Christmas is saved

[MiaMarshmallows]

So happy that my partner and big family can all be together this year. We are all really close and get on brilliantly. So pleased at the news today!

@WeAllHaveWings

I live in a big city and I've still only known of two people who've had COVID confirmed so far (and they're both fine now).

I could have said the same until I lost my mum to covid last month.

Do people really need a loved one to die before they take it seriously?

So no, I won't be spending Christmas with my mum this year. Covid took that choice away from me, for one Christmas really isn't worth the risk.

I'm so very sorry for your loss

January/february we'll see a huge spike fueled by these reckless bastards who then will be sending their kids into schools. Just in case they haven't mingled enough.
Most people live around 80 years Is it really that hard to skip a year of showing off presents and eating together? Call them, have a video chat. It's not the same, but it is connection.

This has not been thought through at all, yes I do think families should be able to meet to some extent but the benefits of this current lockdown aren’t known yet.
I think we will all probably have to pay the price also what about new year?

@VaTeLaverLesMains

El*fie * Is there a reason why you don't want the vaccine?

I suspect you might be waiting a long time for an answer...

Perhaps their best friend's hairdresser's sister's cat shared a post on Facebook that the vaccine is made out of abortions and it contains a chip which will track everything we do and it also causes autism, infertility and your left leg to turn green and drop off but it was on Facebook so it must be true.

@cdtaylornats

If it wasn't eased lots of people would just disobey. Getting people to stick to the rules is difficult, a great many will just think sod it I'm taking the kids to see their grandparents.

That's a ridiculous reason to ease it. If the speed limit is 20mph near schools lots of people would ignore it, the government don't get rid of the limit to avoid it.

@tortoiseshell1985

Yeah, thrilled at police state dictatorship

This

[quote Duemarch2021]@ElizabethG81
@starfro

Maybe it is bullshit.. but it was literally said on the BBC news back in April time.. they said 1 in four people were carrying covid.. .. I only assume that since we had a 2nd peak with the same amount of deaths then it was roughly the same amount of people carrying it at this point too. Not a reliable source I know. But BBC news stated back in April that roughly 1 in four were carrying it... if you think that's not correct then fine but I believe it[/quote]
Firstly it is stupid to "assume" anything. Obviously you're no scientist..

Secondly your argument id hilarious because it's actually an argument for mixing more freely. If over 50% of us have already had covid, the risk level is now tiny as we known catching it again is unusual. Furthermore if 30 million of us have had it and there are 60k deaths, the mortality rate is minuscule.

@Trekkerbabe

Its. One. Day. Out. Of. 365.. FGS! We will be spending xmas in our little household and not putting my parents at risk

Surely common sense prevails over the need to get pissed and eat too much figgy pudding???

Nuts.

It's not just one day, it's about seeing family who we haven't seen for months. It's not about eating too much and getting pissed either. Personally I am happy about this and I will be availing myself of it by visiting family who are willing to get together and having a festive period with the people I love. My mental health needs it. Covid isn't going away. I know people will accuse me of being selfish and I'll say yes, I guess I am.

On the one hand it seems very likely that cases will spike in january due to Xmas socialising. The government could mitigate this by making the new tier restrictions on 2 Dec harsher or even closing schools a week early, and having a lockdown up until the 22nd or whenever the window starts but it is doubtful they will do this for economic or political reasons. Even a 7 day lockdown would help as most people dont have a 14 day incubation period.

On the other hand, as a single person living alone in insecure employment in an industry with very high infection rates, I've spent the majority of the year in solitude not daring to see my support. Bubble much due to the he risk of passing on covid or having to self isolate. Realistically we will be in some form or lockdown for most of winter anyway so I do need some sort of respite and so.ething to look forward to right now. Having been infected recently I am unlikely to pass on the virus anyway.

I followed rules scrupulously for most of the year but is has become clear that the government is indifferent to certain occupations or demographics becoming infected. If you are under 50 you won't be getting the jab either ( not before spring or summer at least). I don't blame people doing their own risk assessments anymore because The government have different priorities to individual families. We are not all that in this together anymore if we are ever were, and lots of people will have cometh different perspectives as this thread shows.

None of this is a surprise though is it?

This was always on the cards, or more accurately, the back of Johnson's fag packet.

@CodenameVillanelle even if meeting up over the festive period prevents you seeing them for longer in the new year? We can’t have it all it seems, so is a few days at Christmas worth the loss of a month in January?

I honestly really don’t know how I feel about it right now. I do know that there are many many people out there who desperately need some social interaction for their mental health and that it has been a very long 9 months.

On the other hand, I’m cross that the papers have sensationalised it and also jumped the gun before it’s all been fully agreed and the government have had the opportunity to present their message that this comes with huge risk and needs to be limited as much as possible and not just mix x households just for the sake of it. I’m also worried about what message it sends to other religions who were stopped from celebrating with their loved ones during their important festival - ours is more important than yours?

I’m a big advocate of keeping schools open but am wondering if they should shut them and ask for children to isolate for 2 weeks before to minimise risk to families and also protect their children’s Christmas. If a child has to isolate just before they break up, that will impact on families’ Christmases. Or will teens just ignore that and be mixing more instead.? I don’t know on that one.

I do wonder how comfortable I will feel on Christmas Day - do I drop the guard I have put up for 9 months and hug my family and get close to them or do we still try and keep apart in the house, sanitise bathrooms between use etc? Do I then keep hugging them after Christmas or does it just stop again and will people get that?

Time will only tell what the impact will be but I do know that I’m glad it’s not me making these decisions

The rates are going to rise regardless of whether Christmas socialising is allowed or not. People need to be sensible and think about the shit show Brexit, CV-19 & another peak will be.

I saw a kids birthday party in the park yesterday, 20 kids running around. Their parents standing close by chatting over coffee. Nobody was socially distancing so fingers crossed nobody gets ill from that group. This is how the virus is spreading and will continue to spread.

[quote Lifeispassingby]@CodenameVillanelle even if meeting up over the festive period prevents you seeing them for longer in the new year? We can’t have it all it seems, so is a few days at Christmas worth the loss of a month in January?[/quote]
Personally yes, I only meet them every 1-2 months in normal times and I haven't seen them since July. Lockdown in January wouldn't bother me much. It would be an acceptable trade.

If it's not safe now it won't be safe at Christmas!

🎶 do they know it's Chriiiiistmaaaas?🎵🎶

No viruses do NOT know it's Christmas and will be just as happy to infect people. It's what they do!

Buy share in undertakers, they're going to have bonus moths in Jan and Feb burying all the grandparents.

months

That’s great news although we are normally 6 households but could split in 2 quite easily. With the vaccine to roll out Dec/ Jan onwards don’t think we’ll have much of a third wave.
Remember people it’s not an order you can still stay at home, not meet relatives if that suits you better

@starfro

Last time we had the misery trolls saying that VE day, then the beaches, would result in massive spikes.

What a surprise, they didn't.

No but all the people who couldn’t possibly live without a summer holiday abroad did. Now it’s those same people but with Christmas.

@BlueBrian

Buy share in undertakers, they're going to have bonus moths in Jan and Feb burying all the grandparents.

This sort of stuff is unnecessary

The irony is that its the NHS workers who will work over Christmas and New Year, (and who have done for years), wont be seeing their family again on Christmas, yet others who were banging their fricking pots a few months back are happy to mingle and party!
If its absolutely essential for mental health fair enough, see someone safely, otherwise keep it low key.

I am someone who feels that these lockdowns are OTT but if this is true I just fail to understand how this is ok??

I want my kids to stay in school and if families are mixing like this it won't be good for schools going back surely!!

And what happens after this? Lockdown again?

What a joke.

I’ve said this before
But
What about New year??

People drinking and hugging !
are they expecting everyone to stay inside
Because that’s never going to happen

Are you guys not keeping up with the vaccine news? There is no need for all this gloom end is in sight