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Original poster

It's 18th December. Christmas plans with family are made...

100 replies

ihatebikerides · 01/12/2020 20:23

... and you receive a message from school to say that your child has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid.

What will you do? Or, what might you do to avoid this situation from occurring?

OP posts:
Creepertime · 01/12/2020 20:24

Is isolate my child. And do nothing to prevent it as they need to be in school and their education trumps seeing other people.

RaggieDolls · 01/12/2020 20:43

Same as @Creepertime. I've already accepted this risk and I won't be pulling them out of school to mitigate it. It would be shitty but after two lots of isolation this term I know it's a possibility.

I'm keeping my 23rd December online supermarket slot until the last minute. If we don't hear from school I will cancel it and head for in laws as planned.

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 01/12/2020 20:46

I'm taking my son out of school from the 11th.

Shitfuckoh · 01/12/2020 20:47

To be honest, I've planned my Christmas to allow for this happening this year.
We've done 2 x Isolations, 1 x full school closure and currently 1 x class closure (continued on from isolation) so I'm going in to Christmas this year with my eyes fully open.

Char2015 · 01/12/2020 20:49

From the news today, it looks like senior staff are on call until the 24th Dec in case they need to contact staff / students to isolate.

FoolsAssassin · 01/12/2020 20:49

We’re not seeing my elderly Dad as too much risk with DS in school until 18th so this would make no difference.

Givemeabreak88 · 01/12/2020 20:50

We’ve just finished two weeks isolating because someone in my sons class tested positive, it was frustrating as he didn’t get any symptoms and neither did any of the other 4 of us so I doubt he got it and we all just didn’t have symptoms. I’m dreading this happening again but with 3 at school it’s a high possibility, I don’t see what else you can do though other than take them out early

UghNotThisAgain36 · 01/12/2020 20:51

Isolate them obviously. I've made plans for this contingency and everyone involved is in agreement. My DC have vunerable grandparents (their Dad lives with them) and I wouldn't risk their health. I'm not mixing over Christmas. Its one Christmas.

Bramblespoint · 01/12/2020 20:55

@Givemeabreak88 why were you all isolating if just your ds was a contact? Or was your ds positive?

OP not sure about taking them out but this is my nightmare. Obviously we'd isolate but I think there would be a substantial affect on their mental health

Givemeabreak88 · 01/12/2020 20:56

I didn’t have anyone to take the others to school so all had to stay off.

Sitt · 01/12/2020 20:57

Well it would be my husband, as he is a secondary school teacher. It’s not like he can just stop going in for the final week. He would isolate as expected, difficult though it would be

Backyard72 · 01/12/2020 20:59

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I'm taking my son out of school from the 11th.
Same, and all of us will be lateral flow testing just before we go to my mum.
tigger1001 · 01/12/2020 20:59

Won't be doing anything to prevent it, as they have already missed too much school, and looks like they will be off an extra week here over Christmas anyway. Supposed to finish on 23rd but looking like that will be brought forward to 18th. And looks like not going back until 11th.

If we get the text to isolate, we will isolate, nothing else for it. As long as no one has symptoms then it's only the person who has had contact with the positive case who need to isolate so others could get the shopping etc.

We are having a quiet Christmas anyway - only planning to see Mil who is in our bubble as she lives alone. But if isolating we obviously wouldn't be seeing her.

LearnedResponse · 01/12/2020 21:03

Cancel.

Our plans for Christmas have been made with cancellation for this reason in mind - we’re meant to be visiting an elderly relative, but we’re buying the turkey and taking it with us so that if we have to cancel we’ll have the food in our house and they won’t be stuck with more food than they can possibly eat.

pincertoe · 01/12/2020 21:03

We won't be seeing anyone anyway as tier three and nothing changes just because of Christmas. As someone as said on here, just because you can doesn't mean you should.

So one of the DC having to isolate wont change our plans at all.

PrivateD00r · 01/12/2020 21:09

Won't matter to us as we aren't mixing at Christmas anyway Smile I work in a frontline role and will be working over Christmas - I have just had covid, but I cannot be sure that I cannot spread it anyway so won't be taking any chances with my family.

I still wouldn't be pulling my DC out of school anyway though as their education and wellbeing is important important than Christmas parties.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 01/12/2020 21:13

I'm not making any firm plans with family. DS not missing any more school is more important to me than not seeing family for one year. I work in a fairly high risk environment (factory) so I won't be seeing elderly relatives anyway.

StatisticalSense · 01/12/2020 21:18

@Backyard72
Which private company will have enough tests for that?
I strongly suspect the NHS will end up suspending testing for all but truly essential workers with symptoms and those who need a test for medical reasons for a few days before Christmas due to widespread misuse by the asymptomatic.

JS87 · 01/12/2020 21:21

Our Christmas plans involve seeing no-one so wouldn’t matter to us. Ideally DS wouldn’t be one symptomatic so we don’t have to isolate and I can go to the supermarket but I’m stocking up just in case.

SleepingStandingUp · 01/12/2020 21:29

@RaggieDolls

Same as *@Creepertime*. I've already accepted this risk and I won't be pulling them out of school to mitigate it. It would be shitty but after two lots of isolation this term I know it's a possibility.

I'm keeping my 23rd December online supermarket slot until the last minute. If we don't hear from school I will cancel it and head for in laws as planned.

be careful if you've ordered a turkey, our turkey can't be cancelled that late with tesco
SleepingStandingUp · 01/12/2020 21:32

@Givemeabreak88

I didn’t have anyone to take the others to school so all had to stay off.
rightly or wrongly our school accomodated for this - so driving parents could pull up outside school and teachers would help collect kids / bring them up to the gate at the end of day. walking parents were allowed to bring children in late / pick up early so isolating kids could walk too but not bump into the crowds/. wouldn't work with anyone catching the bus but we generally have a small catchment
EnglishRose1320 · 01/12/2020 21:33

The only planning I have done is to get a few more Christmas crafts, puzzles and ingredients for baking in so if we need to we can just a lovely quiet Christmas at home.
We aren't planning to do much anyway, so the only things we would be cancelling are wintery walks, drives to see Christmas lights and socially distanced hot chocolates in families gardens.

SleepingStandingUp · 01/12/2020 21:34

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I'm taking my son out of school from the 11th.
what age is he? are school willing to provide school work and not take action for his absense?
Knickerthief1 · 01/12/2020 21:40

This is a big fear for us.I'm half tempted with some extra time off (mine haven't had any quarantine yet touch wood). Backup plan is to buggar the rules and take our 5 day Christmas break with family after Christmas - probably new year.

Keepgoing88 · 01/12/2020 21:41

I thought about this and in honesty what I would do is get all of us tested, and speak to people in planning on seeing, if they were ok with this approach then I would still see them if we all tested negative provided there is enough time to get tests etc