No circuit breaker over October holidays

Please don’t lock down our kids over their school holidays. Thousands of families are desperate for a break, a wee holiday in the U.K. , or some fun days out. To have this snatched away from them at a couple of days notice would be soul destroying. You need to keep morale up - at the moment it’s crashing. Please consider this very carefully, along with the economic implications, shutting down leisure and domestic tourism.

Why the contribution is important

Morale and mental health should be a big consideration just now. It’s at a very low level just now.

by Spuddie79 on October 05, 2020 at 07:36PM

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Average rating: 4.4
Based on: 136 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Karina October 05, 2020 at 19:46

    My business is just recovering from the last lockdown. It would be a disaster to close again.

    I understand the public health concern but we have to learn to live with the virus. Lockdowns just push the problem down the road

  • Posted by mstirner October 05, 2020 at 19:56

    There's no evidence that a second lockdown would even have any effect

  • Posted by Kayrob October 05, 2020 at 19:59

    A circuit breaker is just a political tool. It won't stop another outbreak, it will just push it into Christmas which will then devastate the well being of so many if a strict lockdown is introduced again over Christmas and New Year.

    The fact the children and teachers are out of school for a week should slowest down by itself, but there is no need to punish the business's already trying to get back on their feet.

  • Posted by Orchard1 October 05, 2020 at 20:00

    Many people are looking forward to breaks over October for some much needed rest with their families (within the current tight restrictions). To impose even more restrictions days before this happens actually feels cruel. A two week sharp lockdown may make a small impact on the virus spreading for a temporary period, but it will have a much higher cost to individuals and families across the country, as well as already suffering businesses.

  • Posted by Mummyoftwo October 05, 2020 at 20:05

    A circuit break next week, will break so many people. I’ve a week annual leave booked off and then nothing to next year. The thought of being locked down next week fills me with dread and horror, I need next week to spend time with my children in the fresh air and outdoors. Increasing our well-being and refilling my tank ready to deal with whatever life throws at us next.
    I feel so sorry for teachers who have planned quality time with their family, who are unsure of whether they will be effectively locked up over their holiday and then expected to continue doing a vital role as normal afterwards in more difficult circumstances.
    Think of overall well-being, surely that equips is better to deal with a virus. The risks to well-being are huge, for perhaps only a 4 week gain.

  • Posted by Freedom7 October 05, 2020 at 20:07

    Children’s mental health is at an all time low. Many are looking forward to spending fun times with family during the October break. Some have staycations booked some have outdoor activities booked . To remove this with such short notice will be devastating for them.

  • Posted by Ellyjh October 05, 2020 at 20:08

    Please consider those of us who have arranged domestic holidays, self catering, with only our own family and no plans to do anything but have a change if scenery after cancelling 2 holidays already this year and working on the front line in health care. I cannot see what harm this does to anyone. People must be sensible and keep to the rules but another 2 weeks of lockdown during the holidays is such blow. Mental health is important too.

  • Posted by chanabz October 05, 2020 at 20:08

    I work in a school and as a non teaching staff member I can only take holidays during the school breaks but don’t get the same amount of days as teachers. I worked near enough all through from March and only want a few days off when I can take them in October. Something should be done but peoples opportunity to have a break by putting in very strict restrictions will be unhelpful and affect a lot of peoples mental health.

  • Posted by RachelLiddell October 05, 2020 at 20:26

    Please don’t lock us down or restrict travel over the school October holidays. Kids and parents mental health need to be strongly considered - this is the last chance for a break before Xmas. Encourage people to use common sense over the holidays - social
    Distance, masks, rule of 6 and two households -
    If these were followed then this should limit the spread. Punish those not following the rules but don’t punish us all

  • Posted by harviej October 05, 2020 at 20:31

    PLEASE PLEASE no lockdown over the October holiday. We have a self catering holiday booked and paid for, which cannot be cancelled at such short notice.
    Teachers and pupils need a break.
    We will lose £500 if we are forbidden to go on this holiday.
    We will be self catering and will not be seeing anyone else

  • Posted by harviej October 05, 2020 at 20:36

    Why should so many families be punished by having their much needed half term break snatched away from them?
    Closing pubs for 2 weeks would be much more effective

  • Posted by HappyPumpkin81 October 05, 2020 at 20:39

    Ongoing threats of a "circuit breaker" are torture. My daughter will be in nursery over the October holidays while I work. My work can be done online from home but not with a two year old constantly demanding my attention. My "holidays" were used up over lockdown. Without reliable childcare I risk losing my job. I feel constant anxiety over threats of nursery closing.

  • Posted by JHopkins October 05, 2020 at 20:42

    A circuit breaker lockdown over school holidays would be detrimental to children parents and teachers. Being able to travel and visit other areas of Scotland and the UK would be a well needed boost as we head into the winter. We lived restricted for a lot of the summer period and I feel it would be harsh for families to be restricted again when it may be the only chance they get to travel to see extended family members.

  • Posted by Julie77 October 05, 2020 at 20:43

    The mental health and well being of school children just now and their families is really low. To lock down over October holidays would be devastating. All holiday plans have been cancelled and most of us are just looking to spend some quality family time around Scotland. The hospitality industry surely needs all the wee 3, 4 night breaks that have been booked by families just looking for a break!

  • Posted by Morrisc0502 October 05, 2020 at 20:47

    If a circuit breaker is required to protect the people. Then so be it

  • Posted by EmmaCram October 05, 2020 at 20:50

    Completely agree with all these comments. In March our children’s worlds were turned upside down, months of isolation, speration change, uncertainty, before some normality and back to school. The October week is the first time families across the country have to pause together, take a breath and spend time together. This is not the time to imprison us in our homes. It also won’t make any real impact on the spread of the virus. Do not do this unless you have some serious evidence that doing so will make a massive dent in the spread and bring the end of this closer. Not only is it completely irresponsible for the mental health of a large majority of the country, it will surely crucify the hospitality industry.

    I’m fairly sure most people could deal with more restrictions in the future if the children’s holidays are not turned into a suffocating week indoors.

    Do this and i think a lot of people won’t survive it.

  • Posted by harviej October 05, 2020 at 21:01

    Will the Scottish government please stop going on and on about lockdown over the half term holiday. We desperately need this holiday. I wake up every night with panic attacks about what will happen if we are prevented from having this holiday.

  • Posted by Temprenfrewshire October 05, 2020 at 21:16

    People need time together as a family. Staycations in the UK were encouraged so people booked them and snatching them away at the last minute feels cruel, particularly for our children who’ve missed so much. The threat of this so called circuit breaker is making people ill and depressed. Why not keep to rule of 6, enforce 2m distancing, and focus on the ones who are doing as they please rather than punish those who’ve followed all the rules? Hospitality will fold it can only take so much. More businesses will be lost, both small and large. Doing this will only delay this nightmare further. Protect the vulnerable, and can we see data on excess deaths be the focus rather than infections as we have absolutely no way of comparing this to the first wave.

  • Posted by alisona October 05, 2020 at 21:16

    Our October break is self catering, middle of the countryside, we don't play to meet anyone - biking, walking - all outdoors. We are all fed up, flat, facing into less socialising through the winter, higher viral rates - we really need this, and it'll be healthier than staying in the city. We could even keep away from local businesses if that's necessary, though I don't think that's a good answer for local businesses, but we really need a break. Please don't lock us down

  • Posted by Morrisc0502 October 05, 2020 at 21:24

    If a circuit breaker is required. Do it. Lives are more important than a few days away. If people have been stupid enough to book a vacation in the middle of a pandemic and then are worried about loosing money, they get no sympathy from me.

  • Posted by Glasgow__ghirl October 05, 2020 at 21:35

    Please don’t lock us down. We’re a family of key workers in stressful environments. This is our last holiday before Christmas. All we want to do is travel to one location in the country for walking holiday . Please don’t put a travel ban in place restricting travel within Scotland wekve followed all the rules .

  • Posted by Drcram October 05, 2020 at 21:38

    Many families have booked holidays in Scotland and are looking forward to them, most people are really struggling with their mental health during this pandemic. If you do cancel thousands of families holidays you will be responsible for deteriorating mental health, especially families and children. The tourism sector has been badly hit and this may finish off many otherwise viable businesses. If we are told to lockdown again, it may finish many of us off. Just wait until after the October holidays, then do your circuit breaker. No one will care in November.

  • Posted by jakkyb7 October 05, 2020 at 21:43

    Children and teachers have just survived the first term back. To enforce a further lockdown would be mentally detrimental to everyone. The economy is already on its knees let’s not make it even worse. Current death rates are nowhere near the levels they were in March so I cannot understand why it is considered necessary.

  • Posted by Yvonne27 October 05, 2020 at 21:51

    Please please do not implement a circuit breaker during the school holidays. This would have a detrimental effect on so many children, parents and teachers who are possibly looking forward to their first break all year. Many have followed government advice to ‘staycation’ and have booked self catering accommodation in Scotland to help boost Scottish tourism again. To put restrictions on this will result in a lot of people losing well earned money they have spent, as well as children being stuck inside yet again. Allow the children to have a break before implementing any further restrictions.

  • Posted by JudyL October 05, 2020 at 21:58

    Locking down over the October break is cruel and excessive. Excess deaths right now are lower than the annual average. Further restrictions are not necessary. Encouraging hand washing and social distancing. Go back to basics. We need to learn to live alongside this virus.

    Businesses will suffer once again, families will be cooped up with all the mental health implications that it will bring.

    Families need time to get away for a few days in the fresh air with a change of scene.

  • Posted by Shazmo2202 October 05, 2020 at 21:59

    A nationwide lockdown over the October school holidays in my opinion would be nothing short of cruel.

    The increased cases are worse in certain areas of Scotland so why not take a targeted approach at reducing these rather than a blanket approach for the whole country.

    The current restrictions are tough enough for people to cope with as it is without then having to tell our children their “reward” for completing their first term back at school is that they can’t go anywhere and can’t see anyone!

  • Posted by Persimmon11 October 05, 2020 at 22:10

    The damage caused by a further lockdown are clear and known, the benefits are unclear and unproven and unlikely to outweigh tge damage.

  • Posted by Blubber October 05, 2020 at 22:23

    A circuit breaker should still allow local travelling and outdoor activities. Teachers, children and parents need a break and being outdoors is good for everyone’s health and wellbeing. Being locked in now will cause more suffering.
    Close pubs instead!

  • Posted by Impala67 October 05, 2020 at 22:26

    I completely agree with all the posts asking that you don’t lock us down over the school holidays, as someone above suggests, the constant threat of this over the past few days is just starting to feel cruel and is making it impossible for those of us who have worked hard through the entire lockdown to look forward to our planned breaks. Children have worked hard at school and have had an extremely difficult year, they deserve to spend their holidays having fun, not imprisoned on their homes. A lockdown at this time would be detrimental to the nations mental health, not to mention how damaging it would be to the hospitality and travel and tourism sectors, you just need to look at the comments section on any social media post to see how unpopular it will be. if the circuit breaker is genuinely needed and will buy us 4 weeks as Jason Leitch suggests, do it in November so we at least stand a chance of spending Christmas with extended family and friends

  • Posted by ScottishLass October 05, 2020 at 22:59

    This virus is not going away, and the whole point of the lockdown was to stop the NHS getting overwhelmed as it was so unprepared.

    We cant keep closing down and going round in circles. Many businsesses havent even had the chance to reopen.

    I have booked a staycation in scotland with my kids, and happy to put my hard earned cash back into the economy to help.

    We need to learn to get on with life and learn to live with it, being cautious and sensible - but we need people to pay taxes and keep the country ticking over

  • Posted by CatMacIdeas October 05, 2020 at 23:36

    This has been a tough year for everyone. To snatch moments of joy from children and families by locking down over October holidays will break the will of many families - especially when the science behind it is questionable. It will also drive another nail into the coffin of the Scottish tourist sector. However if you want law-abiding families to resent authority and potentially throw away the rulebook a lockdown over October holidays is probably the right way to go about it.

  • Posted by mariannemca October 06, 2020 at 05:45

    This term has been managed well, and with covid. Schools, esp primary schools, are proving themselves as safe places and very effective in managing/minimising the spread. My daughters class were track&traced and no other cases, and no other classes affected so far. We can’t lockdown again, and we shouldn’t have to. We need the government to lead us in living life WITH covid, and schools remaining open and no second lockdown - if this happened it’s just 2 very backward steps

  • Posted by LeiaAvra October 06, 2020 at 06:21

    Totally agree

  • Posted by Shazzap October 06, 2020 at 06:23

    I totally agree.
    Everyone’s morale is at an all time low. Another lockdown over the October might just be the straw that broke the camel’s back! People are looking forward to being able to take their kids for days out here and there or even have a ‘staycation’. The local economy has and still is suffering from the lockdown in March.

  • Posted by Avocado October 06, 2020 at 06:29

    The constant threats about this makes the government appear quite out of touch. People so badly do not want this. If there is such a bad need for some form of restrictions make it actually sustainable. People will not last the winter otherwise. It was my understanding that a lockdown is a last resort. Is the test and trace system so bad that we need a lockdown already?

  • Posted by Rose October 06, 2020 at 06:42

    If another lockdown is needed do it outwith the October break. Teachers and school staff are already on their knees trying to teach and run schools under many constraints and need the two week break to recharge. John Swinney has been adamant that schools will stay open, well seen he hasn’t set foot inside a school to see the reality of what school staff are dealing with or the reality of the conditions they are working under. There is NO social distancing from children yet they have been thrown in and expected to work in these conditions day after day. A blended learning approach would have worked much better. Keep going this way and many staff in schools will be off with stress and once that happens whose going to teach the children?

  • Posted by Libdah October 06, 2020 at 07:07

    Please don't lock us down again. You will break the economy and morale. The Government and media are spreading so much fear.
    Let us all get on with life.

  • Posted by SJC1978 October 06, 2020 at 07:53

    As a teacher to be locked down for the two weeks October holidays would have a massive negative impact on staff morale and mental health. We need our breaks! To have this snatched away at the last minute would be devastating.

  • Posted by CK1 October 06, 2020 at 08:11

    Totally agree. Kids have been great at dealing with everything that has happened and to drop these restrictions on them during the holidays, particularly at the last minute, is very unfair and demoralising.
    The potential impact on many businesses could be devastating and result in many more business not surviving.
    If a circuit breaker is to happen then there should have been a bit of notice to allow businesses to prepare.

  • Posted by GH October 06, 2020 at 08:15

    Let us go on staycation. We've not had a holiday all year because of restrictions. We've all learnt what is low and high risk and going somewhere remote is not going to add risk.

  • Posted by angelad October 06, 2020 at 08:45

    Stricter policing of the rules currently in place needs to take place. Staycations following these rules pose no additional risks! Close pubs not serving food and restrict sittings to 2 hours with booking essential. The impact of this year on people’s mental health has been massive, a new lockdown when people are desperate for a change of scenery could be disastrous for many.

  • Posted by RachelBrykajlo October 06, 2020 at 09:12

    Any circuit breaker cannot have an effect on childcare. I work from home but it is nigh on impossible with a 2 year old needing my attention. My husband works in a hospital so is needed there so we would have no option.
    Also please if there is to be a circuit breaker please don’t let medical appointments be cancelled, we’ve finally got an appointment for my son after 4 months of waiting for the department to reopen and it’s in the next two weeks and many others will he in the same situation. Medical care is so important and so many have waited to long to have things cancelled again for a 28 day gain on the virus

  • Posted by JenWilson October 06, 2020 at 09:20

    Both mine and my partners businesses have still not recovered from the last lockdown. Lockdown is more damaging to health, and I speak as someone who is in the vulnerable category. Connection is far greater for the immune system than isolation

  • Posted by Marielle October 06, 2020 at 09:46

    This "circuit breaker" idea is really pushing people's mental health over the edge. It will destroy some businesses that were just hanging on. It will impact some schools that only were meant to be off for a week, and we know this is not an acceptable trade-off. Even for kids who are off, it will impact kids then if holiday clubs etc are not allowed, or if people who had a break planned are not allowed to travel again. For many this is possibly the only break they have planned for this year after cancelling so much in the last 6-7 months...
    And the gains are really not that demonstrable. It will at best slow cases down a bit, but they will rise again sure enough soon after, leaving us in this vicious lockdown cycle that is grinding people and the economy down.
    Suppression is not the right strategy. It is also not the compassionate, caring approach it claims to be. It is a blinkered view that does not take overall public health into account, and will in time to unnecessary loss of life and suffering.
    Targeted protection and simple hygiene measures with social distancing recommendations for the rest of us is the only way forward as a long-term approach until we reach herd immunity through a vaccine or virus circulation, or most likely a combination of both.

  • Posted by JoMacD October 06, 2020 at 09:56

    I agree with everyone else, to restrict over the school holidays at such short notice would be so harmful on so many levels. I also think it’s too early and risks losing the support of the public generally.

  • Posted by Perthshire64 October 06, 2020 at 10:00

    No. To introduce a full lockdown now would not be appropriate. People are not following the rues now as they make no sense. This would just cause conflict. No.

  • Posted by ldms October 06, 2020 at 10:40

    I would ask the Scottish Government to consider its own Public Tableau map of Scotland (https://public.tableau.com/[…]/Overview) as it is clear that the virus rates are very different across the country. I am a key-worker in an area of the country with the lowest rate per 100k people. Having worked hard throughout lockdown and beyond, having kept away from friends and extended family throughout this time, having supported my older children through the horrendous SQA experience, having supported all my children through the absence of activities and socialising, I have booked a self-catering holiday for my immediate family during the October school holidays. After all, we were rightly encouraged to support the Scottish staycation in our beautiful country, to the extent that there are now many millions of pounds worth of bookings across Scotland, giving much needed support to tourism and local businesses in these desperate times.
    However, because the Covid19 rates in the central belt are getting out of control, it seems that those of us who have conformed for the good of all are now being threatened with the punishment of further lockdown.
    I would ask our elected representatives to:
    PLEASE take a responsible view and only lockdown where absolutely required (ie, hospitals at risk).
    PLEASE don't punish decent, hard-working, regulation-abiding people and their families, including the many key workers who helped keep the country going during lockdown and since.
    PLEASE don't destroy the many small businesses that are teetering on the brink of collapse - businesses powered by hard work, integrity and dedication
    PLEASE don't destroy our precious Scottish tourist industry
    PLEASE consider the mental health of the many and don't punish a nation for the bad behaviour of the few.
    PLEASE don't punish your whole country just because some people in populous areas are not prepared to follow the regulations - deal with those individuals appropriately
    PLEASE consider the well-being of the young and the middle-aged (the children and the workers) as being equal to that of the vulnerable, rather than of less relevance.
    PLEASE remember that for us to respect our government it is important that we are treated with respect rather than with threats.

  • Posted by HayleyF1882 October 06, 2020 at 11:15

    My biggest annoyance in all this is the waiting - being told there will be 'further restrictions' and then having to wait to see what they will be is soul destroying.. Waking up to see articles that seem to know everything 'circuit breaker introduced from 7pm Friday'is not only confusing but causing people extreme anxiety. I don't think anything above will be taken into consideration the decisions have clearly already been made. Not to wait and see how they will affect us.

  • Posted by InsertUsernameHere October 06, 2020 at 11:29

    I agree with the comments above; have followed every rule; worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic; family working in the NHS; buried a parent, feel at breaking point. Only have a weekend staycation booked and the constant threat of a circuit breaker over half term is so stressful and feels really cruel.

  • Posted by JaneMurray October 06, 2020 at 11:44

    I absolutely agree - a circuit breaker lockdown will only succeed in breaking our people and our businesses. Decisions need to be made within a wider frame of reference so that people's overall health and wellbeing is prioritised. There are 279 hospitals in Scotland so we don't even have one patient who has tested positive for Covid-19 for each hospital (on average). I can't see how such an extreme measure can be justified.

  • Posted by Largsmum October 06, 2020 at 11:58

    Please let us travel within the UK this October school holidays. Families need a break after a horrible six months. For the sake of the mental health of our children, families need a break. To take this away so close to the holiday time would be cruel and cause mental health problems.

  • Posted by sfkirk October 06, 2020 at 12:12

    Please don't apply a circuit breaker to Scotland at all. We must find a way to function as a society with this virus and not be ruled by fear. We cannot do that if our economy and country fails financially, mentally, physically and emotionally. The lockdown was to protect the NHS, we achieved that. We had millions spent on Nightingale hospitals that currently sit gathering dust! How can anyone justify cruelly locking down an entire country again? You are ignoring numerous medical professionals with valid and well researched points to blindly follow a test systems that's "a little bit rubbish" to do what? Push more individuals to suicide? deny more patients access to life saving treatments and to cripple business after business. Enough is enough, forget your ego, consider the people and listen to us. Let us live

  • Posted by Wildwestmam October 06, 2020 at 20:35

    Mental health is in serious decline in this country among young AND old. People are desperate to be able to be able to have a wee break with their loved ones and a change of four walls, as countless holidays have had to be cancelled this year. Even if you’re not going anywhere in the school holidays, kids not being able to go out with friends will impact upon them too as it’s been a difficult term for them readjusting after not being at school for 5 months. If a circuit breaker is implemented, I really fear mental health issues will rocket into early 2021 as often people suffer in the darker half of the year anyway. We have to find a way to learn to live with the virus as it doesn’t seem to be budging, whilst protecting the most vulnerable.

  • Posted by harviej October 06, 2020 at 22:14

    This continual threat of circuit breaker cancelling the October holiday is soul destroying.
    The suicide rate will rocket if we are denied thus longed for holiday

  • Posted by carole500 October 07, 2020 at 07:40

    This isn't about breaking any chain this is about control. You are running Scotland into the groubd with your draconian actions. Even your own symptomatic MP didn't feel it a serious enough threat to not go to church or travel.. Herd immunity. Fact not fear! You may be trying to sell saving lives in one way but you are killing a lot more in other ways. Please wake up to the fact what you are doing is not working for Scotland or the people

  • Posted by Duncan112 October 07, 2020 at 22:28

    This is not a circuit breaker it’s a society breaker.

    Wholly disproportionate & ineffective policy. It will have very limited effects against the virus but a hugely damaging effect in society including jobs, education and normal healthcare. All of which are being sacrificed on the alter of zero Covid.

  • Posted by rationalone October 10, 2020 at 11:07

    Allowing families to have had a break in October would have improved mental health and made the winter months more bearable. Effectively locking everyone down in October is likely to be counter productive. People will be so fed up by December that they will disregard the rules. If government policy had been more flexible, you would have probably got more support in long term.

  • Posted by Penfold October 11, 2020 at 03:25

    Goodness, I love the amount of epidemiologists on here assuring me that all will be fine or that there is no need for a further lockdown. Hmm.
    I prefer to go with the advice from the myriad of experts, of differing persuasions and viewpoints, who come together to advise the Government. I may not 100% like the decisions which come from this advice but can accept them as being considered.

  • Posted by Coco12 October 11, 2020 at 13:55

    All these restrictions are doing is prolonging the situation. We can’t keep going in and out of restrictions. It’s in humane and totally disproportionate to the risks.

  • Posted by Castiel23 October 11, 2020 at 15:13

    We can see ourselves heading towards another peak, a few weeks behind France, and we are doing virtually nothing. A circuit breaker means it’s just a short lockdown but enough to slow things down and protect people from death, severe illness, or chronic illness. Two weeks is nothing, a drop in the ocean, and it could do a lot of good

  • Posted by Porkchops October 11, 2020 at 18:27

    Circuit breakers should be the norm. A short snappy break for everything could potentially make a massive difference. Why not have one week per month as a circuit break? Close everything except essential services. Schools can do online learning for one week per month rather than offer a blended learning approach.
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