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 🙈).

I suspect that by December most of the country will be in tier 3 (since cases seem to be rising and Boris seems determined not to do a short sharp lock down). I wouldn't be surprised if restrictions on mixing households at home stay but we're all encouraged to get together in a pub/restaurant instead (not an idea I think is good- just based on the whole 'eat out to help out' stuff).

As many have said, I think people will bend, if not flat out ignore the rules at Christmas.

Therefore, I think the government will ease the rules, make it look like their idea and take the good PR. Front page of the Daily Express with Johnson as Santa etc. Others have argued on similar threads that they would not do this because they didn't lift restrictions for Eid, but Christianity is the official religion of this country and our public holidays already reflect Christian festivals.

The alternative option is that they do not lift restrictions then use Christmas as another stick to beat us with when cases remain high in January and February.

I will be following the rules and will be alone, like many others. Hope the selfish arses in this country take stock

@ilovesooty Where was our Governments social responsibility when they gave Track and Trace to their mates.
A lot of members of the public feel they are being made to pay the price for that. They had EIGHT MONTHS and couldnt let go of their ideology even in a pandemic. Yet they expect the public to give everything up. Fucking hypocrites

At the moment I'm torn. On the one hand I want to see people who we have stayed away from since lockdown and who my kids really miss. In particular their grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins. We haven't seen grandparents since last Xmas, and cousins only 1 time this year in July. On the other hand it seems ridiculous to ease restrictions just because its Xmas. Its not like the risks have changed and allowing everyone to mix will just create misery for the NHS in January and beyond.

But my kids have had a rubbish year. They missed so much school, couldn't see their friends for months and months, half their activities are still closed and they really want to see family at Xmas. They have never had an Xmas without extended family and it will be so sad if we have to break it to them we cannot go.

I’ve got mixed feelings.

Part of me wants really the government to get things under control now (but people need to play their part too), so that we can relax things a little at Christmas.

But then the rational part of me thinks that could be a total disaster, with all generations mixing, lack of distancing, too much alcohol etc plus the normal illnesses and accidents that happen around that time. Plus December is usually the start of normal flu season.

I’m not sure what the answer is, but can’t see anything being allowed if we carry on this trajectory.

Also test and trace would also need to be working properly, not a few days behind...

The way they did it with Eid was despicable. A few hours notice AFTER people had already spent the money on it so they had the money in the economy.

Essex was put into tier 2 on Friday. I had started my Christmas shopping but ive only bought 3 things and some wrapping paper. Ive now stopped.

Oh and Lakeside is doing Skate Out To Help Out. I thought we were all supposed to be protecting the NHS.

I'll be seeing my mam and stepdad definitely. My mam is just carrying on as normal now. My dad hasn't seen us since March. That's fine, his prerogative but my 5yr old has forgotten who he is so not sure how he will overcome that.
I think most people have had enough now.

Don’t really get the comments about UK being a Christian country - it would be (rightly) perceived as grossly unfair when no similar relaxation was allowed for Eid (considering the huge numbers of practicing Muslims in the country) or other religious festivals.
So, no - but people will continue to ignore restrictions.

My elderly mother has said that she wants to live while she still can.

We are careful but if the rules are cruel they will be ignored.

Destroying businesses and families is NOT WORTH IT

@celestebellman while the UK is a multicultural society, the official religion is Christianity. We have bank holidays at Easter and Christmas etc.

[quote HeIenaDove]@ilovesooty Where was our Governments social responsibility when they gave Track and Trace to their mates.
A lot of members of the public feel they are being made to pay the price for that. They had EIGHT MONTHS and couldnt let go of their ideology even in a pandemic. Yet they expect the public to give everything up. Fucking hypocrites[/quote]
I'm not suggesting the government exercised any social responsibility at all. I think they're contemptible. I still don't think their appalling record absolves us of responsibility towards each other.

No, would be very unfair on the NHS to encourage indoor gatherings with no masks as the fallout would be on hospitals.

So many aren’t complying now so it’s unlikely cases will drop to a safe enough point to allow lesser restrictions.

My area had been in a local lockdown and now tier 3 and I suspect we'll be like this until spring as I can't see how it'll improve over the winter at all! It's such a long slog.... I just wish that 2 households could mix...,,

@hemhem

You do realise every child has been living like that

Your 5 year old has forgotten his grandad he hasnt seen since March?

@Yamashita40

I have just had to isolate for 2 weeks after and it is no fun, will not be seeing family for Xmas indoors, maybe a nice walk but I just can’t self isolate again if someone has it.

@Yamashita40

I'll be seeing my mam and stepdad definitely. My mam is just carrying on as normal now. My dad hasn't seen us since March. That's fine, his prerogative but my 5yr old has forgotten who he is so not sure how he will overcome that. I think most people have had enough now.

Stop saying things like 'most people have had enough' NO they haven't. Every single person I know is abiding by the rules. YOU have had enough and you want everyone to agree with you.

We will just rearrange things so that we still get to see who we want to, just not all at once." For half the country it's not just a matter of not seeing people all at once, the only way we can see anyone is out of doors.

I doubt it but who on earth is going to follow the rules anyway by then?

Given they inforced local lockdown in greater Manchester the day before Eid it wouldn't be very fair to lift it for Christmas.
Actually looking forward to a quiet Christmas my Dad usually comes up to us but then the in laws end up inviting themself so end up getting massively stressed cooking for 10 and they just over excite our daughter so never get her to bed. If I can't see my Dad I'm not seeing my in laws either as they will ignore the rules away just as they are currently doing.

@OpheliasCrayon

I doubt it but who on earth is going to follow the rules anyway by then?

Most people.

Those who say 'nobody is following the rules' are saying so because they themselves don't want to, and trying to find an excuse to do what they want, not what they know they ought to.

it's like the child in the school playground waving their arm around and whining 'But THEY were all doing it TOO' when hauled up for their behaviour.

Yes, a minority - sometimes very visible - are ignoring the restrictions. However the quiet majority are just getting on with it, because it's what they know they need to do for the good of the many in society who are more vulnerable or who cannot protect themselves because they are doing high-risk frontline jobs.

I really struggle to understand all the people saying they will ignore any restrictions in place at Christmas. My Mum is elderly but is still working as a nurse. We won’t spend Christmas with her if it is deemed unsafe because we love her and want her to remain well. The only people you will spite by ignoring the rules are your own families. The guidance isn’t there to piss people off. It is doubly galling for me that the very people breaking the rules will be cared for by my own Mum who we are trying to protect.

I disagree. I actually don’t know anyone is fully adhering to the rules. I know people who wear their masks in supermarkets so it visibly looks as though they are complying (me being one of them) but they are still seeing family members they ‘shouldn’t’ be seeing, mixing with people outside of their ‘bubble’ and are no longer practicing social distancing. In fact I can’t remember the last time I saw any real social distancing at a supermarket. Also, many people are only wearing masks to avoid fines for themselves.

I think people are realising now that the rules are mostly arbitrary and non sensical. For example, I am planning a wedding next year in Scotland and the number of guests allowed is 20, it’s 15 in England (it was 30 a few weeks ago) and it’s 30 in Wales. You are allowed 20 people at a wedding reception in Scotland but not long ago it was 6 however they have eased measures even though cases have gone up (??) I can guarantee you by next week the rules will be different. How can you even begin to justify this rubbish?

You might like to think you’re a model citizen by following the ‘rules’ but the fact is the people imposing these rules are not even following them.

End lockdown, only shield the vulnerable and let’s get on with our fucking normal lives before the economy collapses.