More stringent measures next week?

[AchillesLastStand]

From the Guardian just now:

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/10/stringent-uk-covid-measures-needed-within-a-week-leak-reveals

I hope not. i thought PM has mentioned in his plan B enforcement telecast that further rules will be reviewed in January.
But no one knows for certain with our government.

Ive had to take my mum into a and e recently. It is absolutely creaming at the seams. The man coordinating ambilances told me if they thought about winter and what was coming they wouldn't come to work. I wouldn't be surprised if soemthing needs to be brought in. But also doubt who would follow. People never see the wider picture.

I’ve just read something similar in The Telegraph and wondered what these further restrictions might be?

Its frightening. The hospitals are craking more now than during the worst of covid... but what to do??

If it’s in the telegraph it will be true. It’s always leaked to them first.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/10/michael-gove-hints-tougher-covid-measures-amid-deeply-concerning/

God, this is all just exhausting. Totally exhausting.

Omicron has an R of 2 and is expected to overtake Delta as the dominant variant in Scotland by next week. This must also be the case for England and Wales. This is much sooner than expected. The government will have to act keep the R below 1.

Plan B that was announced this week was never going to be sufficient. It’s good news that the booster jab is giving 75% protection from symptomatic infection but that’s also a lot of people that are not protected. The government must have modelling of how bad this is likely to be and will act accordingly. I predict schools, shops and hairdressers will remain open and hospitality, theatres and cinemas will be forced to close. It’s depressing and it’s not even Christmas yet. 😔

But OP, they’re saying measures to be brought in no later than 18th, schools in my area shut for
Christmas on the 17th anyway

I don't think they'll try to impose restrictions on people meeting in their own homes at Christmas because so many people will not comply and it would show that they've lost control.

Have just seen this posted. Gives some explanation about when a lockdown might be needed.

Genuine question - why does the R rate need to stay below 1 for a less deadly variant?

It's Plan C so nothing too major. We won't have another lockdown.

It assumes 2.5 day doubling time will continue (but it might not as people will change their behaviour?).

twitter.com/DevanSinha/status/1469396127971749895

@FestiveMelts

Genuine question - why does the R rate need to stay below 1 for a less deadly variant?

Because a small percentage of a very large number is still a lot of people who will need hospital treatment.

2.5 day doubling time doesn’t appear to have continued in South Africa so doubt it would here, especially where we’re hammering out boosters.

@nordica but we don't know what the hospitalized percentage is (or do we?). If it IS much lower than delta, then in theory the R number could be higher and still be very manageable.

Predicting they will say more restrictions until all adults have had the booster + 4 weeks for it to take effect .. So potentially until end of Jan/Feb maybe.... I think they want to get as many people getting the vaccines and boosters and are going to slowly introduce more ultimatums until the majority do it. At some point they will say covid passports for fully vaccinated will be needed for bars and this and that but that might not happen till the end of next year, they'll do this slowly and gradually.
Maybe more restrictions on schooling to try to encourage parents to jab the over 5s... Then I'm sure it will happen all over again to convince people to jab babies and under 5s!

@IsThisIt2021

But OP, they’re saying measures to be brought in no later than 18th, schools in my area shut for Christmas on the 17th anyway

I was thinking about the longer term strategy after Christmas. Schools being closed over Christmas will help slow down the spread to some extent but if households mix, and they will no matter what the government tells them, then we’ll likely to see a surge in cases in the new year.

If Plan C is (as trailed) masks in restaurants and bars, reinstatement of the check-in app and more use of vaccine passports, then I am pretty sure it will be almost entirely pointless.

Don’t worry judging by the posts on her most of Mumsnet will ignore any new measures and then will complain when they can’t get treated in hospital for anything, never mind covid

@WoodenReindeer

Ive had to take my mum into a and e recently. It is absolutely creaming at the seams. The man coordinating ambilances told me if they thought about winter and what was coming they wouldn't come to work. I wouldn't be surprised if soemthing needs to be brought in. But also doubt who would follow. People never see the wider picture.

I can't quite understand this. 7000 in hospital v 40,000 at peak.........

@GoldenOmber

2.5 day doubling time doesn’t appear to have continued in South Africa so doubt it would here, especially where we’re hammering out boosters.

Hey,can you post the link to this info. Only trying to read positive stories at the moment and this sounds hopeful!

And all the short staffs, and all the backlog. Certainly its never like Ive ever seen it before.

I can't quite understand this. 7000 in hospital v 40,000 at peak.........

Non-covid backlog and issues exacerbated by lockdowns, plus harder to discharge to care homes because they don’t have the beds, plus covid on top.

So clearly the solution is to fire care staff and lockdown again? 🤷‍♀️