lancaster and I'm feeling absolutely gutted. We were in local lockdown since September last year, cafes never reopened since they closed for the November lockdown until last week... we cannot keep doing this! How likely is this actually going to be? Is the north west just always going to be majorly locked down even when vaccinated :(

Local lockdowns have never worked.

I could see them doing it to set everyone else's mind at ease that "the North West has been locked down" (central government aren't bothered about the livelihood of the North anyway) but it wouldn't actually do anything in suppression terms.

I’m in the North and won’t be complying any longer, and I’ve been very “good” so far!

I feel exactly the same as you. I’m terrified that Lancashire County Council will choose to enforce further restrictions due to the situation on surrounding areas. As a council, they are extremely cautious, look at the fact that they’ve already insisted that all schools continue to wear masks until June 21st even though cases are not high in our area. No one who hasn’t been in further restrictions for as long as we has understands what it’s like, they’re upset that they missed out on Christmas but they don’t appreciate that we had months of it beforehand. Unfortunately, I think Lancashire County Council will jump at the chance to put us into a local lockdown. For those people not in the area, this is what my local area looked like yesterday.

Oh and no, I won’t be complying except that I won’t be able to spend my money in local businesses.

I’m in a ‘hotspot’ in West Yorkshire, we had lockdown all last summer pretty much like a Lancashire. It’s been incredibly shit. Safe to say, I won’t be locking down again locally. I mean yeh, they can close everything. It’d destroy businesses. But I’ll be off to Leeds or wherever is open for softplay, restaurants, shopping and if I can’t see friends out & about, I’ll see them in my house. We’ve chatted about this loads amongst friends & we all feel the same way. None of us have broken many rules. We’ve complied but we’ve had enough.

I’ve actually amended the address on my holiday booking to my in-laws address in Berkshire. I’m worried our postcode would mean we are banned from going, so I’ve said we’ve moved house! No more. Hospitalisation & deaths are tiny. It’s time to live with this & get vaccinated.

@NotBot

I’m in a ‘hotspot’ in West Yorkshire, we had lockdown all last summer pretty much like a Lancashire. It’s been incredibly shit. Safe to say, I won’t be locking down again locally. I mean yeh, they can close everything. It’d destroy businesses. But I’ll be off to Leeds or wherever is open for softplay, restaurants, shopping and if I can’t see friends out & about, I’ll see them in my house. We’ve chatted about this loads amongst friends & we all feel the same way. None of us have broken many rules. We’ve complied but we’ve had enough.

I’ve actually amended the address on my holiday booking to my in-laws address in Berkshire. I’m worried our postcode would mean we are banned from going, so I’ve said we’ve moved house! No more. Hospitalisation & deaths are tiny. It’s time to live with this & get vaccinated.

That’s the spirit, nothing like the good old Me myself and I mentality, heck if everyone thought way we’d be utterly screwed wouldn’t we. But that doesn’t matter so long as you’re alright. 🙄😂 we’ve had enough so we’ll carry on and pretend it doesn’t exist. Lol that’ll get you far.

Not.

Safe to say your reasoning is what will throw the whole country back into lockdown. 🤨

Ah look who it is, still banging the lockdown drum! Quite amusing that you think anyone listens to you!

You are really going to have to look into some sort of hobby when this is over.

@LucilleTheVampireBat

Ah look who it is, still banging the lockdown drum! Quite amusing that you think anyone listens to you!

You are really going to have to look into some sort of hobby when this is over.

One could say the same thing for you and the rest of your chums my vampire bat friend. 🤗

That’s a good idea about the holiday booking, I would do likewise if I had any relatives anywhere but here.
And yes I’m afraid if you want to lock down again then the whole country will have to. Local restrictions aren’t happening again.

Fingers crossed @Thewiseoneincognito - rather everyone suffer this shit than just the north yet again because it’s poorer & less people can WFH. Local lockdowns clearly didn’t work at all last time as here we are again, still stuck in high numbers.

If deaths shoot up again, I’ll do my bit. But while vaccines seem to be working & there 10 deaths a day, I’ll carry on thanks. I’ll be out there living life to the most I can just in case they take it all away again. Had a week off work this week. I’ve done 5 softplays, 1 splash park, 3 lunches, 1 dinner & night out with pals. I’m bloody knackered but boyyy has it been wonderful 🙌🏼

Hope you are enjoying your house 👍🏻

When Northants was in tier 2 and Beds and MK was in tier 4 near Christmas everyone just came to Northants for shopping and whatever else was open, not that I am blaming them I would have done the same. We were like an island in the middle of tier 4 as Leicester was tier 4 as well, it was ridiculous.

Good luck to anyone who thinks they can lock down the country again whilst rates are low. I'm in the south east, rates are very low here so there is no way I'd comply with any lockdown. What would be the point? Destroy businesses here because there's high rates elsewhere in the country? No. It has to be local lockdowns or nothing. I'd rather nothing personally as I don't believe we need lockdowns anymore with the low deaths now.

'You are really going to have to look into some sort of hobby when this is over'

Isn't ironic when people post stuff like this. The same could be said of you Bat, who will you sneer at once we're back to normal hmm? Mind, I'm sure you have a long list..

They can get to fuck with the lockdown bs. Havent complied since last summer and never will again. Enough is enough. Everyone needs to say no. Cant go on like this.

That article is not based on anything official at all.
I watched very closely what the politicians were saying about this - basically they keep being asked 'will you rule out local lockdown' and they won't, nor would I expect them to.
if you look at hospitalisiation rates in Bolton, they are actually extremely low compared to the number of cases. Yeah that could change but at the moment serious alarm bells should not be going off about that. If the numbers keep going up though I would worry, especially as I from what I gather in Bolton at least it's mostly children infected. Yeah they most likely have next to no symptoms but we still don't really understand the impact of long covid in kids. I am not sure lockdown is the answer but something will have to be done if numbers keep rising. In the meantime, surge testing and vaccinating is definitely happening, in significant numbers.

Is travel restrictions on 8 areas not a sort localised lockdown is it things close.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/government-tells-people-not-travel-24176373

[quote 3asAbird]Is travel restrictions on 8 areas not a sort localised lockdown is it things close.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/government-tells-people-not-travel-24176373[/quote]
Is this not more of a common sense thing?? I mean why would you travel out of your own area into a higher transmission area for anything other than work or education ? I cant imagine Bolton or Blackburn high on the list as the most popular places to visit for a holiday or night out at the moment if you don't already live there

no but if you're advised against essential travel out that puts you in a difficult issue if you're in Bolton and you want to get out eg for half term

Looks like the government have brought in local lockdowns but forgot to tell anyone, including the local authorities and councils!!!!

www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do#if-youre-in-an-area-where-the-new-covid-19-variant-is-spreading

“If you’re in an area where the new COVID-19 variant is spreading
This new variant is sometimes referred to as the variant first identified in India. It is spreading fastest in:

Bedford Borough Council
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Burnley Borough Council
Kirklees Council
Leicester City Council
London Borough of Hounslow
North Tyneside Council

The new COVID-19 variant spreads more easily from person to person. To help stop the spread, you should take particular caution when meeting anyone outside your household or support bubble.

In the areas listed above, wherever possible, you should try to:

meet outside rather than inside where possible
keep 2 metres apart from people that you don’t live with (unless you have formed a support bubble with them), this includes friends and family you don’t live with
avoid travelling in and out of affected areas unless it is essential, for example for work (if you cannot work from home) or education”

So basically, back to pre-17th May restrictions, plus no leaving the area!!

@everythingthelighttouches

Looks like the government have brought in local lockdowns but forgot to tell anyone, including the local authorities and councils!!!!

www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do#if-youre-in-an-area-where-the-new-covid-19-variant-is-spreading

“If you’re in an area where the new COVID-19 variant is spreading
This new variant is sometimes referred to as the variant first identified in India. It is spreading fastest in:

Bedford Borough Council
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Burnley Borough Council
Kirklees Council
Leicester City Council
London Borough of Hounslow
North Tyneside Council

The new COVID-19 variant spreads more easily from person to person. To help stop the spread, you should take particular caution when meeting anyone outside your household or support bubble.

In the areas listed above, wherever possible, you should try to:

meet outside rather than inside where possible
keep 2 metres apart from people that you don’t live with (unless you have formed a support bubble with them), this includes friends and family you don’t live with
avoid travelling in and out of affected areas unless it is essential, for example for work (if you cannot work from home) or education”

So basically, back to pre-17th May restrictions, plus no leaving the area!!

Well no, this is just guidance not actually lockdown laws. No shops, pubs or restaurants closed. It's guidance should people wish to follow it. I'm sure the majority won't.

But where was the announcement that this was new guidance for these areas????

www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do#if-youre-in-an-area-where-the-new-covid-19-variant-is-spreading

Here’s the latest update which they didn’t seem to want to announce or forgot to announce.

Or sorry it has been posted already.

It is also on exactly the same page as the new 17th May/step 3 easing of restrictions which is also described as “guidance”.

It doesn’t distinguish between the “guidance” and it actually goes on to say

“You should follow this guidance on what you can and cannot do. It is underpinned by law. “

Which is incredibly poorly communicated.

What?! I’ve just read about travel not being advised into or out of these areas. I live in a borough bordering Burnley and I go there often, but I’m on the West Yorkshire side...I hadn’t even read this until now.