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

608 replies

NotAKaren · 18/11/2020 18:03

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?

OP posts:
Pinkyxx · 19/11/2020 07:39

@walksen

"I will not risk the lives of anyone’s grandparents, parents, siblings etc.. to indulge my own needs"

Really?

You get shipping from a supermarket or have it delivered? Everyone in the shot chain or shop has to risk their life or those they live with.

You have electric and gas water etc to your house? Ditto

Or you have kids you send to school? The other pupils staff etc have some level of risk. A kid at my school got covid got it last month , his mum caught it and is now dead. Loads of posters would say they need their kids to have an education social interaction improved mh etc and the risk to others is worth it.

I got covid already because society judges the risk to me worth it. I am unlikely to pass on the virus for a few months but am at very high risk of getting reinfected because of other people's needs.

Yes, really. Sorry if my post was in some way ambiguous.

I get all my shopping delivered, already did pre-covid. Going to the supermarket (or any other retail outlet) risks lives and is not an essential need. If I go to shops or supermarkets I will encounter many people, including staff. My presences places others at risk, I don't need to be there so I don't go there. Some people cannot get food delivered, therefore they have to go to supermarkets. Keeping the minimum amount of people doing this is the best that can be hoped for.

Yes, I have water and electric (??). I respect the lives of those who support critical infrastructure and I do everything in my power to minimize the risk to them by minimizing my contacts to the bare minimum (i.e. my household).

I removed my child from school before lockdown in March and I homeschooled her singlehanded whilst working full time (I'm a single parent). She is back in school now as the law requires me send her. She has worn a mask every day since she returned. Her birthday party was cancelled earlier this year, and she hasn't socialized with her friends all year. She's a child, it's hard but she does it without complaint as it is the right thing to do - she's a kid and she can see that. The teachers in the school she goes to teach from behind Perspex screens and have other protected with PPE. I'm happy to pay for it, as are most other parents. Acting responsibly saves lives. There has been 2 cases of Covid - 6th form pupils who acted recklessly in half term - due to robust measures in the school no one else caught it.

My brother is an 'essential worker' - if he stops working there will be significant consequences for others. He sent as many from his team home as he could and does their work himself - again to protect lives and minimize spread. He goes to work, but he does not then spread his risk around socializing outside work (like he said: I am one of the most likely people to spread it because I am in contact with so many, every day). He is acting responsibly.

I got covid already because society judges the risk to me worth it. I am unlikely to pass on the virus for a few months but am at very high risk of getting reinfected because of other people's needs.

I can't follow your logic? you recognize being in contact with lots of people increases YOUR risk but seem to disregard any risk of YOU passing it on? Anyone exposed to anyone is a risk, the more people you are exposed to the greater the risk to anyone else you encounter hence the need to limit ALL non-essential contact.

Again, this virus does not discriminate. There is a difference between critical infrastructure / essential services and socializing. The former cannot stop and therefore has to be accepted. This thread is about socializing at Christmas. This is NOT essential and places lives at risk.

RichardMarxisinnocent · 19/11/2020 07:44

@MercyBooth

I wonder how many on this thread have a holiday booked in the New Year.
Not me. No holidays booked at all. I had a “holiday“ a few weeks ago, one night in a hotel in the city I live in. I have only left my city 4 times since March.
Ridcully82 · 19/11/2020 07:46

@junglepie

it's a bit like the psychology of dieting isnt it. You are on a diet, really want to lose weight. You're sticking to the rules and its all going well. You decide to carry on dieting over Christmas - chances are you will slip up at some point. So then the "oh well, sod it I've broken the diet now, may as well just give up and eat what I want forever." Versus the other option - your diet is going well,you decide to give yourself 5 days off dieting over Christmas to eat yummy food, but you have a date on which you will get back to sticking to the rules - longer term this approach is much more likely to be sucessful.
But no gets infected with a potential life ending/altering illness when I got the doughnuts (other than potentially me)
byvirtue · 19/11/2020 07:52

We were always going to get Christmas and they were always going to lockdown in January, it’s basic economics and population manipulation.

The majority of the public follow the rules (or make up their own more extreme pious versions, presumably for lack of anything better to do). The small minority will flex the rules to suit their own needs (to various extremes).

Ultimately there is no badge of honour for following all the made up (every 5 minutes) covid rules. Before we know it we will have spent a year living under these draconian regimes. The emotional manipulation of the public has been impressive and the fact people still support locking up healthy well people is a testament to its success.

Yes Christmas will happen, yes they will lockdown in January as has been the plan all along.

MadameBlobby · 19/11/2020 08:04

Again, this virus does not discriminate

I’m not sure this is true.

MadameBlobby · 19/11/2020 08:06

@byvirtue

We were always going to get Christmas and they were always going to lockdown in January, it’s basic economics and population manipulation.

The majority of the public follow the rules (or make up their own more extreme pious versions, presumably for lack of anything better to do). The small minority will flex the rules to suit their own needs (to various extremes).

Ultimately there is no badge of honour for following all the made up (every 5 minutes) covid rules. Before we know it we will have spent a year living under these draconian regimes. The emotional manipulation of the public has been impressive and the fact people still support locking up healthy well people is a testament to its success.

Yes Christmas will happen, yes they will lockdown in January as has been the plan all along.

I agree. I have to say I find the constant clamouring of people to have more and more rights removed very bizarre and probably the government’s wet dream to see just how easily we will all roll over to any old shit that they come up with.
MadameBlobby · 19/11/2020 08:09

This is what the gov want too. For us all to say oh no 5 days is too much, they’ll probably ease restrictions slightly for a day instead, and then lockdown anyway but telling us if it wasn’t for our “sacrifices” over Christmas we’d have been locked down longer, even though there is no way of knowing this at all.

Such bullshit.

borntohula · 19/11/2020 08:11

How come this rule didn't apply to every day from 4th July to earlier this month? Or maybe it does...

DahliaGardener · 19/11/2020 08:13

Don't mention New Year's Eve...

ChloeCrocodile · 19/11/2020 08:16

I'm not the sort of person who could exonerate myself from blame if our visit led to them being carted off to hospital with Covid. My sister could. She'd say they wanted to see the grandchildren and they knew the risks.

What would your parents say? Or does the fact that they are vulnerable mean they don't get a choice any more?

I will visit my elderly grandfather this Christmas. If necessary risking a fine for doing so. He is absolutely adamant that he wants to see people and believes that at 89 something is likely to kill him soon so he wants to spend what remaining time he has with family.

borntohula · 19/11/2020 08:18

We're being treated like fucking idiots and told that this 'lockdown' will last 4 weeks when that was clearly never the plan. Does anyone really think that those in power are sticking rigidly to the rules? Yet people especially on mumsnet are lapping it all up and preaching to anyone who will listen about the greater good. 😆

Inkpaperstars · 19/11/2020 08:22

For me it isn't, because we may not get any benefit from it...we will decide what is safe at Christmas based on medical risks in our own family and so even if mixing is allowed, it may not be a risk we can take.

I wondered if the government may have calculated that many people will mix anyway...so the spike will happen and we will have to lockdown afterwards..so they might as well get the credit from some quarters for allowing people to meet at Christmas...on the other hand they will also get the blame so maybe not.

Pinkyxx · 19/11/2020 08:25

@MadameBlobby

Again, this virus does not discriminate

I’m not sure this is true.

Happy to be proven wrong, can you please provide links / references to proven innate immunity?

As far as I am aware (I'm no scientist) this virus can infect any human and therefore be transmitted on. Whether it creates symptoms or kills the host is another matter.

Ridcully82 · 19/11/2020 08:25

agreed

Ridcully82 · 19/11/2020 08:28

Sorry,was trying to quote another post but finger slipped!

Inkpaperstars · 19/11/2020 08:28

What would your parents say? Or does the fact that they are vulnerable mean they don't get a choice any more?

I will visit my elderly grandfather this Christmas. If necessary risking a fine for doing so. He is absolutely adamant that he wants to see people and believes that at 89 something is likely to kill him soon so he wants to spend what remaining time he has with family.

I have a couple of close relatives over 80 or 70s/vulnerable. They definitely all want to be careful, and not raise their risks for what is really just one day or a few days. Meeting up might be too risky if other family members are regularly in schools/hospitals/other activities.

I am largely guided by them, but I know also my siblings have to consider how the dc would feel if anyone caught Covid after seeing them. They are teenagers and very aware of the risks involved. Overall we are guided by the older generation but they want to be careful anyway.

I hope your grandfather is ok, I understand how he feels. Fingers crossed he can be vaccinated by spring and have a good response x

MadameBlobby · 19/11/2020 08:29

I was not referring to immunity as I suspect you well know but the fact we know that there are indeed more groups severely impacted by the virus than others. The poor, the old, BAME people. Plenty of information if you look it up.

RishiMcRichface · 19/11/2020 08:31

Agree they have been planning this all along, month long lockdown followed by tier 3 to allow for some Christmas spending. A short break to see family over Christmas itself as they know people will go anyway. Back to lockdown in Jan to reduce cases again.

Strawberrycreamsundae · 19/11/2020 08:32

I am so fed up with the whole shebang.
My very elderly parents were in hospitals 48 miles apart from June to October, no visitors allowed. I hadn’t seen them since mid February, no good phoning as both deaf and dad blind too.
For the past 6 weeks they’ve been in a nursing home, only one visitor once a week, 15 minutes so one of my sisters nominated herself. As she doesn’t talk to her siblings we have only very basic information from the home.
Yesterday I was told my dad’s dying, I was allowed 10 minutes. He’s unconscious and probably unaware I was there.
I wasn’t allowed to see my mum who’s also deteriorating steadily.
The whole thing is shit.
I no longer believe a word the Government says, I don’t think they have a bloody clue.

userxx · 19/11/2020 08:36

I no longer believe a word the Government says, I don’t think they have a bloody clue.

I came to that realisation a while ago. It's heartbreaking you've not been allowed to see your parents. It's inhumane.

Cinnamon12345 · 19/11/2020 08:39

It's a shame they can't put Christmas back a month..

NotAKaren · 19/11/2020 08:40

How will businesses cope with the in/out/ in lockdown Hokey Cokey? Would they even bother to open for a few weeks, some may just think it's the final straw meaning more jobs lost. The government need to find some sort of sustainable position that allows the economy to function with some restrictions and provide some certainty with this until they can hopefully get the vaccines rolled out. If that means a low key Christmas then so be it. Undoubtedly some will still do what they like, that's their risk to take but to punish others and risk further job losses for Turkey and mince pies with the ILs is just hugely wreckless and irresponsible.

OP posts:
bathsh3ba · 19/11/2020 09:00

The problem is that the government is coming across as the boy who cried wolf. So far, none of their dire predictions have materialised, at least not within the apocalyptic timescales they told us. People were terrified ... and now they are sceptical.

You can argue the predictions would have come true if we hadn't locked down, and maybe you would be right. But you can't prove the counterfactual, you can't prove what would have happened if we didn't lockdown. And it seems to me that most similar countries have found that this virus has followed a similar trajectory regardless of what governments have done or not done. I don't think we can control this thing and it's pretty arrogant of us to think we can.

Back to Christmas, I believe the intention was always to lockdown again in Jan/Feb so whether we mix or not probably doesn't make a great deal of difference.

Requinblanc · 19/11/2020 09:02

Sage seriously needs to be investigated for the abysmal advice they have been giving throughout the whole pandemic. Nonsense after nonsense....

userxx · 19/11/2020 09:10

@Requinblanc I agree, it's been a complete farce.

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