The regional disparities seemingly ignored in the Governments easing of the lockdown?

[Giraffe]

The media seem to have largely ignored the differences in cases and deaths throughout the regions and how different they are from area to area, and more importantly perhaps so has the Government. In England there is a massive difference between what has happened in London and then also in the Midland compared to down here and areas further away from the big cities.

In most parts of London 40-50% of all deaths since end of Feb have been Covid-19 related. Birmingham 32%

In West Sussex it is 16%, East Sussex 14%, Devon 9%, Cornwall 11%.

Surely this sort of regionally disparity should be reflected in the way that the lockdown measures are eased? Seems mad to allow London to go back to work in exactly the same way as Devon for example.

I see Andy Burnham made this point earlier in the week about the North West https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08cv8p7, with Manchester at 26% and Liverpool at 32%. Surely large cities should be treated differently to more rural areas?

 

[A1X]

So how do you stop people travelling from the cities to the country and vice versa? If you open all the pubs in East Sussex but not in Kent, what's to stop people piling over the border?

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

By all accounts London has one of the lowest R levels in the country now. Just because it was the worst does not mean that it is still the worst.

 

[Giraffe]

And...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-52661850

 

[beorhthelm]

not sure there is the legal framework to treat regions, town or countryside differently. there might be some things the local councils could do, keeping parks shut? but limited i expect.

 

[clapham_gull]

The media seem to have largely ignored the differences in cases and deaths throughout the regions and how different they are from area to area, and more importantly perhaps so has the Government. In England there is a massive difference between what has happened in London and then also in the Midland compared to down here and areas further away from the big cities.

In most parts of London 40-50% of all deaths since end of Feb have been Covid-19 related. Birmingham 32%

In West Sussex it is 16%, East Sussex 14%, Devon 9%, Cornwall 11%.

Surely this sort of regionally disparity should be reflected in the way that the lockdown measures are eased? Seems mad to allow London to go back to work in exactly the same way as Devon for example.

I see Andy Burnham made this point earlier in the week about the North West https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08cv8p7, with Manchester at 26% and Liverpool at 32%. Surely large cities should be treated differently to more rural areas?

They are unable to coordinate a response with Wales, Scotland and even Northern Ireland so what do you expect ?

The governments response has always been "we will move together as a country", which is somewhat parallel with their inability to control the spread in one area as other countries have done.

Face it - they are useless.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

No surprise that it's Mancs and Scousers thinking that they know best and that the rules don't apply to them. Same as it ever was

 

[beorhthelm]

They are unable to coordinate a response with Wales, Scotland and even Northern Ireland so what do you expect ?

The governments response has always been "we will move together as a country", which is somewhat parallel with their inability to control the spread in one area as other countries have done.

Face it - they are useless.

thats the joy of devolved government.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

No surprise that it's Mancs and Scousers thinking that they know best and that the rules don't apply to them. Same as it ever was

Silly comment. For instance Liverpool got a later spike possibly due to the ill fated Valencia match which was not the fault of Liverpool. I imagine Manchester followed at a similar time. This virus has hit more urban areas hardest.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

thats the joy of devolved government.

Yep, not government's fault that Scotland and Wales have decided to act differently, that is their right, why should England dictate everything?

 

[BN41Albion]

No surprise that it's Mancs and Scousers thinking that they know best and that the rules don't apply to them. Same as it ever was

Ridiculous comment

 

[AmexRuislip]

I think the media has a lot to explain in reporting on people going back to work, especially in London.
We have a fair few friends who work in the city and have been WFH since the the start of the pandemic.
The reporting has been of a mass exodus, but as above, our vriends are still WFH.
Dont alway's believe what you read.

 

[Weststander]

Yep, not government's fault that Scotland and Wales have decided to act differently, that is their right, why should England dictate everything?

And quite right too. Scotland struggling to contain the virus as of last week.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Ridiculous comment

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ma...down-what-lockdown-police-called-18090966.amp

'Lockdown! What lockdown? Police called to reports of 1,008 parties in Greater Manchester over Easter weekend
Over the weekend GMP also received reports that 54 licensed premises were serving alcohol to customers.'

 

[dazzer6666]

I think the media has a lot to explain in reporting on people going back to work, especially in London.
We have a fair few friends who work in the city and have been WFH since the the start of the pandemic.
The reporting has been of a mass exodus, but as above, our vriends are still WFH.
Dont alway's believe what you read.

I’ve been commuting to London for nearly 30 years.......I’ve got dozens of city-based pals, and a fairly large London-based team of my own (150 ish people). Not a single one has been into London (or, for that matter, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Chester etc) since lockdown, and I don’t know when any of them will do so next........

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ma...down-what-lockdown-police-called-18090966.amp

'Lockdown! What lockdown? Police called to reports of 1,008 parties in Greater Manchester over Easter weekend
Over the weekend GMP also received reports that 54 licensed premises were serving alcohol to customers.'

Have you got the figures for London. Otherwise it's just an isolated number with no other reference point which appears to be cited for no other reason than to knock the north.

 

[clapham_gull]

Yep, not government's fault that Scotland and Wales have decided to act differently, that is their right, why should England dictate everything?

They heard about the changes in policy in the newspaper, and the government have possibly broken the ministerial code by not announcing to Parliament first.

That's Boris - the self styled PM of England for little englanders.

 

[Notters]

By all accounts London has one of the lowest R levels in the country now. Just because it was the worst does not mean that it is still the worst.

That's surely a result of herd immunity? Also worth noting that the % of the population required for herd immunity will be higher in more densely populated areas, and the measures needed to reduce R.

In essence it's bloody complicated which is why it has to be done on a national level.

 

[clapham_gull]

That's surely a result of herd immunity?

Slightly confused by that. A scientist on the television now is saying in reality they have no idea how many people have been infected.

On that basis he has no idea when herd immunity could/will be reached.

 

[Notters]

Slightly confused by that. A scientist on the television now is saying in reality they have no idea how many people have been infected.

On that basis he has no idea when herd immunity could/will be reached.

Yes, this is true, but I wasn't meaning total immunity. I was meaning a reduced rate of infection, which starts to become apparent at a much lower level. There seems little down that many hundreds of thousands of people in London will have been infected?