Do You Think Lockdown Will Ease Soon?

No, not until people stop taking the mick. I won't go into any detail because it's been covered and opinions vary. It does feel like the majority are behaving with the core rule of staying in at least. Personally, I'm working from home and plan to get out on the roads once this is over to drive anywhere whatsoever and see where it takes me. For someone who likes driving, going to a supermarket every 2-3 weeks is not easy but it could be a lot worse, as we know. You stay safe too.

It will ease when people start listening AGAIN to what they are supposed to be doing. The activity where I live is like pre-lockdown, the builders are back, the 'I don't care' group over the road are shopping daily and sitting in the sun with drinks and friends. It's as if 'done three weeks not doing any more'. Really gets my back up - should have put this on 'what irritates'

Reading, listening to music, family history, competitions, chat on LD

Meeting up with my daughter

Not until our infection rates & deaths are falling & even then it will only be a small ease.

No lockdown won't ease soon. Our death and infection rates need to majorly fall first and even once they have the lockdown will only ease slightly. The longer people continue to ignore advice the longer this will continue.

I've got a toddler so I'm kept very busy.

No....

This is a long journey - it’s not going to be over in a few weeks.

We can’t return to normal after cases peak, or after cases are reduced to low levels. There isn't an 'after all of this' any time soon, I'm afraid.

If the lockdown was lifted, another explosive outbreak would be inevitable. The virus hasn’t gone away.

We have to learn how to live alongside it for now. Even when there’s a vaccine developed (not for at least a year probably) it’ll take a very long time before there’s enough supply made to vaccinate everybody in the UK (maybe another year), and vaccinating 60m people would take a very long time too. These timings are pretty frightening news to be frank and aren’t being widely explained to the public, probably to avoid too much panic.

Also if the UK is one of the first countries to develop a vaccine, the UK Goverment may decide to share our vaccine supplies that we manufacture with other countries (for example to assist other countries’ health workers). Some of us in the UK could be at the very bottom of a very long queue for a vaccine, with key workers in other countries having higher priority.

It looks likely to me that lifting the restrictions would be done more or less in the same order as we went into them. The current restrictions fit broadly into 3 categories – with low, moderate and high risk of increasing transmission of the virus.

Low risk: Such as exercising outdoors

Moderate risk: Such as letting some non-essential shops re-open or allowing occasional gatherings with people outside the household.

High risk: Such as lifting the advice to work from home, re-opening schools, isolating sick people and quarantining households.

Think of coronavirus like a bath filling with water with our government desperating trying to ensure the bath doesn’t overflow (and over-whelming the NHS). It’s using the restrictions like a virus tap. As the water level goes down the government can start turning the virus tap back on by lifting some restrictions. But if the water level then rises too quickly the restrictions must be put back to contain the virus. It’s a delicate balancing act with a lot of unknowns.

When will the restrictions be lifted?

Don’t hold your breath.

No cause people are still taking the **** tbh.

no plans after, housebound permanently

Are we in lockdown or not? I thought we were continuing from the original lockdown as from last Thursday when 'the current measures were extended for another 3 weeks'. Todays news headline is "UK risks a second lockdown if people don't stick to current rules, Dominic Raab" https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsmanchester/uk-risks-a-second-lockdown-if-people-dont-stick-to-current-rules-dominic-raab-says/ar-BB13332Y?MSCC=1587578607&ocid=spartanntp If he doesn't know how are we supposed to know. If anyone can clarify please do - Johnny your view would be appreciated.

Hi lilyflower

I'm pretty sure what Mr Raab will have meant is that if the government eased off on the social distancing rules too soon, then there could be a second virus spike. (Too many people not obeying the rules would have the same result).

If we had a second spike we would need a second lockdown period to contain the virus again, and bring it back under control to manageable levels, in terms of patient numbers.

So yes, we are in lockdown now, and yes we are continuing with the lockdown for at least a few more weeks. Personally I think the government know the lockdown will need to be in place for longer than they want to admit to the general public, and they think it's better to drip-feed the public with further lockdown extension news. They are probably right. At the same time they are desperate to keep the spiralling damage to the economy this lockdown is causing under control - so are caught between a rock and a hard place.

According to the government's chief medical adviser restrictions 'to remain for rest of year'. Although, 'schools, some businesses and public transport might well be reopened in the not too distant future'

Not sure how that would work with schools as they are often seen as breeding grounds for viruses. If they are opened too early they'll probably just end up being closed again. With no vaccine in sight I can't see people putting up with this for much longer. Certainly not till the end of the year or beyond. People will become increasingly stir-crazy - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52389285