Christmas bubble! What a load of shit

[doodledo92]

Christmas bubble.... really! Sorry but what a load of bollocks all this shit is now!!

I don’t understand the anger? Why and who are you angry with?

It's beyond ridiculous now. Everyone I know has been seeing friends and family in small numbers indoors since summer (tier 3). Everyone I know will continue this over Christmas. The only people
I've seeb handwringing about bubbles are on mumsnet.

Even if we negotiate bubbles you then have the added issue that the bubbles are only allowed between 23rd and 27th, meaning that if people are to follow the rules, nearly everyone who needs to travel will be doing so on the 23rd, staying Xmas Eve. Xmas Day and Boxing Day and returning home on the 27th. It’s going to be gridlock!

^ This! Once people have mixed, what difference does it make when they travel home? If my visitors all travel home on the 27th they'll be doing so with masses of other people which in itself can't be safe. I don't see how travelling home at some point after^ the 27th is any more dangerous/risky?

The possibility of meeting family members at Christmas has been used as a carrot for the current restrictions being worth it.

I know some people would have been grateful not to be with some family members, but the announcement did not surprise me.

I only wish non-food shops were closed during this period, as a year without Boxing Day sales would be no bad thing.

Whatever rules were imposed, there'd have been families where they didn't fit.

You have plenty of time to work out how best to 'bubble' - if part of a large family, make smaller bubbles so everyone gets to see someone (if they want to).

Yes it is annoying trying to decide who to see. Personally i think it is going to be more annoying working in a hospital in january seeing the aftermath of all this

@SirFlouncealot

No way to police it so no point in trying to work out which ‘bubbles’ to choose. It would have been simpler if they just said go for it at your own risk.

Well they can't do that, as it would be 'go for it at everyone's risk'

The warnings of January spike (like the university and school return spike) from people mixing all across all the home nations is real. It can't be a free for all, and there are plenty of voices asking people to think and not kick the arse out of it.

At the end of the day, they are doing it because it’s Christmas and the nhs has beds free ..... not because Covid has gone away.

The problem is the beds free part is debatable. Rest is true

I would have preferred lower amounts to avoid impact, but no point spending time stressing can’t change anything.

@BeakyWinder

It's beyond ridiculous now. Everyone I know has been seeing friends and family in small numbers indoors since summer (tier 3). Everyone I know will continue this over Christmas. The only people I've seeb handwringing about bubbles are on mumsnet.

Seriously? And we wonder why the rate isn't going down.

People in other countries seem to be able to understand why the rules are there and that they need to be followed. Why are peopl in the UK flouting the law so widely?

The bit I don't understand and please correct me if I've got this wrong is, if my area goes back to tier one then I can technically meet up to 5 other people inside from a mix of households, with no limits on how many different groups from the 2nd until the 23rd, but then I can only mix with 2 other households for the Christmas period. So I could see my siblings and parents all separately in the run up, and then just bubble with my partners family over Christmas? The only difference being anyone I meet up with pre the 23rd I have to keep my distance from?

I'm not planning to meet loads of people if this is the case, also no guarantee we will go back into tier one. Just trying to make sure I've understood it correctly.

I won't be seeing anyone in my family during those days. It's a completely useless bit of guidance for anyone with very vulnerable family members and a risky job (or children in school). I won't risk seeing my parents (or mil I suppose, but I'm less worried about passing it to her) unless I've been able to isolate my family for 2 weeks previously. I would never be able to forgive myself if I unknowingly passed it to my dad (who has the odds stacked against him in terms of age and health conditions) after picking it up at work.

So we'll be doing a virtual meet up for Christmas. We might be able to see him for his birthday as that's right at the end of the 2 week school holiday. So there's that benefit to being a teacher, I do at least have 2 weeks holiday so we can potentially isolate before seeing vulnerable family. I feel so sorry for people in other risky jobs who don't have that option.

Do existing bubbles count as one household or two?

3 households in total!

Single person bubbles count as one with their support bubble.

English rose I believe so but agree its weird. For areas in tier one the arrangements over Christmas might be more restrictive

@NC4Now I was wondering that, if you require support or childcare during that period does your support/childcare bubble count as part of your Christmas bubble or is it separate?

I know the government can't please everyone and keep the numbers down so it was never going to be ideal but this seems a bit wolly.

Also during this lockdown you could go to another house for respite and support, they have changed the wording now and from the 2nd you can if the child with additional needs is under 5 or if it's an adult with additional needs. Plus you can use another house for childcare up to the age of 14. So now my child with additional needs who is 15 doesn't fit in any group but will still need respite.

plenty of people will just see who they want, regardless

Why are people say 4 households for 4 days, it’s 3 for 5 days, not much hope if people can’t even get the given information right

@sheworkshardforthemoney

I have a very strong suspicion that this has been announced because the politicians themselves need to be above scrutiny (except when they're not!!)

They know without a bubble easing there is a risk of themselves breaking the rules over the 5 days or whatever it is.

If you think of the ages of most MP's do you think they want to be 'stuck' over Xmas with only their wives? No adult children or parents.

They are not going to so they need to make a change so they don't do a Cummings

Some MPs are women you know and maybe some male MPs quite like their wives.

@Bubbinsmakesthree

No *@grassisjeweled* - it’s not the number of households you can see at a time, it’s the number of households you can see in total - and it’s 3, not 4. The bubbles have to be “exclusive” so you don’t create chains of households mixing.

For example: Household A goes to visit Household B, then separately visits Household C. Households A, B and C are then a “bubble” and neither Household B or C can visit anyone else despite the fact they’ve each only seen Household A.

Unfortunately I think the chances that most people will firstly understand and then secondly follow these rules are very slim.

Your example is how I understand it too. Just so I'm clear in my mind if Household A (MIL) visits us Household B say on christmas day but household C (SIL) has a visitor from household X on christmas day then Household A can't then go on boxing day to visit Household C because that creates a 4th mix ?

@EnglishRose1320

The bit I don't understand and please correct me if I've got this wrong is, if my area goes back to tier one then I can technically meet up to 5 other people inside from a mix of households, with no limits on how many different groups from the 2nd until the 23rd, but then I can only mix with 2 other households for the Christmas period. So I could see my siblings and parents all separately in the run up, and then just bubble with my partners family over Christmas? The only difference being anyone I meet up with pre the 23rd I have to keep my distance from?

I'm not planning to meet loads of people if this is the case, also no guarantee we will go back into tier one. Just trying to make sure I've understood it correctly.

Pretty much (between the 23rd and 27th you can meet other people outside according to rule of 6, but not inside).

Based on MN threads, lots of people set a huge store by Christmas itself, so would not consider meeting family members on the 23rd to be "good enough". But your idea sound sensible (but only really workable in Tier 1, unless family/friends live close enough that you don't mind a socially distanced walk. ).

Don't worry BBC has given us a handy guide that will soon put people off!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-55017034

I think Nicola has banned Hogmanay - probably.

How does the bubble work if your children’s father doesn’t live with you? My dc’s will be with their father in Boxing Day, he lives with his gf and her 2 dc, I have no say in wether they visit one of his relatives?

I’m not too bothered about mixing myself but am likely to see my DF Christmas Day for an hour and possibly a friend on Boxing Day. Do I have to count the people my dc visit as part of the 3 other households?

I'm choosing only to see my parents, which I have been doing since lockdown (I'm their carer). Its to risky throwing another 2 families into the mix.

Thankfully this works perfectly for us.