I stopped taking guests into my small B & B as soon as the pandemic started. There was no way I wanted strangers through my door and as most were international during the summer, it just wasn't worth the risk. So I know a little!

The level of compensation is another subject completely. I think anyone who has to stop trading in the national interest needs to be supported, so they can survive and serve again, once normality returns. That's a cost the rest of society, via taxation, has to bear.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

We are constantly being told that we have to do everything we can to save the NHS, or help the NHS but no other countries have it - presumably they’re all doing what they can to save something which doesn’t have the emotional pull of the NHS.

It's a bit double edged though. If numbers of admissions don't peak like earlier in the year but staff numbers drop by having covid then the scenario is similar. My son had a positive lat flow test yesterday and is waiting on the pcr result. He had a cough on Friday so lat flow friday and saturday negative.
Then just before his booster yesterday he tested again and positive. I reckon he got it at football weds as thread on that under this one. He feels OK atm but table for one on Xmas day I'm afraid

I agree, kicking the can down the road in any shape or form serves only to cost us in a disproportionately financial way, which this time the government don’t appear too keen to insulate us from anyway.

Those who have the money and are not financially affected are the ones who are most keen on lockdowns. If you live on a hand to mouth basis then it would appear you would be expected to just put up with it. It is a total nonsense given the overall levels of population with vaccine or natural immunity.

That is the problem - media pressure and more.
They daren't not listen to the doom mongers for fear of further embarrassment but at the same time these current restrictions are causing a lot of - understandable - angst in certain industries.
A lockdown will cause as much uproar one way or the other so they might as well tell us to be sensible and carry on.
Trouble is that you have the likes of Sadiq Khan playing politics with Covid - London is in a far better place today than say 11 months ago and yet he can't stop himself declaring a "major emergency"!
Sage saying - there could be between 600 and 6000 deaths - I think - per day.
That is one heck of a spread!!!
Imagine your builder telling you that your job would cost between £600 and £6000.
These "experts" just make things up and every time I hear the name Neil Ferguson then I know that absolute garbage is being spoken!

It’s easier and politically safer to copy the other governments on this, and as Dubai said, once France or Germany introduce tougher restrictions then it’s only a matter of hours before Johnson does.

I spoke to someone yesterday who’s in an industry the government have some say in and there’s an instruction on the 28th that was given before the other lockdowns so we’ll see. I expect everything except work and essential shopping. Everything except essential key work will cost too much but when you’re in so much debt and the age groups that do vote call for it…

COYP