Life after the end of "lockdown" 2.0

[alex397]

Kent becoming Tier 3 is unfair for areas of Kent with low Covid levels. The areas of Swale, Medway and Thanet have very high rates, but most of the rest of Kent have low rates.
In my opinion it should have been done at borough level, which would have been fairer. Why should high rates on the Isle of Sheppey mean someone in Tenterden has the highest of restrictions, which is next to the border of East Sussex with Tier 2 restrictions.

 

[Crossover]

I’m just as intrigued to know why there’s so much traffic on the roads. Last Sunday lunchtime was unbelievably busy just to the north of Nottingham. If no one can visit other households, no one going to a pub or restaurant for Sunday lunch, supposedly non essential shops closed, where were they all going. It was far busier than a normal Sunday with traffic almost at the level of one of the Sundays immediately before Christmas. Having said that, when I got back to my village, I had never seen so many cars parked everywhere and people setting off walking. Perhaps huge numbers form the City of Nottingham were out in the countryside walking. It was like a bank holiday in a national park. The traffic has also been extremely busy between 3 and 5 pm in the afternoons on weekdays and it’s not all school traffic. Where are everyone going if so many places are closed and people working from home.

I visited Yeadon Tarn on Sunday (via public transport) for a walk and it was pretty busy. Had to walk across one of the car parks to get to the bus stop and it was packed, cars parked down the access road and along the main road. The sort of volume of vehicles one may expect of a nice day in summer

Kent becoming Tier 3 is unfair for areas of Kent with low Covid levels. The areas of Swale, Medway and Thanet have very high rates, but most of the rest of Kent have low rates.
In my opinion it should have been done at borough level, which would have been fairer. Why should high rates on the Isle of Sheppey mean someone in Tenterden has the highest of restrictions, which is next to the border of East Sussex with Tier 2 restrictions.

I guess it is an attempt at simplification. It'll be a similar story in West Yorkshire - some areas will be high and others will have had hardly any cases

 

[alex397]

I guess it is an attempt at simplification. It'll be a similar story in West Yorkshire - some areas will be high and others will have had hardly any cases

That would be my guess too. Having it at borough level like I suggested, could have become very complicated.

 

[Bantamzen]

Kent becoming Tier 3 is unfair for areas of Kent with low Covid levels. The areas of Swale, Medway and Thanet have very high rates, but most of the rest of Kent have low rates.
In my opinion it should have been done at borough level, which would have been fairer. Why should high rates on the Isle of Sheppey mean someone in Tenterden has the highest of restrictions, which is next to the border of East Sussex with Tier 2 restrictions.

Welcome to our world....

 

[C J Snarzell]

I do find it strange that some places, like Kent have been put into stronger Tier restrictions than they were pre-lockdown 2.

I live in Greater Manchester unfortunately which is Tier 3. Not only are we in the strongest Tier - we'll have to put up with that snake Andy Burnham having his two pen'ith on the news over the next few days!

CJ

 

[ChrisC]

Other than Liverpool (which we all know has been coming down for almost two months) is there anywhere that has gone 'down'? Certainly vast swathes of the country have gone 'up'. Doesn't say much for the 'success' of 'Lockdown 2', does it, if most of us are apparently the same or worse than we were before it started?

Utter nonsense indeed.

The City of Nottingham and much of the south of Nottinghamshire has been coming down since before ‘Lockdown 2’. Nottingham now has a lower level than the national average and certainly far lower than some London boroughs. The whole of Nottinghamshire is in Tier 3 and the whole of London in Tier 2.

 

[Tomp94]

Errm, except that cinema screen will have loads of other people in there. Or does the virus magically respect "bubbles" in some settings?

yes, it’s stupid and makes no sense.
i suppose in a cinema, a bubble or household will be sat more than 2m away from each other

 

[Darandio]

Not only are we in the strongest Tier - we'll have to put up with that snake Andy Burnham having his two pen'ith on the news over the next few days!

But I thought Andy Burnham was a Greater Manchester hero, the exalted #KingoftheNorth?

All I saw was an idiot, bouncing out rhetoric about the need for urgent action in a bid to save lives and then spending nearly a week refusing to accept it without more money. I understand the need to try and secure adequate funding for the people you represent, but if you are claiming urgent action is needed and show none of that urgency then people rightly question whether the measures are needed in the first place.

 

[peters]

Seems there's a North/South divide with the new restrictions.

While East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton are all in tier 2, they have all been considered individually. Cheshire West, Cheshire East & Warrington have been considered collectively as one meaning Warrington's high figures make the difference between Cheshire West and Cheshire East being tier 1 and tier 2.

I live in Greater Manchester unfortunately which is Tier 3.

I think it's great COVID knows and follows the GM boundary, it must have one of those TfGM tickets and knows it can travel out to all the way to Wigan or Greenfield but also knows that travel to Newton-le-Willows and Marsden isn't permitted.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope is that these measures will be reviewed in 14 days and every week thereafter. With infection rates falling significantly in most Northern cities, it must be hoped that we can all be down to tier 2 before Christmas and tier 1 as we go into the new year.

 

[fishquinn]

Warwickshire in tier 3, up from tier 1 last time round. I live in rural Warwickshire and haven't heard of any local cases so the fact we're in tier 3 when London's in tier 2 is seriously pissing me off

 

[trebor79]

Kent becoming Tier 3 is unfair for areas of Kent with low Covid levels. The areas of Swale, Medway and Thanet have very high rates, but most of the rest of Kent have low rates.
In my opinion it should have been done at borough level, which would have been fairer. Why should high rates on the Isle of Sheppey mean someone in Tenterden has the highest of restrictions, which is next to the border of East Sussex with Tier 2 restrictions.

Likewise, the "rational" for Norfolk being Tier 2 is that Great Yarmouth has higher rates than the rest of the county and currently increasing (despite the criteria stating that very localised or contained outbreaks would be set aside). The rest of the rational even states that rates in all other areas are low and declining!

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope is that these measures will be reviewed in 14 days and every week thereafter. With infection rates falling significantly in most Northern cities, it must be hoped that we can all be down to tier 2 before Christmas and tier 1 as we go into the new year.

I couldn't give a stuff about the distinction between tier 2 and tier 3, they both involve the biggest bugbear of mine which is to make it illegal to see your own folks. Wrong. I will not comply.

 

[yorksrob]

But I thought Andy Burnham was a Greater Manchester hero, the exalted #KingoftheNorth?

All I saw was an idiot, bouncing out rhetoric about the need for urgent action in a bid to save lives and then spending nearly a week refusing to accept it without more money. I understand the need to try and secure adequate funding for the people you represent, but if you are claiming urgent action is needed and show none of that urgency then people rightly question whether the measures are needed in the first place.

Burnham made some very good points about the scapegoating of hospitality on the Today programme yesterday.

Of course we can argue until the cows come home about where should be in what tier (most people I know seem to be in 3) but the ludicrousness is that the best way to spread people out and avoid transmission is to keep as much open as possible everywhere.

I truly hope that SAGE and the Government advisors have every piece of their advice and information scrutinised and reviewed and that lessons are learned, not swept under the carpet.

 

[DB]

I truly hope that SAGE and the Government advisors have every piece of their advice and information scrutinised and reviewed and that lessons are learned, not swept under the carpet.

If that happens it would be a first!

 

[SteveM70]

Where’s the logic?

 

[Bantamzen]

Where’s the logic?

Logic? We don't do logic! Hysteria & knee-jerking yes, logic no.

 

[geoffk]

I'm due to move house from Greater Manchester to Devon, and now Devon will be in Tier 2, along with all the SW except Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. I will have to stay overnight somewhere during the move but won't now be allowed to stay with my family in rural Devon. I just hope hotels will be open or I'll be sleeping in the car, not what I want at my age.

 

[Ianno87]

I'm due to move house from Greater Manchester to Devon, and now Devon will be in Tier 2, along with all the SW except Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. I will have to stay overnight somewhere during the move but won't now be allowed to stay with my family in rural Devon. I just hope hotels will be open or I'll be sleeping in the car, not what I want at my age.

Depends whether, during the process of the move, you are deemed to be no longer resident in a T3 area?

 

[Trackman]

I'm due to move house from Greater Manchester to Devon, and now Devon will be in Tier 2, along with all the SW except Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. I will have to stay overnight somewhere during the move but won't now be allowed to stay with my family in rural Devon. I just hope hotels will be open or I'll be sleeping in the car, not what I want at my age.

You should be OK,, see the bottom one

Exemptions from gatherings limits in all tiers​

• as part of a single household, or a support bubble
• for work or providing voluntary or charitable services, including in other people’s homes
• for childcare, education or training – meaning education and training provided as part of a formal curriculum
• for supervised activities provided for children, including wraparound care (before and after-school childcare), groups and activities for under 18s, and children’s playgroups
• for formal support groups, and parent and child groups – up to 15 people aged 5 and older
• to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care
• for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians
• for prospective adopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them
• for birth partners
• to attend a funeral – with no more than 30 people present – or a commemorative event such as a wake for someone who has died – with no more than 15 people present
• to see someone who is terminally ill or at the end of life
• to attend a wedding or civil partnership – with no more than 15 people present
• to provide emergency assistance
• to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm
• to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service
• to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable or to provide respite for a carer
• to facilitate moving home

​

 

[87electric]

Seems there's a North/South divide with the new restrictions.

While East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton are all in tier 2, they have all been considered individually. Cheshire West, Cheshire East & Warrington have been considered collectively as one meaning Warrington's high figures make the difference between Cheshire West and Cheshire East being tier 1 and tier 2.



I think it's great COVID knows and follows the GM boundary, it must have one of those TfGM tickets and knows it can travel out to all the way to Wigan or Greenfield but also knows that travel to Newton-le-Willows and Marsden isn't permitted.

It's so great that it follows the rules and doesn't infect anyone between 16:00 - 18:30.

 

[initiation]

Well my area has gone from Tier 1 to Tier 3. Bristol, North Somerset and South Glouc have all been grouped together with one of the reasons given being commuting.

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope is that these measures will be reviewed in 14 days and every week thereafter. With infection rates falling significantly in most Northern cities, it must be hoped that we can all be down to tier 2 before Christmas and tier 1 as we go into the new year.

They might make some minor tweaks (moving a few from tier 3 to tier 2 so pubs can open) but in my view there is no way the government will rapidly expand tier 1 pre-Christmas. They will wait until afterwards to see the impact of the additional 'permitted' mixing.

 

[C J Snarzell]

The craziest of all this is when you get a village like Billinge - half of it falls under Wigan Borough (Greater Manchester therefore Tier 3) and the other half falls under St Helens (Merseyside therefore Tier 2).

Do these politicians not realise the villagers living under Tier 3 are simply going to venture half a mile into Tier 2 and enjoy a pint & a meal at a pub/restaurant that can open?

CJ

 

[NorthOxonian]

Well my area has gone from Tier 1 to Tier 3. Bristol, North Somerset and South Glouc have all been grouped together with one of the reasons given being commuting.


They might make some minor tweaks (moving a few from tier 3 to tier 2 so pubs can open) but in my view there is no way the government will rapidly expand tier 1 pre-Christmas. They will wait until afterwards to see the impact of the additional 'permitted' mixing.

Though Bath and North East Somerset only goes in Tier 2. That's the right call based on the rates there, but is strange given that Keynsham is far more intertwined with Bristol than anywhere in North Somerset (whose urban areas are all further away).

 

[trebor79]

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope is that these measures will be reviewed in 14 days and every week thereafter. With infection rates falling significantly in most Northern cities, it must be hoped that we can all be down to tier 2 before Christmas and tier 1 as we go into the new year.

The glimmer of hope I have is that there's been a deliberate over-egging to allow the government scope to be seen to respond to any backlash before it comes into effect. So I hope some of the more egregious tier levels are reduced, probably dressed up in the guise of new data.

 

[Yew]

Other than Liverpool (which we all know has been coming down for almost two months) is there anywhere that has gone 'down'? Certainly vast swathes of the country have gone 'up'. Doesn't say much for the 'success' of 'Lockdown 2', does it, if most of us are apparently the same or worse than we were before it started?

Utter nonsense indeed.

Nottinghams been dropping fairly heavily since before any restrictions were brought in.

 

[Mag_seven]

I've got a funny feeling the phrase "it's not fair that...." is going to be much heard over the next few days!

 

[birchesgreen]

Warwickshire in tier 3, up from tier 1 last time round. I live in rural Warwickshire and haven't heard of any local cases so the fact we're in tier 3 when London's in tier 2 is seriously pissing me off

Some areas of North Warwickshire have high rates of infections, you can see it on the gov.uk interactive map.

 

[C J Snarzell]

I've got a funny feeling the phrase "it's not fair that...." is going to be much heard over the next few days!

Mr Burnham will no doubt be the first in the queue saying those very words.

CJ

 

[MikeWM]

Nottinghams been dropping fairly heavily since before any restrictions were brought in.

I overloaded the word 'down' in my previous post to mean both 'down in positive test results' and 'down in tier', apologies

If most places are the same or higher tier than they were before 'lockdown 2', then it doesn't appear that lockdown 2 was highly successful (of course we know that anyway...)

 

[Mag_seven]

If most places are the same or higher tier than they were before 'lockdown 2', then it doesn't appear that lockdown 2 was highly successful (of course we know that anyway...)

Exactly - I made that point earlier this week. So if "lockdown 2" didn't work, why should any of these "tiered lockdowns" work either!