Month long lockdown to 'pay' for 5 days over Christmas

[NotAKaren]

PHE have confirmed Sage advice that for every one day of relaxation over Christmas would require 5 days of restrictions afterwards. So for 5 days relaxation, which is rumoured to be what the government have in mind, would mean 25 days of restrictions. Is it really worth it?

Having

stuck to the rules all year and not seen parents for a year
Living alone throughout including 3 months not seeing anyone in lockdown 1
Working like mad covering for absent colleagues
Having no proper break nor lunch for months as I have to supervise kids.
Already been infected in an unsafe working environment and having to isolate for my last "holiday"
Still suffering from exhaustion due to covid meaning I go straight to bed when I get home
I'd probably agree as I have a small window right now to visit family without worrying about infecting them

Christmas isn't even 5 days long. I always thought they'd permit a few days to super spread and give BJ an opportunity to announce it dressed as Santa whilst maybe giving gift a wrapped ventilator to a local hospital, but 5 days for a 25 day lockdown is ridiculous.

Yes.

We're in for a shit time until Easter anyway.

because we’re not a Muslim country?

livelove - no but a proportion of British people are Muslim ( and Hindu, Jewish..etc).

@3littlewords

Absolutely not its just ridiculous Its one friggin day for gods sake

But it's become 5 days now.

The government aren't going to stop families getting together on Christmas Day. What they should do is advise on self isolating for 1-2 weeks before Christmas Day for any households who are mixing.

A free for all for 5 days would be insane. And that's before the mass parties of NYE which will need policing.

I don't see why unless people flout guidelines and mix with all sorts of people not in their bubbles. I think the time from the 2nd December up to Christmas is more dangerous if people go back to work, hit shops and eat in cafes, etc.

I'm sorry, but after all that Johnson has said over the years, and particularly this past year, why anyone believed him when he said 'lockdown till 2nd Dec so we could have Christmas' and all that shite is beyond me. The man lies. He lies egregiously and without conscience. I'm not saying other politicians are different, but just stop believing his crap, please.

I care more about small businesses and the mental health epidemic that has come about from this, than I give a toss about Christmas.

I say that as somebody who was quite looking forward to it this year.

Christmas can do one in light of this.

@CovidAnni

Euff, what a nightmare. We have 2x returning kids and 3 sets of grandparents. No way can have them all together as we usually do, whatever the rules say. So we’ll be upsetting the aged ps and having a locked down January.

Why will you be upsetting the aged ps? It's government rules, not yours. Can't you see them separately in small groups? That's what we did when we had three sets of grandparents to see, our house is too small to have everyone at once anyway.

We're in for a shit time until Easter anyway

Why will things be better by Easter? They weren’t last Easter - were they?

@RichardMarxisinnocent

People who are worried will stay distanced regardless. People who are bored and not concerned will follow the plans they have likely already made.

If this happens, it is likely to cause a family argument, because we don't all have the same views. I am not worried as such, but I don't think it's a good idea for me to travel several hours on a train to spend time with two not overly healthy over-70 year olds. So I will continue to distance. On the other hand, the over 70 year olds aren't bored, and have been following the rules, but if the rules allow me to visit they will want and expect me to visit. Then there is the added factor that for various reasons I don't particularly enjoy Christmas with family anyway, and have been planning a quiet Christmas with just my DP.

I should have added the point that those people (and there seem to be a bunch) who have been secretly or not so secretly relishing the prospect of a break with Christmas traditions that for whatever reason they don't much enjoy will take the opportunity to break those traditions.

The point is, people will do what they want to do. You won't go because you don't want to. If you felt differently, you'd act differently.

So I have...
FIL - lives alone
MIL - lives alone
Stepdad - lives alone
Cousin - lives alone
Niece - lives alone
We are a family of 3
How on earth do I make this work for Christmas Day? 6 households mixing, surely that won’t be allowed?

@pontypridd

We're in for a shit time until Easter anyway

Why will things be better by Easter? They weren’t last Easter - were they?

Because some people will have been vaccinated.

Think Johnson needs to order schools to close early so people can self isolate before seeing elderly relatives.

@jessstan1

I don't see why unless people flout guidelines and mix with all sorts of people not in their bubbles. I think the time from the 2nd December up to Christmas is more dangerous if people go back to work, hit shops and eat in cafes, etc.

The problem is going to be when the schools and colleges reopen early January and tens of thousands of Uni students descend on the cities again. The more relaxed things are over Christmas the worse it'll be.

Agree. Where is the plan for uni students ?

oh what a shocker you can have your xmas you all wanted now back in you go to lockdown

alll your fault you asked for this

typical government

The point is, people will do what they want to do. You won't go because you don't want to. If you felt differently, you'd act differently.

Yes true, for the most part they will, but in my case if rules are relaxed and I do what I want to, my family won't get the Christmas they want. And if they manage to guilt trip me into visiting them, I won't get the Christmas I want. If families don't have the same views then some members won't be able to do what they want to do, it won't all be happy families, and there will be arguments and fallings out.

Of course Easter will be better because of the weather! Being out doors, uv lights, warmth... Although I don't believe there is evidence for long term antibodies, short term, loads more people will have had this strain by march.

I just wish they could tell us what the hell they are thinking of so we can plan, it's the not knowing.. The waiting..the sitting duck feeling.

Being told on one hand that the NHS won't be there for us, cut down on sd, but on the other hand, sending people into schools with few virus mitigation methods?

Because some people will have been vaccinated.

Hmmm. I’ll believe it when I see it.

No, it's inconsistent and hypocritical crap. Some people will break the rules anyway, but you should have a consistent approach if at all. We cannot afford this as an economy, its madness and we're going to be living in 50s style poverty by this time next year even as things stand. So sick of morons that seem to think the magic money tree doesn't come with a whole lot of strings attached.

I really don't want this!! I just want to go back to a slow steady normal, see a couple of people, even if it's outdoors, go to the shops, go to the pub, maybe just with one other person or maybe something like a 'group of 4.' Schools definitely open and businesses ticking along.

I really, really don't want a tight lockdown for the whole of January for a few days of fun. January is bleak enough as it is.

People (generally) will not comply with tight restrictions at Christmas. So there will be a January lockdown anyway. With the vaccines looking promising, that will hopefully be the last one.

No. I’m furious that it is being considered. The risk of overwhelming the NHS in January is huge and there will be further restrictions as a result which impact on all our lives.

How can anyone enjoy a Christmas with relaxed restrictions knowing what lies in store a few days / weeks later?

I’m trying to work out what to do. I have vulnerable parents and the kids are due to be in school until 20 December. So they’ll be mixing with their class bubbles until five days before Christmas (not sure we’d take them out of school, even if that was allowed) and they, and we, could therefore be incubating anything, including Covid, when we travel down. Will speak to my parents but I suspect we won’t travel. And if the price of x days of freedom to travel is an immediate return to a stricter lockdown afterwards then even if we stayed in all over Christmas to reduce the chances of us having anything, we’d not be allowed to go, potentially, at the end of the holidays either.