Christmas - am I missing the point?

[thisiswhoiam]

Like everyone I want the chance to celebrate a "normal" Christmas with my loved ones but obviously I do not want to give them Covid (or them to give to me).

What I can't understand is why the the whole country couldn't go into a hard core lockdown (a proper don't leave the house without paperwork version, rather than a UK wishy washy lockdown) from Friday 11 December until Christmas Day If we are not mixing this will have 2 benefits:

1. All Covid spread will be stopped because we are not mixing - benefits the UK as a whole.

2. At the end of these 2 weeks we can get together for a normalish Christmas with one or two other households safe in the knowledge none of us have Covid.

3. We can even go mad in the shops and hospitality 2 Dec - 10 Dec if we really need to to help the economy.

What am I missing?

How the hell are we supposed to go mad in shops and hospitality as suggested when the suggestion is also a total lockdown?

I would FAR rather have some semblance of normality in areas of lower prevalence and go back to at least Tier 2 regs if not Tier 1. Lockdown for weeks just to facilitate Christmas get togethers is madness in my view.

Ah. I see the suggestion is to go mad just prior to the lockdown. Whatever...

I can see your point OP and I largely agree. I certainly think a hardcore/paperwork lockdown before Christmas makes sense for a chance of a more normal Christmas if that’s what the majority of the country want. Particularly as this current “lockdown” has been a complete farce and seems to- at least on my part of London- been adhered to in virtually no way by anyone.

Because lockdown is shit and Christmas isn’t that important.

Some of us work at Christmas and want to spend a different day with family? And would still be in work in the run up to Christmas, mixing. Not everyone can stay home.

So we work all the run up and Christmas itself while everyone else gets a celebration then don’t get to see our families?? No thanks.

Your idea will have the opposite effect.

@thisiswhoiam you do realise there is a time lag? People catch the illness, get very poorly, end up in hospital and sometimes die. This whole cycle takes a period of many weeks. People mixing on 3rd and 4th December could potentially be the ones who are really fucking ill come Christmas.

Don't know why the government don't just create a three word slogan about relocating Christmas until February after they've vaccinated the vulnerable over 50s. That way we can shop in the January sales for all our pressies. 🤷 /Sarcasm.

That is genius Couchbettato. Better yet, could we move Cmas to July?

Or you could just agree to do this among the group of people you intend to meet with at Christmas and leave other people to earn a living, educate their children, keep up social contacts vital to their wellbeing, look after the vulnerable, provide goods and services for those who are locked down, etc as they need.

This.

It's up to people to be responsible and isolate for 10-14 days before Christmas Day if they're meeting up with relatives outside their bubble.

However, that's still a lot of key workers who won't get the choice.

No way would I be locking down for most of December for the sake of preserving some mythical ‘family Christmas’ that I’ll never experience myself. And that’s without taking the massive economic hardship you’d be forcing people into by enacting this ridiculous idea.

Same here. My Christmases as an adult have been mainly with two adult relatives, or in the last couple of years, three. There isn't much laughter, there is maybe one attempt at a board game every couple of years, there isn't even much conversation. There is a fair bit of stress and arguing. My enjoyment of Christmas comes from the Christmas lights and decorations, singing carols in church, Christmas markets, celebrating Christmas with friends after the day itself, and this year it will be from spending the day with my DP who is my bubble.

Actually I am finding all the talk of saving Christmas and making sure people have a 'normal' Christmas a bit upsetting. It's reminding me how underwhelming, anti-climactic, boring, stressful and generally a bit crap most of my Christmases as an adult have been.

Yeah, another lockdown in what is traditionally a very significant time in the year for the economy? Are you crazy or one of those smug WFH types with a 'safe' job?

@thisiswhoiam

You’re not the sharpest tool in the box are you

Because millions of us still have to go to work. NHS, supermarket workers, bin men, food factories, care home staff, bus/rail workers, teachers etc etc. We will not.all be able to "STAY AT HOME. PROTECT THE NHS. SAVE LIVES" or whatever crappy slogan it is this.week

You're right OP. A stricter proper lockdown (with closed borders except essential travel like food imports) would reduce case numbers, potentially low enough to enjoy Christmas. Many countries realised this a long time ago. Unfortunately we are a nation of whingeing Poms. We're good at saying we can't we can't we can't, but but but, hence why it's been dragged for so long and will continue to do so well into the new year.

Um, because not everyone feels Christmas is ruined just because we can't cram all our extended family into one house for a day? Nothing needs saving for us, we'll have a quiet Christmas at home with DC and it'lll
be fine, a lovely Christmas.
Why should my DC miss school and be cooped up for 2 weeks so that other people can have their version of a "proper Christmas"??

It's more than just Christmas. A proper lockdown would've freed us from the ongoing deaths, trauma, bereavement, protected our under pressure frontline staff, and prevented mass job losses.

And lots of children are missing school - because their teachers and other school staff are off sick (or dead).

Also, why should we all be put into a 'hard core lockdown' so some people can have a 'normal' Christmas, whatever that is? You say 'Like everyone'; I certainly don't want any more lockdowns of any type for the sake of relaxing rules for one or two days.

This, completely this.

And another vote from me. If 25 days of hard lockdown was necessary because the virus was overwhelming us, fine. 25 days lockdown so people can have what they term a “normal” Christmas - not fine (and my vote will help the economy as well). I’m already angry enough that the reason we’re in this state is because the government can’t be arsed to spend money on making schools safe.

[quote Catmads]news.sky.com/story/covid-19-supermarkets-most-common-exposure-setting-for-catching-coronavirus-in-england-latest-data-shows-12136418[/quote]
I presume you linked this because you think it shows that supermarkets are responsible for the highest transmission. In which case I draw your attention to the most relevant sentence:

PHE said the data did not prove where people were contracting coronavirus.

Sky should be ashamed of using that headline.

This must be a reverse.

@MrsFezziwig I’m already angry enough that the reason we’re in this state is because the government can’t be arsed to spend money on making schools safe.

I couldn't agree with you more.

The Sky headline, I don't believe it for a minute and it seems to be scare tactics because we all need to use supermarkets, and again, you are quite right:
Sky should be ashamed of using that headline.

Retail, hospitality and personal care such as hairdressers and nail bars have gone to enormous lengths and huge costs to make their premises and working practices as safe as possible.

IMO it is an absolute disgrace that so many of these businesses have been forced to close again whilst the governments approach to schools is open the windows and you'll be fine...

It should be possible for people to be adult enough to accept that this year the vast majority of us should all be having small Christmases with the people we live with and make the best of it.

Those who NEED to see family members for compassionate reasons should be free to do so without the added burden of worrying that every person they come into contact with could be a super spreader.

Christmas is not the be all but this year it could be the end all of a family members life and I'm not prepared to take that risk.