Massive turn in opinion…

[Normando91]

Is it just me or has opinion on a possible lockdown or circuit breaker in the coming days or week completely changed in the past 24 hours?

I hadn’t looked at Sky News in the last 2 days as it all just seemed speculation and bleak but having looked tonight it looks inevitable that we’re going to face some kind of stricter restrictions, most likely after Christmas, but possibly before.

Everyone I’ve spoke to has gone from, no we will not go into lockdown (or further restrictions) to yeah, it’s coming.

Who would have thought we’d be back here a year later from lasts Christmases shit show.

@Bagelsandbrie thanks Bagel, and I hope you keep well and avoid the virus. 🌺🌺🌺

Are you really calling people who need money to survive and support their families selfish? We are one of the lucky families were dh can work from home, we’re mortgage free and don’t have to worry BUT lots of people do. Can you imagine being in a retail / hospitality industry at this time of year and suddenly facing your entire business shutting down? Being off work indefinitely? No wonder people are scared and don’t want to test / take time off. It’s not being selfish. It’s trying to survive.

@Bagelsandbrie
I've said this from the start when lots of MN "can't understand" why people wouldn't test or call people out for being "selfish"
Its much easier to "do the right thing" or "think of the bigger picture" or be "unselfish" when you income isn't immediately and negatively affected.

@saleorbouy

Not surprised really. On my recent visit to see family in the U.K I wad aghast at the slack attitude towards the simple basics of sanitising hands and wearing masks in shops. The attitude of a significant of shoppers I saw in the supermarket was in stark contrast to where I live. Shame for raw businesses just getting going again but.looks like lockdown of some sort is really only means of control if some of the population are unwilling to help themselves and others by getting vaccinated and doing the basics of sanitising and mask wearing.

This is absolutely true.
The ignorant and arrogant attitude of so many people is astounding.
There are still so many unvaccinated and don't get me started on masks.
I am medically exempt from wearing a mask. Doesn't mean I don't.

The amount of ' families' not wearing masks in shops is astonishing.

Many people profess to know better than the medical and scientific experts yet complain the the virus is going nowhere.

It's frightening.

@Fizbosshoes

Are you really calling people who need money to survive and support their families selfish? We are one of the lucky families were dh can work from home, we’re mortgage free and don’t have to worry BUT lots of people do. Can you imagine being in a retail / hospitality industry at this time of year and suddenly facing your entire business shutting down? Being off work indefinitely? No wonder people are scared and don’t want to test / take time off. It’s not being selfish. It’s trying to survive.

@Bagelsandbrie
I've said this from the start when lots of MN "can't understand" why people wouldn't test or call people out for being "selfish"
Its much easier to "do the right thing" or "think of the bigger picture" or be "unselfish" when you income isn't immediately and negatively affected.

Exactly.

applesandoranges221
I think the major shift I'm seeing (FINALLY) is people saying they won't comply and aren't ok with another 6 months in lockdown - which, let's be clear is the government's plan, regardless of any circuit break rubbish they might spout now. People are finally, finally standing up and saying no to this being life and it's giving me some hope in the darkness

I also think they're going to struggle to hide the data on how overwhelmingly dangerous the new variant isn't once it's been peer reviewed. I really hope it doesn't lead to the sort of social unrest seen in Europe, but suspect it could. People are fed up of losing jobs/ homes/ lives so the middle class (of whom I'm one, I'm not excusing myself) can sit at home and be smugly safe

I think only a few adhered to the last lockdown. Only know 1 family who did and they hadn’t ever come out of the March lockdown. Even a doctor from the local hospital was having house parties.

We keep getting told how many people have tested positive each day but there is no mention of the supposed multiple deaths that we should be seeing

We have media spouting untruths about the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
I wasn’t a conspiracy theorist before but this last few months has driven me to think the lies the media is making make me question the news.
We are told there will be 1000 deaths per day. SAGE needs to be taken to court and made to explain why they are scaremongering. They have never been right about anything and on their modelling people have been placed in a terrible financial positions whilst they sit pretty and get paid for ridiculous forecasts.
I think they only come up with these ridiculous figures because they want to keep getting paid.
They see their income drying up so want to make themselves feel relevant and if people are too busy being scared of what might happen then no one is looking at them.

If SAGE forecast that 2 million people per day are going to be infected then why are we locking down?
Surely if 2 million of us are going to be infected per day then a lockdown that no one is going to take notice of isn’t going to make any difference and if we don’t have the lockdown and get the whole population infected we would at least be immune from this virus for the next 6 months.
If people are immune then the virus would have no one to infect and would die out.

The whole thing is a shit show.

@5zeds

I really don’t understand people’s obsession with Christmas get togethers. Phone your family and tell them you love them. Go for a walk together if you must. We aren’t children unable to understand why. We can meet when it’s safer and do other things till then.

It really doesn't matter in the slightest whether you understand. Your incomprehension is not a factor in other people's priorities.

Christmas is very important to lots of people. Pretending this can be argued away or that there's the remotest chance of your alternative suggestions being followed by these people is pointless.

I've said this from the start when lots of MN "can't understand" why people wouldn't test or call people out for being "selfish"Its much easier to "do the right thing" or "think of the bigger picture" or be "unselfish" when you income isn't immediately and negatively affected.

Yes so many threads last time from people wfh moaning about those going out & spreading the virus. Who do they think is ensuring their heating is on, their food is in the shops to get delivered to them, etc.

Yes there has been. What annoys me is that the government have clearly decided, and they could just tell us now and prepare everyone for the inevitable. Instead they leak it to the press as a way of prepping people for the disappointment, then there’s all sorts of speculation on top which makes it uncertain and extra stressful. I feel like I’m in a lockdown anyway. Lost all my work this week (catering and events). No one will compensate the hospitality industry for that lost revenue.

Xenia, the money is already being spent on boosters and a huge roll out.
Rishi sunak has told the government that the costs are spiraling already , but this was the way they wanted to go possibly to try and stop another lockdown.
Do you suggest that boosters should not have been offered but a tax rebate instead ?
I'm not being goady , I've often read your posts and I know your a high earner and you pay a lot of taxes and you are a fan of a small state , but if boosters hadn't been offered in high numbers maybe the situation would be even worse by now?
I don't want another lockdown , who does , but the vaccines and boosters are the only way out at the moment. The costs are eye watering, but what are governments meant to do ? Not give us anything and just hope for the best ?

I can't believe more people aren't up in arms about it tbh. We have spent the last year being told that the only thing that will get us put of this mess is a mass vaccination programme.
It's not there yet though is it, rightsideoftheroad? The UK is showing as 69% fully vaccinated. Polio needs about 80% and measles 95% for herd immunity. The initial percentage for Covid was thought to be between 70-90% vaccinated but now they're thinking it needs to be higher than 70%.

@ginnig

I've said this from the start when lots of MN "can't understand" why people wouldn't test or call people out for being "selfish"Its much easier to "do the right thing" or "think of the bigger picture" or be "unselfish" when you income isn't immediately and negatively affected.

Yes so many threads last time from people wfh moaning about those going out & spreading the virus. Who do they think is ensuring their heating is on, their food is in the shops to get delivered to them, etc.

Oh, they're all fine with that part. They've no intention of locking down without their comforts. They just don't think the people facilitating these comforts should be able to see loved ones, socialise or engage in leisure. Those people merely exist to serve.

The selfishness of some people knows no bounds

Surely it's just as selfish to expect a person to miss work & forego pay for you?

The general public have shown themselves to be much more flexible in their behaviour and opinions since the start of the pandemic. It's as if individuals can react to rapidly changing evidence more nimbly than a government that has to think in terms of policy and legislation. No doubt the public is also motivated by the knowledge that this government has consistently been extremely slow to react.

The thing is that the media witch hunt about parties last year has now finally born fruit. Watch as those headlines switch from "Oooh, Boris, what about those parties?" to "British tell Boris to fuck off and refuse lockdown" All ever so good fror journalists, not so good for Joe Public's health, physical or mental.

If Omicrom requires us to pause for a fortnight, so emergency services etc can catch up then, even if only 50% of us can afford to, it will make a difference. I won't be scared out of logic. I will take any and all precautions people whi know far better than I have deemed necessary.

I won't judge anyone who cannot comply, god only knows there are so many , including my DH who, at tapping 60 would like to be able to comply but his work is essential so he can't. But I will judge those "I am out" twonks who think being a bit exasperated because their party got cancelled is a clever way to go.

@gannett

The general public have shown themselves to be much more flexible in their behaviour and opinions since the start of the pandemic. It's as if individuals can react to rapidly changing evidence more nimbly than a government that has to think in terms of policy and legislation. No doubt the public is also motivated by the knowledge that this government has consistently been extremely slow to react.

You say the government is slow to react but it’s quite clear from this thread that people don’t want lockdown. And people won’t adhere if there is lockdown. London is going to be in trouble because the vaccine does ( it’s proved) provide some protection and there are areas of low vaccine take up. So what do you want to happen?

I should be starting my new business in January. Instead it’s looking more and more likely that I’ll be stuck at home, not earning a penny and becoming deskilled. With perhaps the joy of homeschooling a 6 year old with ASD thrown in. Again.

I have to keep going, for DH and DS. They’re the ones keeping me putting one foot in front of the other.

@Arcadia

They may shut shops and pubs but it won't be a lockdown for me. I'm not going to stop seeing friends and family that want to see me and are fully vaxxed and generally healthy as I am. As me and DP both work outside the home and DD is at school then we will all get it at some point anyway.

This .....

@Arcadia

They may shut shops and pubs but it won't be a lockdown for me. I'm not going to stop seeing friends and family that want to see me and are fully vaxxed and generally healthy as I am. As me and DP both work outside the home and DD is at school then we will all get it at some point anyway.

By the sounds of it, I don’t think they are going to close shops etc looks like they’re going to stop mixing of households

I really don’t understand people’s obsession with Christmas get togethers. Phone your family and tell them you love them.

The big social events are planned and organised and booked for the Christmas period, sometimes months ahead. We're all off work and school at the same time. Shops and businesses are shut. We're in Christmas mode and ready to socialise!

Maybe from now on we need a state-mandated "family holiday" in summer time as well.

HoardingSamphireSaurus

The thing is that the media witch hunt about parties last year has now finally born fruit. Watch as those headlines switch from "Oooh, Boris, what about those parties?" to "British tell Boris to fuck off and refuse lockdown" All ever so good fror journalists, not so good for Joe Public's health, physical or mental

I think we will find out who was behind this one day. The wall to wall coverage of a Christmas party that took place a year ago is old news.
Either journalists have become very very lazy (making stuff up or taking their news articles directly from Reddit or Mumsnet) or have bought into SM and prefer to sensationalise things that no one cares about but then have it on repeat until they get the audience they want.
I have seen too many interviews where someone has come on to talk about something newsworthy or relevant that people might want to know about and the interviewer turns it round to the topic that they want to talk about.

Normally you would have a fair bit of time on the news about a countries prime minister/leader becoming a parent. I read that Carrie had given birth to a baby girl in an article on yahoo news.
I think I have heard more about other countries leaders becoming parents to another new born than I have about ours.

oops - big family social events.

I don't quite understand - a pandemic is not going to just go away just because we wish it is going to, it does what it likes, regardless. Hopefully at some point the vaccines will be perfected so that with regular boosters, there will be something like the necessary figures for world "herd immunity" to pertain, but until then, world-wide, measures need to be taken to protect the vulnerable, both health-systems and people. A pandemic is an extraordinary thing and extraordinary measures need to be taken. Incompetent, mendacious, selfish, self-serving governments unfortunately have made the pandemic worse in many countries. We're all stuffed for yet awhile.

Normally you would have a fair bit of time on the news about a countries prime minister/leader becoming a parent. I read that Carrie had given birth to a baby girl in an article on yahoo news

Of all the daft things that you want journalists (or anyone else) to care about. We have a pandemic and you want headlines "bloke with 6 children has another"? How is this headline news?

People care about political leaders giving parties while the rest of us had to isolate. There's no rule against having babies.

The thing is that the media witch hunt about parties last year has now finally born fruit. Watch as those headlines switch from "Oooh, Boris, what about those parties?" to "British tell Boris to fuck off and refuse lockdown" All ever so good fror journalists, not so good for Joe Public's health, physical or mental

I do t think it’s a media which hunt. It’s been leaked now by someone inside the government because they want to oust BJ. I think the peppa pig thing was the final straw. I’d also guess it’s from an anti lockdown faction. It’s gold to them really isn’t it?

@saleorbouy

Not surprised really. On my recent visit to see family in the U.K I wad aghast at the slack attitude towards the simple basics of sanitising hands and wearing masks in shops. The attitude of a significant of shoppers I saw in the supermarket was in stark contrast to where I live. Shame for raw businesses just getting going again but.looks like lockdown of some sort is really only means of control if some of the population are unwilling to help themselves and others by getting vaccinated and doing the basics of sanitising and mask wearing.

Couldn't agree more. Few people in the UK seem to realize that Covid policy measures here are very, very light touch, and compliance very low compared to other countries. Unfortunately this has meant ridiculous levels of Covid in schools, chronically high levels of Covid in society and businesses destroyed. I was at the shops this weekend and despite the mask mandate I'd say 40% were not wearing a mask inside shops..

Lack of a robust overall policy & non-compliance for the sake of a false sense of ''freedom'' .. the price you pay for pretending is the risk of lockdowns and continual outbound travel constraints.. I can't see it getting better unless the UK shifts policy very soon.