Why are we not in lockdown right now?!

[InkyPinkyParlezVous]

If things are as bad as they say, why are we not locking down right now?

Surely waiting til after Christmas is just too late to stop this "tidal wave"

@DottyHarmer

Here we go, “This government t cares more about the economy and pre-Christmas spending than they do about families spending holidays together” .

How FOOLISH are you? Where do think the money for the NHS comes from? If no one spends, the economy is done for. But, hey, silly economy. The economy is for other people . Oh, no, not me and my family. We don’t do the economy . We do Christmas .

at the level of stupidity on here.

It is crazy isn’t it

People don’t get the economy means jobs.

*How FOOLISH are you? Where do think the money for the NHS comes from? If no one spends, the economy is done for. But, hey, silly economy. The economy is for other people . Oh, no, not me and my family. We don’t do the economy . We do Christmas . "

That is just rude. 2 weeks of less spending in shops, bars and restaurants now is going to have a much smaller impact on society than mass staff absences, school closures and a lower impact on mental health than another Christmas lockdown.

Because everybody is sick to death of lockdowns and restrictions. They are sick of all the other affects. Late cancer diagnosis , increased DV cases, higher suicide rates, a mental health crisis, children being killed......the list goes on.
The majority of us are vaccinated and the country needs to keep going so people can work to pay their bills, keep a roof over their heads and feed their children.
If you want to stay at home, crack on, but me, I'm done.

Because they’ve put the fear of God into lots of people who have locked themselves away, de facto lockdown without the Government having to sponsor it.

If anyone has ever wondered how historically governments have controlled whole populations, for them to act in irrational ways, behaved in morally questionable ways, created a mob mentality take a good look round, we’re living in it

“I think everything should have shut down at the end of the school week last Friday”. You do, do you? How very comfortable for you. So the economy should have shut down, as you suggested, for what, three weeks, four?

What parts of “the economy” are you happy to shut down? Waitrose? Petrol stations? Other deliveries? Pray do tell how you are going to shut down the economy, which is all the government t cares about, and still celebrate your family Christmas? I’m intrigued.

I think people should have given a choice at least @DottyHarmer

Our Christmas has been ruined thanks to school covid spread.

@Rocket1982

If we had a strict lockdown between now and Christmas Eve it would be widely flouted. People keep conflating having a law with people behaving in a particular way. They are not the same thing.

I think that is probably true, yeah. But I think that is partly because the messaging is mixed so as not to curtail pre-christmas spending. I think everything should have shut down at the end of the school week last Friday, and we should have focussed on boosters and reducing transmission to enable schools to reopen in Jan and allow families to mix over Christmas. The messaging should have been totally clear about what the trade offs are.

The biggest reason a pre Christmas lockdown would be widely flouted is because people are unwilling to miss out on spending time with loved ones again, and in many cases that means travelling before Christmas Day itself. This means significant movement of people around the country and would happen regardless of what date schools shut. For those using public transport, particularly trains, you'd frighten everyone who could travel early into cramming on the trains in a short time period in order to ensure they got to family before lockdown regulations kicked in.

There is not and never has been an option that involves people locking down pre Christmas. It is impossible.

This debate is way to polarised. There is a clear way forward in the middle ground. Obviously we can't IGNORE the pandemic and carry on as if it's not happening as this will create massive problems for everyone, especially those in the health services, a few weeks down the line. We have to do put restrictions on people that interfere with life as little as possible but keep the pandemic at a manageable level. The idiots who are 'done with face masks' are a huge part of the problem. If everyone respected the rules in place then they wouldn't have to become stricter when most people flouting them inevitably causes them to fail in their aim to constrain the pandemic.

There is not and never has been an option that involves people locking down pre Christmas. It is impossible.

Last year the Tories could have avoided the Christmas shitshow. There was a shut down in November which was then relaxed in December, just in time for the pandemic to peak again right before Christmas leaving no other option than a lockdown. Had lesser restrictions remained in place through December, Christmas mixing would have been possible,

Pray do tell how you are going to shut down the economy

Not shut down the economy but shut down social mixing.

Because they’ve put the fear of God into lots of people who have locked themselves away, de facto lockdown without the Government having to sponsor it.

Tbf there's also a cohort of people who aren't really worried about covid but want to ensure they don't get it over Christmas. It's sometimes a specific Christmas protecting choice rather than one out of fear. I'd agree the intention of the government is for people to voluntarily lock themselves down though.

We can’t pay for the sodding furlough and closures again.

Plus we don’t need to - it’s only if hospitals are overwhelmed that this is necessary.

Plus we don’t need to - it’s only if hospitals are overwhelmed that this is necessary.

That is where we are unfortunately heading. The sooner we put restrictions in the shorter and less severe any shut down/lock down will have to be.

People should wear masks, get vaxxed and just be a bit sensible - I agree with the govt on this, although I think we should also have vaccine passports

@Myusername2015

Firstly they don’t want to offer financial support to industries and individuals so this effectively is a “lock yourself down” scenario secondly Johnson couldn’t even get plan B through his own party vote so could never get a lockdown in.

This

@VikingOnTheFridge

Because they’ve put the fear of God into lots of people who have locked themselves away, de facto lockdown without the Government having to sponsor it.

Tbf there's also a cohort of people who aren't really worried about covid but want to ensure they don't get it over Christmas. It's sometimes a specific Christmas protecting choice rather than one out of fear. I'd agree the intention of the government is for people to voluntarily lock themselves down though.

I rather it as it is - left up to us to decide not forced via lockdown.

Lockdown that doesn’t apply to people who’ve had all vaxxes they’re entitled to, maybe

Lockdown that doesn’t in anyway apply to children - as they’re fine apparently and don’t need the vaccine, so this should work both ways - and one adult to accompany them, fine too.

Don’t bring children into another lockdown if they’re so fine they don’t need to be offered a vaccine

I guess it's a kind of ' mini ' lockdown ? Many are worried about Christmas and want to be well and see family do not going to things.
The messages are mixed though, on Sunday it was ' this is an emergency'
Last night it was ' party on , but get a booster ' !
I think that people will make up their own minds now and risk assess their own circumstances and what they feel is important to them.

@DottyHarmer I agree with your opinion but the way you're expressing it is unnecessarily sarcastic and rude. You might get further by showing some respect for those whose point of view differs from your own.

I've heard that Nicola Sturgeon is after some more money for hospitality ! I think it wont go that well.

@Rocket1982

Plus we don’t need to - it’s only if hospitals are overwhelmed that this is necessary.

That is where we are unfortunately heading. The sooner we put restrictions in the shorter and less severe any shut down/lock down will have to be.

I don't know thats true re: omicron tbh.

I think its an all bets are off scenario actually.

Previous lockdowns have put us in a place where every subsequent lockdown has a lot more indirect harm too.

And omicron is just so infectious, it might not make much a difference. It means you are more likely to get it in the supermarket wearing a mask or passing a runner in the street, which previously were possible but much, much unlikely. That matters in terms of the risk/benefit of lockdown.

Because Covid isn’t going anywhere. That’s it. There’s no two ways about it. Continual lockdowns aren’t the answer as it’s just not going anywhere.

You’re not in lockdown because the UK government has made such a balls up of the whole pandemic (among other things) that nobody trusts them any more and everyone is now ignoring what they say and doing what they personally believe is the best course of action for themselves.

The idea that the British don’t like to be told what to do is not the whole truth. If they trusted the government to keep them safe and act in the best interests of the people, they’d be much more likely to comply.

@DivingDolphin fair point about the sarcasm. But I can’t respect some people’s points when they’re so daft! I get such high blood pressure when people don’t or won’t grasp the fact that public finances are generated by taxes, including on income and spending.

I also get pretty mad when yet again we have those bellowing for lockdown who, if they undertook full disclosure, would be pretty comfortable with all it entails, just so long as the serfs keep serving them.

We need to bring back furlough

I want some paid time off