Covid: Should the lockdown be tougher?

We’re inviting you to tell us your views after England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty urged the public to “stay at home unless you absolutely have to”.

He said the next few weeks will be the “worst weeks of the pandemic”.

In a poll carried out by the Bournemouth Echo on Twitter, 71 per cent of those who cast a vote said the rules should be tougher, while 24 per cent said they should not.

We're interested to hear your views; should the lockdown be tougher? and if so, how? You can tweet us your thoughts

— Bournemouth Echo (@Bournemouthecho) January 11, 2021

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reportedly discussed the prospect of introducing tougher controls to ensure the public abide by the restrictions, with the new highly-contagious variant raising the stakes.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has raised concerns that people are not complying with lockdown rules closely enough in supermarkets and when exercising amid suggestions the restrictions may need to be toughened.

• 600 hospital beds could be needed for Covid patients in the next two weeks

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Zahawi said: “We don’t want to use tougher measures, the lockdown is tough, schools are shut, but it is important to remember this virus loves social interactions.

“We’re reviewing all the restrictions, but these are pretty tough at the moment. I am worried about supermarkets and people actually wearing masks and following the one-way system and making sure when it’s at capacity they wait outside the supermarket.

“I’m worried about some of the pictures I’ve seen of social interactions in parks, if you have to exercise you can go out for exercise only.”

• “People are traumatised. Some have post traumatic stress. Some are off sick and don’t want to come to work”

And over the weekend, scientists said the national lockdown needed to be toughened further to have a similar impact on case numbers as the March shutdown.

Professor Robert West, a participant in the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), said the current restrictions are “still allowing a lot of activity which is spreading the virus”.

• REVEALED: How many people have died with coronavirus in your area?

The professor of health psychology at University College London said he, and people he has spoken to including epidemiologists, medical scientists and virologists, think the rules should be tightened.

Here are just some of the hundreds of comments posted on the Bournemouth Echo’s Facebook and Twitter pages:

1. Shut more down and make more people stay at home. Stop construction. Same lockdown as the first is what is needed. A few weeks is worth it to prevent a national disaster. Although we are probably too late.
2. Supermarkets need to start limiting the amount of people in at one time. Also reintroduce the one way system again.
3. Yes, limit travel distances, so many people driving all over the place, mixing in cars, and with any accidents, breakdowns, filling station visits and so many other things all involve meeting people. There seem to be a lot of holiday homes in this area that now have people in.
4. I've spent almost a year shielding alone - it's been really tough mentally. I missed my granddaughter's third birthday and I haven't had physical contact with anyone since last March. Now I've been told I have to shield again until at least the end of March. This is the reality of my "lockdown".
5. Yes definitely all takeaways, McDonald’s and coffee shops like costa etc should be closed they are not necessary and just encourage people to go out.
6. This isn't a lockdown that we are in.I went out for food yesterday passed Bailey Bridge everything open,groups of people wandering around with costa coffee cups,also many people in Costa coffee. Kitchen showrooms open, which means going into people's home's with a group of tradesmen. Senseless.
7. Absolutely not. This would be terrible for mental health.
8. There should be a curfew from 6pm (unless you are working and can prove it) , like they did in Spain, Greece etc and their lockdowns were tougher than ours and ended quicker.
9. Everything needs closing apart from supermarkets and corner shops for essentials. Getting a coffee or going to home bargains etc is not essential. It should be like the first lockdown.
10. Yes. Also wearing masks outside and inside would help a lot. Keep the distance, wash hands, open windows, wear your mask, protect yourself and others.
    If we keep the rules then no tougher rules will be necessary.
11. Lockdown?? what lockdown.the first lockdown was better than this. Work from home only.No one should be leaving the house. only food shops open and emergency services available. and deliveries only.no one should be travelling. blockades should be in place by the army to atop travel. This lockdown is a joke.
12. We just need to get used to a different way if living to be patient with one another be kind and try and limit mixing to a minimum except for 1 extra person in your bubble. Our lives are never going to be the same. I've been fortunate to worked from home since March and will continue like many others in the country try to do their bit.
13. If the R rate doesn't come down and the NHS is at breaking point then YES ABSOLUTELY. This is about collective responsibilities. A unifying broadcast from the government and NHS staff with a reminder that in a situation like this it is not about individual rights but collective responsibility to the NHS.
14.  Allow shielding of vulnerable family members. If I go to work I can bring it home to my family making the advice for them to stay at home pointless.
15. Makes no odds what measures are put in place. Those that have complied with the government guidelines will continue to do so and those that haven't taken any notice before won't do anything extra.
16. As per the first strict lockdown shut early years and construction sites. There are 1000's of people spreading this new variant still - close everything down.
17. I work in food retail it’s a nightmare, customers not wearing masks and verbally abusing staff when asked to. Others wondering around the store for an hour or more ‘browsing’ not essential shopping. The same customers coming in daily just like normal. Selfish.
18. The list of what’s essential is ridiculous. Garden Centres and coffee shops aren’t. And saying to people you must stay in but you can go out for unlimited exercise is also just a recipe for disaster.
19. Close schools, close all business apart from supermarkets. Only allow meetings with one other person. Curfew after 22.00 and no moving apart from necessary travel like going to work.