Is there another lockdown now or not?

[Overthebow]

BBC is showing new guidance for Bolton, Blackburn, Kirklees, Bedford, Burnley, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside.

Is this supposed to be another lockdown? I’m confused.

@itoldyouiwasill100

Can you actually converse without swearing picturesandpickles ?

FFS

At this stage, anyone trying to claim that lockdown had no impact is making a complete idiot of themselves. Either that, or they're taking the piss.

With no pandemic border control, no real quarantine, no proper test and trace, weak messaging on the importance of masks, lockdowns were the only other option.

Clearly the alternatives (border restrictions, test and trace, masks, etc) would have been preferable but the UK government prioritised international travel over domestic freedom, the economy, and public health.

If the Twitter source graph is correct about the number if the Indian variant is more transmisable then it's all rather pointless what ever we do. If 70% of the adult population has had at least one vaccine but the wave could be three times bigger., then we all just wait till it catches up with us at point or another.

If you have faith in that chart ( I'm not saying I dont) then what's the exit plan? Hide away from death forever?

Read the papers, listen to the news check the NHS website and you will know - have the backbone to follow the guidance & stop being such a sheep - IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU LIVE AND TRAVEL TO - it really isn't rocket science

@StressMagnet

If the Twitter source graph is correct about the number if the Indian variant is more transmisable then it's all rather pointless what ever we do. If 70% of the adult population has had at least one vaccine but the wave could be three times bigger., then we all just wait till it catches up with us at point or another.

If you have faith in that chart ( I'm not saying I dont) then what's the exit plan? Hide away from death forever?

Rather than 'hiding away forever' the sensible thing to do is containment measures until the majority of the population are fully vaccinated.

When the majority of the population are fully vaccinated, there's only limited opportunity for transmission - and therefore low likelihood of a) individual infection and b) another mutated strain developing.

At present the majority of the UK population are not fully vaccinated. Partial vaccination is only 33% effective.

www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1346

Covid-19: Single vaccine dose is 33% effective against variant from India, data show

I don't think it's necessarily just with the Indian strain. Back in January studies from Israel suggested one dose was only 33% effective.

It's why it's so important to have both doses.

@itoldyouiwasill100

Partial vaccination is only 33% effective. Really?

33% against the Indian variant for both AZ and Pfizer. Better rate of protection against older variants.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57214596

I heard a young woman on tv saying that she was going to visit her parents in the next town (both on the list of towns where people should be extra careful). Isn't this part of the problem? Part of the reason why we've had to have laws etc.?
We all HATE this pandemic. We all HATE the restrictions. I haven't seen many in my family for almost a year and I'm desperate to see them. My brothers live abroad and can't come to see my widowed father. They could come over, pretend to isolate and see my dad. But isn't part of the reason why the virus has spread so easily because so many have said "I miss my family and I'm going to see them because I'm fed up of the restrictions / I feel well etc? If we just all flipping well abided by guidance / law / whatever - just for a few weeks, wouldn't the whole country be in a better place?

But if circa 70% of the adult population has at least one shot, we are literally less than two months from circa 70% fully vaccinated surely? Probably less than two months.

What then? So do we stay at this level of restrictions or April's until all that 70% is fully vaxxed? What if you never catch the remaining 30%? At what point do we say the have tolerable death rates we wait for a vaccine, wait for the first shot, wait for double vax, wait for 80% take up, wait for vaccinations to incorporate the main strains.

Not a question for anyone personally

We shall find out soon enough

@Bertiebiscuit

Read the papers, listen to the news check the NHS website and you will know - have the backbone to follow the guidance & stop being such a sheep - IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU LIVE AND TRAVEL TO - it really isn't rocket science

The guidelines weren’t actually made public locally. None of our local health authorities or council leaders were told. I saw it on FB and then Googled How often am I supposed to check whether my area has new “guidance”? In fact the govt has now back tracked and the official position from our council is that the National guidelines are in place here too, nothing different.

Our government has made lots of mistakes. But while we are pointing the finger at them for the chaos this pandemic has caused we need to take a good, hard look at our actions, too.

I’m totally with you, I live in Kirklees in a tiny village which has hardly had any cases since this all began.

We have been locked down since last March and I’ve had enough of it. I’ve had both my vaccines and will be doing all of the days out I have booked for half term!

Kirklees is a huge area and only a small proportion of it is effected time and time again yet we all get lumped under the same restrictions!

Very similar situation here Emj86

@itoldyouiwasill100

I am close to Kirklees. You’d think if lockdowns were so effective Kirklees, Leicester etc would have hardly any cases given they have been in virtuously continuous lockdown for 12 months 🤔. It’s almost as if they make fuck all difference 😂

That's because it wasn't really a lockdown. Not with international travel going on throughout - and for most of the last year, with no checks, no tests, and no quarantine.