Further Restrictions Announced by Johnson (22/09)

[BJames]

Presumably no change to the exemption situation?

No change mentioned.

 

[ainsworth74]

Yes, though not recently - search for "Peterloo Massacre" for an example that didn't go well.

I think there were quite a few cases around the late 19th and early 20th century, though I'd have to refresh my memory on that.

The armed forces were deployed to assist twice in 2017 in response to the Manchester bombing and the Parsons Green bombing. One could argue they were also deployed to assist during the Olympics in 2012 as they helped to pick up the pieces of G4S trying to run the security check points.

 

[Huntergreed]

Sturgeon still not mandating self isolation (very surprised at this, and very happy about it indeed!)

Pubs and restaurants to shut at 10 from Friday, actually not as bad as I expected

 

[DelW]

The armed forces were deployed to assist twice in 2017 in response to the Manchester bombing and the Parsons Green bombing. One could argue they were also deployed to assist during the Olympics in 2012 as they helped to pick up the pieces of G4S trying to run the security check points.

I was thinking more of examples of their using force to maintain public order, but I have to admit I hadn't thought of your examples

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, though not recently - search for "Peterloo Massacre" for an example that didn't go well.

I think there were quite a few cases around the late 19th and early 20th century, though I'd have to refresh my memory on that.

The general strike, I believe.

 

[MikeWM]

I think the point about introducing the armed forces is that they can take over roles the police would otherwise do, freeing up the police for the vital tasks of eg. going around pubs and checking everyone is the required distance apart, wearing masks whenever they stand up, and throwing everyone out by curfew time.

I'll leave it up to the reader whether they would prefer such vital tasks to be undertaken by the police or the army. Most of us would probably prefer they weren't done at all.

 

[hexagon789]

22:00 hrs curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants from Friday AND ban on different households mixing in doors from Wednesday announced by Sturgeon

 

[DelW]

Boris's hero, Winston Churchill, controversially sent troops into south Wales following the Tonypandy riots in 1910. Let's hope Boris doesn't feel tempted to follow his example

 

[MattA7]

Sturgeon still not mandating self isolation (very surprised at this, and very happy about it indeed!)

Pubs and restaurants to shut at 10 from Friday, actually not as bad as I expected

No however she has banned meeting in other people’s homes throughout Scotland

 

[Mojo]

Yet another stitch up for shift workers. Takeaways banned after 22.00 (delivery only). Not sure whether this includes drive through and official motorway services.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yet another stitch up for shift workers. Takeaways banned after 22.00 (delivery only). Not sure whether this includes drive through and official motorway services.

I don't think retail is included so you could still buy Red Bull from the WH Smuggs.

 

[MattA7]

What’s worrying me is Sturgeon kept saying “until a vaccine” a vaccine that May never come or not be effective enough (which by sturgeon’s standards is probably 101%)

 

[anthony263]

I do sense an atmosphere developing.

On the Welsh news there was an old woman mouthing off about selfish younger people. One could just as easily retort with “it’s equally selfish having lived your life when younger to expect today’s younger people not to live theirs”.

The trouble is the message emanating from the politicians seems to focus around this continuing Karen idea that it’s all about what others do. So Karen can go to the beach, and when she gets there moans that everyone else has had the same idea.

In the absence of a vaccine people are going to have to make hard choices about what they’re comfortable with, and unfortunately that’s probably going to have to extend to workplaces too within reason.

Don't worry especially in Bridgend there is a lot of anger growing towards older members of society by youngsters especially when we see oaps not listening to 2m rule etc just because they are wearing a facemasks.

Personally the Swedish approach is what a lot of youngsters are wanting especially when we can see we are gonna be stuck with the debt etc and lack of jobs just to protect a number of oaps etc who would probably die of flu etc anyway.

Vulnerable should be made to shield etc to reduce risks but these restrictions should be lifted sadly it may cost some lives but longer term I think it will be better than the mess we are getting ourselves into.

 

[Andyh82]

As predicted, Sturgeon has gone further, but it won't be criticised and there will be 'increased pressure' on Boris to do the same

There will be no media stories of publicans complaining about the 10pm curfew in Scotland of course, they will only be seen in England

 

[DB]

Vulnerable should be made to shield etc to reduce risks but these restrictions should be lifted sadly it may cost some lives but longer term I think it will be better than the mess we are getting ourselves into.

Don't agree that they should be 'made' to do anything - but procedures and systems should be put in place so that they can do so if they choose to do so, and measures should be put in place around care homes.

It's entirely unclear now what all these petty measures are supposed to achieve, other than being seen to be doing something.

 

[Mojo]

I don't think retail is included so you could still buy Red Bull from the WH Smuggs.

I don't drink fizzy drinks, and also not very useful for food (that's if you can find anywhere open given most shops still haven't resumed 24 hr opening).

 

[big_rig]

I must emphasise that if all our actions fail to bring the R below 1, then we reserve the right to deploy greater firepower, with significantly greater restrictions.

I fervently want to avoid taking this step, as do the Devolved Administrations, but we will only be able to avoid it if our new measures work and our behaviour changes.

Two things stood out for me from this bit of Johnson's statement:

1) I don't believe that a few more masks and a little less time in pubs is going to bring the R0 below 1, so I fully expect further measures if not a full lockdown to come along (the 'rule of 6' lasted barely a week before being not good enough, I wonder if these will be given a fortnight to see how they go?)
2) The second line is an absolute lie. He and the Devolved Administrations do not fervently want to avoid a lockdown, nor do they regret and feel sorry for the harm caused by this latest round of measures. They relish the chance to get up, especially Sturgeon, and announce more life saving rules, carry-on about 'forming a human shield around the NHS' and all the rest of it, just as they relish the chance to look benevolent by later on allowing any brief and temporary easing of restrictions.

 

[Scrotnig]

I think the point about introducing the armed forces is that they can take over roles the police would otherwise do, freeing up the police for the vital tasks of eg. going around pubs and checking everyone is the required distance apart, wearing masks whenever they stand up, and throwing everyone out by curfew time.

I'll leave it up to the reader whether they would prefer such vital tasks to be undertaken by the police or the army. Most of us would probably prefer they weren't done at all.

Doesn't bother me any more. I'd already given up on pubs, restaurants etc. They are now indefinitely closed as far as I am concerned.

See also shops and anywhere else where this hysterical nonsense applies. Including, very sadly, heritage railways, who will be devoid of my regular custom until this is over.

 

[bramling]

Doesn't bother me any more. I'd already given up on pubs, restaurants etc. They are now indefinitely closed as far as I am concerned.

See also shops and anywhere else where this hysterical nonsense applies. Including, very sadly, heritage railways, who will be devoid of my regular custom until this is over.

People seem to like some of the regimentalism. The Severn Valley Railway has had loads of glowing reviews about the private compartments they are offering. I suppose some people are attracted to the idea of “our” own compartment for the day. We tried it, and found it thoroughly boring trundling up and down in the same seats all day long.

It’s all rather dystopian. One thing for short time-bound measures, but we’re really going beyond that now.

 

[duncanp]

Two things stood out for me from this bit of Johnson's statement:

1) I don't believe that a few more masks and a little less time in pubs is going to bring the R0 below 1, so I fully expect further measures if not a full lockdown to come along (the 'rule of 6' lasted barely a week before being not good enough, I wonder if these will be given a fortnight to see how they go?)
2) The second line is an absolute lie. He and the Devolved Administrations do not fervently want to avoid a lockdown, nor do they regret and feel sorry for the harm caused by this latest round of measures. They relish the chance to get up, especially Sturgeon, and announce more life saving rules, carry-on about 'forming a human shield around the NHS' and all the rest of it, just as they relish the chance to look benevolent by later on allowing any brief and temporary easing of restrictions.

The trouble is with announcing further measures is that there is going to come a point when the public decide they have simply had enough.

Unless the furlough scheme is extended, or a replacement scheme put in place, the graph of COVID-19 cases won't be the only one that starts to rise steeply, so will the ones that show job losses, unemployment, evictions, mortgage arrears, business failures.... etc. etc.

Up to now, the economic effects of COVID-19 have largely been hidden from the general public, but these are going to become more and more apparent over time, and we could be back in a situation like the summer of 1981, where riots broke out in many English cities.

Something will set these riots off, such as the police trying to break up a New Year's Eve party, if the pubs are still closed at 10pm by then.

 

[Crossover]

Unless the furlough scheme is extended, or a replacement scheme put in place, the graph of COVID-19 cases won't be the only one that starts to rise steeply, so will the ones that show job losses, unemployment, evictions, mortgage arrears, business failures.... etc. etc.

This is a fair point - I believe there is currently a moratorium on evictions? I am sure there will sadly be a few who are worried about the end of such

 

[bramling]

This is a fair point - I believe there is currently a moratorium on evictions? I am sure there will sadly be a few who are worried about the end of such

It’s simply not viable to continue to insulate (a subset of) the population from the economic effects of all this. It’s already gone on longer than many predicted - for example back in the spring many thought furlough was an emergency measure to keep food on people’s tables through the lockdown period.

People are going to have to accept that they are going to have to live with an element of risk.

 

[Bletchleyite]

People seem to like some of the regimentalism. The Severn Valley Railway has had loads of glowing reviews about the private compartments they are offering. I suppose some people are attracted to the idea of “our” own compartment for the day.

If it was economic to offer it (it's not, in many ways) a private family compartment would be a huge selling point for general rail travel - don't do it down as an idea, particularly on preserved railways where people will pay way, way over the odds for an experience.

 

[ainsworth74]

This is a fair point - I believe there is currently a moratorium on evictions? I am sure there will sadly be a few who are worried about the end of such

It ended on Sunday (at least in England & Wales).

 

[adc82140]

It's a mess. Not just for the tenants but the landlords too. Setting aside millionaire landlords with dozens of properties, a good many landlords fall in to the "reluctant" category where they for whatever reason can't get rid of their property and need to rent it out to pay the mortgage. If the tenant can't pay, as well as being terrible times for the tenant it's terrible times for the landlord, who still has to service the mortgage.

On the subject of the hospitality business being hung out to dry, Whitbread Inns have announced 6000 redundancies.

 

[LAX54]

How come we did not have all this fuss in the epidemic of 2017/18, when 50K + died .....?

 

[Bletchleyite]

On the subject of the hospitality business being hung out to dry, Whitbread Inns have announced 6000 redundancies.

A chunk of that is in the Premier Inn business, which is interesting because when I've tried to book them of late they've mostly been busy, expensive or full!

 

[Bayum]

A very very small drop in an extremely large ocean. Be interesting to see what actually happens with infection rates over the next six weeks.

 

[adc82140]

A chunk of that is in the Premier Inn business, which is interesting because when I've tried to book them of late they've mostly been busy, expensive or full!

I think the problem is that whilst the popular tourist destinations have been holding up well over the summer, the more business orientated sites in the less attractive parts of town are suffering.

I travel for work (NHS scanning trailers) and I've been checking in to half empty Premier Inns.

 

[MikeWM]

A chunk of that is in the Premier Inn business, which is interesting because when I've tried to book them of late they've mostly been busy, expensive or full!

Are they still only filling 'every other room'? I wonder how sustainable that is.

I've got a couple of cheap ones lined up for next week, assuming we're still allowed to travel/leave our homes by then. When I booked them a couple of weeks ago, availability and price seemed fairly in line with what I would have expected last year.

I think the problem is that whilst the popular tourist destinations have been holding up well over the summer, the more business orientated sites in the less attractive parts of town are suffering.

That would match with what I saw when booking. Brighton was booked out weeks in advance for the days I was looking at, for example. Ones in less obviously touristy places were available and cheap.