I agree with a lot of what you are saying but we cannot stay in lockdown forever - millions will lose their jobs over this and the despair that will cause could dwarf even the 50k deaths. There has to be a trade-off and we have to accept when we loosen lockdown there is a chance of greater infections.

This is a very densely populated country and the lockdown has become less effective every week - the population will decide when lockdown ends, the best thing the government can do is set out a schedule that finishes at the end of May otherwise the general public wont support it. Not a chance you can enforce social distancing at nursery, primary and junior schools so you either accept that or kids don't get educated which is unacceptable.

If we accept the difference between normal death rate and new death rate as being Covid related how far is that off the figures being quoted. If you accept there are people not being recorded because of no tests then you have to accept people being recorded as having Covid that haven't - or do you think its only one way?

How many do you think are being recorded as Covid that havent had the virus ?? I'll go for very, very few.
As for the other way around, you do the math and if the vast majority of additional deaths are not covid related, then what do you think is killing everyone this year.

As for lockdown, it really is simple.

If it was worth having the lockdown initially then surely "we" have to see it through or, what was the point.

Personally, I believe that we should recognise the most vulnerable groups and protect them as much as possible -as we have done since lockdown began and for those less at risk, yes, get them back to work. Although there are major issues with all forms of public transport, which personally, I would avoid at all costs - easy if you live up north but, for those in London and some other major cities, this will be much harder.
Also, for those that can work from home, it should continue for some little while and will very likely be something that many people will both get used to and have to get used to.

Obviously regular and frequent reviews on how this changes anything.

Social distancing to continue

As for sport, I dont know what happens - the only option for the foreseeable future is behind closed doors and stream the events but, whether this is commercially workable, I really dont know.

Bojo announced 200000 tests daily available at the end of May
Test track trace app being tested in IOW
No major PPE issues being raised
Nightingdale hospitals being mothballed
Figures reducing; both deaths and new cases

Bojo and his team doing a great job as we move to the phased unlock

Thanks for the update Laura.

Got to be a WUM.

Nobody is that thick.

I believe they call it triggering nowadays.

Over to Peckham it is then ...

It says something about our actions that the failures are being pointed out in many other countries including the USA of all places.

Too late
Too late
Too late
I wouldn't celebrate too quickly
Too late and not quick enough

Highest number of deaths in europe
650 deaths a day still and your celebrating !!!!

Astonishing

Ask Bojo now about his speech in February
Where he said the UK would grasp this opportunity, take off its Clark Kent spectacles and emerge out of the phone Booth like Superman whilst everyone else was running away, we would meet this head on and take the opportunities it presented.
The government financially seem to have done a lot of good, that doesnt excuse a lot of the mistakes they have made.
The "Trump light" approach to their briefings/attitude and insistence of staying on message no matter what is awful and right out of the Bannon/Trump playbook.

You sir, have a sick sense of humour.
The country with the most time to prepare for the pandemic, has the highest death toll in Europe.

You are VERY easily pleased - Boris & co have made a right cock of this so far and the UK is starting to race away with the title of worst response to the covid19 pandemic.

I'm just surprised that you believe anything that this government tells us.
100,000 daily tests has been hit twice and only by counting tests that were "in the post" and not with tests that have actually been done

As I said, VERY easily pleased

Have you seen how quick he's become the fall guy?

Yes it was yesterday's news and the numbers of deaths keep going up - the government cannot avoid the facts.

Nobody is talking about it today are they?

I would say its easy to put deaths down to Covid - the errors want be in the 10 they will be in hundreds.

On lockdown how long will we need to be in lockdown to see it through - until we get a vaccine? Kids have to be educated this cannot continue much longer - its a trade off kids education v old people dying.

I agree re public transport but if we stagger when people come to work and continue the work from home - which I think will be a major factor going forward and we encourage kids to walk to school then the pressure on public services will be lessened.

As for the vulnerable - old people cannot be isolated forever - they have a life too - and if we are honest most know and are fully accepting of the risks - they just want whatever is left of their life to be lived as they see fit.

Testing/track and trace needs to be ramped up - we are coming into the summer when these viruses are less of a challenge perhaps it is a good time to build up so immunity before the cold comes again. Seems to have worked OK in Sweden?

Maybe all the trade off fans, who are justifying the deaths with positives, should provide the names of 1 or 2 of their family/friends who they are willing to see die for their beliefs?

Collateral damage like the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi women and children, innit.
It's a bit harder to take for some when its within the confines of their own Little England.