Tier 2 to tier 2 travel to visit elderly father (91) who is completely isolated & unsupported?

[LimitIsUp]

Opinions wanted re whether I am interpreting the rules appropriately

91 year old dad lives 260 miles away in a different tier 2 area.

He is not in a bubble with anyone where he lives and is completely alone (and completely, unbearably lonely). Mum is in a nursing home but he hasn't been permitted to visit. Nursing home is not one of those celebrated on their news for their creative solutions to visiting - no portacabin with a perspex floor to ceiling screen at this particular nursing home

I booked accommodation some time ago (dad has only a 2 bed bungalow) in a holiday apartment in his town - for the period 27/12 - 29/12 inclusive) - which doesn't fit with the Governments newly announced 5 day Christmas 'relaxed rules'.

I am assuming that we (dh and I and our two teens) can travel (a rather long way ) and stay in this accommodation where Dad lives - also a tier two area.

Presumably we can bubble with him (at the time he won't be in any such arrangement with anyone else - although he has been in a bubble with my brother who lives 100 miles from him and vists monthly - but on 27 December he won't have been face to face with brother for >3 weeks, so a temporary stay on that bubble and a new bubble with us?)

Don't want to fall foul of any over zealous police on the long journey down (in a hypothetical scenario where we may be stopped)

Go and see your very elderly, very lonely father. Ignore people demanding you follow the roolz, they are a demanding a sacrifice of you but are not willing to extend so much as a bit of compassoin in your direction.

@LimitIsUp

Thanks all - good to know that this seems reasonable. The teen issue duly noted - but as it happens ds (16) finishes school for Christmas on 11 December and as we live rurally I can guarantee that he won't be seeing anyone between 11/12 and 27/12 when we visit. Also dd (18) finishes work on the 17th - so all should be good

I think that gives you much more assurance then doesn’t it which is what you need in a case like this If it helps I am monitoring the case numbers in our area like a hawk with a similar situation without the travel. ( previously in tier 3 and cases were rife) Just maybe build in as much space, ventilation, masks etc as would be sensible as well

@MaxNormal

Go and see your very elderly, very lonely father. Ignore people demanding you follow the roolz, they are a demanding a sacrifice of you but are not willing to extend so much as a bit of compassoin in your direction.

I’ve known enough people with friends and relatives who have died of this to know that compassion has to go many ways nowadays

Oh, for heaven's sake - just go and see the poor man! He's lonely - he could be dead by next Christmas, of Covid, or a fall, or plain old age, or just losing the bloody will to live. What a nation of ditherers we've turned into. You don't need the permission of anyone on here.

Absolutely go and see him. The fact that he’s lonely already will only get worse for him if he’s unable to see family over the Christmas period too.
Covid isn’t just affecting people that are becoming ill by it; it’s also affecting people, like your dad, who are becoming so isolated because of it.
Take the couple of hundred miles trip to see him and give your 91 year old dad a lovely family Christmas!

Poor man, please go,
Who knows what the rules are anymore, just go, no one will know and no one would mind either.

Your plan is more than reasonable OP. The alternative option of leaving him unbearably lonely is completely unreasonable.

We will definitely be going. Thanks all

With situations like this, the only thing you need to worry about is isolating as best you can before you see them. The rules are irrelevant. He's your dad, he's 91 and he needs you.

Ironically, we'll probably end up breaking the rules to see ECV relatives later in the Christmas holidays as we don't feel safe seeing them in Boris' Christmas free for all as it's less than a week from the day the schools break up. The rules, as Dominic Cummings demonstrated so well, are open for interpretation. Your chances of being reported are minimal and even if the police descend I'm sure they would be sympathetic in the circumstances. Worst case scenario, you get a jobsworth who gives you a £60 fine - personally my Dad is worth every penny of that fine.