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?

@PrincessNutNuts

What about if we choose?

You can have your normal Christmas plus a month of lockdown if you want.

Or you can limit Christmas a bit this year and not have another month on Lockdown

I pick option 2.

Or you can do neither??? Christmas is just one day. People's entire livelihoods are at stake here.

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.

No. We've already had all the family birthdays this year ruined by lockdown and mine is going to be in self isolation. I'd really rather start the new year without having it messed up by relaxing things over Xmas.
They weren't relaxed for Diwali or Ramadan so why should they be for Xmas.

From a totally selfish point of view all I see is me spending Christmas at work and then being set back another month And even longer where I can’t see my closest loved ones who live abroad - be coming in at over a year I reckon since Iv last Seen them so yeh fuck that

I’m a less selfish way ... 5 days for a locked down January ? More people dying ? Also fuck that

It makes no sense to me. Either it's safe to meet with people or it isn't. Allowing a free for all over Christmas is crazy. I talked to my Mum about it earlier and we agreed that we wont all be meeting up if the rules are relaxed - SIL works in a school and their DC are both at primary school, my DS is mixing with people at work. There's no way we can all risk mixing with my parents and grandmother who is in her 90's.

Statistically, everyone having a normal Christmas would lead to thousands of hospitalisations and deaths.

And there's no reason why it wouldn't be my dad, or your mum, our nans, or one of our husbands who ends up struggling to breathe on a hospital bed. Or worse.

Nothing feels more important than that to me.

I won't risk the people I love for one day.

I don't want anyone to have to be alone who doesn't want to be, but this isn't a normal year and to demand a normal Christmas is a bit out of touch with reality, isn't it?

Just stay home this year and let’s get this thing over with

It's not going anywhere though is it? It will probably still be floating around long after we're gone 🤷‍♂️

Not for me, no. I can't stand all this save our Christmas stuff. I'd much rather have a semblance of normality over a longer period than a complete relaxation of rules for a few days.

I know a lot of people who are desperate for Christmas with their families. Mostly residents were I work who haven't seen anyone but a carer for 15 minutes once a day who are now suffering depression/suciudal thoughts. We'll do our best to make Christmas special for them but there is limited time in the day and limited carers available to work as we have so many off sick atm.

I also know a young woman whose husband is an alcoholic and baby has just been diagnosed with a life limiting condition. I'll worry a lot for her and her young family if she's not allowed to travel home to see family for Christmas.

I personally don’t think it’s worth it. I’ve got a 4 month old and a further month of lockdown restrictions with a baby is no good for the MH!

I am so pissed that this is even a possibility. Honestly, I don't understand why people can't just stay at home for Christmas and spend it with people they live with. It's ridiculous - if they relax the rules it should be for single people only

No. Just no.

I think the suggestion of five days 'freedom' at Christmas is to bribery to conform now. Clearly this lockdown isn't being complied with and the threat is if we carry on, Christmas will be lost.

I'll be making decisions to suit my own family. Keeping elderly relatives and vulnerable family members safe will be our priority. Likely to mean not much of a Christmas at all.

I'm also another who thinks this is really unfair on other religions that have had to cancel their religious celebrations. The government need to be really careful.

I hate Christmas.

Whenever I read threads like this I think of one person .... my grandma. She's in her 90s. She's isolated throughout. I've seen her a handful times during lockdown at a distance (not at all this lockdown). She knows it's Christmas and I want the lockdown eased for her. Yes she is vulnerable but yes her mental health is severely effected. A phone call isn't the same.

As other PPs have said, if others have vulnerable people in their circle then they will take precautions.

Personally I'd like a message that restrictions should be eased over Christmas (surprised at 5 days tbh) but drill it home, we need to think of vulnerable people.... perhaps spur everyone on for a longer lockdown in advance of Christmas.

By restricting us and telling us we can't have a Christmas, it's actually achieving the opposite. More people will want to rebel because they are P'd off and then we will end up with a locked in Jan!

There's no guarentees that there won't be rolling lockdowns interpersed with the lighter restrictions of the tiers between now and mid-spring. So I'll take the respite of a few days guilt free catching up with the family that I've barely seen this year.

Seen BiL and the DCs cousins once in 2020. They are very rule abiding and care about the legal difference of a couple of surplus childen even if it's for a very low risk walk. DH has seen no other family due to travel logistics.

DM has several ailments and combined with arthritis, going out is not a practical way to meet. I've seen her a few times this year (including in Feb when she was in hospital and picked up a rather nasty "chest infection") Other family members have just been struggling with time and work load, and the dumbshit rule of six fucks up the right to family life for a family of four who can't responsibly and clearly leave children at home unattended.

All this amnesty does is legalise what people will do anyway and give a short social respite in a winter that is long and shitty anyway. Knowing that you can see your loved ones is an economic and social bonus as it encourages festive spending.

sophandbridge because we’re not a Muslim country?

So they relax the restrictions at Christmas & all the families with all the kids who’ve just broken up from the schools riddled with Corona just before then get to see extended family and friends including elderly relatives indoors all together, I mean what could possibly go wrong...

No.

I don’t want Christmas as much as I want school, businesses, jobs, seeing friends occasionally, kids able to do some sport

@hellymissy

I am so pissed that this is even a possibility. Honestly, I don't understand why people can't just stay at home for Christmas and spend it with people they live with. It's ridiculous - if they relax the rules it should be for single people only

I understand people don't want to be alone at Christmas.

And we're all desperate for this to be over.

Letting people have a tiny bit of semi-normality for two days does make sense to me. It's been a rough year.

But it needs to be limited so it does limited damage.

And we all need to be grown ups and make it work.

@HoHoHolyMackerel

100% no. I'm cross this is even being considered. It's one day!

It's all for Boris to get the 'I saved Christmas' headlines as I said would happen all along. Then the country pays in January.

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.

No.

Id love to have my family over, but there’s phone, Zoom, Skype. Not the same but it’s there.

I just want to get back to work ( non essential job), earn money and keep everything open and running.

Meh. The Uni students will be all be home in December, kids will be home for a week before Christmas and shops will be packed the second we come out of lockdown.
Obviously doing the normal rounds of parties and visits are off but I don’t see it will make much difference if a few more are inside your house for one day.