Does anyone think a fourth national lockdown is inevitable?

[Lencoboy]

Sadly Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths in the UK are now all on an upward trajectory once again, plus there is now conflicting information about the efficacy of jabs from various media outlets with the BBC saying that jabs still remain mostly effective against the Delta variant but ITV implying that the amount of infections amongst both unjabbed and double jabbed is now pretty much even Stephens.

I know this is a highly controversial topic and I really can't help being so pessimistic right now but can anyone see a fourth national lockdown in this country coming in the not-too-distant future, especially as we're still endlessly fighting a losing battle against this wretched pandemic?

BTW, I'm on the fence right now and neither for nor against one.

[Scissel]

I really don't see how to avoid it - the numbers are going up here (to) and people that are vaccinated are getting the variants. Mask mandate is back and social distance, as well.

[Lencoboy]

I really don't see how to avoid it - the numbers are going up here (to) and people that are vaccinated are getting the variants. Mask mandate is back and social distance, as well.

It does make me wonder if there has been any cover-ups concerning vaccine efficacy (or lack of it), or if it's being played down by the antivaxxers to justify jab refusal?

I can certainly sense something rather odd going on right now.

[TaleOn11]

The government does keep stating there won't be anymore lockdowns. Then again, given how the UK government is about as trustworthy as a lawyer with a bloody jacket, I suppose its possible a fourth one could come..

[Lencoboy]

The government does keep stating there won't be anymore lockdowns. Then again, given how the UK government is about as trustworthy as a lawyer with a bloody jacket, I suppose its possible a fourth one could come..

They've also messed around with the culminative stats for vaccinations once again today on the dashboard site, which means the total number of first jabs so far has now been reduced back down to 87-odd% whereas yesterday it was 89.6%.

Surely they did a very similar thing a few weeks back which again resulted in the total number of jabs being deducted from the tally.

Why they have to keep repeatedly chopping and changing is totally beyond me.

I was also having similar digs at ZOE a few weeks back over similar practices of endless chopping and changing.

Even Ferguson, the main mastermind behind our previous lockdowns announced a couple of weeks back that he doesn't believe national lockdowns would be warranted anymore, yet about 3 weeks or so previous he was one of a few professors warning us of the likelihood of 100k+ cases per day, but I wouldn't mind betting you he'll end up changing his mind and insisting in yet another national lockdown over the coming days, especially if things start getting really dire once again.

Little wonder I'm feeling so confused and despondent of late.

[elizabethalice]

It's very difficult isn't it. I'm not sure if they will do a full lockdown again, but yeah I definitely don't trust the gov when they say they won't! I think they will likely bring back some restrictions this winter - how many I guess depends on what happens with case numbers. At the very least I think they'll bring back masks (which i don't think they should have got rid of tbh).

Its difficult to know if we are going to reach a peak. We know that people who have had covid and/ or are vaccinated have some immunity to getting it (and fortunately are very unlikely to get seriously ill), so surely it will peak at some point. I guess the main worry is whether a new variant will come along.

One thing to note is that variants are unlikely to go all or nothing - we won't get one that is completely resistant to the vaccines right away, which is promising, as it will give scientists time to tweak them.

I guess we just plod on and see what happens!

[Magic]

They are on about a booster jab now.. Then there is the flu jab coming up. It looks like a never ending thing.
No ending at all by the sound of it!!!!!

[pulisa]

They've also messed around with the culminative stats for vaccinations once again today on the dashboard site, which means the total number of first jabs so far has now been reduced back down to 87-odd% whereas yesterday it was 89.6%.

Surely they did a very similar thing a few weeks back which again resulted in the total number of jabs being deducted from the tally.

Why they have to keep repeatedly chopping and changing is totally beyond me.

I was also having similar digs at ZOE a few weeks back over similar practices of endless chopping and changing.

Even Ferguson, the main mastermind behind our previous lockdowns announced a couple of weeks back that he doesn't believe national lockdowns would be warranted anymore, yet about 3 weeks or so previous he was one of a few professors warning us of the likelihood of 100k+ cases per day, but I wouldn't mind betting you he'll end up changing his mind and insisting in yet another national lockdown over the coming days, especially if things start getting really dire once again.

Little wonder I'm feeling so confused and despondent of late.

Why not give the obsessive analysing of statistics a break, Lenco? You won't be able to change anything or reassure yourself about the future. It's a pointless and thankless exercise. Even the scientists are divided and uncertain.

[pulisa]

It's very difficult isn't it. I'm not sure if they will do a full lockdown again, but yeah I definitely don't trust the gov when they say they won't! I think they will likely bring back some restrictions this winter - how many I guess depends on what happens with case numbers. At the very least I think they'll bring back masks (which i don't think they should have got rid of tbh).

Its difficult to know if we are going to reach a peak. We know that people who have had covid and/ or are vaccinated have some immunity to getting it (and fortunately are very unlikely to get seriously ill), so surely it will peak at some point. I guess the main worry is whether a new variant will come along.

One thing to note is that variants are unlikely to go all or nothing - we won't get one that is completely resistant to the vaccines right away, which is promising, as it will give scientists time to tweak them.

I guess we just plod on and see what happens!

I think it was extremely foolish and shortsighted of the gov to say that there would never be another lockdown...but then there is always an "unless"..

No boosters planned yet. What happened to the September start up?

The new football season will be a big test for the vaccines.

[Lencoboy]

I think it was extremely foolish and shortsighted of the gov to say that there would never be another lockdown...but then there is always an "unless"..

No boosters planned yet. What happened to the September start up?

The new football season will be a big test for the vaccines.

Exactly. It's as if many people have now simply stopped caring about Covid for good and reverted back to many of their old habits.

I am also wondering about both the boosters and the 'tweaked' jabs, both of which the govt and the media seem to have gone quiet over.

What the govt should have said regarding the prospects of any further lockdowns is 'hopefully not but we can never say never', rather than definitely 'never again'.

You're also right that it's perhaps time for me to chill out a bit and stop getting too embroiled in the daily stats, etc.