Christmas in lockdown?

[Poppins17]

Just seen the news that the Netherlands are going into lockdown… do you think we will be in restrictions by Christmas Day?

I really hope not.. we have a holiday home for 3 households booked

All triple jabbed in our family. All had regular LFTs.
Christmas cancelled because DD (yes, triple jabbed, yes negative LFTs, even this morning) had to do a PCR at work and it’s positive.

She’s asymptomatic. Lives alone at the opposite end of the country. We all spent last Christmas alone. I’ve seen her twice since Christmas 2019.
We’re spending this Christmas alone too. It sucks, but it’s necessary if we’re going to beat this.
There are worse things. We are very likely to see each other again one day. some people don’t get that chance.

Hopefully we will be! Why on earth would anyone wish that?!

@Sostenueto how many flu deaths did we accept each year prior to covid?
Added to this we have vaccinations which we know reduce the risk of us ending up seriously unwell.

@Stopsnowing

I think the ban on household mixing is the cruellest restriction, the greatest breach of our human rights and they won’t be able to get compliance this time around.

100%. Almost every other government in the world has remained very conscious of the gravity of this restriction, and have therefore made (small) household gatherings among the very last things to be banned and the very first things to be allowed again. Indeed many comparable countries have never banned them at all.

The British government approach, where a blanket "household mixing ban" has repeatedly been pretty much the first restriction that they reach for, is an absolutely extreme outlier internationally. I really don't think people here realise that at all.

And I'm dismayed that, if reports are correct, the government still seem to be in this mindset now, almost two years into the pandemic.

Don’t blame the politicians if you ignore the science.

Has anyone asked why the sudden leak of these parties from over 11 months ago? Who’s waiting this long to speak to the papers? Who has most to gain from this information! Don’t you think it’s a bit odd?

No @Poppins17 you have misread this. It's a 'lock IN' - at No 10.

@Longbarn5

That said, one of our family isn't jabbed due to severe needle phobia. Getting therapy for that is a very long waiting list!,

Is sedation from their GP an option?

I’m anti lockdown for lots of reasons, however I think it’s absurd to wait till after xmas day!
If your going to do it, just get on with it

@Stopsnowing

I think the ban on household mixing is the cruellest restriction, the greatest breach of our human rights and they won’t be able to get compliance this time around.

I agree.

I suspect there might be restrictions on large gatherings and parties. Although I bet Boris isn't looking forward to those headlines!

It''s not about stopping the spread though is it. The spread is inevitable, its about the pressure on NHS and lack of available beds. Friend is an Icu staff member and 2/3 of the beds at their hospital are taken by patients with covid who've been there for a considerable time.

Despite being two years into the pandemic thete has been nothing done to address the issue of beds. Unless omicron dies prove mild there will be no such thing as a circuit brreaker, it will lead to an inevitable full lockdown.

@Tillyvonpantsalo They built nightingale hospitals for this very reason and apart from treating only 46 covid patients, they were unused and dismantled again.
If it's all about taking the pressure off the NHS, then why do that?
No, I don't believe it's all about saving the NHS at all, otherwise they wouldn't have spent millions on building something that was supposed to relieve that pressure. Instead they would have been make ng full use of them.

[quote OhGiveUp]@Tillyvonpantsalo They built nightingale hospitals for this very reason and apart from treating only 46 covid patients, they were unused and dismantled again.
If it's all about taking the pressure off the NHS, then why do that?
No, I don't believe it's all about saving the NHS at all, otherwise they wouldn't have spent millions on building something that was supposed to relieve that pressure. Instead they would have been make ng full use of them.[/quote]
The NHS is now in a worse position than it was when the Nightingales were built.
Back log of patients. Patients with illnesses diagnosed at a later stage. Beds occupied by long term covid patients.

The nightingale hospitals didn't have enough trained staff to be used and not ICU beds.

@GettingStuffed

They'll wait until after Christmas, they daren't do anything to make us like them any less at the moment.

Exactly. If they have to bring in further restrictions, they will announce them after Christmas.

@Tillyvonpantsalo. Exactly like most other pandemic plans. Expensive and badly thought out.
Meanwhile people are dying needlessly of other things at a much higher rate than covid deaths.

We go away 24th December to 28th - if they bring a lockdown into force 26th, we may still remain in our bubble until 28th… although we will have a 4 hour drive to get home 🤦🏻‍♀️

No but I expect some to come into force before the new year.

Not over Christmas no. I think Johnson knows nobody will comply after all the party press stories about the Tories last week.

I think it will happen after Xmas though-it’ll be no household mixing then it’ll be hospitality, shops and then schools.

Maybe we should have mandated the vaccine (all three shots). That may have helped, but....
Unfortunately, in this country, there are a lot of people who are ignoring the call to be careful. Pubs in my town were full to overflowing on Friday night with mostly young people. The 11-18 year olds on their way to and from local school are inbug chattering groups. They hord into the local shops at the beginning and end of their school day in the same way (maskless as well!! - shops dont care). Omacron has been with us for a couple of weeks now but no caution shown. Crowds at concerts, football matches, etc.
Now we might get a lockdown for Christmas. I dont want to pay for what I see as others stupidity in this way

They can ban household mixing all they like. I won’t comply and will advise my patients and their parents if they’re under 18 to put their mental health first and do what they possibly can to stay out of crisis/help their vulnerable teen stay out of crisis.

I’m supposed to be off for 18 days. If we have another lockdown I probably wont be, I’ll be back in work having to respond to people on my caseload having gone into crisis, most likely. I’m already burned out and need this time off so badly, but the NHS crisis services are so screwed over I know people will get no help even if they ask. They’ve pinched people from frontline MH in some areas to help with booster rollout (not in all trusts but some places in the trust I’m linked with do) and MH is in proper dire straights.

Yes how dare young people exist, see their friends in the Christmas period, laugh (chattering groups!) and even go into shops! Outrageous! Were you never 13 longbarn? 🙄🙄🙄

@Longbarn5

Maybe we should have mandated the vaccine (all three shots). That may have helped, but.... Unfortunately, in this country, there are a lot of people who are ignoring the call to be careful. Pubs in my town were full to overflowing on Friday night with mostly young people. The 11-18 year olds on their way to and from local school are inbug chattering groups. They hord into the local shops at the beginning and end of their school day in the same way (maskless as well!! - shops dont care). Omacron has been with us for a couple of weeks now but no caution shown. Crowds at concerts, football matches, etc. Now we might get a lockdown for Christmas. I dont want to pay for what I see as others stupidity in this way

Yes how dare 11 year olds speak to their friends- get a grip, I know which generation is selfish in all this and it isn’t CHILDREN. Also by all means mandate vaccines- how about 1 a month? Oh you think 3 is it? Lol

Guess we are all entitled to our views. 11 year olds are 11, 15 and 16 year olds should know better but I understand they are teenagers with all that goes with that. I have been one (and a pretty rebellious one tbh) and my offspring have been teenagers so I know we cant expect miracles but I didn't actually say 11 year olds shouldn't speak to their friends and on mandating vaccines apologies if this offended. I wasnt suggesting i personally thought it was a good idea, merely that perhaps it would have been, who knows.

@Stopsnowing

I think the ban on household mixing is the cruellest restriction, the greatest breach of our human rights and they won’t be able to get compliance this time around.

France never banned household mixing, it's against their constitution.