Will the new law on social gatherings make you reconsider your activities?

[Redolent]

Yes or no?

[primabloodydonna]

And again, social gatherings like weddings are left to go on but not birthday parties.

Exactly, it's beyond ridiculous.

[megletthesecond]

No. Because I wasn't meeting up with people anyway. No gym, no pubs, no restaurants.

[WeatherObsessed]

I'm struggling with my mental health but yes, I will still be changing my plans. My mental health will be no better from experiencing high numbers of deaths and mass bereavement. During the first peak there were people losing both parents from Covid, young children not getting to see a parent before they died, parents unable to attend their child's funeral, healthcare workers dying on their own wards, doctors breaking down having informed a relative over the phone that their next of kin had died. A return to this and more will not help my mental health or anyone else who's affected.

[donnadenise]

What's going to happen to students walking home from school? 1000 pupils all leaving within 15 minutes of each other can't all walk in single file

[KindKylie]

Does this affect childcare? They're not work or education?

How about clubs like drama? I'd had emails from my DC clubs that they were planning to start up. They do dance and drama - neither are 'team sports' but will they be covered by the education exemption? Lots of their friends are back at things like gymnastics - that's not a team sport?

Park Run announced that they were aiming to start up again - that's definitely not happening now!

We won't be able to meet any friends or family again. We had only ever been 2 households but seeing the dc with their cousins has been lovely.

[wafflyversatile]

I have no plans to socialise with more than 1 person so no.

[Cautious42]

What if its all the kids going to the play area after school? Does this count as a social as a lot of the parents are acquainted with each other? Or not, since we all, independantly, decided to pop over there?

I wonder if they might have to close play areas again?

[Vinoonasunnyday]

No I’ll be doing what I want

Don’t agree with lockdown

People die everyday and everyone just needs to risk assess their own life and act accordingly

Like many others, I will not be abiding by any rules although I will happily sacrifice seeing vulnerable relatives til it settles

[BluFox]

No. The government are using this to detract attention from them breaking international law and a possible hard border in Northern Ireland.
I won’t be hugging any elderly relatives or organising parties but I won’t be avoiding groups of 7.
I’m sceptical as the death rate has been lower in comparison to cases for ages, I heard it mentioned on the BBC that the virus may be a weaker strain now

[kwest]

Cases are going up because we’re testing more. Simples. More cases doesn’t necessarily mean more deaths.

[GiraffeWithSwag]

Birthday parties are not essential. Weddings are not essential. Sport is not essential. Minimising the spread is essential by reducing contacts/social interactions. We’ve had important family events cancelled or not happening but I’d rather be able to visit family than know they’re in ICU with no visitors and so vulnerable they’d be likely to not survive. Everyone makes their own choices and what risks they are willing to take.

[IceCreamAndCandyfloss]

@primabloodydonna

And again, social gatherings like weddings are left to go on but not birthday parties.

Exactly, it's beyond ridiculous.

I presume weddings can still have upto 30 as they have a legal element and will be far far less in number than birthday parties. I suspect so,e would have used birthdays to get round the rules etc.

I think they could have lowered the number from 30 though for weddings but more than six.

[primabloodydonna]

I presume weddings can still have upto 30 as they have a legal element and will be far far less in number than birthday parties.

If I had a birthday party it'd have way less than 30 attendees. I don't even know that many people.

[fitflopqueen]

I was about to book a table for 8 at a local restaurant, guess we will do a take out now.

[Timekeepspassing]

@Floralbean

Well.... no.... not if above 6 people

There is a list of exemptions. I hope government will be providing support to them then, especially as many have invested a lot of money in becoming 'covid safe'.

I hope so to. I have just signed up for a baby class with my 10 month old. All socially distanced on separate mats, 2m apart but he was at least going to be able to see other babies (something he hasn’t really experienced other than passing them in the street). It is easy to say they are not important but they are good for a baby’s development and supporting a mum’s mental health. Yes many years ago they didn’t exist but family and community life was different, so they weren’t needed. Having said that with this government I doubt they will be excluded given who they are for.

[primabloodydonna]

There's just no logic to it. Let's meet in a group of six but if a seventh person joins it suddenly becomes incredibly dangerous.

Just tell people to use their common sense and limit their household interactions. But oh no, that would be much too sensible wouldn't it.

In any case, it will delight all the curtain twitchers who will jump for joy if they see a gathering of 7 people and phone the police.

[Howslifenow]

May be not send my DS to school now

[KindKylie]

That's the problem Giraffe, I'm not allowed any say in any of this and none of it is a choice.

Sport may not be essential to you but for one of my DC it is absolutely essential to their mental health. For many, many people mixing with 1 other household has made them feel able to cope and find positives. Stopping that is not simply a case of getting on with it.

[Bol87]

No as I had no idea we could meet above 6 people?! I thought the 30 thing was specifically organised events?! I can’t keep up. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing..

[donnadenise]

@kwest

Cases are going up because we’re testing more. Simples. More cases doesn’t necessarily mean more deaths.

With the test kits that we can't get ? A colleague was told to go to Scotland for a test, it's a four hour drive

[Doliv63]

TBH making an announcement so late in the evening is ridiculous!! I really do think that BJ and co really need to regroup and sort themselves out!

[AllieCat26]

Pretty funny that only a month ago the eat out to help out scheme was introduced. I live in a busy part of London and at the start there was modest foot fall, by the end everywhere was heaving. The government have encouraged everyone to meet up and go out and eat with their friends in crowded enclosed spaces. Surprise surprise a month later, coupled with the call staff to return to their offices we have seen a massive spike.

I honestly can’t be bothered with their ridiculous rules anymore. Just a month ago we were all being shamed into going into restaurants and pret to save the economy - and now surprise surprise we are being blamed for doing what was asked of us - as corona cases have obviously risen. I’m so done with the government shit show blaming us. I won’t be joining in anymore with any of this nonsense. I’m out. Literally whatever the public does, based on what the government has told us to do previously has been wrong. Whatever we do we are told we are killing people or hurting the economy etc. enough is enough!

[cantkeepawayforever]

@primabloodydonna

There's just no logic to it. Let's meet in a group of six but if a seventh person joins it suddenly becomes incredibly dangerous.

Just tell people to use their common sense and limit their household interactions. But oh no, that would be much too sensible wouldn't it.

In any case, it will delight all the curtain twitchers who will jump for joy if they see a gathering of 7 people and phone the police.

Well, it is sensible to have a specific number, isn't it?

Wherever there is a borderline, there will seem to be a problem - to an extent, the number of 6 in the guidelines that are becoming law is arbitrary - it could be 5, or 7 - but some specific number is needed for clarity.

It happens to be 6. That's life. It's not 0, or 2, and sensibly it's not 10 or 20.

[colouringindoors]

i dont know what i will do tbh. me and two kids have been meetimg up with one family each week (same family) there's 4 of them. i honestly dont think my mental health will survive if i dont see them any more. i have a dd asd and a disabled ds. I can't do winter without seeing them

[Theluggage15]

Well as the Oxford vaccine trial has just been halted because of a serious adverse event, it looks even more likely that we have to learn to live with this virus. And living means seeing friends and family not this crap.