Lockdown in England from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December

[bramling]

Exactly the same where I am. In fact I’ve not long stepped off the busiest DLR service I’ve been on since pre-Covid days!

This feels very, very different to March. I happen to believe that’s a good thing.

It’s a good thing until Hancock decides to throw a hissy-fit and it ends up getting extended, or a load more businesses get forcibly shut down.

This is a total joke - it’s just like a normal Saturday night here, just with people stocking up on alcohol from off licences and corner shops instead of going to the pub or restaurant. More than likely tomorrow night will be busier than a normal Sunday as there’s going to be a whole batch of people devoid of having to get up for work on the Monday morning!

What an utter complete farce. I’m utterly disgusted with the judgement of this government. I don’t think we’re any better than bleach, and at least that wasn’t trashing his economy!

 

[yorkie]

I agree, and the small shoe shops have my sympathy. I only mentioned it in the hope that it helps the child that Yorkie knows get some new shoes.

The shoes have been patched up for now; I will provide further developments in due course!

In Asia they ware masks! Hence why the virus is under control. In the UK we are so fussy about all the basic guidelines hence the mess we are in!!

How do you explain Sweden vs mask-mad countries like Italy, France and Spain?

If masks were a silver bullet, surely Sweden would be doing far worse, and Italy, France and Spain would be doing so much better?

Also, how do you define "in control"?

 

[LOL The Irony]

How do you explain Sweden vs mask-mad countries like Italy, France and Spain?

If masks were a silver bullet, surely Sweden would be doing far worse, and Italy, France and Spain would be doing so much better?

Also, how do you define "in control"?

Masks are mostly to protect others from you, not the other way round. They aren't and never will be silver bullets. We should've gone down the Sweden approach like Boris wanted but alas, we caved to fear mongering, but that's an issue for another day.

 

[DB]

Masks are mostly to protect others from you, not the other way round.

That's a popular theory, but as with most aspects of enforced mask wearing doesn't actually seem to be supported by any evidence.

 

[43066]

It’s a good thing until Hancock decides to throw a hissy-fit and it ends up getting extended, or a load more businesses get forcibly shut down.

This is a total joke - it’s just like a normal Saturday night here, just with people stocking up on alcohol from off licences and corner shops instead of going to the pub or restaurant. More than likely tomorrow night will be busier than a normal Sunday as there’s going to be a whole batch of people devoid of having to get up for work on the Monday morning!

What an utter complete farce. I’m utterly disgusted with the judgement of this government. I don’t think we’re any better than bleach, and at least that wasn’t trashing his economy!

People were a lot more onboard with the March lockdown but many are now rightly questioning why, months and months later, we are back to square one. That was only ever going to be a one shot deal.

The summer months were a chance to pump money into beefing up the NHS to cope with the rise in cases we have always known would be coming in the autumn. Yet the NHS apparently still can’t cope with a few tens of thousands extra patients, in a country of 70m, with the world’s fifth largest economy.

We’ve still had less than 50k deaths “with COVID”, some 50% of which were amongst care home residents. By all accounts care homes are still vulnerable - again you have to ask why. Especially when half a billion(?) was squandered on the ability for many of us to get a tenner off a few meals out over the summer.

Gyms are closed again, so the population can continue to get fatter and fatter. Goodness knows how many must be drowning their sorrows (and using far worse substances!).

It’s a complete mess.

The shoes have been patched up for now; I will provide further developments in due course!

Reasonably priced clothing can still be bought in most Tesco superstores etc.?

 

[Islineclear3_1]

All the shoe shops were closed in my local town today. Have shoes suddenly become non-essential?

And if restaurants are supposed to close, why were the Golden Arches open? They were always touting themselves as restaurants...

Even the Pound shops were open along with a furniture shop (the other one was shut)

 

[yorkie]

The proportion of people who support lockdowns is dwindling, though it is disappointing to see some people do still defend the indefensible. It's a small, but very vocal, minority.

All the shoe shops were closed in my local town today. Have shoes suddenly become non-essential?

Yes I believe clothes and shoes have been deemed non-essential, though can still be purchased (where available) from shops selling "essential" items (in England at least!)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Nov 2020 ==

Reasonably priced clothing can still be bought in most Tesco superstores etc.?

Not sure what the shoe range is, I'll have to look when I'm next there

 

[Reliablebeam]

It’s a good thing until Hancock decides to throw a hissy-fit and it ends up getting extended, or a load more businesses get forcibly shut down.

This is a total joke - it’s just like a normal Saturday night here, just with people stocking up on alcohol from off licences and corner shops instead of going to the pub or restaurant. More than likely tomorrow night will be busier than a normal Sunday as there’s going to be a whole batch of people devoid of having to get up for work on the Monday morning!

What an utter complete farce. I’m utterly disgusted with the judgement of this government. I don’t think we’re any better than bleach, and at least that wasn’t trashing his economy!

I must admit I am wondering when the petulant cretin Hancock starts griping. I do get the sense that trust in the government, even from its own backbenchers, has evaporated. I do think given the behaviour I've seen locally any chance of pulling a Victoria is very slim indeed - traffic is barely down. I did use GWR in the end earlier, as I needed to go into a neighbouring stop for essential shopping and a local walking trail that is actually walkable this time of year. The train was quiet but nowhere near as quiet as they were in may/june.

 

[yorksrob]

I must admit I am wondering when the petulant cretin Hancock starts griping. I do get the sense that trust in the government, even from its own backbenchers, has evaporated. I do think given the behaviour I've seen locally any chance of pulling a Victoria is very slim indeed - traffic is barely down. I did use GWR in the end earlier, as I needed to go into a neighbouring stop for essential shopping and a local walking trail that is actually walkable this time of year. The train was quiet but nowhere near as quiet as they were in may/june.

There's no chance of "pulling a Victoria" from where we are now. If there was, it would have been achieved during lockdown 1.

 

[SJN]

All the shoe shops were closed in my local town today. Have shoes suddenly become non-essential?

And if restaurants are supposed to close, why were the Golden Arches open? They were always touting themselves as restaurants...

Even the Pound shops were open along with a furniture shop (the other one was shut)

McDonald’s are doing take away only so are staying open. The Poundshops were open last time as they sell food/cleaning products & various other essentials.

 

[43066]

McDonald’s are doing take away only so are staying open. The Poundshops were open last time as they sell food/cleaning products & various other essentials.

For the love of God.

Poundshops, McDonalds, and Tescos, selling ropey clothes. Is that the utter morass we have descended into as a nation?!

Shame on this Government.

 

[bramling]

For the love of God.

Poundshops, McDonalds, and Tescos, selling ropey clothes. Is that the utter morass we have descended into as a nation?!

Shame on this Government.

Dire, isn’t it. At least Trump has some entertainment value, instead we get Hancock sitting in the Commons looking like a bamboozled teenager.

 

[Richard Scott]

Dire, isn’t it. At least Trump has some entertainment value, instead we get Hancock sitting in the Commons looking like a bamboozled teenager.

Think we need more of Theresa May to cheer us up, even if it is only to see Boris throw his toys out of the pram. Revenge could yet be sweet for her?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

People were a lot more onboard with the March lockdown but many are now rightly questioning why, months and months later, we are back to square one. That was only ever going to be a one shot deal.

People being in close contact cause the spread so the population need to take responsibility for there own actions but Boris doesn't help always dangling carrots that some silver bullet lies round the corner. It might but on balance decades of trying to find a common cold solution remain as far away as ever so he should have been far more cautious so people remained on alert. He had nothing to lose being in year 1 of his term not to have to worry about public opinion yet but he didn't and here we are.

The summer months were a chance to pump money into beefing up the NHS to cope with the rise in cases we have always known would be coming in the autumn. Yet the NHS apparently still can’t cope with a few tens of thousands extra patients, in a country of 70m, with the world’s fifth largest economy.

The NHS is coping with extra patients currently and on current growth rates, which are slowing, its will at least 8 weeks before wave 1 bed levels for covid are breached albeit North East/West regions are closer to capacity but L&SE has plenty of capacity. The other issue though is how bad the flu season will be so far there is limited seasonal flu prevalence. Furthermore some southern hemisphere countries reported reduced flu this year during there winter season for reasons not fully understood but undoubtedly social distancing must be helping so maybe won't be such a big issue this year.

We’ve still had less than 50k deaths “with COVID”, some 50% of which were amongst care home residents. By all accounts care homes are still vulnerable - again you have to ask why. Especially when half a billion(?) was squandered on the ability for many of us to get a tenner off a few meals out over the summer.

Agree and this is incompetence on a grand scale by govt given the issues in wave one to see it repeated is abject failure. Its largely elderly people that end up hopsitalised so they should be doing everything to minimise transmission in care homes yet I can see no evidence of them being offered any help with still 1 in 5 staff on zero hour contracts bouncing from one care home to another. last weeks NHS weekly flu and C19 survey report 390 outbreaks in care homes making it 1195 over last four weeks.

As you rightly say "It’s a complete mess"

 

[island]

In one of my local parks today, it was busier than ever. No material respect for the rule of 2 (some groups will no doubt have been households/bubbles, but there is no way they all were). Café still open with internal seating closed but external seating open (which is against the rules). Public toilets closed, allegedly out of order.

 

[northernchris]

For the love of God.

Poundshops, McDonalds, and Tescos, selling ropey clothes. Is that the utter morass we have descended into as a nation?!

Shame on this Government.

Whilst on my way to Sainsbury's earlier I was (pleasantly) surprised at how many shops in Leeds City Centre were open compared with the last lockdown. It seems some are using the law creatively - Hotel Chocolat being the most obvious as I wouldn't have thought they would have fallen in to the essential retail category, but fair play to them for opening.

 

[MidlandsChap]

So annoyed that they have closed gyms.

 

[Mojo]

Went to a few shops this afternoon.

Asda’s was extremely busy. I was very amused to see the “SAFETY MARSHAL” wearing his muzzle on his chin.
Nobody obviously counting inbound customers.

B&M was even busier, with most customers buying toys.

Noticed a few independent eateries open with tables and chairs out on the street.

I wonder if with all the major stories on the news this week being about the American election, many people even realise there’s a lockdown on.

 

[Crossover]

Only popped to Sainsbury’s today, be it was around 17:30 and fairly quiet (similar to how it has been for a few weeks at the same time)

 

[Mugby]

As I took a stroll through central Derby yesterday, I wandered through the shopping centre (Intu) and noted that all the major phone shops, Vodafone, Three, EE and suchlike are closed for the duration of the lockdown.

However, outside the shopping centre, the small independent phone shops, doing unlocking, selling second hand phones, vape liquids and so on were open as normal. How can these be regarded as 'essential businesses'?

 

[HSTEd]

Massive queue at the local tip and Sainsbury's today.

It appears public buy in is nonexistant, which means the lockdown will be ineffective which means this will be over soon.

 

[BJames]

I must admit - last week I decided that I dislike online teaching and will study on campus in the one place that they don't check masks. This building is still open weekdays, as is the food court for takeaway... myself and others really don't feel like we're in lockdown. Add to that the fact we were in Tier 3 before anyway and the only thing that's changed is we can't go to our intu or go to restaurants. But uber eats remains open so we will just get takeaways here instead.

Honestly. This is just getting pointless now really. Lockdown 1 was abided by, it's clear this one is not going to be. They can't fine everyone, it's already got to the point that people are ignoring everything and it's three days in.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Nov 2020 ==

Massive queue at the local tip and Sainsbury's today.

It appears public buy in is nonexistant, which means the lockdown will be ineffective which means this will be over soon.

I really hope so - although if we follow the face covering logic and everything else the government is doing, the lockdown not working means "let's just extend it" because obviously that's going to make a great difference...

 

[Carlisle]

However, outside the shopping centre, the small independent phone shops, doing unlocking, selling second hand phones, vape liquids and so on were open as normal. How can these be regarded as 'essential businesses'?

If they’re anything like those I’ve used in Glasgow, they’re also Newsagents / convenience stores , so presumably can remain open on that basis

 

[HSTEd]

I really hope so - although if we follow the face covering logic and everything else the government is doing, the lockdown not working means "let's just extend it" because obviously that's going to make a great difference...

It will be over soon in that it will burn through to completion in a couple more months at this rate, if R remains in the vicinity of 1.3

 

[bramling]

I wonder if with all the major stories on the news this week being about the American election, many people even realise there’s a lockdown on.

I was wondering that yesterday.

 

[317 forever]

I actually signed the petition to shut schools even though it would mean my mum not working until new year (I'm still on furlough thanks to Rishi extending the scheme for another month)

But now I think about things, schools should be partially open. Some year groups one week, others the next.

Thank you for alerting me to this petition.

Education is important but school attendance has largely been the cause of this spike, although the colder weather is the other reason.

I have therefore duly (and dutifully) signed it.

The thing with this new lockdown, is that some people are of the opinion that come the 2nd December, people will be able to return to some normality but I doubt that is going to be the case.

I have a feeling, there maybe some truth to Michael Gove's suggestion it could be extended - I would say the government could push this for an extra week, maybe until the 9th/10th December, but they have to allow other non-essential businesses to open for Christmas - this goes without saying.

I reckon that once the lockdown is lifted, we will all revert to the Tier system again - Greater Manchester possibly ending up in Tier 2 with that snake Andy Burnham paying lip service and getting his best mush all over the Manchester Evening News as per usual.

CJ

You may remember that earlier in the year the reopenings of non-essential retail in June and of leisure centres etc in August were postponed 2 weeks. Well, I reckon this lockdown will also be extended for 2 weeks with us all moving to something along the lines of Tier 1 restrictions. This will give us a Christmas amnesty from lockdown and let Boris make out he saved Christmas for us.

As it will of course be getting colder then, Lockdown 3 would then come in the first week of January.

 

[Smidster]

I must admit - last week I decided that I dislike online teaching and will study on campus in the one place that they don't check masks. This building is still open weekdays, as is the food court for takeaway... myself and others really don't feel like we're in lockdown. Add to that the fact we were in Tier 3 before anyway and the only thing that's changed is we can't go to our intu or go to restaurants. But uber eats remains open so we will just get takeaways here instead.

Honestly. This is just getting pointless now really. Lockdown 1 was abided by, it's clear this one is not going to be. They can't fine everyone, it's already got to the point that people are ignoring everything and it's three days in.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Nov 2020 ==


I really hope so - although if we follow the face covering logic and everything else the government is doing, the lockdown not working means "let's just extend it" because obviously that's going to make a great difference...

If there is no real difference to cases by the end of November it will not "be the end of it"

At a minimum it will be extended for an extra couple of weeks. There is also the very real possibility of new restrictions - more businesses closed or, as seen elsewhere, people requiring a "permission slip" to leave home at all even for exercise.

Schools must stay open - we can't afford to sacrifice education any more.

 

[ChrisC]

Went to a few shops this afternoon.

Asda’s was extremely busy. I was very amused to see the “SAFETY MARSHAL” wearing his muzzle on his chin.
Nobody obviously counting inbound customers.

B&M was even busier, with most customers buying toys.

Noticed a few independent eateries open with tables and chairs out on the street.

I wonder if with all the major stories on the news this week being about the American election, many people even realise there’s a lockdown on.

That’s how it seems to be around most of our towns. Large supermarkets very busy. Other shops like Home Bargains, B & M, Wilkos, B & Q etc busy selling a wide variety of things. Sadly small independent businesses having to remain closed.

It will probably be exactly the same today. Shops full of people yet churches closed on Remembrance Sunday.

 

[317 forever]

Looks like I will have to kiss goodbye to what I paid for my advance ticket from Manchester Piccadilly to London on Friday 27th November.

I did ask about these, and apparently you can change the date for free.

So, if you think you might go a few weeks instead, I suggest that before November 27th you postpone it, either to your new date or as far into the future as possible, likely to be February by then, then change it again to your final chosen date if applicable.

 

[Smidster]

I did ask about these, and apparently you can change the date for free.

So, if you think you might go a few weeks instead, I suggest that before November 27th you postpone it, either to your new date or as far into the future as possible, likely to be February by then, then change it again to your final chosen date if applicable.

I believe you can also exchange for Travel Vouchers - This is taken from the Avanti site

If you purchased an Advance ticket to or from an area affected by travel restrictions before the change was announced, you may be entitled to a Rail Travel Voucher. The voucher can be used as payment towards a new ticket and is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. The voucher may not be exchanged for cash.

Probably a better option if you don't know when travel will be possible again.