I don't want to criticise the government...

...but.

"Local Government Minister Robert Jenrick, talking about no national lockdown: 'We want to pursue a local approach where we take decisive action where it is necessary, where the data shows we have to do that.'"

In a small relatively densely populated country like the UK with no border control between counties how will local lockdowns ever be effective?

If you shut all stations just before the lockdown is announced and have the police on all main routes in and out of the area before it's announced.  The cock up in Italy was giving people half a day's notice and leaving roads and stations open so people could flee.

Can’t have full lockdown again due to damage to economy; can’t do nothing because it upsets the hardcore lockdowners; govt must be seen to be in control. Solution: partial lockdowns.

Efficacy is irrelevant.

As I said on the October lockdown thread, the govt doesn’t have the credit rating to be able to afford another full lockdown. 2 weeks to 1 month of hard cheese for nowhere town is the best they can do, meaningless as it is.