Page 6 | When will there be an update?

ShepherdMoons · 2021-12-19T08:44:27+00:00

I thought yesterday they were going to give us the update about what will happen regarding restrictions? I'd rather know than just be left in the dark. I don't mind whether we have a lockdown, circuit breaker or something else but I'd just like to know!

generalh · 19/12/2021 14:24

I hope to see my son on 27th Dec as he has been away on a 7 month deployment. We are staying in a hotel in England so (purely selfishly) I hope it is in January (not that I want another lockdown).
I am masked in shops and in work all day plus I sanitise and socially distanced where possible. I do LFTs x2 weekly and haven't had Covid as of yet.
I am also supposed to go to London on the way home but will forgo that to see my baby.
Christmas Day will be quiet with just my husband, my mum and one of my widowed aunts. We will do LFTs before hand.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 19/12/2021 14:24

The argument for more measures out in the community is weakened if a significant proportion of the deaths were from contracting Covid while already in hospital.

Yes, but we can't separate "out in the community" with "in hospital". Avoiding transmission between the two is impossible - NHS staff have to have a life outside of their work. Inpatients need visitors. Day cases need to attend etc etc. It's not like we can treat hospitals like a leper colony and have no-one going in or out.

LizzoBorden · 19/12/2021 14:28

@Pasithea

They need to wake up , grow a pair and lockdown ASAP. This variant is far worse than the last one.

What’s the basis for this statement?

generalh · 19/12/2021 14:32

@the80sweregreat

It was mega busy in my small town today. Apparently yesterday it wasn't. I wasn't ' panic buying ' at all , but I have made sure I've enough food for Christmas dinner at least ! If there are more restrictions coming up then queuing up and arrows might be back and that'll be fun again in the cold :(

I went to a Tesco in Swansea earlier. It was like a fair in there. I only went in the to get fruit and veg for my husband's lunch box for the next few days and it was unbelievably busy. I could hardly get a parking space. Usually it is so quiet there. I wish I had stocked up for the festive period now but it was so busy I tried to be in and out as quickly as possible.

GoodnightGrandma · 19/12/2021 14:34

Just been out this afternoon and the difference between shopping yesterday and today is unbelievable.
I’m not getting swept up in it, we can’t have what we’ve not got.

TheCatsHaveKilledTheGonks · 19/12/2021 14:35

@CurlyhairedAssassin

The argument for more measures out in the community is weakened if a significant proportion of the deaths were from contracting Covid while already in hospital.

Yes, but we can't separate "out in the community" with "in hospital". Avoiding transmission between the two is impossible - NHS staff have to have a life outside of their work. Inpatients need visitors. Day cases need to attend etc etc. It's not like we can treat hospitals like a leper colony and have no-one going in or out.

I'm not suggesting that. But it is relevant where the spread is happening. If hypothetically 10% of infections happen in hospitality, 30% in schools, 20% in private homes and 40% in hospital, then closing hospitality will have minimal impact, as will banning households mixing privately. Whereas additional mitigation measures in schools and hospitals would be far more effective.

If the percentages were the other way around, the appropriate measures to take will be different.

refraction · 19/12/2021 14:35

Sam Coates on sky for what its worth said he would not be surprised if there was an announcement in the next few days.

TheCatsHaveKilledTheGonks · 19/12/2021 14:37

And, given the significant negative effects of closing businesses, depriving people of social contact etc, the balance tips towards NOT taking those measures if the impact on spread is small because most infections are taking place in other settings.

freckles20 · 19/12/2021 14:40

@Pasithea

They need to wake up , grow a pair and lockdown ASAP. This variant is far worse than the last one.

None of the virologists know this- have you got some piece of evidence that no one else has?!

minnimiss · 19/12/2021 14:42

A lot of people seem to be focusing on the fact that omicron is not as serious in terms of causing severe symptoms and death and therefore we don't need a lockdown but one of the big issues with the rapid rate that this virus is increasing is that within just a few weeks tens if not hundred of millions will be infected, this means that the number of people isolating and off work sick alone will cause huge issues in areas like public health and supply chains and the impact of this could be massive. It's becoming clear that something needs to be done, I'm sure it's just a question of timing.

TheCatsHaveKilledTheGonks · 19/12/2021 14:43

@minnimiss

A lot of people seem to be focusing on the fact that omicron is not as serious in terms of causing severe symptoms and death and therefore we don't need a lockdown but one of the big issues with the rapid rate that this virus is increasing is that within just a few weeks tens if not hundred of millions will be infected, this means that the number of people isolating and off work sick alone will cause huge issues in areas like public health and supply chains and the impact of this could be massive. It's becoming clear that something needs to be done, I'm sure it's just a question of timing.

I agree with you but there are not even 100 million people in the whole of the UK! Or were you were talking about global figures and mitigation policy?

TheCatsHaveKilledTheGonks · 19/12/2021 14:44

I mean I agree about the exponential spread. Not about the lockdown, not without the data I mentioned above.

Panacotta · 19/12/2021 14:46

@FreeBritnee

Judging from the new leaks I think they’re watching and waiting. If they suddenly bring in restrictions my guess is it will be no more than two households mixing or similar over Christmas. I just can’t see them suddenly dictating a hard lockdown in the next few days. They know people won’t adhere to it anyway.

I doubt people would adhere to reduced numbers for mixing.

Panacotta · 19/12/2021 14:47

It's literally 6 days till xmas! People are not going to change their plans now.

OrangeBananaFish · 19/12/2021 14:49

@Panacotta

It's literally 6 days till xmas! People are not going to change their plans now.

While this is true, not all plans are for Christmas day itself.

We're meant to be going away over new year which we are all very much looking forward to. We have resigned to the fact we probably wont be able to go, but we'd like to know for definite sooner rather than later.

generalh · 19/12/2021 14:55

I am mot seeing my son until the 27th. It means a 5 hr drive on Boxing Day, staying in a hotel in order to do it. I am selfishly hoping I can go.

minnimiss · 19/12/2021 14:58

@TheCatsHaveKilledTheGonks Yes globally the rapid spread and the impact on supply chains is going to have a huge impact as more and more people have to stay off work and isolate. It's not all about hospitalisations. Interesting to see different approaches up to now throughout Europe.

TheCatsHaveKilledTheGonks · 19/12/2021 15:00

[quote minnimiss]@TheCatsHaveKilledTheGonks Yes globally the rapid spread and the impact on supply chains is going to have a huge impact as more and more people have to stay off work and isolate. It's not all about hospitalisations. Interesting to see different approaches up to now throughout Europe. [/quote]
Yes, it is going to be a mess, particularly in countries with low vaccination rates. 😔 I guess we have to hope that because most such countries have a much lower average age of population that they won't be hit as severely. But still, the disruption is going to be awful.

DaisyNGO · 19/12/2021 15:12

@GoodnightGrandma

Just been out this afternoon and the difference between shopping yesterday and today is unbelievable. I’m not getting swept up in it, we can’t have what we’ve not got.

What's the difference you've seen?

generalh · 19/12/2021 15:13

@generalh

I am mot seeing my son until the 27th. It means a 5 hr drive on Boxing Day, staying in a hotel in order to do it. I am selfishly hoping I can go.

Not...

Poetrypatty · 19/12/2021 15:15

People are bound to be nervous considering as well how much we were messed around last year, with the last minute U turn. Now to find out the rule makers were having Christmas parties last year makes it all the harder for them to try to impose things before Christmas.

I think all the uncertainty is more stressful for people than the measures themselves. Plus people need to think about what to do about trips, food, parties, etc. The Government should be laying out what's happening on a daily basis in a clear way.

They're untrustworthy and have done so many U turns that they have created more stress than there even needs to be.

GoodnightGrandma · 19/12/2021 16:00

There were no queues yesterday, hardly anyone in the shops were I went. Today it was very busy.

MamDancer · 19/12/2021 16:03

It's all about Johnson keeping Johnson as PM now, and he knows he's lost any bit of credibility he had with the general public.

SickAndTiredAgain · 19/12/2021 16:10

@Panacotta

It's literally 6 days till xmas! People are not going to change their plans now.

It was 6 days to Christmas when they announced that London and SE couldn’t have any household mixing over Christmas last year. Plenty of people changed their plans.

SickAndTiredAgain · 19/12/2021 16:11

My guess is that we'll hear late on Christmas eve - that's AFTER the Christmas shopping/spending frenzy is over. That way, the economy is 'boosted' before another winter of restrictions.

For restrictions on Christmas Day? That would be way too late, loads of people would already be at relatives’ houses.