What can we expect from tomorrow's announcement?

I live in a northern university city.
The R rate increased 14 days after freshers week.
As northern savages we are of course ignoring advice, the few of us that can read are passing the news on though.

Thanks Missfoodlove, another northern savage here feeling increasingly fed up with "the north" being referred to as though it's a foreign and dangerous land.

I agree with the about the government leaking to the press, letting us stew for a few days then Mr Johnson appearing to deliver restrictions/guidance/regulations to us plebs. It's been great to hear the northern Mayors and some MP's speaking up for their regions. Especially to hear those strong northern accents challenging what feels like old Etonion advice to the poor and dim.

M0nica

Frankly my dear, I couldn't give a damn (quote, Gone with the Wind). It neatly sums up my attitude.

We are lumbered with a government that could not organise the proverbial in a brewery. Rules change daily, MPs, of all parties think whatever the rules are they do not apply to them.

No one talks to anybody no-one thinks anything through and every time the government announces new measures it is surprised by the obvious consequences. - if all pubs and eateries close at 10.00pm, there will suddenly be lots of people coming out of them onto the streets all at the same time. I doubt the new raft of measures will be any better

I am now ignoring any news to do with COVID. I wear mask and gloves when out and avoid my fellow creatures. As far as I am concerned the government can make any rules it likes, I couldn't care less.

I couldn't agree more.

What the country needs in a crisis is for the general public to
Abide by the rules made, ( made not to be killjoys) but to prevent the rate of transmission from person to person.Regular hand washing, covering the mouth and nose and not getting close to another person isn’t hard to understand.Students ( and others) not doing so is because they don’t want to...as simple as that.
The Northern mayors and businesses are respectively political point scoring and (naturally) not wanting firms in the hospitality sector to lose money.Scotland is doing much the same regarding pubs and restaurants selling alcohol as Johnson is likely to announce.It’s being done in both countries, because it’s a necessary measure.

Another pig ignorant northerner here who has been nowhere since February except to get a flu vaccination.

I don’t think that Monica was maligning the North per se,
But we have all seen the many places ( Northern cities) on tv or pics on social media/ newspapers of throngs of partying young people, queuing up for bars and dancing about in the street clutching cans and each other.A mixture of stupidity and (drunken) high spirits.Especially over this last weekend.

I agree with M0nica.
I’m masking up and only going out when essential.

Btw.....I’m a Northerner too.

My daughter and family live in Warrington and have been abiding by the rules all the way through. MY SIL a university lecturer recently had a complete breakdown with the stress of trying to provide on line biochemistry lectures from a temporary lab he set up in their living room.

Which makes me think of the tv series ‘Red Riding’ ( awful subject matter but brilliantly done) where the corrupt detectives all clink whisky glasses and shout ‘To the North! Where we do as we like!’?

Teetime I have great sympathy with University lecturers, it must be a nightmare for all, let alone the less techie types trying to organise online lectures.

lemongrove - seriously, are you suggesting the high R rate in the north is down to stupidity?
Yes of course, some idiots refuse to follow simple guidance like face, hands, social distance. Thats the same in London. The infection is spreading faster in areas of high deprivation, areas with multi generational families living in cramped conditions. That'd be "the north" then.
The northern mayors are not "politically point scoring". They are representing their communities, which are sinking even further into unemployment, social unrest and depression. That's their job. Thank goodness they're making a noise. Goodness knows if this wretched government will listen of course. Northern poor house.

Iam64 yes, I would say that the way many people, especially younger people staggering around in groups laughing shouting etc without masks or distancing is stupid, as is having house parties and so on.
As are large multigenerational weekend get togethers.
It’s easy to say that it’s down to poverty, but it’s also down to arrogance and selfishness as well.
The government has a hard job trying to strike a balance between stopping hospitals being overwhelmed in Winter, and keeping the economy going.Scotland, Wales and NI are trying to keep the same balance, as, no doubt are all the other countries where Covid is raging.

It's very doubtfull if people in the North will abide by any rules.

Good grief trisher!, what in earth do you mean!

As a person from the north I'd love to know why you doubt I'll stick to the rules!

I just don’t understand why people object to rules that are there to save lives. What good is a business if the owner loses his life; what good is a granny if she is too ill to see her grandchildren?

I live in Exeter and the infection rate here was very low until the students came back. They have no idea of social distancing and have apparently been having parties etc. I do have sympathy for them but think teaching should be online until the pandemic is well under control again. It is very frustrating for us locals who have been abiding by the guidelines.

trisher

Has anyone noticed that the cities with high infection rate are all university cites? Newcastle has over 1000 students testing positive. Is it any wonder then that the infection rate has risen? The universities will remain 'open' but all teaching will be on-line, which means of course that the students will be able to party more-no need to get up for lectures!
It's very doubtfull if people in the North will abide by any rules.

As someone who lives in the North I take exception to that remark. I have always kept to every single rule the government has put in place and so has everybody I know. Just because an area has high infection rates does not mean that that everybody living there aren't keeping to the rules. There are a minority of people that don't as in any other place but to tarnish a whole area like you have done is inexcusable.

My DS is in Manchester, in a student house with 5 friends. I predict he’ll opt for that level of socialisation rather than coming home to be locked down with us. They’re in their own bubble now, and it’s probably much better for his mental health than just the zoom quizzes etc that they were doing when they were all at home.

I take exception to the comment about people in the north not following restrictions; I’m currently on day 7 of isolation (with no symptoms) because I downloaded the app- as have all my friends. We all have at least one elderly parent to protect.

Outrageous remarks from Trisher about people in the North. I have been abiding by all the rules as have all my family those in the North, Greater Manchester, those in the South, Sussex and us in the Midlands, Derbyshire. Yes certain areas with high student populations have a higher incidence of Covid but Knowsley, near Liverpool has a very high incidence, but no student population. If you look at the news some of the people wandering about are older who are also not abiding by the rules regarding distancing. Many grandparents are again mixing with their families and not observing distancing. I haven’t touched or been closer than 2 metres with my grandchildren, and that was outside, since February for one group and last December for the others. Don’t lump everyone together, we all need to play our part and stick to the rules.

There is no point in speculating over anything. Wait until the government announcement then discuss it. Before that it is just like gossiping over the garden fence....

Personally I wish the government would trust us more and be really honest. I hate the leak the news 10 days before the announcement for what ever reason. My opinion is that they were wrong not to encourage mask wearing back earlier this year as it must help with the viral load you receive and thus make the infection less dangerous. So I wear my mask as its a small price to pay.

We live in the North of England. Locally very little in way of Covid but commuters go into major cities and bring COVID back and also we have many many tourists even now. I really worry where and who “they’ve” been with socially, pub wise etc. I go supermarket shopping once a week and that is all.

Shouldn't the politicians in the north of the country be asking themselves why the infections are so high in those areas and then putting forward suggestions to deal with it? It seems their only concern is to keep pubs and restaurants open. Lemongrove is right - you only have to open a newspaper or switch on the TV to see large groups breaking the covid rules.

A local epidemiologist has said the best way to prevent contracting the virus it to avoid contact with humans as much as possible. I will be taking his advice and not hang around in a large group drinking and hugging everyone.

Thank you Knittynatter,
I live in the northwest, in a nice area and I have to say we’re not running amok ?. We have a fair few universities, a pretty large city centre, the Trafford centre and various ethnicities close to the city, some of whom are I’m afraid not really the best at following rules.
Maybe all these factors contribute to why they seem to be focusing on the north but we’re many miles away from all the busy stuff so it’s a bit unfair in some ways.
I watched a video yesterday of a kind of street party in which they were playing a game of cricket in the street! Where was this? Peckham, London! Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s gone awfully quiet about London lately and I’m sorry, but not for one moment do I believe their numbers are low and that they’re all suddenly being good!
Where I live, I am a five minute stroll from the next county, will it mean I can’t take that one step that will take me into their airspace? ?

For months all but the elderly were given the impression that Covid was such a low risk for them and if they did succumb they wouldn't be adversely affected. Since severe lockdown restrictions have been relaxed and population been allowed to socialise, move about more freely infection has been spreading. The young folk are just as good as any at transmitting the virus and of course they are more inclined to congregate in groups hence the large surge amongst them. Pubs should be shut full stop and off licences too with no alcohol sold after 6 pm. I enjoy alcohol but feel it is so sad the UK's economy depends so much on the sale of alcohol.