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Original poster

Boris refused to rule out lockdown

147 replies

Puppylucky · 09/04/2022 09:53

Boris Johnson refused to deny that he would consider lockdown again if the Covid Pandemic took an unexpected turn and now the papers are full of lockdown headlines again. Will we ever move beyond this?

OP posts:
MiniatureHotdog · 09/04/2022 09:54

No one would comply. I mean obviously they could close schools and I'd have no choice to keep DC home. But I wouldnt comply in any way that I have control over.

Lottapianos · 09/04/2022 09:58

He must have had some rush of blood to the head or similar because he's been saying sensible things all week. Of course he can't rule out another lockdown. I'm certainly not panicking about it but we have no idea what the future holds with this pandemic or any other

GeneLovesJezebel · 09/04/2022 09:58

He can’t refuse to rule it out, if people were dying in their thousands again it would have to happen. But we are ahead in all sorts of ways we weren’t last time.
It would have to be really bad to happen again.

MissStarry · 09/04/2022 09:59

I think that ship has well and truly sailed for the vast majority and has done got some time. So I agree with pp that no one would comply. Myself included.

toomuchlaundry · 09/04/2022 10:02

Would people refuse lockdown if a new variant or virus was particularly deadly for children?

DayKay · 09/04/2022 10:03

The only reason most of us would comply again is if we really were in a more serious pandemic. We would know without being told constantly by the media.

leafyygreens · 09/04/2022 10:06

@Puppylucky

Boris Johnson refused to deny that he would consider lockdown again if the Covid Pandemic took an unexpected turn and now the papers are full of lockdown headlines again. Will we ever move beyond this?
Ugh so sick of the media (but also think people need to read the full articles to get context before panicking). This isn't what he said. Here's the quote:

Johnson said: “I want to avoid any such thing ever happening again and I can’t rule out something; I can’t say we wouldn’t be forced to do non-pharmaceutical interventions again of the kind we did.

NPIs could include masks, testing before large events, testing before entering the country, staggered start times for events etc etc. Huge swathe of measures that don't include lockdown.

I'm glad he has finally got the memo about not making definitive statements (remember his repeated, back to normal in 3 months, back to normal by Christmas, back to normal by Easter etc etc). The Tory governemnt do not want to put in restrictions, things would have to be dire before anything was put in place again.

jowly · 09/04/2022 10:09

Unless he's acquired a crystal ball and can actually know what the future holds, how could he rule out anything?!

It would be ridiculous.

NETSRIK · 09/04/2022 10:10

Love to see him try to do that. Standing at the lectern telling the plebs what to do while he fucks off to a party. Fuck that. I can't take anything he says seriously.

Original poster
Puppylucky · 09/04/2022 10:11

@leafygreens he mentioned lockdown specifically later in the interview saying he had no regrets about mandating action that saved thousands of lives and would do it again-so not just masks.

OP posts:
leafyygreens · 09/04/2022 10:12

[quote Puppylucky]@leafygreens he mentioned lockdown specifically later in the interview saying he had no regrets about mandating action that saved thousands of lives and would do it again-so not just masks.[/quote]
Share the quote @Puppylucky?

Speaking to the Conservative MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies for GB News, Johnson said: “I want to avoid any such thing ever happening again and I can’t rule out something; I can’t say we wouldn’t be forced to do non-pharmaceutical interventions again of the kind we did.

“I think it would be irresponsible of any leader in any democracy to say that they’re going to rule out something that can save lives.

“I believe the things we did saved lives. I’ve got to be absolutely frank with you, there could be a new variant more deadly, there could be a variant that affects children that we really need to contain, I’m not going to take any options off the table. But I don’t think it will happen.

“We’re now in the phase where the virus is losing its potency overall and we’ve got a massively vaccinated UK population.”

Yellowhighheels · 09/04/2022 10:14

Well he can't rule it out. What if there was another variant that was particularly dangerous to the main population, or even a new disease? Now there is capability for masks, testing, vaccination, contact tracing etc it shouldn't come to lockdown again for Covid-19 but why pretend that it's totally out of the question if circumstances should change drastically? With the current state of play, infections are high but symptoms are generally mild hence lockdown isn't necessary so there's been no development.

Patchbatch · 09/04/2022 10:16

Good for him to attempt to be honest for once. Unless people are dying in the streets I very much doubt there'll be anything like lockdown again, but things like masks would be considered I expect.

AlexaShutUp · 09/04/2022 10:19

I'm usually the last to defend Boris, but he's right on this. He would be very foolish to rule out the possibility of any future lockdowns because we can't know what the future might hold. Personally, I think another lockdown is highly unlikely, but it's common sense to acknowledge that we'd have to consider it if there was a very dangerous new variant that was evading vaccine protections... or even a new virus altogether. Nobody has a crystal ball. What is the point of making promises that you might eventually be forced to break if the circumstances require?

I think we need to move on as a society from obsessing about the potential for further lockdowns. That option will always be on the table because it has to be. It doesn't mean that it is imminent, and in the meantime, we should get on with our lives and stop banging on about it.

BeforeGodAndAllTheFish · 09/04/2022 10:19

But he cant rule it out. Anything could happen. Another virus during his time in power. Covid having an actual 90% deadly strain.

Anything can happen. So he cannot publicly rule out any type of action, just incase.

The government have contingency plans for many many scenarios that really, are never going to happen. But there are still plans. He wouldnt rule those out.

That isnt the same as saying "be prepared because we are going to lockdown again."

Stop being so dramatic.

TimBoothseyes · 09/04/2022 10:22

Boris says a lot of things....most of which should be taken with a huge vat of salt.

BattledoreAndShuttlecock · 09/04/2022 10:25

He's just stating the bleeding obvious - which is something of a surprise from him.

To all the "nobody would comply, it's over, we're fed up" posters: SARS has a fatality rate of 10%, all ages combined. If something like that reappeared would you really say "nah, I'm over it mate, I'm off down the pub and nobody's going to stop me"?

LaingsAcidTab · 09/04/2022 10:27

Please go back to the source material and read carefully. It makes sense. If, for example, the Covid mortality rate shifted from where it is now (around 0.3% in NYC, for example) to 15%, then lockdown would be a no-brainer.

Antarcticant · 09/04/2022 10:31

What's this - Bojo attempting to be honest and reasonable? Have I entered a parallel universe? Grin

TheKeatingFive · 09/04/2022 10:32

What he said was reasonable enough.

However people are being naive when they speculate about deadlier strains and lockdowns. I cannot see essential workers happily popping out to work in a situation where they'd be genuinely risking their lives. So it wouldn't be another lockdown we'd be facing, but the prospect of societal collapse.

The circs that facilitated the lockdowns we've had were very unique. I doubt a similar situation could ever come to pass.

TheMarvelousMrsMaisel · 09/04/2022 10:35

Will never happen. Now people have to pay an arm and a leg for tests, lots won't bother to test. People have more important things to buy like gas and electric and food!
Therefore the numbers will stay down.

toomuchlaundry · 09/04/2022 10:38

@TheMarvelousMrsMaisel if people started dying in their masses we wouldn’t need people testing to know something was wrong! He’s not talking about an imminent lockdown

NuffSaidSam · 09/04/2022 10:41

I don't know why this is a story.

He said something that is true and blindingly obvious to everyone. It's hardly newsworthy.

Unless the story is 'Boris says something sensible and true shocker!'.

Chloemol · 09/04/2022 10:42

Of course he is not going to rule it out. Why would he, or indeed any other leader of any other country

We don’t know what might happen in the future

BoredZelda · 09/04/2022 10:48

No sure that making froth inducing threads like this do anything to “move beyond this” either. Looking at today’s papers, I can’t see single headline about it, it isn’t highlighted on BBC news website, nor on the tabloid websites either. So hyperbole about it being all over the papers doesn’t help either.

If you asked him everything he refused to rule out, the country would sound like it was in major peril. It is a silly question framed in a way that is no win for a politician.

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