How will this lockdown affect us?

[El Cid]

I'm interested to know, from talking to family, friends and colleagues, what people think about this second lockdown. I don't mean whether it's a good or bad idea. I mean what are people you know saying about the impact on their lives. Will it make them feel safer and make them feel more confident that we;ll get on top of Covid-19? Or will it cause difficulties (businesses, jobs, rent/mortgage payments, mental health etc)?

[Parker1970]

I think everyone will be different.

Personally for me, I have been working from home since the last lockdown, I hope to never have to go back to every day in the office as it's 3 hours a day travelling that I get back.

My father passed away just before the last lockdown (we had his funeral one day before lockdown was announced) and as such my mum is on her own, so since then I have been in a support bubble with her so that I can either do her shopping or take her shopping and stay for a chat and a cuppa. As such I have been restricting my socialising to virtually nothing so that I don't catch it and pass it on nor prevent me helping mum, so this lockdown will not really affect me at all... I've been doing it all this time.

[mosy]

Another, this time relatively brief, lockdown is unlikely to make much difference in covid terms unless there's a radical change by the government re other steps that could help get on top of it. I know no-one who thinks otherwise.

As Parker1970 says, many of us never really came out of lockdown apart from bubbles, except those who had to and will still have to being essential workers. The two I know say it's easier/safer for them to travel if more are at home, so they feel marginally safer, depending on their work environment. I can easily guess what people whose livelihood is once again ripped away must think.

[syd]

Hey, This is going to be a very rough winter deaths are doubling as predicted as this lockdown is a month late and this from lewisham council

Controlled Parking Zones and Pay and Display car parks will operate as usual.

So in the middle of a pandemic they will force traffic wardens to work. The council is run by petty minded and I will do all i can to ensure they will never consider this a safe labour seat again

[alywin]

Hmm. They do work in the open air, though, don't they, where the risk is thought to be far less?

[monkeyarms]

Controlled Parking Zones and Pay and Display car parks will operate as usual.
So in the middle of a pandemic they will force traffic wardens to work. The council is run by petty minded and I will do all i can to ensure they will never consider this a safe labour seat again

Lots of that is automated. I don't think I've ever seen a traffic warden in Sydenham.

[monkeyarms]

How will this lockdown affect us?

Well, it will obviously affect businesses that are forced to close considerably: they will have another month (fingers crossed) with no income and will have to rely on government grants.

Lots of wellbeing issues, especially for children and teenagers, who won't be able to play together; and for people that live alone.

For people like myself it will make little difference: my job's secure and I can do it from home. I wasn't going out anyway.

Most people acknowledge it's necessary. It will make a difference, but not as much difference as if this step had been taken earlier. And it should be further reaching: schools really should have been closed (even though it pains me to say that, as it's a nightmare as a parent when schools close). And the rules on 'working from home if you can' should have been hammered home for strictly, without this weasel qualifier 'effectively' being thrown in ('work from home if you can do so effectively'). I know that there are hundreds of thousands of businesses insisting that their employees still go in the office 5 days per week; they can do this because ultimately it is not illegal.

So this lockdown is not a lockdown for many businesses and individuals: it is too easy to get away with the attitude that 'the rules don't apply to me or my business' - many are taking this attitude without even realising they are doing so. I'm normally the last person to argue for authoritarian measures, but this government has never policed lockdown measures effectively, or broadcast the rules in stern enough fashion.

[JGD]

Updates and very localised data at a much greater granularity than before has become available from the .GOV site on the web.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map

A few extracts:

Lower Sydenham: Seven days to 23 November 2020: Total cases: 5
The rate has decreased relative to the previous week.-7 (-58.3%): Rolling rate: 59.5

Sydenham Wells: Seven days to 23 November 2020: Total cases: 10
The rate has decreased relative to the previous week.-9 (-47.4%): Rolling rate: 117.6

Bellingham & Perry Hill: Seven days to 23 November 2020: Total cases: 9
The rate has increased relative to the previous week.2 (28.6%): Rolling rate: 102.9

The site also has this category of area, coloured white and labelled "Suppressed", I think this is a clearer narrative about interpreting the meaning of that:

There were fewer than 3 cases. For smaller areas (eg MSOAs) with fewer than 3 cases, we do not show data. This is to protect individuals' identities.

These areas in that category around us include Forest Hill, Herne Hill & Dulwich Park and Nunhead South & Newlands.