Hard questions to ponder.

If we ended the lockdown tomorrow people still wouldn't go out to eat. They will need support from the government on wages for a good long while. Like everything else I imagine the ridiculously high cost of rent will affect all bricks and mortar businesses to the point of bankruptcy.
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
If we ended the lockdown tomorrow people still wouldn't go out to eat. They will need support from the government on wages for a good long while. Like everything else I imagine the ridiculously high cost of rent will affect all bricks and mortar businesses to the point of bankruptcy.
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See I believe otherwise. Yes I think some people would sack it off but I'm fully expecting a busy summer come end of July for the rest of the year.
People will spend money in this country when these special measures are relaxed, and as far as I'm aware how on earth is the government going to police social distancing in every place that serves sit down food in the country?

The government either forces pubs and restaurants to stay closed until the new year and continue the job retention scheme until then for workers affected and helps affected businesses with rates etc until then OR let's the public and food businesses make adult decisions for themselves.
 
I think we’re all just to have to go out an get on with it sooner rather than later - unless we want to sit at home for another 18 months and go back to the Stone Age



🐔
 
Funky_Chicken said:
I think we’re all just to have to go out an get on with it sooner rather than later - unless we want to sit at home for another 18 months and go back to the Stone Age



🐔
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Exactly, and the British public will take the bull by the horns and do that.
67,823,141 people in the UK.
 
Personally, I look forward to supporting all the small local businesses that have had to shut ... local shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, music venues ... some of which had only just got going in a small town that was encouraging them. But I do fear that some of the very best, socially responsible, committed businesses will fail, leaving just the big chains, who can absorb more hits.
 
borolad259 said:
Personally, I look forward to supporting all the small local businesses that have had to shut ... local shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, music venues ... some of which had only just got going in a small town that was encouraging them. But I do fear that some of the very best, socially responsible, committed businesses will fail, leaving just the big chains, who can absorb more hits.
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I see it the other way. I think people now have seen how some big businesses have operated and will support the smaller ones more.
Like the corner shop that had stayed open for emergency supplies.
The local cafe/restaurant doing takeaways for those who can't leave the house at all.
Etc
 
Our local grocery store certainly stepped up to the mark as a community hub .... and they will do ok, because they are still open. It's places like the Grayston Unity and Lantern (both important small music venues) and Engine, Hinchcliff (foodie places) that might struggle.
 
The economy will struggle for longer the fewer the measures taken early during the pandemic.

The hesitancy if the government, it's eye as expected on the short term and with a high probability of a long term poor outcome.

We're an island state, we could have done a lot better than we have.
 
Wont see restaurants/pubs open for 18 months at very best. Hard to see how many can survive until then. Thousands employed in this sector in the region and many more indirectly, worrying times ahead for us all.
 
I know this is very childish and could very probably be called racist, but in these dark times man tends to look for little shafts of light. The writer of the South China post article I linked to is called Orange Wang.
 
JM14 said:
Wont see restaurants/pubs open for 18 months at very best. Hard to see how many can survive until then. Thousands employed in this sector in the region and many more indirectly, worrying times ahead for us all.
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I think they will be open long before that - 6 months max would be my guess.
 
RandySavage said:
The government either forces pubs and restaurants to stay closed until the new year and continue the job retention scheme until then for workers affected and helps affected businesses with rates etc until then OR let's the public and food businesses make adult decisions for themselves.
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I totally agree with that, but maybe have a differing sentiment behind it.

The Government (imho) is going to make a call soon that will put the economy first and foremost, I also understand why it likely will. However, it does come with a huge issue for those of us with loved ones with real vulnerabilities, age is not a sole factor of vulnerability, so that means those families with vulnerable members would be left at very significant personal risk in People doing so.

The problem is, not every human being is good at or even capable of making responsible adult decisions. Far too many people behave selfishly now, we see examples in our daily lives and on the telly every day. I think as we move forward out of lockdown, a good many people who can will cease to think about risk to others as they are wrapped up in their own thoughts, vulnerabilities are often not clearly visible.

This country has a lot of elderly and/or vulnerable younger people (although sadly Its reducing more rapidly every day). Those of us who do not have a known vulnerability but live or interact with those that do will have to be extra cautious. I, like many others, will therefore have to err on the side of caution and do so until a vaccine is administered. If social distancing is not continued in most aspects of society till then, people will still be risking not just theIr lives, but also the lives of others inadvertently as the virus remains active and silently creeping up on people and still killing. I just hope that when people begin to ease back into reduced restrictions and have to be politely made aware in certain scenarios, they react respectfully and not as selfish angry pigs. I do fear that latter will win the day for many though. I can see the Police being quite busy.
 
I am quite sure that the government know that any actions that see any future increase in cases will need to be dealt with quickly as the public awareness of the seriousness of this pandemic won't allow them to drag their heels again. I also think employers will have to be responsible as I wouldn't have any problem being a whistleblower if my employer was endangering me and those around me. I'd imagine I wouldn't be alone in that mindset.
We have to start moving towards a new normal and anyone who thinks that we won't lockdown again at some point needs to get it into their heads that it is almost a certainty, particularly if we just try to go back to how it was before the pandemic.
Businesses will have to be responsible in the same way as supermarkets are now and if that means stores removing half of their displays to allow space or pubs going to vastly reduced capacities then so be it. Working from home will become the norm.
I also think a very large number of people will change their habits substantially while there is still a threat of a renewed virus outbreak and as such there will be a lot less footfall in some places where social distancing could be compromised.
There will be a bell curve of perceived virus threat and the majority will be those practicing social distancing and making informed choices. I for one will be very considered about where I'll go and when. The smaller numbers on the extremes of the curve will be those who won't come out of lockdown out of fear and those who won't give it a moment's thought.
 
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