Greg Evans
Jan 05, 2021
On Monday evening, British prime minister Boris Johnson announced that England was following Scotland and going back into lockdown, for the third time since the pandemic began.
With the new strain of Covid-19 spreading faster and proving more contagious than its previous incarnation, the government has been forced to issue ‘stay at home’ warnings to everyone who can work from home and to avoid any unnecessary journeys.
Primary and secondary schools will also be closed from Tuesday until after the February half term at the latest and students in higher education must now go back to remote and online learning and those at university must not return to campus. Schools in Northern Ireland and Wales have also been shut but nurseries will remain open.
Many of the restrictions that were active in previous lockdowns have returned but there are a few differences such as being able to exercise with one other person outside of your household a day and elite sports such as the Premier League will continue as normal.
With the vaccination now being distributed, there is hope that this will be the final lockdown of its kind and that there is now light at the end of the tunnel but this will be largely seen as another blow for those who want life to return to normal as quickly as possible.
While many will complain about the government’s handling of the situation and the delay to the announcement, others took a lighter and more ironic look at the next few weeks ahead.
So do we clap on Thursday now or what— Dr Philip Lee (@Dr Philip Lee) 1609791199
What really gets my goat, is that Bill Gates is doing all this to control Karen from Peterborough's mind... #Lockdown3— Dom Joly (@Dom Joly) 1609796152
Can’t wait to fight for bog roll again tomorrow! 🧻 #lockdown3 https://t.co/1SdYeXrSiM— LadBaby (@LadBaby) 1609797482
the silver lining of lockdown is the chance to post this clip again https://t.co/YbJ7FnXeY6— Henry Mance (@Henry Mance) 1609772962
Banana bread right now: https://t.co/6TPfnK4HIx— Lee Peart (@Lee Peart) 1609791845
scared when I’m out of lockdown I’ll be so romantically starved I’ll simply marry the first person who says something kind to me— Mollie Goodfellow (@Mollie Goodfellow) 1609799404
I hope joe wicks has stretched off— Peter Crouch (@Peter Crouch) 1609791535
Spare a thought for those in education, who are missing out our crucial formative experiences and access to valuable resources.
Damn this sums it up #university #Lockdown3 https://t.co/pu1PyiBIWb— I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING WITH MY LIFE (@I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING WITH MY LIFE) 1609797269
Me trying to write a 3,000 word essay with no library resources and no in person teaching since March #university… https://t.co/1XKGnKIeEJ— StormyBre (@StormyBre) 1609798365
Me thinking about going to a uni I’ve never even visited with grades I haven’t even taken exams for to do a course… https://t.co/ME2Y0QcKaV— katy (@katy) 1609801668
Of course, there was ridicule for Boris Johnson.
When you're halfway through writing your announcement for Monday and you remember what you said on Sunday.… https://t.co/z4Ikkxekaq— The Poke (@The Poke) 1609833000
On a lighter note... #Lockdown3 #lockdownuk #lockdown2021 https://t.co/p2pHqnCcUG— Dr Dwight Turner (@Dr Dwight Turner) 1609802010
Everyone waiting for Boris 8pm announcement https://t.co/YuQCFMyAZC— 𝐋𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬 🏴 (@𝐋𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬 🏴) 1609774491
Boris Johnson’s speechwriter rn https://t.co/z4JZjJ6wZ8— Ahir Shah (@Ahir Shah) 1609777827
Go to work or be fired Eat at Nando’s you fucks Now eat a Pret you hungry fucks Keep the schools open or we’ll sue… https://t.co/XZozB1CCqk— James Felton (@James Felton) 1609792181
Surely, the giant lasagna which is being cooked in Wembley Stadium is almost ready?
Nationwide lockdown, you say? https://t.co/zAkwASLFzm— Callum (@Callum) 1609800631
Did Boris give an update on the Wembley lasagna at least?— Amitai Winehouse (@Amitai Winehouse) 1609791115
“The Wembley lasagna is only 2 weeks away” https://t.co/K9bCpgZA8n— n🏴 (@n🏴) 1609790311
Things are so bleak that even Arlene Foster of the DUP is managing to raise a few smiles.
Arlene Foster made me laugh. So there’s that.... #Lockdown3 https://t.co/YyvQU3Rfur— Mike Hall 📷🌅🌌 (@Mike Hall 📷🌅🌌) 1609797054
The inevitable jokes about Barnard Castle soon started to trend, a reference to the original lockdown and Dominic Cummings infamous trip to the north of England.
BREAKING NEWS: With the announcement of a Tier 5 lockdown, crowds start to gather in the virus free enclave of Barn… https://t.co/tEjnDgDLOS— Pete Clark #pmht (@Pete Clark #pmht) 1609788985
back in national lockdown again but thank goodness we can visit Barnard Castle— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻) 1609796566
Specsavers in Barnard Castle are (genuinely) recruiting just in time for the third lockdown ...… https://t.co/r1Ghvrtv9Z— Brexite: you either love it or hate it (@Brexite: you either love it or hate it) 1609826239
In all seriousness, although lockdowns can be very draining and a major strain on on wellbeing, at least we can take solitude in the fact that we can still make each other laugh from time to time.
More: The four key lessons from Covid that should shape policy decisions everywhere
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