Removing support bubbles

[SleeplessGeordie]

Surely they can't do this? I assumed it was an oversight not allowing them from the start. It's inhumane to expect people who live alone to see no one at all. We already did almost three months of hell at the beginning of lockdown! And that was made slightly easier because everything was closed, we were all stuck at home to some extent. The idea that schools are open with kids mixing freely, people are out and about not told to "stay home" whilst some of us aren't allowed human contact, is just so wrong.
Surely they cannot inflict this on people who have done nothing wrong?
Lockdown has taken away everything from me, in all areas of life and hope for the future.
Now they are threatening to put me and others in solitary confinement.
All this "Oh we can't lock down the vulnerable, that's unreasonable" yet it's fine to lock away people who live alone, who are more likely to be dealing with grief over losing, or never having family, partners etc? WTF?

There is nothing in the news regarding this. Where are people hearing this?

@IncidentsandAccidents
Not everything can be about parents. By limiting support bubbles to those actually on there own the realistic maximum size of the bubble dramatically falls and therefore the risk of somebody having Corona also falls.

I really do not think they will, there is no real reason to as the whole bubble isolated for an infection same as a household.

The problem is that too many people won't follow the SD rules. Lots of people broke the support bubbles rules too.

So we vulnerable people are likely to be asked to shield again.

Where did you hear this OP?

@StatisticalSense

They should be removed for those with children but not for those actually living alone.

Many support bubbles help out with child care so parents can work, alot of people aren't still furloughed or wfh anymore, most of my friends are "out" at work not still sat in their pjs all day

@CakeGirl2020

Trouble is they are very much being abused, just look at some of the threads on here to see that. I want to see my friend, can we bubble? She only sees her parents 🙄 Others want to change “bubble” every week depending on who the Fuck they want to see.

Give the British public an inch and they’ve proved time and time again in all this, they take the piss.

But no I don’t think they will stop support bubbles as some people would genuinely be alone without the option available.

Yes, I think a lot of this confusion is because we are using 'bubble' to mean two different things - support bubbles which are a lone adult household plus one other household, and school bubbles which are anything up to a whole year group of children.

Yet another communication fail.

"They should be removed for those with children but not for those actually living alone."

No they shouldn't. And it cannot be reasonable to remove support bubbles in some places and allow 6 friends to meet in other places

Can’t find anything about this / can someone link please?

@LangClegsInSpace

Where did you hear this OP?

It's been reported that in the 3 tier system, tier 3 will include no social contact outside households at all. I haven't yet set anything explicitly stating they are banned/not an exception, but tier 2 explicitly says they are allowed whereas tier 3 doesn't.

@StatisticalSense putting aside the emotional cruelty of removing support bubbles for single parents, it just wouldn't work practically. What about nurses, doctors or care workers who need childcare when they're on shift? What about single parents on the breadline who need to work long hours and couldn't do this without support? What about single parents who are at the end of their tether (some with children with complex needs) and need respite from childcare just to keep going? It would be a terrible policy in every way.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-pandemic-three-tier-local-national-lockdown-boris-johnson-b808681.html

Here's one link.

Ok I can see now. Another article here:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/04/what-are-the-three-tiers-local-coronavirus-lockdown-england

@Thanksitsgotpockets

Also barbaric is the way they allowed rumour to circulate, allowing us to 'get used' to the idea of more restrictions/test the water before they're formally announced. Then announcing them with sketchy detail, leaving us waiting for the actual legislation to be released.

It leaves us in a perpetual cycle of unease and anticipation of what is going to be thrust on us next.

This with bells on!

Hang on, I'm in NW all mixing with other households indoors is illegal, except with those in your support bubble who you can mix freely with in any setting. The support bubble must be consistent though, you can't change who you are in a bubble with to suit.

Just read the article, looks like restrictions where I am are at level 2 equivalent currently. Its likely that my area will go to level 3 when this is introduced, however as I said before there is absolutely no way i will stop that support with my parents. I dont really care if that makes me selfish or not, tough, cutting that contact again is just not something I'm willing to do for anybody.

So awful if they do that. If no mixing is brought in we will form w childcare bubble with family do we can still see them (we have no need for one now as we can visit) there’s no way we will not see them at all.

I can't see this happening but if it does I think it will be as a result of people (deliberately I suspect) 'misunderstanding' what a support bubble is. I know lots of people in a bubble with a single friend/family member using it as it is intended. However, I also know of a number of people who claim to be 'in a bubble' with just about anyone they decide to spend time with. For example, some members of my family frequently spend time with 7 adults (holidays, weekends together etc)- 2 grandparents, daughter, 2 grown up granddaughters and their partners. Apparently no social distancing required as they are 'in a bubble'- on the basis that the daughter is a single parent so can 'bubble' with each of the other 3 households at the same time. The 4 households all live in different towns, some in areas with increased restrictions.

I strongly suspect that effectively banning someone from any social contact for weeks or months on end would not survive a legal challenge under the Human Rights Act. But remember that if the government gets rid of the Human Rights Act, as it wants to do, the opportunity to challenge the validity of inhuman laws will be gone.

As always with issues like this, it's worth an e-mail to your MP telling them what you think. Johnson is facing increasing rebellion from within his own party regarding his handling of the pandemic.

I can't see them doing it (and will ignore it if they do), but can definitely see them mooting the idea. It's straight out of Cummings social engineering playbook, see how far you can manipulate people until they snap.

The reason these things are leaked to the press is to gauge public opinion. Look at the Sunday papers for the past few weeks, all speculating on what the next measure will be, all waiting for the comments to come in from their respective readerships.

I'm not in a support bubble but think they should definitely remain. Considering everything you can do, they're surely not too risky at all. I have a feeling this government is going to disallow most things but expect children to go off to school and parents to go off to work. And all the talk of mental health, I'm sure it'll improve by treating adults and children as nothing but worker bees to keep the economy going

I'll still be seeing my dad, I refuse to stop seeing him.

It's a leaked report, so that does not mean its final. I guess we won't know for sure until the Gov't makes an announcement

@StatisticalSense

They should be removed for those with children but not for those actually living alone.

I'm a single parent of three (widowed, so my kids are with me all the time) and lockdown nearly broke me. The lack of support and adult company was incredibly isolating. Yes, young kids are company, but they are not, and shouldn't be, a support for parents.