Do You Think The Lockdown Is Simply Going To Stop?

[andy-hughes]

I honestly believe that if the government does not offer a workable start to relaxing the lockdown, then people are simply going to stop doing it.

Isolation is unnatural for everyone, and human nature will simply take over.

Businesses losing money will simply re-open, the police can't prosecute every one of them, and people will soon pick up in that.

More and more the media are talking as I did a couple of weeks ago - confirming that if we don't stop the lockdown soon, there will be no economy to re-start, and the populace will simply not allow that to happen.

People will want to balance the saving of lives with the worth of the lives of everyone, which is being eroded every single day.

I don't think the public will go beyond the next two weeks - it needs a planned return to normality, or it will simply be abandoned.

What do others think?

[Mozz71]

Nope, I think survival instinct will dictate that people will remain in lockdown for as long as necessary. Sure, they want to go out, but they also do not want to be hospitalised on a ventilator.

[ichkeria]

They will certainly start to relax things - very soon. But normality will be a long time returning.

[Patsy33]

My husband has been saying the same as you for days now. I can't see people holding on for much longer, either.

[eleanor2]

I don't know andy. I joined in another thread regards being furloughed. My life is pretty hectic normally working part time & looking after our granddaughter. But this can't carry on indefinitely, you don't get hangouts like this for nothing. How will all this affect everyone financially long term? It's worrying!

[retrocop]

Agreed Mozz. The lockdown demonstrates the weak from the strong. If we all ignore lockdown we might well all be dead or incapacitated. The economy won't matter if we are all gasping for breath on a ventilator.It's apparent that certain individuals are not coping very well in this crisis. I'm afraid we are in this for the long term. It is been reported that Corvid -19 will be circulating in this world for many years to come. :-(

[eleanor2]

*handouts*

[jno]

it appears that the government plans for me - being elderly - to stay in purdah indefinitely until a vaccine is produced. I can't see myself obeying any such edict.

Private Eye quoted a care home patient as saying "If that's going to be my future, I'd just as soon lick a nurse and get it over with."

[jim360]

I think it can, and will, last a few weeks longer yet. Just ending it now would be a health disaster, and I think people appreciate that over the economic concerns.

[Spicerack]

I think that's why they announced the vaccine trials this week.
They want to roll out their 'virus' app before allowing us out.

[ichkeria]

The current measures will not remain in place as they are for much longer.
The idea was to avoid a situation where there were more people needing life saving treatment than could be accommodated.
One downside of all this is actually that we do need more people to catch this to spread the immunity and actually as test candidates.
One extreme sees us staying as we are until a vaccine is ready. The other is we simply let rip and push the epidemic more quickly to a decline.
Presumably what will actually happen will be a balance between those

[Cloverjo]

I agree, Andy-Hughes. This can’t go on much longer. Imagine living in a flat with small children throughout the summer.

We are being too obedient anyway. The powers expected only about 70% compliance. But we’re almost all shut in so there’s not the expected immunity. Got to start planning something. Hopefully when Boris gets back to work things will start moving.

[jno]

it looks at present like being a "balance" between younger people, who will be allowed out, and older people, who won't.

[fiction-factory]

AT the end of the current 3 weeks I think the only feasible option is an outline plan for phased relaxation of lockdown to definitely start before the end of May with noticeable changes during June and other changes to be phased over the second half of the year (broad outline would be sufficient- the exact timings would depend on the data from R value, cases, deaths, testing. There would also need to be health warnings about trigger points for retightening in some areas.

The priority should be opening up more shops, especially garden centres and DIY/ IKEA, but with 2m limits for maybe a few months or more needed; phased returns to work but with incentives to work from home; restaurants with capacity limits and spacing rules; and things that are more risky such as hairdressers but can be mitigated with masks.

I think people would accept things like no concerts, football, pubs, large weddings until say October/Novemeber provided is some return to normality in the above areas.

I don't think the 2m distancing can continue beyond June in all areas. It could continue in shops and on public transport but people can't keep avoiding seeing families face to face, so there should be advice but not rules.

[ichkeria]

I hope so Clover.
I never thought I’d be looking forward to Mr Johnson’s return as PM :-)

[ichkeria]

The priority should be the schools and indeed was the schools according to plans thus far

[fiction-factory]

I missed schools. Ideally early June but on a basis so that class sizes are much smaller so maybe different years on different days.

[jno]

Cloverjo, bear in mind that they don't actually know about immunity yet. Infection may not make you immune. I posted a link the other day to a Chinese chap who'd tested positive, been pronounced cured after treatment and a negative test, then tested positive again - three times. We also don't know if a vaccine will be effective permanently or if, like flu jabs, it'll have to be reformulated every year. We're still very much in the dark.

[jno]

ff, many B&Qs have reopened - garden centres and all. It would be extremely unfair if garden centres that don't sell screwdrivers should continue to be shut.

[Buenchico]

And just where is everybody meant to be going when the lockdown rules start to break down?

Premises that require licensing (such as bars, restaurants, music venues, cinema and theatres) aren't going to risk the loss of those licences through infringing the regulations and it's already abundantly clear that they won't be allowed to re-open until some time next year.

So that's an awful ot of 'leisure' journeys that simply aren't going to happen when the 'revolt' foreseen by Andy takes place.

[ichkeria]

I’d have thought it’s a safe bet that infection makes you immune for a fair while, if maybe not the level of immunity a vaccine might provide.
But it’s presumably a hard thing to prove positively especially with a new virus