New lockdown in England, including school closures, announced by Johnson, 4/1/21

[Ianno87]

That has been clear as day for years but somehow people still vote for them

I feel sorry for the parents who can't send their kids to daycare school. I wonder how many will be off tomorrow because 8pm is a fantastic time to announce such a thing

Early years settings (nurseries etc) are still open. But still need to wait for an e-mail from our 2 year old's nursery (for tomorrow) to confirm whether or not they are "key worker only" (the guidance does not require this from early years settings)

 

[bramling]

But given the diet of doom, with a helping of gloom and all garnished heavily with fear, which they are fed by the politicians and mainstream media, it's inevitable that this will be a majority view.

Plus the fact that many don't realise what this is going to do to the country in the longer term.

The only thing we can do is keep pushing the narrative to as many people as possible. I’ve certainly been trying to do that, though in most cases it’s preaching to the converted as I don’t tend to interact much with mumsnet types!

 

[sheff1]

So areas, mainly but not exclusively, in the north "had" to have harsher restrictions because the number of cases was above the national average. Now the cases in those areas are below the average they must have even harsher restrictions becuase of the number of cases elsewhere.

This man should have no credibilty at all, but it seems some still trust him.

 

[DB]

The guidance says exercise should be once per day and not travel beyond the local area. It also emphasises 2 metre distancing, though I’m tending to keep to at least that distance anyway where possible.

And it's as badly written as ever:

exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

So what if your 'support bubble' (awful term) is outside of the local area?

 

[bramling]

Early years settings (nurseries etc) are still open. But still need to wait for an e-mail from our 2 year old's nursery (for tomorrow) to confirm whether or not they are "key worker only" (the guidance does not require this from early years settings)

As an aside, it’s interesting to see the words “key worker” mentioned by his greatness tonight. Having thoroughly hacked off many of them over the course of the year, it will be interesting to see if there’s conspicuously less support from this group this time round.

Just noticed there was no mentioned of workplaces at all (unless I missed something?). So presumably still only “work from home if you can”.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

I can understand a lockdown back in March last year, as we were all scared and we had no idea how bad Covid was. But now, I question whether a third lockdown was really necessary or not, when deaths aren't even as bad as it was back in March and April.

We were fine with Tier 1-3 tbh (no this doesn't include Tier 4 which I also believe it was unnecessary)

 

[brick60000]

The guidance says exercise should be once per day and not travel beyond the local area. It also emphasises 2 metre distancing, though I’m tending to keep to at least that distance anyway where possible.

It also says "not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting)". Because I'm really going to catch COVID from sitting in a park, miles from anybody else, enjoying a picnic with my household...beyond a joke, again.

 

[NorthOxonian]

And it's as badly written as ever:



So what if your 'support bubble' (awful term) is outside of the local area?

Also, the phrase local area is very unclear. Is it a distance radius? Is it a local authority thing? Or is it a county thing?

Though since they're saying "should" and not "must", I assume this isn't going to be a strictly enforced legal thing (unless you're absolutely taking the biscuit).

 

[Ianno87]

It'll be interesting to see the level of traffic tomorrow...

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I expect them to get more vocal come mid-February, and/or as this drags on longer with visible damage elsewhere and overall infection numbers come down.

They were vocal when we had the tame Tiers but have since got too wrapped up in the positivity from leaving the EU and fail to realise all that benefit is rapidly evaporating if someone doesn't make a stand but at least Swayne will still being leading the charge.

 

[DB]

Also, the phrase local area is very unclear. Is it a distance radius? Is it a local authority thing? Or is it a county thing?

Though since they're saying "should" and not "must", I assume this isn't going to be a strictly enforced legal thing (unless you're absolutely taking the biscuit).

Will have to see what the legislation actually says - because as we've seen numerous times, in the guidance they like to mingle what the law actually says with what is only advice.

 

[bramling]

It'll be interesting to see the level of traffic tomorrow...

Same as today I’ll bet.

The garden centres remain open, so they will probably be the new go-to for many, especially if the weather improves a bit.

 

[6Gman]

Can anyone give me the science behind why collecting a lager is more of a covid-spreading risk than picking up a latte???

Presumably because some people, sadly, can't hold their beer. We have spent a lot of time recently sitting on benches on our local town square. The people drinking coffee tend to observe social distancing better than those drinking lager.

 

[Class 33]

So a long 6 week lockdown at least. Why not a 3 week lockdown and then a review at that point? In 3 weeks from now the effects of the vaccinations may well have finally kicked in. A 6 week lockdown(at least), many people are going to find that pretty tough to say the least. And also what happened to Johnson's previous statement that "The tiering system has a sunset of 3rd February, and there will be a vote in parliament on 27th January for whether it should continue until the end of March."?? What happened to that, has that gone out the window now?

I really just can't believe this, a THIRD full national lockdown. You just couldn't make this stuff up.

 

[Jimini]

As an aside, it’s interesting to see the words “key worker” mentioned by his greatness tonight. Having thoroughly hacked off many of them over the course of the year, it will be interesting to see if there’s conspicuously less support from this group this time round.

Just noticed there was no mentioned of workplaces at all (unless I missed something?). So presumably still only “work from home if you can”.

Sorry if I’ve missed something — what’s the beef with key workers travelling to work?

 

[yorkie]

So what if your 'support bubble' (awful term) is outside of the local area?

Then you can travel.

(Legally, you can anyway)

 

[martin2345uk]

I'm a bit confused by this bit

Meeting others​

You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).

You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble.

You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

So does that mean I can meet a friend I don't live with, outside, for exercise? Would a walk in the park count as exercise?

 

[philosopher]

It also says "not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting)". Because I'm really going to catch COVID from sitting in a park, miles from anybody else, enjoying a picnic with my household...beyond a joke, again.

It does look like it is no longer legal to have a picnic in a park, even with your own household, however going for a walk with a friend still seems to be allowed. From the .Gov Website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home:

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

• shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
• go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
• exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
• meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
• seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
• attend education or childcare - for those eligible

It will be interesting to see what the actual legalisation says.

 

[LAX54]

Same as today I’ll bet.

The garden centres remain open, so they will probably be the new go-to for many, especially if the weather improves a bit.

I thought he said it will be from the early hours of Wednesday morning ?

Can't recall what we did in March, were Post Offices still open for letters and parcels ? think they were, so same again ?

 

[221129]

Presumably because some people, sadly, can't hold their beer. We have spent a lot of time recently sitting on benches on our local town square. The people drinking coffee tend to observe social distancing better than those drinking lager.

Ah yes because only the civilised people can purchase a carry out in the local off licence...

 

[Darandio]

I thought he said it will be from the early hours of Wednesday morning ?

Can't recall what we did in March, were Post Offices still open for letters and parcels ? think they were, so same again ?

From midnight tonight.

Yes, that was fine at Post Offices in March.

 

[ABB125]

It'll be interesting to see the level of traffic tomorrow...

I imagine it will be similar to today, at least where I live (next to a single-carriageway A-road, part of the Strategic Road Network, with around 20,000AADT in normal times); it's been noticeably quieter recently, with the combination of travel restrictions and Christmas, although the vast majority of the reduction is cars (lorries are still coming past at a similar rate).
The reduction in traffic on March 23rd last year was phenomenal!

 

[bramling]

I thought he said it will be from the early hours of Wednesday morning ?

Can't recall what we did in March, were Post Offices still open for letters and parcels ? think they were, so same again ?

My interpretation is he wants people to do this from midnight tonight, but that it will become law from Wednesday.

 

[al78]

As usual a load of opposition consisting of the same narrow minded stuff as of months past. The fact is that the new strain is causing hospitalisation rates to soar, at a time of year where demand for NHS services peaks, and there is no sign of it slowing down, never mind easing. The fact is that in some areas the NHS is reaching or approaching its limit. The fact is that the virus spreads through close contact via aerosols, so minimising close contact is likely the best (only) way to slow it down before a widespread vaccination can take effect. It has been seen that tier 3 and 4 measures are insufficient to ease the virus propagation, and logic states that easing restrictions and encouraging people to mingle won't do any better, so the only logical alternative is to impose harder restrictions to further restrict people mixing, for a period of time until the pressure on the hospitals eases and the vaccine can take hold.

You can whinge all you like about the effect on the economy, but ultimately if the NHS collapses, we'll all have more to worry about than money, so it is in all our best interests to avoid that happening. This is an unprecedented national emergency which requires major severe measures to get through it, and denying reality doesn't change reality, deal with it. The UK is one of the worst countries in the world affected by COVID, probably thanks to fannying about this time last year when cases were first reported, instead of making a strong leadership decision, shutting the borders and locking down immediately like they did in New Zealand. Sometimes making sacrifices now is necessary to avoid an even worse fate in the future. We dithered around the first time and tried to avoid making the sacrifices, we are paying the price for it now. The best thing to do is not repeat the mistakes of the past and the consequence of the past, but act now to avoid a worse fate down the line. I'm glad the government has had the courage to implement the lockdown when the evidence strongly suggests it is needed. It is not going to last forever.

 

[DustyBin]

My interpretation is he wants people to do this from midnight tonight, but that it will become law from Wednesday.

I’m certain he said we should start following the restrictions from tonight, or words to that effect.

 

[221129]

You can whinge all you like about the effect on the economy, but ultimately if the NHS collapses, we'll all have more to worry about than money, so it is in all our best interests to avoid that happening.

If the economy collapses then there will be no NHS.

 

[ainsworth74]

How that man sleeps at night is beyond me.

Well, considering that even by his standards of grooming and appearance (which are awful at the best of times), he looked absolutely knackered he may well not be. Not that I have much sympathy...

 

[6862]

I'm glad the government has had the courage to implement the lockdown when the evidence strongly suggests it is needed. It is not going to last forever.

Can I ask how you can say with such certainty that some of these measures won't be permanent? After all, a year ago the idea that a democratically elected British government would remove so many of our basic human rights was unthinkable. Nothing is off the table now. And that includes the possibility that some of these measures will be permanent. At the very least, many of the effects will certainly be permanent (for example hildren who will recieve worthless qualifications, people who will commit suicide, complete collapse of the economy and resulting long term effects...).

 

[bramling]

Well, considering that even by his standards of grooming and appearance (which are awful at the best of times), he looked absolutely knackered he may well not be. Not that I have much sympathy...

He did look awful I thought.

 

[brad465]

They were vocal when we had the tame Tiers but have since got too wrapped up in the positivity from leaving the EU and fail to realise all that benefit is rapidly evaporating if someone doesn't make a stand but at least Swayne will still being leading the charge.

I can't see them getting distracted with the Brexit matters for long though, especially now we are back in lockdown. Also I remember them all being delighted at the Internal Market Bill stuff in September, but still maintaining their disgust at the overall Covid response (the CRG formed around 2 months after the IMB was first presented to Parliament, but I don't see the circumstances causing them to wait 2 months again, especially if the infection peak comes in the next month.

The necessity of locking down is not so much a failure of restrictions as it is a failure of healthcare policy for many years: I've seen figures that suggest capacity has dropped since 1990, where had we not lost any, it may not have prevented restrictions being imposed, but it might have made the need to lock down completely unjustified. This new lockdown especially is a complete failure of trying to get the house in order over the last 9 months with healthcare capacity: they built the Nightingales but didn't go to any lengths to fill the 40,000 odd nurse vacancies that would have helped better staff them and existing hospitals. Getting 40,000 in 9 months is nigh on impossible, but if they'd managed to get just a quarter of those it would have made a big difference.