Tougher lockdown measures to be announced on t.v at 8pm tonight

I am glad that the schools/ colleges have closed. My daughter teaches in a college with thousands of students. There has never been PPE in classrooms and no social distancing in staff rooms. Several teachers have died recently from Covid.
There was an upsurge in cases after schools returned in September and obvious that trying to keep them open while the virus is spreading like wildfire was untenable.

I hope that when schools re-open there will be more mask wearing in the older age groups.

The Wales figures are interesting, assuming that all the data from the Christmas and New Year is in them. We were by far the worst in the UK, and were locked down on 20th December. The numbers haven’t gone up yet as a result of Christmas, in fact they have reduced. I doubt if it’s because more people here were compliant with the lockdown requirements, but let’s hope they were and it continues to go down and isn’t just another data blip.

Christmas did us no favours did it ?

Of course it should. Even my true blue staunch Tory family are beginning to criticise our current leader/s

Too late again Mr Johnson. The figures I've seen suggest that schools/education facilities are the biggest cause of the virus spreading. This is something the government has been aware of yet, even over the weekend, this insistence was schools would remain open.
So many primary school children returned happily to school yesterday. They'll wake this morning expecting to go to school and their parents will have to find the least scary way of explaining to them that they will be away from school for quite a long time.
I accept these are unprecedented times, that this virus is spreading exponentially etc etc etc. I do not believe its unreasonable for the government to see, as we all have, that this lockdown is essential. It should have been announced earlier. Certainly before these children returned to school.

Its not a March lockdown as it was with food take aways being allowed to open but pub takeaways are closed .
Being a member of CAMRA , its killing the pubs ,and also on the other hand hospitality such has Hotels etc, and those company's who organise day trips , weekend breaks and week holidays on coaches.
Boris looks a tired person along with his crew like Matt Hancock , who rely on the advice of those in know as to the virus , plus also find the stats can be rigged to suit a situation as regards to figures ,as I follow that area , you might see on TV a figure given which might be 4-5 days old as to accuracy .
Mick

Mamardoit Yes, the variant is already in Scotland. Nicola Surgeon isn't trying to keep it out, but to slow down its accelerated spread so that there can be control of the numbers being hospitalised.

Stopping people travelling unless for absolutely essential reasons and enforcing that is the equivalent of having all traffic (and all welly boots!) go through disinfectant barriers so as not to spread foot and mouth.

Once again too little too late!

newnanny

I just hope this lockdown will hold back the virus long enough to vaccinate. I did notice parks and playgrounds were still to be left open though. Honestly that encourages parents with young children to go out and mix. If in lockdown it should be tough, strong enough to hold mutand virus. Garden centres still allowed to open and places of worship. I honestly wish they were closed too. Not because I am miserable but I think it encourages people out if some things left open.

I agree places of worship and garden centres should close. Our local church has decided to go on line again.

Parks and playgrounds are different. It's fine for families with gardens but what on earth do families do who live in flats. I don't think it's kiddies in parks who are spreading this.

I don't know how they will ever stop people mixing households in doors.

We still haven't had any figures from the Christmas and New Year. I fear we are all going to hell in a bloody hand cart. All any of use can do is follow the rules and pray the vaccine works.

paddyanne

Lockdown worked before...we had over two months with no deaths and it was horrible to hear the death toll rising again.Hopefully it will work again ,our numbers are not as high as other parts of the UK but I believe Nicola has done the rright thing by closing before it gets out of control .She certainly has the backing of most of us.Apart from the SNP bad brigade who would complain about her putting undertakers out of business if she cured it tomorrow .

Lockdown didn't work. Covid didn't go away it just became less prevalent for a few weeks over the summer. It's not going to go away either.

Everyone hopes that the new variant doesn't spread but it is doing and the chances are it's already in Scotland.

Surely no one in their right mind thinks that NS can keep the new variant out. It's not foot and mouth. You can't disinfect car wheels at the boarder.

Mask wearing in any public place should be enforced. The number of people who don’t bother or wear them incorrectly is ridiculous.

They need to close all airports except to freight and test all hauliers coming by sea. At the moment airports open to passengers from EU and USA this should stop. The South African mutant virus may be immune to vaccines. Priority should be to keep that out.

I just hope this lockdown will hold back the virus long enough to vaccinate. I did notice parks and playgrounds were still to be left open though. Honestly that encourages parents with young children to go out and mix. If in lockdown it should be tough, strong enough to hold mutand virus. Garden centres still allowed to open and places of worship. I honestly wish they were closed too. Not because I am miserable but I think it encourages people out if some things left open.

Lockdown worked before...we had over two months with no deaths and it was horrible to hear the death toll rising again.Hopefully it will work again ,our numbers are not as high as other parts of the UK but I believe Nicola has done the rright thing by closing before it gets out of control .She certainly has the backing of most of us.Apart from the SNP bad brigade who would complain about her putting undertakers out of business if she cured it tomorrow .

Well, wearing masks certainly did the trick, didn't it!!!!!

As you say Nannina - ^ whether people stick to them^
We could have the best regulations in the world but when they are blatantly flouted of course cases and deaths will continue to rise.
The “ rave” in Brittany at New Year, the Sydney beach parties , the marches and demos - I won’t go on but you all know the sort of thing I mean ???

At least we should all be clear, countrywide, what the restrictions are. Whether everyone sticks to them is debatable. At least I’ll get some post as the NHS, Central gov and Local gov all write to me with the same information reminding me I’m extremely clinically vulnerable-as if I didn’t know

(in the last 24 hours)

The Worldometers information seems to be generally reliable. I don’t understand though why news reports today say there have been over 1,000 deaths in Germany, way above the number shown on Worldometers.

The excess death figures can't be altered or argued with. We've lost so many!

That’s why I posted the link in case people didn’t know where to look - every permutation of the figures at is there. Whatever way you cut it we are not doing well in the UK.

And we are 18th when looking at the number of tests carried out per million of population, which also has a bearing on the figures. Many of those cases will be asymptomatic.

Casdon

We are 5th highest in the world in the UK currently, and the worst in Europe. Here’s the link: www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

30th if you look at cases per million of population, which is more meaningful.

Dither, U turn, delay, change minds etc. - brilliant isn't it?

Johnson called for pupils to go back on Sunday then midday Monday decided to have a press conference. Seems like the best predictor of whatever will happen next it whatever the government say won’t happen will happen within a week or two. they are always behind the curve playing catch-up. Total shambles for schools having so little warning.