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Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

Do you know when they did their 76 odd day lockdown in Wuhan, did they still have non essential workers going to work?

Not at first - around 40 days in, the government said "those engaged in making medical supplies and producing daily necessities" could return to work, along with workers in "other industries that impact national or global supply chains," which sounds like it could include many nonessential workers.


Seems like a lot more than 10 or 11 months ago that Wuhan was the center of the pandemic and governments around the world were rushing to bring their citizens back from there.
 
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For those wondering about schools and lockdown, iirc there were some models published around the start of the November er... mild closure. They gave estimates of how closures of various sectors would affect lockdown timing. Schools were a pretty major factor, but don't necessarily need to be closed long.

Late night thoughts on possible lockdown...

I think what it should come down to is an extended period of phased lockdown measures. It means you're going to have an overall longer lockdown, but that you can minimise disruption to younger children. I - from my armchair (ok, bed) - would look at Spring half-term for a period of complete closure at 2-3 weeks. In the run up to that gradually shut shit down. Aiming to Get R below 1.0. Severely restrict travel between regions. Prepare construction sites for shutdown. Give the estate agents time to work out how to use a computer at home. That kind of thing. Initially on-site university teaching only where needed... Same for 6th form. In the run-up to severe lockdown, phase out remaining senior school education, uni stuff etc. All non-essential work stops - say for two weeks each side of total lockdown... Finally, for 2 week period, complete lockdown... Even key worker kids home where possible (presumably this does happen at half-term anyway), though obviously open some schools essentially as daycare if needed. Emphasis on smallest classrooms possible. Distance where possible. Teachers and anyone still having to work tested daily. Then do the whole thing in reverse.

It would be a logistical nightmare, and there are factors that were an issue in lockdown 1 that would need to be addressed. But it should be viable... Not a great deal more extensive than lockdown 1 after all. And of course you need to have things in place for moving out of it. Better T&T etc, procedures for local closures if needed, accompanied by funding (though I think the nature of the UK means that regional closure is just very hard to do). And I still think the will is there... I think the government has chronically underestimated the will of people to act for social good. It's a question of presenting it properly, and respecting the people you're presenting it to.
 
Cid the disadvantage with a phased lockdown is that transmission can still take place while it is being phased in. The only way we are going to stop this new variant is if we cut social interaction almost completely (exceptions being among households).
 
For those wondering about schools and lockdown, iirc there were some models published around the start of the November er... mild closure. They gave estimates of how closures of various sectors would affect lockdown timing. Schools were a pretty major factor, but don't necessarily need to be closed long.

Late night thoughts on possible lockdown...

I think what it should come down to is an extended period of phased lockdown measures. It means you're going to have an overall longer lockdown, but that you can minimise disruption to younger children. I - from my armchair (ok, bed) - would look at Spring half-term for a period of complete closure at 2-3 weeks. In the run up to that gradually shut shit down. Aiming to Get R below 1.0. Severely restrict travel between regions. Prepare construction sites for shutdown. Give the estate agents time to work out how to use a computer at home. That kind of thing. Initially on-site university teaching only where needed... Same for 6th form. In the run-up to severe lockdown, phase out remaining senior school education, uni stuff etc. All non-essential work stops - say for two weeks each side of total lockdown... Finally, for 2 week period, complete lockdown... Even key worker kids home where possible (presumably this does happen at half-term anyway), though obviously open some schools essentially as daycare if needed. Emphasis on smallest classrooms possible. Distance where possible. Teachers and anyone still having to work tested daily. Then do the whole thing in reverse.

It would be a logistical nightmare, and there are factors that were an issue in lockdown 1 that would need to be addressed. But it should be viable... Not a great deal more extensive than lockdown 1 after all. And of course you need to have things in place for moving out of it. Better T&T etc, procedures for local closures if needed, accompanied by funding (though I think the nature of the UK means that regional closure is just very hard to do). And I still think the will is there... I think the government has chronically underestimated the will of people to act for social good. It's a question of presenting it properly, and respecting the people you're presenting it to.
Like that, but starting from total lockdown.

"Give the estate agents time to work out how to use a computer at home."
:D
 
Various papers reporting Tier 4 will be expanded on Boxing day and suggesting full lockdown in new year (either paywalled or shitty right wingers, so I won't link). 100% inevitable I'd have thought and the real issue will be what they do about schools.

Pritti Patel on LBC yesterday said she had no doubts that the schools would open as planned in January. So expect them to be closed until spring half term at least.
 
Arguing for the importance of schools for the well being of children isn't the same as saying they should stay open now. I don't think anyone is saying that are they?

I must say though, i'm dreading it, working from home with the children here and not being able to help my youngest with her learning because I am a keyworker looking after other people's children is very, very hard, as is making calls from my car for confidentiality, or because my daughter is really upset and making loads of noise because she needs me, because i have yet another meeting/zoom call to make, sometimes to a young person, instead of being with her. Her mental health really suffered and she's still extremely anxious and tearful about it all.

Around here schools remained open for keyworkers' children, was that not the case where you are?
 
My daughter is in GCSE year and I reckon classes will carry on for her as they have provided home tests to be taken on 2nd jan and returned to collection points for rapid results. My son is year 8 at the same school and they were told not to come in for the last week of term and it looks like he won't be there for the first week either. Hopefully they will be tested by mid January and able to get back by then at least.
 
Bearing in mind schools are still waiting to hear what stuff is actually going to be on the exams and so wouldn't be able to plan online or f2f teaching even if they did know which they were going to have to do.
 
Cid the disadvantage with a phased lockdown is that transmission can still take place while it is being phased in. The only way we are going to stop this new variant is if we cut social interaction almost completely (exceptions being among households).

Like that, but starting from total lockdown.

"Give the estate agents time to work out how to use a computer at home."
:D

We probably do need a lockdown right now, if only to get a handle on what's happening with the new variant... My point was more that if you want to minimise disruption to schools, it helps to bring in other lockdown measures first. That way, when you get to the school closure part, you can maximise its effect. Schools being closed at the moment anyway is certainly something we should be using though.
 
Around here schools remained open for keyworkers' children, was that not the case where you are?

Yes, and they did go in some of the time in the final half term last time. but my partner is also vulnerable, and was shielding, so it's a risk. We thought the detrimental effects on their well being were great enough to warrant taking that risk, and because we struggled to work, but that was only the last half term,not the first.

And my youngest was the only one in her class in school, so it was quite upsetting for her, though better than being at home every day.
 
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I don't even think it's about the Tory ideology of exams, exams are a huge money making business and I'm in no doubt a bunch of rich Tories have the contracts. Imagine what schools could do with that money instead, especially this year.
Their whole approach is worse than useless. They've decided that education is a priority which I agree with but instead of saying 'what can we do to prioritise young people and education in these circumstances?' they're just saying 'shut up and go to fucking school!'. That's not prioritising, it's just idiotic bullying.
 
I don't even think it's about the Tory ideology of exams, exams are a huge money making business and I'm in no doubt a bunch of rich Tories have the contracts. Imagine what schools could do with that money instead, especially this year.
Exams are also a great way to enforce conformity, and the induction of anxiety is, I am sure, a welcome aspect of the whole business - look how much reliance this government places on "we're gonna GET youse" messaging, eg. around benefits. They love that shit.
 
Their whole approach is worse than useless. They've decided that education is a priority which I agree with but instead of saying 'what can we do to prioritise young people and education in these circumstances?' they're just saying 'shut up and go to fucking school!'. That's not prioritising, it's just idiotic bullying.

No.

They've decided that people going to work is the priority. Which requires childcare.
 
Exams are also a great way to enforce conformity, and the induction of anxiety is, I am sure, a welcome aspect of the whole business - look how much reliance this government places on "we're gonna GET youse" messaging, eg. around benefits. They love that shit.
Absolutely. But I think the insistence on them this year in the middle of a global pandemic that is seriously affecting people's lives is profit driven.
 
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