What's the difference between a lockdown and a circuit breaker?

[Potatodrivers]

Just that really. What is the difference?
What is likely to close, if anything?

I think the idea behind a circuit breaker is that it’s short.

In reality, I think it’s that the politicians don’t want to say the word lockdown.

Lockdowns start for few weeks go on for months no End. Circuit breaker short snappy 7-14days no chance of extension.

That makes sense. But do things still close like they did during lockdowns? Or will it be more so just schools and us being told we aren't allowed in others homes?

Other than the main lockdown that we had, I cant really remember much else closing other than schools.

How politically toxic they are…

In England we’ve never had a ‘circuit breaker’ - just lockdowns. The November one had schools open still but everything else closed like the two longer ones.
All 3 were fucking shit and meant I couldn’t earn any money.

I think I have blocked the lockdowns and stuff out or something, because my memory around them seems to be wiped.

They are shit, toxic and damaging. Fingers crossed that whatever this circuit breaker turns out to be, it has minimal impact on people. Highly unlikely but one can hope!

Circuit breakers are things the government could do, but always leave it too late and then put us in a lockdown instead.

^

The concept of a circuit breaker was first mooted by scientists (SAGE maybe?) in late September last year - you remember when Whitty and Vallance did a press conference on their own and showed frightening projections of how cases were starting to rise again and where that could lead us?

It was discussed feverishly in the press but Boris apparently refused to do it, either before or after half term. Wales did one in half term although I think it was longer than two weeks in the end.

We ended up in partial lockdown early Nov - early Dec, which was too little too late.
Hence disaster in January 2021.

Cynical me would suggest furlough! If they declare a lockdown, a precedent has already been set for furlough, circuit breakers mean no furlough. In my mind they will likely do several short circuit breakers over a period of time to not pay furlough again.

But you can’t close businesses & not pay them. So if a circuit breaker means hospitality (for example) closes, then furlough HAS to come back. It’s immoral otherwise.

Its immoral to make it illegal to see your friends and family, but that didn't stop them.

You'd expect a circuit breaker to hit the place with highest transmissions. But if its as fast spreading as they say, and it's as random as previous variants. (Like I could have it, but those I live with manage to avoid it. That has been a fairly common theme). So if that applies to this variant, then a circuit breaker will be useless. Surely.

Hospitality and non-essential shops and services close in lockdowns. That won’t be happening in the imminent circuit break, according to the leak in The Times.

Nothing but the public said no to a lockdown so they are hoping you will say yes to a circuit breaker because it sounds different and the pro lockdown lobby hope you everyone is stupid enough to buy it. But there is no way out if this one, no “until there is a vaccine” this is the permanent lockdown that they crave..in 2023 expect a few posts asking “how long does it take to break the circuit”…when the answer will of course be “just a few more weeks”

Political desperation….

This is what it meant in Wales last year:

"Wales’ First Minister announces a 17 day ‘circuit break’ lockdown from 6pm Friday 23 October until the start of Monday 9 November 2020. People must stay at home, except for very limited purposes, and must not visit or meet people they do not live with. Certain businesses and venues, including bars, restaurants and most shops will close. Primary schools and childcare settings will remain open; secondary schools will be open for children in years 7 and 8 only, and will provide online learning for other years in the week after half-term. Universities will remain open and continue to provide a blend of in-person and online learning."

The idea of it is that it's restrictive but time limited which encourages people to adhere to the rules.

But the November lockdown here was time limited and posters are keen to pint out it was a lockdown not a firebreak so I don’t think it is time (also people tend to say “wales did the right thing but ended it too soon” suggesting it wasn’t the time limited but people like but the lockdown bit!). I honestly think it’s just a different term for the same thing and to make a policy that is unpopular seem popular!

@paranoidnamechanger

Hospitality and non-essential shops and services close in lockdowns. That won’t be happening in the imminent circuit break, according to the leak in The Times.

So the restrictions are only going to be on mixing in homes? What will the compliance rate be for that? I can meet my parents in a restaurant indoors surrounded by strangers, but not at their house?

Do we know what the compliance rates were last Christmas/over the last lockdown for household mixing? Is this looked at? I’d be interested to know what it was during the first lockdown (very high I’d imagine) vs last Christmas, and this Christmas if implemented.

@Potatodrivers

Just that really. What is the difference? What is likely to close, if anything?

You can only have a circuit breaker early on and if there's a reason why the wave will be self limiting.

By the time you've fannied about in Mr Ben's dressing up box for a month telling people to carry on going to parties, and doing jack shit to protect the country from Omicron, then two weeks of Roadmap Step 2 probably isn't going to cut it.

That is what I struggle to understand.
If its not a lockdown, then it must be something like limiting people spending time together again.

But if it is more transmissible, then you're just as likely to catch it in a supermarket as you are in a family members home.

A circuit breakers and a lockdown do not make sense in this case. Especially not when they say "it's needed....just not right now. Let's get the hectic socialisation period out of the way first"

Theyve done similar each and every time. Theyve allowed large scale events go ahead, as if pushing and encouraging the spread and then they act on it.

Nothing except maybe length and new phrasing to make it more palatable

What was published in the Times was pretty much Tier 2 restrictions that we had last year.

Thats a far cry from a full lockdown.

Tier2 was a pain in the arse but manageable for me. Psychologically it didn't get hard until tier3. Then full lockdown was hard.

But Tier 2 lacked proper financial support for business - it was worse for pubs because they didn't get money to shut, but weren't getting enough customers to break even.

The "circuit breaker" in Wales last year was sooo sucessful. The news stories about not being able to buy non-essential sanitary products was a highlight of that era.

Let's face it, huge swathes of the UK had draconian rules for 6+ months if we include Tier 3 that did little but destroy people's mental wellbeing and services.

Circuit breaker sounds like a nice little disruption to viral spread, but the virus will just spread in its own time anyway and it's more performative bollocks that people pay dearly for.

Most of the circuit breakers here in Australia then went into lockdowns. Seems to be a way to ease people into the idea you're not getting out for months again.........