Why?

Its a case of cure being worse than the disease. Many more will die from economic destitution, poverty and mental/physical health related issues than the virus itself. 

If the virus was like MERs or SARS 1, then fair enough, but this is harmless to 99% of the population. 

Just let it rip

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

The lockdown should be tightened and continue for the next three months at least. Anything less will see devastation over winter 2020/21.

To mitigate this, HMG will have to effectively nationalise the entire economy for a period of 12 to 24 months. We would in effect become a command economy temporarily.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

This was a Matt Hancock on 29/03/2020

NEWS: Good news that we’ve reached 10,000 #coronavirus tests a day - ahead of schedule. We’re on track to 25,000.

Justin was right to call the government liars.

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

It's not harmless to 99% of the population and if the NHS collapses, then the mortality rate skyrockets. Hundreds of thousands of people would die.

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

I totally agree

Take the hit now if we don't we could be back to square one in December 

Originally Posted by: Gooner 

In India for example, thousands of poor die every month from treatable diseases - malaria, dengue fever, dissentry etc. Any health system can just do what it can. 

Life is tough and people die

But maintaining a healthy. functioning economy is what keeps most of the population alive

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

These might be helpful to avoid repetition:

falsehood

untruth

fib

fiction

inaccuracy

misstatement

fabrication

deception

distortion

deceit

disinformation

untruism

misstate

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

Why should the lockdown be tightened, is it not working?

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

I wish you would stop using such emotive language.

There are flawed policies, lack of joined up thinking, cock-ups and errors. To ascribe everything to a "lie" devalues the term.

No doubt things are being covered up as people race around like headless chickens in a slaughterhouse, but there will be a time for analysing lessons learned and things that went wrong.

Look at the response from HMG to my concerns about lack of port screening measures in February - there was clearly a flawed policy at work and they are trying to smooth it over, but I would not accuse them of "lying" - complacency most certainly.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Eh? What is the evidence that it is not working?

It's working in every country tat has implemented it. It takes time, of course.

Originally Posted by: NickR 

Thats my point, why should we tighten it anymore when it is working? That’s what gooner was suggesting

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

You cant restart business enterprise after such a long period and when so many people self employed and gig economy who are not PAYE furloughed have to start from scratch again

I'm hearing that my pub may now be closed permanently. Tim Martin doesn't think smaller pubs are worth restarting. Other independent pubs may never re-open too. We cant allow this mostly harmless virus to destroy our way of life forever

Yes, 20,000 may die, but how many would have died of something else anyway?

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

Thats my point, why should we tighten it anymore when it is working? That’s what gooner was suggesting

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

Where is the evidence about number of deaths from different levels of GDP drop? 

Originally Posted by: NickR 

Presumably that was the number of tests being carried out. The number of results we get back each day will surely depend on how long the backlog is in different areas. 

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

Mostly Harmless? Have you started drinking early today?

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

There has also been an obvious mix up over "capacity" and actual tests.

Justin has his own axe to grind, but there are many shades of grey from the outright and obvious lie, through to just being plain wrong - in between there is being misinformed, providing a partial account and giving an incorrect value.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

To reduce the death toll further.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Its a fact that nearly everyone who gets it recovers within a week

Boris is now back to normal

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

i think what is in place is perfectly adequate and in line with what many countries have done

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

Questionable

Originally Posted by: Sevendust 

The key thing for me is isolating the most vulnerable - not only does that keep people alive, but it reduces the pressure on the NHS.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Its a fact that nearly everyone who gets it recovers within a week

Boris is now back to normal

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

The key thing for me is isolating the most vulnerable - not only does that keep people alive, but it reduces the pressure on the NHS.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum