Reduction in social gatherings.

[adc82140]

Is there a separate thread discussing the media reports about a National 10pm curfew being allegedly mulled by government?​

It's not a "curfew". That's just silly media sensationalism. It would be a pub licencing restriction requiring them to close at 10. You would still be allowed out for a 3am walk if you wanted to.

What about the plan to put covid marshals on the streets of this once free country.

I've googled "Covid Marshals". The only results coming up are how the Marshal's Group car dealers are Covid secure. Facebook rumour?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's not a "curfew". That's just silly media sensationalism. It would be a pub licencing restriction requiring them to close at 10. You would still be allowed out for a 3am walk if you wanted to.

What Belgium actually did was a curfew, and it seems to be alleged that that was being proposed for one of the local lockdown areas (Bradford?), though I'm not quite sure why going for a run at 3am would be spreading anything.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Was it Albania where 1 in 2 of the population were spying for the state?

Your Country Needs You (picture of Johnson or Hancock pointing).

Join the Curtain Twitchers Alliance today! Free badge for all members (actually make your own from an online template). The first 100,000 to sign up get a free disposable facemask, just £3.99 P + P, supplied direct from the PPE production lines that the government have bought.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2020 ==

That'll end well. I don't condone violence of any sort, but how long before we get a newspaper report of one of them picking on the wrong person and getting a broken jaw for their trouble.

There's one on the BBC News website now - passenger headbutted and thumped for telling someone to wear a mask. I don't condone violence but was it really any of his business?

Coronavirus: Train passenger headbutted for asking man to wear mask

Police are hunting for a man after a train passenger was headbutted and repeatedly punched for asking a fellow passenger to wear a face mask.
The victim was seriously injured in the assault on the Transport for London (TfL) service between Slough and Langley on 12 August.
Officers have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to.
It has been mandatory for people to wear face coverings on public transport in England since 15 June.
Some people are exempt, including those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability.
British Transport Police said a verbal altercation led to the assault.
"The man then squared up to the victim, before headbutting him to the floor and proceeding to punch him in the face numerous times," the force added

.

Would it be practical to impose curfew on specific areas only (e.g. town centres)?

I can't imagine that a curfew would be particularly practical anywhere. How are the warehouse pickers going to get to and from work, or the lorry drivers to then distribute the goods around the country, or the many other non-standard working hours people. If a Take-away closes at 2200, how long do they have to get home. If a newsagent opens at 0500, how early can they leave home. Yet more individuals having to have some exemption certificate to prove they why they are out and about to the army of self-appointed nosey parkers.

 

[Ianno87]

What Belgium actually did was a curfew, and it seems to be alleged that that was being proposed for one of the local lockdown areas (Bradford?), though I'm not quite sure why going for a run at 3am would be spreading anything.

Would it be practical to impose curfew on specific areas only (e.g. town centres)?

 

[Graham H]

OK so I get the number 6 but if I and 5 friends are in the park quite evidently it doesnt mean the park is now closed to anyone else. Has anyone seen anything to say how far apart each group of 6 needs to be ?

 

[adc82140]

OK so I get the number 6 but if I and 5 friends are in the park quite evidently it doesnt mean the park is now closed to anyone else. Has anyone seen anything to say how far apart each group of 6 needs to be ?

Simple. Bring a football, call yourself "Graham H United" and you can have 11. Or bring a rugby ball and name yourself the "GrahamHians" and you can have 15.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2020 ==

Coronavirus: Train passenger headbutted for asking man to wear mask


Police are hunting for a man after a train passenger was headbutted and repeatedly punched for asking a fellow passenger to wear a face mask.
The victim was seriously injured in the assault on the Transport for London (TfL) service between Slough and Langley on 12 August.
Officers have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to.
It has been mandatory for people to wear face coverings on public transport in England since 15 June.
Some people are exempt, including those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability.
British Transport Police said a verbal altercation led to the assault.
"The man then squared up to the victim, before headbutting him to the floor and proceeding to punch him in the face numerous times," the force added.


I can't imagine that a curfew would be particularly practical anywhere. How are the warehouse pickers going to get to and from work, or the lorry drivers to then distribute the goods around the country, or the many other non-standard working hours people. If a Take-away closes at 2200, how long do they have to get home. If a newsagent opens at 0500, how early can they leave home. Yet more individuals having to have some exemption certificate to prove they why they are out and about to the army of self-appointed nosey parkers.

I daresay going to work would be an exemption. So it's not a curfew.

 

[Graham H]

Simple. Bring a football, call yourself "Graham H United" and you can have 11. Or bring a rugby ball and name yourself the "GrahamHians" and you can have 15.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2020 ==


I daresay going to work would be an exemption. So it's not a curfew.

Maybe I will form an American football team, theres hundreds on those teams or so it seems

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Simple. Bring a football, call yourself "Graham H United" and you can have 11. Or bring a rugby ball and name yourself the "GrahamHians" and you can have 15.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2020 ==


I daresay going to work would be an exemption. So it's not a curfew.

30 presumably, if it's organised sport, plus some officials and substitutes.

How about Ravians RUFC, they just like playing all night to a loud, repetitive thumping beat (something like that is the definition of a rave).

 

[C J Snarzell]

Matt Hancock is a politician who does genuinely care about what is happening and he does come across as being emotional about the impact this is having on people's lives.

He is between a rock and a hard place in his role and I think his lifespan as the Health Secretary is limited - the responsibility is now like a poisoned chalice.

CJ

 

[Class 33]

As I just heard on the news, these restrictions could be in place for at least 3 months. Why exactly at least 3 months?

Also Robert Peston just mentioned on the ITV News that "I don't rule out more SEVERE national restrictions to be introduced over the weeks and months to come.". I don't know whether to take that comment seriously or with a pinch of salt. We really don't need any more restrictions!

 

[trebor79]

Also Robert Peston just mentioned on the ITV News that "I don't rule out more SEVERE national restrictions to be introduced over the weeks and months to come.". I don't know whether to take that comment seriously or with a pinch of salt. We really don't need any more restrictions!

That's just Robert Peston being Robert Peston.

 

[C J Snarzell]

If there new restrictions are in place over the Christmas & New Year period thousands of people will just breach them for obvious reasons. Simply as.

Boris Johnson most at least have an ounce of common sense that people are not going to be deprived of family gatherings and celebrations over the festive season.

Also many people (including myself) will simply have no patience by then after 9 months of having our lives dictated to.

To say 3 months might be a bold move to keep everyone on side - if they say the restrictions are likely to be in place for 4 months it would be like lighting the blue torch paper now.

CJ

 

[Meerkat]

If there new restrictions are in place over the Christmas & New Year period thousands of people will just breach them for obvious reasons. Simply as.

Boris Johnson most at least have an ounce of common sense that people are not going to be deprived of family gatherings and celebrations over the festive season.

The obvious reasons being they don’t mind threatening the lives of their elderly relatives?
Maybe Boris is hoping that people have common sense. A big group of people, including vulnerable elderly and the young who have been out partying, cramped in small poorly ventilated rooms (it’s winter, the windows will be shut and the heating on) For hours and hours. It’s all a respiratory pandemic could wish for!!
if the rule is in place for Christmas it will make life easier for many vulnerable people who will be worried about the risk but not want to offend relatives - they can just blame the government.

 

[py_megapixel]

I think another full scale lockdown would be economic and political suicide, so they are trying to get as close as possible without it actually being a full scale lockdown. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if we return to advising "please only do X for essential purposes" over the next month or so...

Boris Johnson most at least have an ounce of common sense

You are expecting too much of him.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think another full scale lockdown would be economic and political suicide, so they are trying to get as close as possible without it actually being a full scale lockdown. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if we return to advising "please only do X for essential purposes" over the next month or so...

It clearly depends on what happens to the rate of increase of cases - they evidently want to get it (and keep it) on the down again.

 

[Meerkat]

I think another full scale lockdown would be economic and political suicide, so they are trying to get as close as possible without it actually being a full scale lockdown. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if we return to advising "please only do X for essential purposes" over the next month or so...


You are expecting too much of him.

As close as possible, except you can go to work, school, shopping, and the pub??

 

[py_megapixel]

To "market" the new restrictions, we apparantely now have yet another slogan: "HANDS - FACE - SPACE"

'Hands, Face, Space' campaign aims to control coronavirus as winter approaches

Boris Johnson first used the slogan at a press conference more than a month ago

www.independent.co.uk

A new campaign has been launched to encourage people to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
The "Hands Face Space" campaign urges people to ensure they have washed their hands, used a mask where appropriate and maintain social distancing.
The campaign states that these are the three most effective ways the public can contain the spread of the virus.

It comes after experts voiced concerns that people are becoming "relaxed" following a spike in infections and health ecretary Matt Hancock warned of the possibility of a second peak of Covid-19 as he said that the virus was "still a threat".

 

[Ianigsy]

Hancock is the obvious scapegoat, and he knows it.

Besides that he’s hopelessly out of his depth, though he has countered that a little by clearly putting a massive amount of effort in. I suspect in the early stages that was on the basis of personal ambition - get this right and it’s a guaranteed launch pad to bigger things - but as time has gone on he knows he’s never going to come out of this looking good.

I’ve more sympathy for Hancock than Boris, though this may change if we see much more of the inflammatory blame game aired out loud.

Boris knows he’s personally finished as a result of all this, to me that seems very evident from his persona now, which is increasingly weak and defensive. Today’s PMQ’s was a man on the rack, and the one before that was a car-crash. Boris’s game is now damage limitation - how can he walk away with some element of positivity still intact?

The narrative for Johnson will be that he did his best faced with a worldwide situation that nobody could have predicted, risked his own health in the process but he now wants to see his baby son grow up.

With both Hancock and Johnson, there's probably no enthusiasm in the parliamentary party to replace them because whoever did would still have to clear up this and any other messes. Better to let them carry on until the spring and then have a new broom.

 

[Jamiescott1]

What happened to the 5 levels ? Have we moved to a different level or has the whole process been forgotten

 

[Bletchleyite]

What happened to the 5 levels ? Have we moved to a different level or has the whole process been forgotten

That disappeared a while ago when the criteria became a little inconvenient.

 

[takno]

What happened to the 5 levels ? Have we moved to a different level or has the whole process been forgotten

Those were based on a detailed mathematical model which was utterly discredited almost before the government had finished making it up. They've been dumped now in favour of the original levels predicted by you teacher, a Mr Ferguson I believe, back in March

 

[C J Snarzell]

At least the new measures will mean I won't be harassed in my own home by trick or treaters at the end of next month. Sadly it won't stop the other idiots who set off fireworks at 3am.

CJ

 

[Richard Scott]

The obvious reasons being they don’t mind threatening the lives of their elderly relatives?
Maybe Boris is hoping that people have common sense. A big group of people, including vulnerable elderly and the young who have been out partying, cramped in small poorly ventilated rooms (it’s winter, the windows will be shut and the heating on) For hours and hours. It’s all a respiratory pandemic could wish for!!
if the rule is in place for Christmas it will make life easier for many vulnerable people who will be worried about the risk but not want to offend relatives - they can just blame the government.

Will you please change the record? Has anyone thought that older people have brains too and can work things out for themselves. We need to stop being so condescending to the older population.

 

[py_megapixel]

At least the new measures will mean I won't be harassed in my own home by trick or treaters at the end of next month.

Just stick a polite sign saying "no trick or treat please" on your door... the vast, vast majority will respect that in my experience, and if they don't then you have every right to be annoyed at them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I find round by me they don't even knock unless you put decorations out - it's very much a family thing. I tend to get a bag of chocolate bars just in case but mostly end up eating them myself.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I'm quite angry about that to be honest. There is no need to have such a stringent restriction outdoors; there is basically no outdoor spread.

Hmmm... government introduces a restriction on our daily lives, with no convincing evidence (or indeed any evidence) that it will definitely reduce transmission of coronavirus?
So you support face-coverings, but not this measure, even though ‘it might just work’ was previously good enough as a convincer?

 

[takno]

I find round by me they don't even knock unless you put decorations out - it's very much a family thing. I tend to get a bag of chocolate bars just in case but mostly end up eating them myself.

I don't think we've ever had trick or treaters round, but now you mention it I might get a precautionary bag of chocolate in as well

 

[Bletchleyite]

So you support face-coverings, but not this measure, even though ‘it might just work’ was previously good enough as a convincer?

I was in favour of trying masks because they might work. As evidence seems to be that they haven't, my view is turning away from them.

There's no point trying restricting group sizes outside because we already tried that. We hadn't tried masks before.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Sep 2020 ==

I don't think we've ever had trick or treaters round, but now you mention it I might get a precautionary bag of chocolate in as well

It's a good excuse to eat it

I could put decorations out I suppose, but I think a single bloke doing that for a kids' event might be seen as a bit freaky.

 

[thejuggler]

That's just Robert Peston being Robert Peston.

Don't dismiss it. It was Robert Peston who "announced" the reduction to groups of 6 after he was told by Government insiders.

It resulted in Matt Hancock being put on notice by the Speaker that this isn't how significant announcements should be made and to sort himself out.

 

[Meerkat]

Will you please change the record? Has anyone thought that older people have brains too and can work things out for themselves. We need to stop being so condescending to the older population.

In what way are people being condescendin?