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Original poster

How many people actually understand the Christmas bubble rule?

105 replies

BananaPie · 15/12/2020 22:21

It’s supposed to be three households in a bubble, and no mixing outside that.

So if we visit MIL on Xmas day, and she then visits BIL and his family on Boxing Day, that is it. None of us are supposed to see anyone else indoors for the rest of the 5 days.

Do people generally get this? I don’t think it’s been all that clear in the government comms, and seems like loads of people are going to break the rules, and we’ll see a huge number of cases among the elderly in January.

OP posts:
Seeline · 15/12/2020 22:24

Few seem to be following any if the other rules so this won't be any different. It's no wonder infection rates are rising rapidly again ☹️

SolitaireChampion · 15/12/2020 22:24

I think that it is absolutely clear.
And why my mum will be seeing my brothers but we will be seeing MIL.
A contained bubble of 3 household only.

LouiseTrees · 15/12/2020 22:25

I think it’s very clear in comms but the news make out it’s wider and don’t always state the full comms. I also think there are people intentionally playing ignorant so that they can be like “ oh I thought it was 3 a day”

Drivingho · 15/12/2020 22:29

Yes I understand it but speak to a lot of people who either willfully or unintentionally misinterpret it.
I try not to get wound up when people don’t get the rules but it’s hard (especially when people STILL don’t get the fact that they can’t test themselves out of isolating as a contact)

Figgygal · 15/12/2020 22:31

Yes it’s clear
A lot of people don’t want to understand

LolaSmiles · 15/12/2020 22:33

I'm no fan of the government's handling of this, but it was fairly clear that 3 households could become one Christmas bubble for 5 days and those 3 households cannot change.

A lot of people will be choosing to claim ignorance and do what they want anyway though.

Mousehole10 · 15/12/2020 22:38

It’s very clear, you don’t have to be w rocket scientist to understand it. If people aren’t getting it they are either deliberately misunderstanding or a bit thick.

MrsMomoa · 15/12/2020 22:41

Yep. Totally clear on the rules.
Will still be spending time with my family.

NeedWineNow · 15/12/2020 22:42

And that is why my mum is going to my brother for Christmas and, as we are her support bubble, we will see her after Christmas. It's not hard.

Heatherjayne1972 · 15/12/2020 22:42

Deliberately misunderstanding. A bit thick

Or they’re fed up have stopped listening to the news and/or have decided to make their own risk assessment

Lemons1571 · 15/12/2020 22:44

@Drivingho

Yes I understand it but speak to a lot of people who either willfully or unintentionally misinterpret it. I try not to get wound up when people don’t get the rules but it’s hard (especially when people STILL don’t get the fact that they can’t test themselves out of isolating as a contact)
To be fair I am now totally confused by the proposed testing in secondary schools in January. Close contacts won’t have to isolate, they just have to be tested by the school every day for 5 days. So they still attend school. So testing will get them out of having to isolate.
Mousehole10 · 15/12/2020 22:45

@Heatherjayne1972

Deliberately misunderstanding. A bit thick

Or they’re fed up have stopped listening to the news and/or have decided to make their own risk assessment

But that’s not them not understanding the rules, that’s just ignoring them. A third option!
tunnocksreturns2019 · 15/12/2020 22:46

@NeedWineNow

And that is why my mum is going to my brother for Christmas and, as we are her support bubble, we will see her after Christmas. It's not hard.
Needwine as you are a support bubble already, you and your mum only count as one household.
Angel2702 · 15/12/2020 22:46

Yes it’s clear, there are usually 4 households in our family for Christmas This year we agreed that we would see my parents and my brothers would go to their MILs so only two households mixing for all of us rather than two of us seeing our parents and one being left out.

beautyboxaddict · 15/12/2020 22:53

Clearly not my MIL (who I love dearly). Her interpretation has 13 people from 6 households as she’s counting by family not household (2 lots of separated parents but all children are over 18 so the exemptions don’t apply).

TicTacTwo · 15/12/2020 23:02

I understand but many people are hearing "free for all for 5 days" or at best "3 households per day"

BarbaraofSeville · 16/12/2020 05:15

Well what we'll probably end up doing is technically against the 3 household rules, but we're all local, no-one needs to stay overnight and our only mixing will be one gathering for a couple of hours with DM and DSis family who are a bubble, and then MIL will probably come to us for a couple of hours.

So that's the 3 households, but MIL will probably then see her other DS, which is not allowed because she's already the third household in our bubble even though she won't see them.

Same for DSis, MIL counts as the third household in our bubble with those 2 households, but DSis will probably want to see her MIL.

I'm happy with the risk from that. We'll stay apart and be mindful of hand hygiene etc. Everyone's either WFH, retired or SAHP and not going out much. Just need to stay furthest away from DSis 2 x teen DC who are obviously the weak link as at school.

OffredOfjune · 16/12/2020 05:26

There's absolutely no way of policing it though so people are obviously going to see more people than they should.

DarceyDashwood · 16/12/2020 05:44

So we will have lots of people saying what they are doing is “technically” against the rules (so against the rules then 🙄) while justifying why it’s ok in their case....

DarceyDashwood · 16/12/2020 05:46

Also people saying they are happy with the risk they are taking. Without any thought of how the risk they are happy talking will potentially impact on others a few weeks later who may not be happy or safe with increased risk levels. January and February is going to be fun!

BarbaraofSeville · 16/12/2020 05:54

@DarceyDashwood

So we will have lots of people saying what they are doing is “technically” against the rules (so against the rules then 🙄) while justifying why it’s ok in their case....
To me, the rules look like they are intended for families that travel and spend a few days all staying in the same house and if you're not going to be doing that, I don't think me spending a couple of hours with my sister on Christmas Eve and then an hour with MIL on Christmas day should stop MIL from seeing her other DS at all during the 5 day period.
joystir59 · 16/12/2020 05:56

I'm reasonably confident that the contact I have with people is safe even if not always strictly within the rules. I feel as if I'm.giving in to letting the government police my social and emotional life if I turn friends and family away to comply with the rules. As if I've given in to fear instead of trusting that we will all be ok. In July my DW died and I had thirty people attend her outdoors funeral, and most of them came back to the house and I hugged most of them. I hugged neighbours in the street who came to show respect when her hearse arrived. I completely forgot about Covid at that time
Luckily nobody got sick afterwards. Nobody got Cv19. Nobody got Cv19.

LolaSmiles · 16/12/2020 07:13

To me, the rules look like they are intended for families that travel and spend a few days all staying in the same house
The christmas rules are intended for everyone.

The christmas rules allow 3 households to meet over the christmas period and they allow for travel and overnight stays

What you're actually saying is 'I know the rules are intended for everyone but I'm going to pretend that I'm an exception or pretend that they aren't for everyone'

DarceyDashwood · 16/12/2020 07:33

No one is saying you can’t see people outside your the household bubble over Christmas. It just means you have to do it within the rules of your tier. So I will be meeting up with people not in my bubble - but we will do it sitting in the garden socially distanced chatting with the fire pit lit, hot drinks etc etc. And this includes family. We will also be doing some outdoor present opening/walks with turkey sandwiches and flasks etc.

But some people think the rules don’t matter/apply to them and nothing that can be said will change that. And people with low risk levels are lucky. I have a CEV close family member and the longer this nightmare goes on the longer it will be until I can spend proper time with them. So that’s my POV- others are in different situations and therefore different presepeftoves and behaviours. and that’s probably not going to change until the pandemic is over.

lubeybooby · 16/12/2020 07:38

I didn't understand til seeing your post, but thankfully our household isn't seeing any other households anyway (and hasn't done for ages and won't do for ages) so no harm done here