Christmas mixing and Tiers

[meow1989]

I know we are all just guessing at the moment, but ..

I get that its likely we are allowed to mix 3 households total over the 5 days, but doesn't that become moot if your area is tier 1? Because in tier 1 you can mix up to 6 households technically (one from each). Do you think they will have the forethought to clarify this ir will it be more interpreting the rules as you go? (Fwiw I will follow whatever the guidance is, I'm not looking for loophole just curious as to how this would work)

The NHS staff must be aghast at this.

How can BJ absolve himself if it all goes tits up? He’s solely responsible for this madness. Isn’t he?

@Jenasaurus I can't get my head round your problem as I had a secret nip of vodka crying to my mum that I can't go and see her this Christmas! she was really cool about it and said her other daughters wd probably bubble with her. only thing is i spoke to 1 of them earlier and she went really evasive saying "we'll probably do some walks" wtf. i think she just wants to see her friends. other sis needs to shield with her diagnosed partner and his lot. so mum might be on her own. so sad....

@Lumene

So if my sister sees my parents and her husband’s parents, can I see my parents?
Not unless you are a single adult household currently in a support bubble with your parents or your sister's household. You need to sort this out with your sister.

Ok thank you for the responses

Well my DDs BF who sadly lost his DM this year, has just said he wont see his DF or DS as its not fair that DD wont be able to see her family if he does that. I said as he has lost his DM his needs come first but he is adamant, so it will be the 3 of us for Christmas this year. We can see family once this nightmare is all over, I need to explain to my sons I wont be seeing them, and hope they understand.

@pontypridd

The NHS staff must be aghast at this.

How can BJ absolve himself if it all goes tits up? He’s solely responsible for this madness. Isn’t he?

He'll say he warned us all to be jolly careful etc. It's not the first time he's tried to shift the blame on to the public.

It's too much of a pain. Keeping to just us and staying safe I think!

This has all got ridiculous!

@Scarby9

We were musing whether they could maybe introduce some system like carbon trading where those who weren't using up their three households could pass that allowance on to desperate others.

We will be two households at most, one support bubble at least, so definitely won't be using our third household allowance.
I wonder if there's a way to offset it?!

Nope, the sums will assume that only a certain percentage will meet at the limit.

[quote stovetopespresso]@Jenasaurus I can't get my head round your problem as I had a secret nip of vodka crying to my mum that I can't go and see her this Christmas! she was really cool about it and said her other daughters wd probably bubble with her. only thing is i spoke to 1 of them earlier and she went really evasive saying "we'll probably do some walks" wtf. i think she just wants to see her friends. other sis needs to shield with her diagnosed partner and his lot. so mum might be on her own. so sad....[/quote]
Oh thats so hard, im sorry your feeling so low about this, in some ways it woud be easier if they just kept us all in lockdown but allowed the bubble for single people so no one is totally alone at Christmas.

I remember a while ago when my DM spent her first Christmas without my dad, she said to my sister and I, you dont need to worry about me, I am OK on my own, (my dad had died on 3rd Dec which was also their wedding anniversary) and of course we didnt let her spend Christmas alone, but I now understand when she insisted she would be OK alone as I feel that I would be OK on my own as long as I knew my DC were all happy together, I could happily watch a film with a glass of wine and a box of quality street. There are other days we can see each other. I do feel sorryfor your mum though, I hope your sister will take her on lots of walks at the very least. :(

@stovetopespresso

crying to my mum that I can't go and see her this Christmas! she was really cool about it and said her other daughters wd probably bubble with her. only thing is i spoke to 1 of them earlier and she went really evasive saying "we'll probably do some walks" wtf. i think she just wants to see her friends. other sis needs to shield with her diagnosed partner and his lot. so mum might be on her own. so sad....
If your mum lives alone, has she not already formed a support bubble with someone? If so, then she is classed as part of that household and cannot change it. If not, then can't you form a support bubble with her?

@PatriciaPerch

they have said you should seriously think about seeing people our son has to come home from uni, so we are already two households then we would like our daughter to come home (disabled) from her supported living home that makes us three assholes I have told my mum and dad they can't come. I thought it was designed so people could see who they needed to see not for parties

Students home from uni are classed as 1 with the house they return to live in!

Clearly the government is only "allowing" us to mix over Christmas because they know many will do so anyway. Then they can still have some semblance of control. I suspect those who are being very careful anyway will choose not to mix and those who are more relaxed will see whoever they wish.

Three assholes? Don't put yourself down! 🤣

Clearly the government is only "allowing" us to mix over Christmas because they know many will do so anyway. Then they can still have some semblance of control.

Trouble is they’ve opened it up so wide it’s going to result in a free for all.

Three households over 5 days. Who will be able to monitor any of that? People will be all over the place mixing with all sorts.

DH says we’re seeing no one and not taking part in this madness. But even unsociable I feel that Covid will be rampant after this - so we need to take our chance to see family now while we can.

The govt know people will ignore any rules at Christmas and mix anyway - hence saying it’s ok. It’s madness to do it though - and yes, my NHS working friends are aghast - the virus doesn’t know or care about our rules.

@pontypridd

The NHS staff must be aghast at this.

How can BJ absolve himself if it all goes tits up? He’s solely responsible for this madness. Isn’t he?
No. This is something that all 4 nations of the UK have agreed. So, blame Boris Johnson, Nicola Sturgeon, Mark Drakeford and Arlene Foster. Also blame the public because they are the people who have been calling to be able to mix at Christmas.

The infection rate has fallen considerably today in what is, hopefully, a fall related to the current restrictions. If this fall continues and then we have tighter restrictions until Dec 22nd and then relax them from 23rd to 27th, we shouldn't have a massive increase in infection rate. The only way we will is if people do not comply with restrictions.

For me I think the Christmas Bauble (sic) stuff is going to cause massive family arguments / confusion / will largely be ignored if its inconvient.

I doubt we will make use of it. My parents are too high risk.

For various reasons we think we are the bottom of the priority list for DH's family.

To be perfectly honest this kind of suits us. We've planned on the assumption we won't see anyone and will just do zoom. Everyone knows this, so I think we are safe from difficult choices. I have no real desire to have an indoor meeting with friends or family if I'm honest. Not after seeing the story today of a family in the US who all got covid at a family birthday party and the grandparents are severely ill in hospital.

We would have preferred to merely be T2 and be able to see a couple of local friends in the garden, even if its sub zero. Thats now out of the question as the Baubles put pay to that for 5 days. There's no guarantee we would have been about to do that anyway, if we are put in T3 though so its more wishful thinking.

I'm not overly bothered. It is what it is for us. But I really feel for a lot of other people. MN will need a new section this year, just for threads on how to pick/manage the Great Bauble Decision of 2020. I think I advocate drawing straws as the fairest method...

Three households over 5 days. Who will be able to monitor any of that? People will be all over the place mixing with all sorts.
It won't be monitored because we are being treated as responsible adults. Only the irresponsible will be all over the place mixing with all sorts.

@Calmandmeasured1 I admire your optimism

@PatriciaPerch

they aren't even being tested before they leave *@Justyou* at my sons uni so I don't know how he can be classed as our household as we have not seen him for 4 months and he lives 100s of miles away

That’s awful at my dc’s uni they are having a test wait 2 days test again then can leave the next day. If not he was going to isolate and I’d book him a test at home for when he returned

@Calmandmeasured1 she's yonks away and dh's parents are local (and Christian). but I've calmed down now, my sisters might pull something out of the hat for her. I can't do anything bout it anyway. feel bad coz there's another aunt who might end up on her own but ....what can you do.