Temporary bubbles for Xmas

[treesliding]

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-pms-winter-plan-at-a-glance-what-to-expect-when-lockdown-ends-12138882

Just read this and they are talking about temporary bubbles being allowed for the relaxation days over Xmas - possibly up to 3 households. I guess creating new bubbles and those people being the only people you see reduces risk but likely means some tough decisions across families.

If that’s the case then we won’t be able to see either side of our family. To be fair, it’s what I was expecting though and seems most sensible option.

I think a bubble of 3 households over the festive period is better than reintroducing the rule of six where people will undoubtedly just cram in as many meet ups with different groups of six from multiple households over the festive period. I agree having to stick to a bubble of 3 households will create tough decisions over Christmas for some families (mine included, as we usually have a gathering of 4 households). I guess by allowing 3, it means that if you usually gather in a 4 household group you can split down the middle so nobody is left out. It's not going to work for everyone and it's going to cause problems but we all knew that there would have to be sacrifices this year and the alternative is chaos and further lockdowns in January.

I think it's better than just letting everyone do what they want. But yes it will be tough for us, if the bubble needs to be closed (which I would assume it does?) e.g. We'd be happy to just see joth sets of parents. But my parents will want to see us and my DB. My ILs will want to see us and their DB. Etc etc. Imagine this will be the same across a lot of families, probably resulting in some willful misunderstanding of the rules!

If it's true, it's a lot more restraint than I was expecting so I'm pleased it won't be a total free for all, lifting all restrictions etc. It does seem sensible for everyone to create temporary bubbles and only socialise within them.

@ChalkDinosaur

I think it's better than just letting everyone do what they want. But yes it will be tough for us, if the bubble needs to be closed (which I would assume it does?) e.g. We'd be happy to just see joth sets of parents. But my parents will want to see us and my DB. My ILs will want to see us and their DB. Etc etc. Imagine this will be the same across a lot of families, probably resulting in some willful misunderstanding of the rules!

I would expect it'll be like usual care / support bubbles - static and closed.

Yes I think you're right @treesliding

Time for some difficult choices!

The point is definitely to keep the bubbles static I'm sure. So in your situation @chalkdinosaur for example you will either have to spend it with your parents and DB while your ILs spend it separately with their DB or you could spend it with your ILs and their DB while your parents and DB get together separately. At least nobody is on their own. I know everyone is sick of it now and of course its not the same, but we can still have video calls with everyone else we would have normally seen over the Christmas period and plan a big get together when we get out the other side of this. Usually we spend the period between Christmas and New year visiting loads of different relatives and its always pretty hectic. I will really miss seeing them all in person but I won't miss all the travelling and packing. I'm usually exhausted by new years eve and just want an early night.

Yeah I get it, I was just giving an example of why it's difficult. We'll follow the rules, but it's hard when it's the only opportunity for DGP to see their GC (different areas, not tier 1). But I get that it's better than nothing, and I also don't want a free for all.

In some ways it's worse that just having no relaxation of the rules, because there are more difficult choices to be made. I'd rather they just kept going with the lockdown so we could all have tier one rules back sooner.

Started to see the same info on other media outlets - looks like there must some truth.

Just a thought....if we're allowed a bubble of 3 houses for Xmas, I assume there won't be any sort of rule of six / indoor mixing / tier 1 anticipated prior to that....or else we would need an Xmas bubble 🤷‍♀️ (me and my family are all in a previously tier 1 area)

So it’s a case of pick your bubble and stick to it for the duration. Would meeting the other side of the family be ok though?

Fail is stating it could be as much as 4 households in one Christmas bubble!
Total disaster for education - those 4 bubbles could have perhaps 10 different school year bubbles mixing.
Total disaster for health and the NHS - hope Boris has managed to negotiate with the virus to not infect anyone during this Christmas relaxation of restrictions, otherwise it will be mass transmission, mass infection, increased illness, and inevitably some death.

Can someone work this out for me as my brain is addled.

If I see my DB+DSis (2 households + mine) does that mean I can't see In-laws? I like my in laws btw so I'm not looking for a get out clause!

@LoopyGremlin

So it’s a case of pick your bubble and stick to it for the duration. Would meeting the other side of the family be ok though?

I guess you pick one side of the family or the other. Unless the 2 sides want (and fit) in to the same Xmas bubble?

@AlexisRoselovesTedtheVet

Can someone work this out for me as my brain is addled.

If I see my DB+DSis (2 households + mine) does that mean I can't see In-laws? I like my in laws btw so I'm not looking for a get out clause!

I don't think we know enough about the rules yet. It does sound like they will put a number on households and you won't be able to see anyone outside of the prearranged bubbled households.

Sorry @treesliding I missed out part of what I was going to type! If I pick one side of the family to bubble with, can I meet the other side of the family (not in the bubble) outside?

doesnt change anything for us, we are likely to be tier 3 after lockdown and I cannot understand how we can mix for Xmas but not the day before or day after that. DH and I both work in high risk area and in jobs without social distancing so it still seems irresponsible to mix with others even if it is ‘allowed’

@LurgyOnTheLoose

Fail is stating it could be as much as 4 households in one Christmas bubble! Total disaster for education - those 4 bubbles could have perhaps 10 different school year bubbles mixing. Total disaster for health and the NHS - hope Boris has managed to negotiate with the virus to not infect anyone during this Christmas relaxation of restrictions, otherwise it will be mass transmission, mass infection, increased illness, and inevitably some death.

I think they know people will do it anyway and want to try and limit things on some level.

There has been talk of shutting schools early? Maybe they will close schools 2 weeks before Xmas day?

I'm frontline NHS and I've given up thinking that most people want to know what's going on until it affects them directly and they can't get care! This lockdown has stopped our inpatient covid service growing thankfully.

I wonder if current extended households will count as 1 or 2 households eg DH aunt has formed a bubble with MIL as she is single person. Do they count as 1 household as already bubbled?

Nonsense. I shall carry on as normal..

@LoopyGremlin

Sorry *@treesliding* I missed out part of what I was going to type! If I pick one side of the family to bubble with, can I meet the other side of the family (not in the bubble) outside?

Oh yes - good point. Hadn't thought about the outside meeting aspect as well. That's something else to think about!

@Arnoldthecat

Nonsense. I shall carry on as normal..

Curious, not goady - do you mean allowing meeting is nonsense and you'll carry on not, or the opposite?

Boris succumbing to his innate pandering to the populist vote and lowest common denominator.

@AlexisRoselovesTedtheVet

Can someone work this out for me as my brain is addled.

If I see my DB+DSis (2 households + mine) does that mean I can't see In-laws? I like my in laws btw so I'm not looking for a get out clause!

If the limit is 3 households then if you see two plus you that is 3 so no you can't also see your inlaws. Think we are going to have to wait until tomorrow though as there are many rumors!

It doesn't really matter what Boris says, a lot of people will do as they please because .

Nothing will change until the vaccination starts. Mingling three households over Christmas, travel amnesty etc will just cause more cases and stricter January lockdown. All for one day. Funny how Eid and Diwali (for example) didn't get this kind of treatment from the Tories.