To ask about another restricted Christmas?

[TwinsAndTrifle]

I know it's the summer....but I'm an active member on the Christmas boards, and a few people have made the same comment, about Christmas forthcoming.

They state that they are really planning ahead this year, as they foresee another lockdown Christmas, or very tight restrictions coming back for the winter season.

Do many people share this view? It hadn't even crossed my mind, what with all the vaccines that will be in place by then.

AIBU to think that Christmas this year will be pretty much unaffected?

Yes/YABU: I think there will be a very restricted, or lockdown Christmas again.

No/YANBU: It will be a normal Christmas, or affected so minimally that you barely notice.

People are so over Covid! No one will still be complying at Christmas!

I hope we can have a normal Christmas and I have every intention of doing so if we can.

However I do think it'll be restricted again, maybe not like last year but in some way. Limited numbers, or limited households etc.

My prediction (and I hope I'm wrong and everything gets back to normal over the next few months) is a short summer period of relative freedom, a short late summer/early autumn period of back to normal then back to restrictions over wintertime.

I'm just praying they don't have to close the schools again.

I think the government will try and keep restrictions throughout the autumn/winter but people are fed up now and so I think there will be much less compliance the longer it goes on. People need to be able to assess their own risk and live their lives as we've done for the rest of time.

I hope there's not restrictions like last Christmas but I wouldn't be surprised if there is imo

Surely practically everyone will have had the vaccine by then? I really hope Christmas will be normal this year (it hadn't crossed my mind it wouldn't be).
Don't think people will comply anyway. I know cases are rising but yesterday on the news they said the majority weren't ending up in hospital so there shouldn't be extra strain on the NHS.
Need to start living now.

I think Christmas will be normal as no one would comply. I certainly wouldn’t.

I think some people wish for covid still in by that time, because they can't say no and this takes the need away from them... Not just applicable to Christmas

Majority have had enough of lockdowns so are
Not going to comply.

We need to get on with our lives now.

I'm having a normal Christmas with family regardless of restrictions.

What's the point of me having this vaccine if we constantly at threat of lockdowns. Once all adults been offered it then that should be it. Yearly boosters.

People won’t follow it, they are over it. Most have had the vaccine (which around Christmas time was the supposed golden ticket out of this). All this can’t carry on indefinitely, it’s disproportionate to the risk and getting rather ridiculous.

I can see another Christmas the same to.
They won't get the boosters done quick enough and who knows how it will affect those not having boosters.

My son is back to fulltime mask wearing tomorrow. Yet hardly anyone in the shops is so I won't be complying to stupid rules if stupid people don't wanna wear masks or have their vaccine.

I think for this year alone that if numbers shoot up in the winter then we might see some very low level restrictions such as masks in public places and on public transport as well as a recommendation/advisory notice that people should use social distancing (but a "should" rather than a "must"). I think that'll be the extent of it though and we won't see a return to lockdown or stricter restrictions. I also expect that this year the government and Public Health will really push the flu vaccine to try increase take up and ease pressure on the NHS from that side of things to help increase capacity for any increase in covid cases.

From next year onwards it'll all be more or less normal regardless of case numbers, winter will be known as covid and flu season rather rather than flu season and when you go for your flu jab you'll get your covid booster at the same time, at some point in the next couple of years they'll probably even be in the same syringe as the development of them moves on. The current vaccination programme will be wound up and it'll become like the flu jab - those who qualify will get it free on the NHS from either their GP or the high Street pharmacy, those who don't qualify will be able to pay £10-£15 to have it done at the pharmacy.

@TwinsAndTrifle THE CHRISTMAS BOARDS??!!!! Whaaaaaaaat???!!!! What am I missing OUT on!!! I LOVE Xmas and basically live from one to the next what am I missing?! (I'm also really hoping that we can all be together this Xmas and my family are considering a two week isolation for all of us beforehand so that we can all be together!)

Thing is a lot of us have older parents who aren't going to live forever. Missing out on time with them at Christmas might mean never having a Christmas with them again.
Not prepared to take that risk.

I don’t know how anyone could possibly say for certain what will happen in 6 months

I think there will be lots of family get togethers but can’t see packed pantos, Xmas markets and Santa grottos this year

Also no school Christmas plays in stuffy school halls. I think the bubbles will still be there in schools

I think they'll let you go into homes but not theatres etc

I would have thought it is pretty much guaranteed a lockdown Christmas.
If the sight of a variant in summer is enough for restrictions, what hope is there for Christmas.

From my point of view, most family have been able to gather 1 week ago, so if it is locked down, it wont feel quite as bad for us.

I am always a make hay while the sun shines type person. Get on with family gatherings now is my advice.

I ignored it last Christmas - had in laws round - so I definitely won't be complying this year.

I feel the same as @Rosebel - missed out at the last minute on having my elderly parents for dinner, ended up delivering it in foil trays (and yes that was lucky and fortunate I could do that) but at 87 and 95 they are coming this year come what may. Might start doing the stockings earlier this year though as had to rely on the supermarkets to fill them last year.

Doesn’t matter to me. I’m going ahead with my usual plans of a family Christmas regardless of the rules

I don't think quite either extreme - probably somewhere between the two, like you'll be able to have one household over at a time, which would still be 100% improvement on last year. I don't celebrate Christmas, though, so it's no skin off my nose, but we'll see.

The response to current variant doesn't necessarily mean an Xmas lockdown, as we have to remember this is still early days in understanding C19 and very early days for vaccine - if vaccines hold up well over summer, they will be more optimistic in winter. In some ways it may turn out to be a good thing that we had a wave to test it against over summer, because there will be greater confidence going into winter.

Do you really think anyone will pay the slightest bit of attention?