‘We can’t move forward’
It is reasonable to maintain a lockdown however, this mismanagement is illustrative of the kind of poor judgment and lack of commitment to the UK from those around Johnson’s government. We can’t move forward because it is chaos. bang2rights
‘Why were they incapable of announcing a three week extension before the end of the first three weeks?’
I don’t understand how the government can say that planning how the lockdown is eased would be ‘confusing’, yet for the lockdown they announced an initial three weeks and then sort of fudged extending it. So we’ve had a fourth week all on its own and now it’s officially extended for three more weeks. Why were they incapable of announcing a three week extension before the end of the first three weeks? Clarity of messaging is vital. 17Luftballons
‘Sensible but we need a plan for a managed transition out of lockdown’
If the government announce an extension of the lockdown until 10/11 May, then that would be a sensible decision. But if they do so, they also need to plan for a managed transition out of lockdown, it cannot be all or nothing. We desperately need to stop large social gatherings happening immediately after the end of the lockdown or we risk another spike and having to immediately re-introduce measures. gbrading
‘It’ll be extended again’
So three weeks brings us to 7 May. Friday 8 May is a bank holiday intended to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE day. There’s no way the lockdown will end May 7. It’ll be extended again. rockyrex
‘We’re sowing mines as we go, and nobody knows the pattern’
Another three weeks at least, and already ‘adults are showing signs of stress and anxiety’, according to another article here today and, from an article last week, primary-age children are ‘fearful of leaving the house’, acting for all the world like people with full-blown agoraphobia. We’re sowing mines as we go, and nobody knows the pattern. musicforpleasure
‘I am losing confidence that this government will ever let us get back to normal’
On a more serious note – I am losing confidence that this government will ever let us get back to a normal situation any time soon. They just don’t trust us to understand any potential plan and not break the current lockdown. It may be OK now - but what about in 1 or 2 months time? MyRedShed
‘No plan, no clue, no hope’
No plan, no clue, no hope. As usual. WillyThePeople
‘We’re not asking for a timeframe, we’re asking if you have an exit plan’
Could someone tell Raab, we’re not asking for a timeframe, we are asking, ‘Do you have a exit plan?’. If not, just say so, but if we don’t then when other countries start to come out of this with a plan, we are going to look incredibly stupid as we will not only be the last country to come out of all this, we will come out of it like a bunch of clueless idiots. Mr_Kirk_1974
‘Getting close to Johnson being able to make a big annoucement on VE day’
Another three weeks! That is getting very close to Johnson being able to make a big announcement on the 75th anniversary of VE day. DeMinimisLex
‘I’m not at all convinced that the benefits of the lockdown are outweighing the drawbacks’
I’m not at all convinced that the benefits of the lockdown are outweighing the drawbacks. The statistics on deaths being caused indirectly, not to mention the immeasurable impacts of peoples mental health are unknown but likely to be huge. The long-term economic impacts will worsen with every day this goes on. We need a staged exit ASAP but the government doesn’t seem to have any sort of plan. jazzual
‘Easing the lockdown won’t solve the problem of people unwilling to use the NHS’
There is evidence of excess deaths, resulting from people being unwilling to use the NHS because of fear of coronavirus. But easing the lockdown is not going to solve that problem. It would just mean that the epidemic would get out of control, and people would have even more reason to avoid using the NHS. The only way to reduce these excess deaths, is to contain the virus. SporadicWit
‘So we can’t ease the lockdown till PPE is in place – never then?’
Raab says we can’t ease the lockdown until PPE and testing are in place. So never then? Bowring72
