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!

What’s the difference between allowing more ‘bubbles’ for Christmas Day and the current rules for weddings/funerals?

The local area is 15/20 for both. Weddings last for hours and involve alcohol too.

@TidyOmlette because it's over several days

Plus government will lose even more credibility in new year when they close pubs etc down again as there will be another lockdown

...., plus that's hundred of families involved - not many weddings happening is there!!

@decoratingnightmare

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!

This! Either its not safe and we are causing harm to lives, the NHS, education and livelihoods for the sake of Turkey and tinsel or its been safe all along and we have been kept apart from our loved ones for no valid reason

I expect Boris relaxed the rules because the knows loads and loads of people will ignore them anyway. He doesn't want to look like an ineffective idiot (which he is anyway) and he knows that he doesnt have the man power to actually stop the volume of people who were planning to break the rules. He might get away with a lockdown in January (by consent) but I don't doubt that if this stretches on for much longer, particularly after a short taste of freedom, then it's over anyway. People wont consent to lockdown anymore.

@Remmy123

Bet the people on here that are happy about this are the ones banging on about schools needing to close!! The irony. Imagine the fall out wheh kids go back to school.

Not me!

@Caroncarona

I expect Boris relaxed the rules because the knows loads and loads of people will ignore them anyway. He doesn't want to look like an ineffective idiot (which he is anyway) and he knows that he doesnt have the man power to actually stop the volume of people who were planning to break the rules. He might get away with a lockdown in January (by consent) but I don't doubt that if this stretches on for much longer, particularly after a short taste of freedom, then it's over anyway. People wont consent to lockdown anymore.

This is always the government's excuse for not controlling the virus properly. In March Boris et al delayed lockdown by one week partly because they were peddling the falsehood that the UK would not do lockdown and would refuse. As it happened, the UK did lockdown very well and were largely highly compliant. Boris et al just didn't want to close pubs etc due to the huge lobbying and party donating power of the hospitality/alcohol industry. Same with Christmas - the large majority will comply with rules. This proposed relaxation is just cowardice and failure to do the right thing by Boris, plus a side order of vanity for wanting to 'save Christmas'. Short-sighted people will soon be moaning when this totally ruins Jan and Feb though (they just can't see it yet).

@Caroncarona

I expect Boris relaxed the rules because the knows loads and loads of people will ignore them anyway. He doesn't want to look like an ineffective idiot (which he is anyway) and he knows that he doesnt have the man power to actually stop the volume of people who were planning to break the rules. He might get away with a lockdown in January (by consent) but I don't doubt that if this stretches on for much longer, particularly after a short taste of freedom, then it's over anyway. People wont consent to lockdown anymore.

Personally I am not seeing anybody for Christmas. Neither are any of my family members. I don't want another lockdown in January because our government are incompetent.

@Remmy123 but the chances are these bubbles won’t be together every day. It will be 1/2 days at most. The 5 day grace allows for travel time. There’s plenty of weddings happening. Maybe I notice it more living next to a chapel but the bells are on the go every weekend. Plus we just had communions that took place at night

@sashagabadon

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

What do you mean your 6 different households but could split in 2?

^ this.

Neither will l be ramming myself into the packed shops or pubs.

As we’re retired my dh and I have decided to quarantine for 14 days before Christmas so that we can have my elderly df to stay otherwise he would be alone.
I realise we’re fortunate to be able to do this.
I can’t think of any other solution tbh.

[quote HazeyJaneII]@Dotinthecity
Where’s our backbone gone?
In what way is not wanting to get Covid or not wanting friends, family and others to get infected... lacking backbone?[/quote]
It’s being unable to see the true situation and make a sensible decision. The “virus” is not dripping from the trees, covering every surface, exuding from the pores of everyone you meet. Some people will get it, some will be very ill, some may die just as people catch and die of other illnesses/viruses. People die in car accidents, of cancers, in disasters but we don’t all cower in corners, wringing our hands and spouting doom and gloom. We look at the bigger picture and the actual risk and recognise that actually, life can go on and we should be living it. That’s backbone!

Just curious, all the people who say that they won't mix households at Christmas - are you all in what were previously Tier 2 and 3 areas?

I am in previous Tier 1 and literally everyone I know has been seeing family for months if they live close enough. They might not be hugging, but they have been on holidays together, had lunch in the house, taken the grandchildren out for the day, looked after pets in our house whilst we were on holiday etc.

All pretty normal.

So we just assumed we would go back to normal, seeing either my parents or DH parents whenever we choose to, unless of course the Tier 1 rules change.

This means Christmas would be totally normal - my parents to us on Christmas Day and then visit DH's parents at some point over the school holidays.

It hadn't occurred to us before 2nd November that we might 'kill granny' and it is unlikely to be part of our thinking after 2nd December.

@Remmy123

Genuinely, why are people happy if this is true? Do you not think you can get COVID over Christmas because the government say so?

😂😂😂

@actiongirl1978

Just curious, all the people who say that they won't mix households at Christmas - are you all in what were previously Tier 2 and 3 areas?

I am in previous Tier 1 and literally everyone I know has been seeing family for months if they live close enough. They might not be hugging, but they have been on holidays together, had lunch in the house, taken the grandchildren out for the day, looked after pets in our house whilst we were on holiday etc.

All pretty normal.

So we just assumed we would go back to normal, seeing either my parents or DH parents whenever we choose to, unless of course the Tier 1 rules change.

This means Christmas would be totally normal - my parents to us on Christmas Day and then visit DH's parents at some point over the school holidays.

It hadn't occurred to us before 2nd November that we might 'kill granny' and it is unlikely to be part of our thinking after 2nd December.

Even in tier one, I've got too many family members to mix. Same with dh side. My family only is 19 people, that isn't allowed under any of the tier systems. Dh including us is 10 people, again too many under the tier systems.

It hadn't occurred to us before 2nd November that we might 'kill granny' and it is unlikely to be part of our thinking after 2nd December.

I guess that's the difference,, rather than whether people are in Tier 1/Tier 2/Tier 3.

We were in Tier 1 until a few days before lockdown, when we moved to Tier 2. Cases were really high though, even when we were in Tier 1, as there was no apparent logic to the tier system.

Regardless, we haven't seen family since March, except for doorstep visits. My parents are elderly and I am not prepared to put them at risk. They haven't been out anywhere since the pandemic began because, despite being old and having health conditions, they aren't ready to die yet.

I just despair of those posters who seem to be completely disregarding guidelines/Tiers etc. Can you not see that if you dont stick to them this is just not going away? Such a selfish attitude.

@ElizabethG81

Why does everyone on MN think that they and everybody they know is constantly carrying Covid, just waiting for the chance to pass it on to someone middle aged or older who will almost certainly die?

This!

The fear that's been instilled is unbelievable. Can't believe some of these comments

I did wonder if being in Tier 2 or 3 would have an impact on your level of risk.

My parents are 75 and 70 and have said they have no intention of just staying in, or not seeing the DCs. My dad had cancer a few years ago and says that he could die tomorrow.

Inlaws have a similar attitude.

All of us are in Tier 1 with very low cases, even in the second wave. Our approach might be different if I was in a higher tier.

@Jungfraujoch

Do you mean my comments about acting normally with family for the last few months?

We were allowed to. We were allowed to have people in the home, people to stay overnight, childcare, socialising etc. I don't think we disregarded any tiers or rules at all.

There was nothing where I live in the Southwest between 4th July and 2nd November that said we couldn't do these things, as long as we limited to 6 people (me, DH, 2x DC and my parents).

Not about tiers.
I was in Tier 1 before.
We are now back at 5 people dying a day in my area.
Actually I don't people who were breaking the rule of 6 before lockdown.
Peddling the myth that people will break the rules anyway is misleading garbage intended to try to stop restrictions.

• don't know

Just read that in New York the current thinking is:

‘Don’t be a turkey this Thanksgiving’

Shame Boris doesn’t think like this. 5 days of mixing = massive a Covid spike.

I’m in Tier 1 but we were nearly Tier 2 just before the 5/11 lockdown. Since then I’ve only seen my parents at the door for a few minutes. Prior to that we mixed as per the rules but wore masks in the car if I needed to take them to medical appts, socially distanced indoors and haven’t hugged them since beginning of the year! Yes, they are in their 80s and Mum has Alzheimers but plenty of life left in them yet so we’re all happy to stick to the rules!,