What can we expect from tomorrow's announcement?

I guess the government, the scientists,the statisticians had nothing to base anything on, pandemics aren’t actually common events, so many of us have ‘better’ conclusions/ideas and can only follow our noses. My husband and I like many others spent six months in the house Not seeing anyone,(he was/is shielded), and were just enjoying a little freedom! Another six on the lockdown is driving us mad, we’re are both 83, and getting desperate but can only follow The Rules I suppose.

Could it be that the rules are simply being imposed to cover the absolute inadequacy of our test and trace system? That what is happening is not the fault of the population but the absolute failure of a system that has cost millions.

One thing that bugs me - why do the government make these announcements usually at 4pm?
How are those at work (as been instructed by the same government) supposed to see or here about them? Not every business has access to either tv or radio that is available to employees !

?You are welcome trisher

“It's very doubtfull if people in the North will abide by any rules.”

Trisha. What an obnoxious thing to say

Aw thanks lemon I really appreciate your support. I know we have huge disagreements but you've made me quite emotional today.

I'm "in the North" and I do follow the rules (and my friends and neighbours do) but I can well understand why some people have given up - they're confusing, there's no logic (why 6 people? What does the science say about that magic number?); they keep changing, and not a single person in the government comes across as competent (apart from the chancellor, but everyone only approves of him because he's handing out money). Even the track & trace system is clearly not working - a friend's son was contacted to let him know that he had been in contact with someone who had tested positive A WEEK AGO (!) In the week since, he's visited his parents, his sister who has just had a baby, plus his frail elderly grandfather and is now waiting for result of his test. He is very scared that he might have passed this on without knowing he was positive. (If you want to know what an absolute shambles it is - see the Panorama programme "Test and Trace Exposed" on the BBC iPlayer). If only we could have faith in what our government is doing, or a Leader that inspires confidence, it would make such a difference. (Didn't like what Thatcher did to the mining communities but WOW she would have knocked this lot into shape).

It's down to all the idiots who can't follow simple instructions. No matter which government you will always get the ones who will not do as instructed.

If we were confident that the plans were objective and done fairly I think people would accept it.

But it isn’t is it?

I see that trisher has come back on this ( didn’t notice.)

Will Northerners stop taking it personally (as if it’s offensive)
because trisher mentioned the North.
It may have been said tongue in cheek, or meant as sarcasm perhaps because she is from the North, or even because most of the hardest hit Covid places are actually in the North and a lot of people there aren’t abiding by the rules.
At least give trisher the chance to defend her point of view.
I’m a Northerner too but it isn’t a sacred place.

Well the virus loves humans to keep moving around and mixing..if they did not it would fade away.

It takes will, strength and leadership to make unpopular decisions for the long term benefit of all.

I know it feels like a long time, I know people are suffering huge financial hardship & associated anxiety & loneliness but it is , so far, less than a year.
If the cabinet had the will they could call a two week total lockdown with only essential business( food & medical etc) open. Then slowly re-open , especially in the low risk areas with effective swift testing, tracking & tracing run by experts.
There are people like us, living in 'temporary ' camps for years having bebecome refugees due to war or political dictatorships etc.
We have the solution in our hands, they don't.

I’m glad I don’t have to decide what happens, as I think the perfect solution probably doesn’t exist. It just isn’t possible for everybody to go home and stay there for weeks until the virus (may) burn itself out. The days of us living in very small self-sufficient units have long gone.

However restrictions are structured, people need to go out to get food, obtain medical care etc. Some need to work to provide this and to ensure supplies of power and water etc. Yet more need to work to support them. Weeks of lockdown reduced things, but it didn’t go away.

Well I'm in the North and I happen to know what is happening. Large numbers of students in the pubs in student areas at lunch time, returning to their student accommodation with carry outs from the supermarket to carry on partying. And of course they have to be dressed for their on-line lecture- well the top half at least! But can you really compare that with having to get ready, leave your accommodation and meet others in lecture halls or studies?
As for why the North won't obey the rules well it is because they realise the absolute idiocy of what has been applied so far. That chucking everyone out of the pub at 10pm just means everyone stands outside finishing their conversations and mixing. Because having a later closing time would have meant people choosing when they left rather than everyone mixing at 10.
That there is actually very little evidence that the virus is transmitted in pubs.
So unless the rules are made with real considerations for what is actually happening and not for what people in London think is happening then people will just carry on behaving the way they are.

I’m sorry if we Northeners are responsible for spreading Covid. We are so friendly that we just can’t help ourselves!

For months all but the elderly were given the impression that Covid was such a low risk for them and if they did succumb they wouldn't be adversely affected. Since severe lockdown restrictions have been relaxed and population been allowed to socialise, move about more freely infection has been spreading. The young folk are just as good as any at transmitting the virus and of course they are more inclined to congregate in groups hence the large surge amongst them. Pubs should be shut full stop and off licences too with no alcohol sold after 6 pm. I enjoy alcohol but feel it is so sad the UK's economy depends so much on the sale of alcohol.

Thank you Knittynatter,
I live in the northwest, in a nice area and I have to say we’re not running amok ?. We have a fair few universities, a pretty large city centre, the Trafford centre and various ethnicities close to the city, some of whom are I’m afraid not really the best at following rules.
Maybe all these factors contribute to why they seem to be focusing on the north but we’re many miles away from all the busy stuff so it’s a bit unfair in some ways.
I watched a video yesterday of a kind of street party in which they were playing a game of cricket in the street! Where was this? Peckham, London! Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s gone awfully quiet about London lately and I’m sorry, but not for one moment do I believe their numbers are low and that they’re all suddenly being good!
Where I live, I am a five minute stroll from the next county, will it mean I can’t take that one step that will take me into their airspace? ?

Shouldn't the politicians in the north of the country be asking themselves why the infections are so high in those areas and then putting forward suggestions to deal with it? It seems their only concern is to keep pubs and restaurants open. Lemongrove is right - you only have to open a newspaper or switch on the TV to see large groups breaking the covid rules.

A local epidemiologist has said the best way to prevent contracting the virus it to avoid contact with humans as much as possible. I will be taking his advice and not hang around in a large group drinking and hugging everyone.

We live in the North of England. Locally very little in way of Covid but commuters go into major cities and bring COVID back and also we have many many tourists even now. I really worry where and who “they’ve” been with socially, pub wise etc. I go supermarket shopping once a week and that is all.

Personally I wish the government would trust us more and be really honest. I hate the leak the news 10 days before the announcement for what ever reason. My opinion is that they were wrong not to encourage mask wearing back earlier this year as it must help with the viral load you receive and thus make the infection less dangerous. So I wear my mask as its a small price to pay.

There is no point in speculating over anything. Wait until the government announcement then discuss it. Before that it is just like gossiping over the garden fence....

Outrageous remarks from Trisher about people in the North. I have been abiding by all the rules as have all my family those in the North, Greater Manchester, those in the South, Sussex and us in the Midlands, Derbyshire. Yes certain areas with high student populations have a higher incidence of Covid but Knowsley, near Liverpool has a very high incidence, but no student population. If you look at the news some of the people wandering about are older who are also not abiding by the rules regarding distancing. Many grandparents are again mixing with their families and not observing distancing. I haven’t touched or been closer than 2 metres with my grandchildren, and that was outside, since February for one group and last December for the others. Don’t lump everyone together, we all need to play our part and stick to the rules.

My DS is in Manchester, in a student house with 5 friends. I predict he’ll opt for that level of socialisation rather than coming home to be locked down with us. They’re in their own bubble now, and it’s probably much better for his mental health than just the zoom quizzes etc that they were doing when they were all at home.

I take exception to the comment about people in the north not following restrictions; I’m currently on day 7 of isolation (with no symptoms) because I downloaded the app- as have all my friends. We all have at least one elderly parent to protect.

trisher

Has anyone noticed that the cities with high infection rate are all university cites? Newcastle has over 1000 students testing positive. Is it any wonder then that the infection rate has risen? The universities will remain 'open' but all teaching will be on-line, which means of course that the students will be able to party more-no need to get up for lectures!
It's very doubtfull if people in the North will abide by any rules.

As someone who lives in the North I take exception to that remark. I have always kept to every single rule the government has put in place and so has everybody I know. Just because an area has high infection rates does not mean that that everybody living there aren't keeping to the rules. There are a minority of people that don't as in any other place but to tarnish a whole area like you have done is inexcusable.

I live in Exeter and the infection rate here was very low until the students came back. They have no idea of social distancing and have apparently been having parties etc. I do have sympathy for them but think teaching should be online until the pandemic is well under control again. It is very frustrating for us locals who have been abiding by the guidelines.