To think restrictions always end in lockdown?

[Snowcov]

Since Covid began, there hasn't ever been a time when low level restrictions have "worked". They have always ramped up and up until really strict rules amounting to lockdown and then gradually wound back down again. Hearing talk of more restrictions coming in (I'm in Scotland so even more likely with Sturgeon) makes me feel like life is about to get very tough again. I'm personally against lockdown or tough restrictions - especially as this time, it would really just be kicking the can down the road as there is nothing more that can be done once any restrictions are lifted again - we've been vaccinated already and so I'm not sure what lockdown would actually achieve in the long term. Are we on a one way road to this again?

We all have to protect the NHS at great cost as the government don't want to make any meaningful investment or changes to safeguard it to make sure its a healthcare system that can protect its people rather than the other way round. Be even better come April when the crippling staff shortages are exasperated by mandatory vaccinations and people being let go.

@Sowhatifiam realistically the current restrictions are daft. Wear a mask in the cinema but not in cafe when you're walking around.
Wear a mask in the theatre, unless you're singing.
No mandatory masks in workplaces or schools.
No social distancing.

We're not doing the simple basics that made a massive difference last time.

Not sure lockdown lovers are middle class. In my friends it tends to be the more working class of us who are more lockdown compliant.

@girlmom21

They'll just lock down until we've all had our booster that clearly is ineffective given the fact we've already had two jabs and are still having new restrictions implemented

I'll get my booster but starting to get a bit pissed off by it all now.

Guaranteed there'll be a two week 'circuit breaker' during the school holidays even though there are hardly any cases and they're not severe.

What do you mean by a ciircuit breaker exactly?

Furlough isn't coming back, they can't just shut stuff down. What do you know that isn't public knowledge?

[quote girlmom21]@Freddiefox there's no staff available immediately even if we do that. [/quote]
Yes unfortunately that’s very true, but it’s really the only way forward, until it evolves to be milder.

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair a circuit breaker lockdown - like they did before.

Knowing the ridiculous restrictions they pick and choose, they'll probably reintroduce the rule of 6 and social distancing but allow hospitality to remain open as long as it's table service.

I don't know anything but I'm allowed to share my opinions and scepticism's just like everyone else

Yes, feeling pretty bleak about it too. Feels like an endless cycle of “all we need is a few sensible restrictions, is it really that big a deal?” -> doesn’t work -> “it’s just a few weeks and you can still see your family one household at a time, lump it” -> doesn’t work -> “all we need is a circuit breaker for a few weeks, if you don’t want a lockdown then you should be supporting that!” -> doesn’t work -> “oh no, now we have to lock down again, nothing else for it. If only we’d done the first minor things a bit sooner!”

I could accept the case for lockdowns when they were to buy time for vaccines. Now? We can’t risk overwhelming the NHS, so we use lockdown to drive down cases until… the virus agrees to enter into a peace treaty?

@GoldenOmber

Yes, feeling pretty bleak about it too. Feels like an endless cycle of “all we need is a few sensible restrictions, is it really that big a deal?” -> doesn’t work -> “it’s just a few weeks and you can still see your family one household at a time, lump it” -> doesn’t work -> “all we need is a circuit breaker for a few weeks, if you don’t want a lockdown then you should be supporting that!” -> doesn’t work -> “oh no, now we have to lock down again, nothing else for it. If only we’d done the first minor things a bit sooner!”

I could accept the case for lockdowns when they were to buy time for vaccines. Now? We can’t risk overwhelming the NHS, so we use lockdown to drive down cases until… the virus agrees to enter into a peace treaty?

Lol at peace treaty

I’m despairing.

[quote girlmom21]@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair a circuit breaker lockdown - like they did before.

Knowing the ridiculous restrictions they pick and choose, they'll probably reintroduce the rule of 6 and social distancing but allow hospitality to remain open as long as it's table service.

I don't know anything but I'm allowed to share my opinions and scepticism's just like everyone else [/quote]
You said you were guaranteeing it would happen, that means you must know something the rest of us don't or how would you be able to guarantee it?

Table service in hospitality isnt what I'd call a circuit breaker, I don't know if it has an agreed meaning but your examples are what I'd call tinkering around the edges

I really really don't want a lockdown but they will need to do something as there's already no ambulance capacity, no a&e capacity, no primary care capacity. If even 1% of omnicron cases need hospital and the cases run into 100,000+ a day (and it's likely to be much more than that) then we are totally fucked. Tonight they will just drive home need for a booster, with a booster you are likely to be fine, without it's not looking great.

All the signs at the moment from SA and Botswana are that the virus isn't carving through society in the same way that we saw in say...Lombardy in March 2020.

I think they're aware of this, and these new restrictions are more of a way to stop everybody getting it at once, as opposed to trying to stop it completely. On that basis, I'd be surprised if we went into another full lockdown. I just wish they'd be explicit about this, as opposed to feeding out the threat of a cancelled Christmas..