To think that we shouldn’t be coming out of lockdown for Christmas?

[LockdownForChristmas]

Yesterday we had the highest total of cases yet since the beginning of the pandemic. And the death rate is going up day on day. They’re attributing it not to mass testing but to the fact that when lockdown was announced people rushed to see each other and hence the virus spread more.

If we open up on the 2nd of December people will just rush out to the pubs and the shops and each other’s houses and we’ll be back here in the new year.

It would be far better to stay in lockdown until the new year and then hopefully start the year on a reducing case rate.

And yes, I know it’s Christmas, but tonight is Diwali, and nobody is suggesting we should come out of lockdown so people can celebrate that, so why should we just because it’s Christmas?

I think that nationally it will end on the 2nd but that the tiers will be applied in a more stringent way.

I would expect my city to be straight into tier 3 rather than back to T2.

I also suspect that the definition of tiers will change, either we'll have more of them or T3 will essentially be what we have now with all non-essential shops, hospitality etc closed rather than just hospitality.

They're attributing it not to mass testing but to the fact....

That is the complete opposite of what I read, which said that the figures now include the results starting to come in from mass testing, which explains why they had gone up so much.

I heard on our local radio yesterday we have 3 Covid cases in our local hospital none of which are in intensive care.
On that basis I think any lockdown should be regional.

I will be celebrating xmas with my family no matter what is said. If we keep doing lockdowns thousands of people will lose their businesses and end up on UC. Dying of Covid is still very low concidering the millions who live in the UK. Wear a mask, wash your hands and carry on regardless.

Umm no I don’t want them to extend it and personally even if they did I don’t care and will be seeing my family around Xmas anyway! I’m still carrying on as normal now as lockdown is a farce.

Surely it would be political disaster to continue the lockdown into Christmas. I wonder if Cummings going was anything to do with that - throwing people a bit of good news first. Sadly I have a number of acquaintances with big extended families who I don't expect will observe the lockdown over Diwali. I'd also think that people will ignore a Christmas lockdown

The argument that we're not opening up for Diwali so shouldn't aim to do so for Christmas just doesn't hold weight. The majority of people in this country mark Christmas in some way, whatever their faith (or none) and see it as a time to be with family or friends and, often, have a break from work for a few days with those family or friends.

That is why we're all hoping to be out of lockdown and harsh restrictions by Christmas whereas no one thought restrictions should be eased for Easter, even though that is, arguably, more important to practising Christians.

If they try and extend it over Christmas they are likely to find widespread lack of compliance. It's probably not a good idea to create that situation.

It does seem unfair that minority religions don't have that as part of the consideration, but practically speaking it makes a difference in how you manage people's behaviour.

Though bigger picture, I think they are simply going to find that there will be less and less compliance going forward. If it was simple to manage public health by telling people what to do, we'd have no smoking, drug abuse, obesity, or STIs.

i don't believe at all that the numbers are rising

Why? Based on what?

It seems pretty obvious to me - we were running in the low 20K numbers for a few weeks and suddenly we're up to £30k. Personally, I would attribute that to schools being back for 2 - 3 weeks now (depends where you are) but I am not a scientist and don't understand the epidemiology of it all.

whereas practicing Christians account for 59%

59% of the English population are practising Christians?

I'm putting money on lockdown ending on the 23rd. Restaurants, pubs and shops will be able to open as before lockdown 2, families up to 6 people to gather inside.

I feel sorry for the few clothes shops, hairdressers etc.. who had to close because no one seems to care about the "lockdown" this time frankly.

Traffic is normal, trains are busy, people meet with each other anyway. Most non-essential shops are opened (not all, I know!) and people are just going on with their shopping as normal - most of the ones who had to shut offer click and collect so the staff is just working normal shop hours.

Most people won't even notice if the lockdown is still on or not.

Yesterday’s figures include ones from earlier in the week, although overall the figures are the same. It’s expected deaths will go up as they relate to cases that started up to 28 days ago, ie before lockdown2 started. We are advised cases do seem to be dropping overall now

Lockdown does finish on the 2nd. If it is required to carry on then it goes back to MPs hence the suggestion we come out of formal lockdown, back to tiers, with a possible 4th tier for the worst areas similar to lockdown2

And yes, I know it’s Christmas, but tonight is Diwali, and nobody is suggesting we should come out of lockdown so people can celebrate that, so why should we just because it’s Christmas?

I totally agree, OP.

What a lot of people just don't seem to understand is that transmission is

closeness + time.

So the most "dangerous" places are our homes.

Fine if, when a household member is infectious, the whole household isolates. But when they don't and people mix inside each other's homes - then it spreads.

Mixing households has always been either discouraged or not allowed, but of course, people who want to do it, and who don't care about infection & transmission rates will (selfishly) do it anyway. Selfish, and not very bright to boot ...

I don't think lockdown will end on 2nd December. People are still out there doing whatever they want, everywhere is really busy. I think it will be extended by 2 weeks to allow us time to do Christmas shopping (yep ramming everyone in the shops in a short space of time is really going to help!) and spend Christmas with our families with limited numbers but possibly more than 6 then we will all be put back into tiers straight after depending on the numbers (this is my personal opinion).

You also have to remember that whilst the numbers are currently increasing, we have only done one week of lockdown so far so these cases would have happened from before lockdown. The numbers probably won't start going down until week 3 of 4 of lockdown

Because the economy needs the Christmas rush. Once again it all comes down to money.

I think and hope it will be extended beyond the 2nd by a week or 2. Otherwise that one month isnt really long enough to get the numbers down sufficiently. And then that one month of lockdown will have been kind of a waste of time.

This won't end on 2nd December. They'll not want people going mad on NYE.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

Because the economy needs the Christmas rush. Once again it all comes down to money.

The economy is a pretty big deal you know...

@LockdownForChristmas

Yesterday we had the highest total of cases yet since the beginning of the pandemic. And the death rate is going up day on day. They’re attributing it not to mass testing but to the fact that when lockdown was announced people rushed to see each other and hence the virus spread more.

If we open up on the 2nd of December people will just rush out to the pubs and the shops and each other’s houses and we’ll be back here in the new year.

It would be far better to stay in lockdown until the new year and then hopefully start the year on a reducing case rate.

And yes, I know it’s Christmas, but tonight is Diwali, and nobody is suggesting we should come out of lockdown so people can celebrate that, so why should we just because it’s Christmas?

I don't disagree with you.

I do disagree, though, that we should be able to see however many friends/family one at a time outdoors and form childcare linked households limited to 2 households but yet cannot continue in a bubble of immediate family and not see other people as an alternative.

My parents were providing childcare for my sibling and I before this lockdown. Now they have to choose a household to link to and it cannot be both of us. We weren't seeing friends or any wider family at all. We only went out for the supermarket or to work in covid safe environments. It is ridiculous that I can meet up with as many people as I want one at a time for a walk but cannot continue that arrangement and have to try and WFH with a toddler as I can't secure childcare - unless I randomly link with another household I wasn't seeing before, increasing my previous risk level, or try to enrol them in nursery (nion impossible here) again increasing the risk compared to my parents continuing care. The previous position we were in was safer.

I wish we would go back into full lockdown like march. Including schools. Until this shit ends..we are coming up to 12 months from when we first became aware of covid.

I’ve become dumb to the whole thing now, I’ve ordered Christmas food for me and DS and will leave presents on doorsteps for my DD and her partner and the rest of the family. It’s one year, it doesn’t really matter.
@kittensarecute have you sought help for your anxiety and suicidal thoughts? I can tell you are missing your amateur dramatics, maybe try a new hobby for the time being.

@Mixedupworld

I wish we would go back into full lockdown like march. Including schools. Until this shit ends..we are coming up to 12 months from when we first became aware of covid.

Seriously? Until it ends?? Do you want there to be any businesses left?

I'm not in the UK, but what my friend who is more in the know about these things is predicting is that we will be "released" a bit before Christmas. This will cause another surge meaning another lockdown sometime in January/February

I think it's extremely unfair that we will be in lockdown for Diwali and yet everyone is going nuts that we 'must' get it lifted for Christmas. We're not a Christian country any more (and Christmas isn't about religion for most people anyway) so why penalise those who want to celebrate a festival of a different faith with their families?

At least be consistent.