As interesting as this all is, there seems little realism or pragmatism evident. Except perhaps this:
And that will be the view of increasing numbers of people as time goes on. Initially the lockdown was a novelty. Now it is becoming a bind. There is no way that sixty-odd million people are going to remain locked down for any prolonged period and there’s no way the authorities will prevent them from breaking out. This will become increasingly evident as the summer progresses. Many people, especially in large towns and cities, do not have gardens. They will be going out and it won’t be solely with a “reasonable excuse.” There is also no way that owners of businesses – especially the smaller ones - will watch the fruits of the labours disappear up the Swanee. They will begin to resume work. Most of all, the government cannot continue to pay people’s wages indefinitely. A couple of months is about as much as the economy will stand, and that’s a stretch.
Yes, they can keep licensed premises and those subject to Local Authority control closed. They can forbid gatherings for sporting and social events. But they won’t stop people going out in the summer. Talk of the current circumstances becoming the “new norm” is fanciful. This is especially so when there are reports of 60 or more aircraft a day landing at Heathrow, many of them containing visitors and businessmen. I can’t visit my neighbour a few doors along the road but people from Iran, Iraq and elsewhere continue to arrive, with no checks, to “visit family.”
Talk of a vaccine being developed in short order are hopelessly optimistic. Ditto a cure. To suggest that people will remain locked down until one or the other is developed is ludicrous. It ain’t gonna happen and the government needs to develop a strategy to end this farcical situation. If it’s not ended with agreement it will end without. At present most people are compliant. But that’s not going to last and I believe that by about the end of May their patience will be exhausted. People who want to remain locked down will be perfectly free to do so. Those who don’t won’t.
I don't know the answer, I only know the question. And the question is, what does the government do when people become tired of being locked down? Because they will as sure as eggs is eggs. Best the question is addressed now rather than in a month's time because to simply assume that everybody will continue as they are now with no "end game" forthcoming is simply naive.