r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	meepmeep13
Comment	> If you think that shutting down entire industries at a whim is a valid and sustainable strategy long term, then I'm really not even sure where to start. I think this is our fundamental difference. We can shut down the entire hospitality industry. We already did shut down the entire hospitality industry. We are doing it again now. I entirely agree it's going to have huge economic implications. I entirely disagree it's on a whim - it's being done because it's the least worst option of all the possible strategies we have in reducing the infection rate, and right now it's in response to an extremely rapid and worrying surge in cases. > Yes, but is possible to reach a point with the right level of restrictions where the R number is 0.8-1.2. Yes, and as we've gradually learned over the course of the year, it appears that we need to reintroduce some of the earlier restrictions to do that. Which, sadly, includes restricting hospitality. > Hospitality is not the driver of the current wave of infections. No single factor is the driver, it's the sum total of all the myriad different ways in which we can infect each other, and how people behave. The main driver right now is probably schools and universities, but unless you're advocating they should close instead of pubs and restaurants? > I would start by actually handing out the big fines to people who are breaking the rules The main problem is that the rules are broadly unenforceable. We are entirely reliant on people voluntarily complying. Many people do not. Without 100x as many police, and informants in every home, there is little we can actually do about this. To my mind, the main problem is the whole 'getting back to normal' narrative we have had since the first lockdown. Until a vaccine or therapeutic treatments or universal testing, there will be no getting back to normal. Far better that we openly acknowledge this now, and take the necessary economic mitigation to protect and help those who it affects in the relevant sectors, than to continue to pretend we are only ever a month or two away from business as usual. Hell, there may not ever be a vaccine.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/j6rp0c/pubs_and_restaurants_in_central_scotland_to_close/g80s4hi/
Created	Wed 7th Oct 2020 6:22pm
Status	normal ()

> If you think that shutting down entire industries at a whim is a valid and sustainable strategy long term, then I'm really not even sure where to start.

I think this is our fundamental difference. We can shut down the entire hospitality industry. We already did shut down the entire hospitality industry. We are doing it again now. I entirely agree it's going to have huge economic implications. I entirely disagree it's on a whim - it's being done because it's the least worst option of all the possible strategies we have in reducing the infection rate, and right now it's in response to an extremely rapid and worrying surge in cases.

> Yes, but is possible to reach a point with the right level of restrictions where the R number is 0.8-1.2.

Yes, and as we've gradually learned over the course of the year, it appears that we need to reintroduce some of the earlier restrictions to do that. Which, sadly, includes restricting hospitality.

> Hospitality is not the driver of the current wave of infections.

No single factor is the driver, it's the sum total of all the myriad different ways in which we can infect each other, and how people behave. The main driver right now is probably schools and universities, but unless you're advocating they should close instead of pubs and restaurants?

> I would start by actually handing out the big fines to people who are breaking the rules

The main problem is that the rules are broadly unenforceable. We are entirely reliant on people voluntarily complying. Many people do not. Without 100x as many police, and informants in every home, there is little we can actually do about this.

To my mind, the main problem is the whole 'getting back to normal' narrative we have had since the first lockdown. Until a vaccine or therapeutic treatments or universal testing, there will be no getting back to normal.

Far better that we openly acknowledge this now, and take the necessary economic mitigation to protect and help those who it affects in the relevant sectors, than to continue to pretend we are only ever a month or two away from business as usual. Hell, there may not ever *be* a vaccine.