Will we be locking down again this year?

[Vindawoo]

Sorry, I'm sure it's been done to death

But do you think we will lock down again this year or are we done for now? Seems unlikely given the new blasé attitude of Boris etc - He seems to care less now

Yes. Before Christmas

@GandP

I expect that Jan-March will be lockdown season for a few years, in my view.

We have to find ways to adapt to our brave new world.

How do you suggest we adapt when people's business have to close? People's children aren't educated? How do you actually adapt to that? You just can't.

Unless it includes universal basic income and some sort of scheme to keep your job but not attend for three months a year while your kids school is closed.

@PrincessNutNuts we locked down before because we risked the hospitals becoming overwhelmed. That risk is now gone. So why would we need to lock down again?

@Getyourarseofffthequattro

But surely *@PrincessNutNuts* the NHS is far far less likely to become overwhelmed now the majority of adults have been vaccinated?

Double whatever today's numbers are three times and that's a very rough indication of where we can expect to be in about six weeks if nothing significant changes.

(But of course something significant is changing on July 19th, and it won't help.)

[quote Blessex]@PrincessNutNuts we locked down before because we risked the hospitals becoming overwhelmed. That risk is now gone. So why would we need to lock down again?[/quote]
There are hospitals quietly declaring black alerts in the places with the highest numbers already.

Why do you think that threat is gone?

No it will peak over summer / early autumn

Numbers of what? Hospitalisations? Because that includes people who have incidentally tested positive and are in hospital for something unrelated.

@PrincessNutNuts there is no way I am locking down again to help a service which has been chronically underfunded. We will simply need to start funding our NHS properly. I am not going to be complicit in that again. We are papering over the real issue - properly funded healthcare.

@PrincessNutNuts There are hospitals quietly declaring black alerts in the places with the highest numbers already.

Source please.

@Blessex

Why would we lock down again now that the vaccines have broken the link between cases and hospitalisations and death?

They haven't.

The vaccines have changed the ratio of cases to hospital admissions and deaths.

The government would have to allow a lot more daily cases than we've ever seen before in order for us to get to the hospital admissions (and patients on mechanical ventilation) numbers we've had in previous waves.

And they intend to.

Starting next week.

What is happening in the NE? There’s nothing on the news about it.

I agree that Boris follows Nicola.

I think there will be come late September when all the hysteria ,kicks off via the media from school teachers

It's not broken - even Johnson admits that!

@PrincessNutNuts where is the source for what is happening in NE hospitals? Or are you making it up?

[quote Blessex]@PrincessNutNuts where is the source for what is happening in NE hospitals? Or are you making it up?[/quote]
I'm sure you can type the words "Hospital" and "black alert" into Google as well as anyone to find the hospitals who declared it publicly.

Shaun Lintern of the Independent is a good account to follow on Twitter on the topic. Medics contact him with info about their respective hospitals so he is better informed than most.

@nancy75 I totally agree with you. Maybe restrictions will be lifted, maybe they will ramped back up. Who knows. But I for I one am sure I wont be shopping if the shops are shut however I much I want to ignore the rules. Ignoring the rules doesnt equate to breaking into pubs or shops or theatres or cinamas and living like its 2019.

If lockdowns dont effect people who "get on with life as normal" then great. Crack on.

@Getyourarseofffthequattro

Numbers of what? Hospitalisations? Because that includes people who have incidentally tested positive and are in hospital for something unrelated.

What a damning indictment of our world-beatingly expensive test trace. and isolate system that is.

The first infected carriers often hear about it is when they break their arm and get tested in A&E.

[quote Blessex]@PrincessNutNuts we locked down before because we risked the hospitals becoming overwhelmed. That risk is now gone. So why would we need to lock down again?[/quote]
Why do you think that risk is gone?

why would we need to lock down again?

We don't know how long the current vaccine will remain effective (the older you are, the quicker it will cease to be effective), the next strain along may escape the current vaccines altogether, the strain after that could have a higher mortality outcome.

Lots of reasons

I'm sure you can type the words "Hospital" and "black alert" into Google as well as anyone to find the hospitals who declared it publicly

Only two and both in Scotland according to Google.

Can’t see how we won’t. Given how many are already breaking the rules, refusing to test and isolate etc and then so called freedom day which relies on personal responsibility….

What a damning indictment of our world-beatingly expensive test trace. and isolate system that is. The first infected carriers often hear about it is when they break their arm and get tested in A&E.

You're missing the point. They're not hospitalised WITH covid.

I am hoping that it does peak over the summer and we won’t need to but I have found it pays to keep an open mind on things then no nasty surprises.

@Getyourarseofffthequattro

I'm sure you can type the words "Hospital" and "black alert" into Google as well as anyone to find the hospitals who declared it publicly

Only two and both in Scotland according to Google.

I have googled it too and only saw Inverness. I live in the NE and haven't heard anything about hospitals

Some restrictions, probably and for me that’s fine.

Closing schools - never again. Although if they do I hope we can at least lockdown with grandparents this time, as it’s been intolerable as a single parent.