Does anyone think we will get a break for Christmas?

[november90]

It's been hinted that restrictions may ease for the holidays but does anyone actually believe it or do you think it's just a way to try and get people to stick down to the rules?

I live in Lancashire, in tier 3 and it seems absolutely nobody is paying attention to the rules! (Like to point out that me and my family are 🙈).

@rainystorm

This just makes me so sad. My hospital is overrun with covid and there's no room left already for anything else. I'm so tired of dealing with this at work and I just don't know why we're bothering anymore - no one wants to be saved by the NHS anymore anyway.

It does sound really awful for you at work.

From my perspective, my dad might be dead by next Christmas because he's waiting and waiting for the NHS to help him. Me seeing my parents in their house on Christmas day, when they have my child every week anyway, is not going to make a difference surely.

I can't decide which side of the fence they'll fall down on.

Side A) No, because there will be hell to pay from the people who had to cancel big Eid celebrations (despite The UK being a Christian country) so it's not quite the same, but understandable none the less.

Side B) Yes, because some people will do whatever they want anyway & the Govt will want to use the opportunity to look like they're so wonderful they're 'letting' the plebs celebrate Christmas 'with families'.

However, it's a great shame people can't understand that the VIRUS will not be taking the day off and will be transmitted to the people they love.

The end of January will be heartbreaking fir a lot of families who couldn't cope with doing Christmas differently this year. No matter what the Govt says, if people don't take personal responsibility.

I have cancelled my usual Christmas Plans and I will be spending Christmas on my own. I'd rather have many more Christmases with those I love, than take any unnecessary risks this year.

If your Mum (or whoever) is already providing regular childcare then I wouldn't see it as much of an increased risk, but I would try to keep the room ventilated & make it a shorter day than usual etc.

I'd rather they closed schools 2 weeks before Christmas to allow people to spend time with their families as safely as possible. I'm a teacher and we break up a week before Christmas, which means that even though I technically can see my grandparents, I don't feel comfortable doing that as I could still be incubating the virus! So we'll have to wait until New Year to celebrate with them.

Given that there have been 25,000 excess deaths outside hospital over lockdown from causes like heart disease and Alzheimer’s, it’s questionable whether the NHS has ‘been there’ at all for non-COVID patients.

Meanwhile some nurses had time to film tiktok videos and use up PPE. Me and DH both work in client-facing roles- we’d have been out the door within the day if we filmed tiktok videos while turning away clients.

Sadly, no!

DS and I are really missing my DDad - long way away and in a tier 2 (probably hovering on the brink of tier 3) region. Painfully aware that he's in his 80s and I'm not sure how much more time we'd have left even in ideal circumstances.

Yes 100%. I would put money on there being easing of the restrictions for a short period over Christmas.

@Tyranttoddler. I cross posted with you. I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad. X

I hope he can get the treatment he needs. Do they just not have the capacity or would the treatment make him more vulnerable to Covid?

I think we’ll be in a horrible situation with hospital admissions and deaths come Xmas, so no we won’t be getting a break. People mixing for Xmas will make things even worse.

Other religious ceremonies fell during national lockdown, it wouldn't be politically correct to have different rules for Christmas. I imagine nobody will adhere to any restrictions though, and government will know that.

By a break do you mean your wanting to meet up indoors with elderly and vulnerable family members. If so I would say go ahead at your peril. Personally for us its not worry the risk. DM and DMIL are both elderly DMIL is in a bubble with my DSIL and her partner and DM lives with my brother so neither will be alone I would hate to pass anything onto either of them through the teen DC.

People will still see their families.

Number of deaths will sky rocket in January and it will be the fault of their own families mixing !

I'm thinking a two week lockdown at the end of November. Schools closing early for Christmas, and a hard and fast shutdown of everything else, like pubs and restaurants etc.

That way the numbers will still be very low at Christmas, the government can justify saying that people can mix with impunity, and we will all just have to grit our teeth for the inevitable rising numbers in the New Year.

If people follow the rules NOW (rather than just saying ‘oh I’m not bothering as I didn’t vote for/don’t trust this government’ and it surprised cases back down to a very low level there could be a valid cause for a Christmas relaxation of the rules. As it stands though, I can’t see it happening.

We live in lancs too (pendle) and I don't think it will get eased for xmas,
just based on the extremes people have gone to this weekend to demonstrate dislike to new tier 3 restrictions it seems to be having the opposite affect round here with little to no enforcement...

I think they will loosen the restrictions a little on the basis most people will ignore them anyway.

@Racoonworld

No ones going to comply at Christmas anyway.

I am.

I'm not at all judging those who will stretch the rules with this, but just wanted to say that there are some of us who will abide by the laws, whatever they are. The only thing I would break them for is if they scrap support bubbles, which I don't think will happen.

We will just rearrange things so that we still get to see who we want to, just not all at once.

The only people I might give the side eye to are those who insist on a mass family gathering of 30 just because "that's what we always do".

@Ecosse do you have a link for those 25,000 excess deaths. I'm trying to source reliable info about this.

We will be sticking to the restrictions. Parents and in-laws in their 70s and live several hours away. Although we could see younger family members, again would have to travel. Personally we are also keeping interactions as small as possible to reduce risk of self-isolation so won't be seeing them either.

Also, I don't think restrictions will necessarily ease for Christmas. It's either dangerous or it's not.

We've been at level 3 for a good few weeks now, and while there are some less than social distancing, generally it has been pretty well stuck to near me (and we've seen numbers drop from 178 cases per 100,000 population down to 124/100k in our local area). But overall numbers are still rising.

More rural areas have only been at level 3 for a week, and there were plenty of tales coming at us (from family!) of big dinners, celebrations for communions (even though the communions themselves were cancelled in some cases after tightening of levels) and christenings, the funerals where 100s attended and all were shaking hands, crowds in local GAA club bars after matches and no social distancing,.....

Meanwhile, we are being guilt-tripped because we haven't visited (because we don't want to increase transmission or move it from one area to another - and we haven't visited DFriends locally here either!!).

DH and I were talking earlier, and we think they might relax restrictions slightly for Christmas itself. But only for a few days. And we've decided that, if they do and we feel it's relatively safe, we will go to see extended family but on day trips - so a lot of driving, but no staying overnight to reduce potential for problems. Particularly when a number of extended family members seem to be saying all the right things and then adding a story about the communion party they were at last weekend or what a mutual friend said to them over dinner the other night...when they are not supposed to be having any such events.

Currently can't stay with family and vice versa but if I can I will travel, stay in a hotel and see them outside. I'll self isolate for 2 weeks before going if needed.

I wonder whether they'll allow household mixing but not travel, to minimise spread between tier regions.

I have started to see an increase in the number of people (friends of friends, extended family etc) who have contracted Covid. A couple have had it quite seriously and been hospitalised. These are people in their thirties and no underlying conditions. I feel this thing creeping nearer and nearer. I am not messing with it. Christmas can wait, Covid won’t. I want it to go away like everyone else and I am desperately worried for the economy but getting annoyed and giving up won’t help. Family gatherings are known to spread the virus why on earth would you risk yours and your families health.

I'm in Tier 2 and I will be complying with the restrictions over Christmas whatever they may be. If some people choose not to then that's up to them but making statements like 'no one will comply anyway' is nonsense- lots of people are and will continue to comply. Some of us may actually be grateful that we don't have to spend Christmas touring up and down the country visiting people and just have a few days to chill and relax without entertaining anyone.

Lockdowns do not work - look at the data for Leicester
which has effectively been a Tier 3 for months
Cases steadily climbing week on week

26,000 excess deaths at home this year
NON COVID
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54598728