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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:

SnowySheep · 16/12/2020 07:45

I think it's clear and being deliberately misinterpreted/bent by some.

However, in my area, with it's rapidly rising numbers, I now know more people who have decided not to bother than who are planning to see too many.

AlwaysLatte · 16/12/2020 07:46

I think the rule is perfectly easy to understand, but certain variants of this rule are difficult to work out. Our situation is difficult:
I provide daily support to my Dad, who lives with my brother but is alone during the day while he is at work.
I provide support to my mum, who also lives alone.
My brother has a son who goes backwards and forwards between my brothers house and his mum's.
So technically the bubbles and rules are adhered to (we follow all the guidelines) but it's quite a tricky situation,

AlwaysLatte · 16/12/2020 07:50

Certain variants of the personal situation I meant, rather than variants of the rule before someone jumps in!

knittingaddict · 16/12/2020 08:08

@Figgygal

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

This sums it up nicely.

We will be two households meeting for 48 hours from Christmas eve to Boxing day. That's it.

ConspiracyFamily · 16/12/2020 08:09

I thought all other support bubbles were suspended over Christmas. So if person A is currently in a bubble with person B, that bubble is suspended over Christmas. A&B can't then meet with households C & D over Christmas as that would make it 4 households?

Werk · 16/12/2020 08:10

I am finding my friends and family are dividing into two camps - those that are "technically" breaking the rules (because they have deemed them not to apply to their situation) and those that are staying away from their friends and family anyway. I don't think I know anyone who is rigidly sticking to the three households rule.

We are in a support bubble with my MIL and are sticking with that only. We will see other family outside - tier 3 in London means we will now see my mum to swap Christmas presents in the park rather than her garden this weekend.

It will be interesting to see what happens come January and whether this will turn into a super spreader event - I suspect it won't as many people have decided not to risk it which will counter balance those who have. Plus schools are off for two weeks....

Werk · 16/12/2020 08:11

@ConspiracyFamily support bubbles remain and are counted as one household.

Werk · 16/12/2020 08:12

I have a couple of single parent friends who have bubbled with other families - technically they could all bubble together for Christmas and there would be almost 30 of them!

ConspiracyFamily · 16/12/2020 08:14

@Werk ooh okay my mistake. Have just found the actual guidance on it. Thanks! The news reported it as all previous bubbles cancelled. Unless they were referring to extended household bubbles but as usual with the media didn't bother clarifying.

beela · 16/12/2020 08:16

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.

Classic.

The rules apply to everyone. The more people you see, the more likely you are to spread the virus, whether you live locally to each other or not. Its not a difficult concept.

PattyPan · 16/12/2020 08:17

I understand it but I don’t think it works for the majority of people in practice. We are seeing my parents and DP’s parents and I’m not asking them if they are seeing anyone else. Unless your bubble is your two single adult children or your parents and ILs are best friends it’s very difficult to close the bubble.

EasterIssland · 16/12/2020 08:19

It’s always been clear but who doesn’t want to follow the rules won’t follow them no matter how many times you explain it

However , with experts even asking us not to mix with others as mixing even the 3 rule household will bring the deaths up ... people should stay at home with the ones the live and not see anyone else indoors (I do accept exceptions in some cases). Can’t wait til January when this all goes crap and people will be moaning cuz the numbers have gone up again and the annoying government is closing us again.

EnPoinsettia · 16/12/2020 08:20

It’s clear. The he rest is denial, wishful thinking and contortionism.

I understand in the first day or two it was announced. people taking a moment to get to grips with it, maybe needing to hear again. But not now.

Lemons1571 · 16/12/2020 08:23

[quote ConspiracyFamily]@Werk ooh okay my mistake. Have just found the actual guidance on it. Thanks! The news reported it as all previous bubbles cancelled. Unless they were referring to extended household bubbles but as usual with the media didn't bother clarifying.[/quote]
It’s the tier rules on social distancing and people mixing that are suspended for 5 days.

Only the tier rules on people mixing in homes are suspended though. The tier rules remain in place for hospitality. So the 3 households can meet in a home but can’t go to the pub.

Clear as mud!

AlexaShutUp · 16/12/2020 08:25

I think it's clear but I also think most people are ignoring the rules and making their own judgements. Nobody trusts the government as it hasn't exactly covered itself in glory through this crisis.

I guess my family is "ignoring" the guidance too, as we have done our own risk assessment and concluded that it would be totally irresponsible to meet up at Christmas. Others are doing their own assessment and concluding that it's fine to do whatever they like. Of course, there is a difference in that our position will be within the law and others will be breaking it, but the reality is still that none of us has any faith in what the government is telling us.

StylishMummy · 16/12/2020 08:25

I know the rules, but we're not abiding by them. Quite honestly - we have one vulnerable person in our family who's said they would rather die than have Christmas alone to 'protect them' - so full family Christmas it is.

We're all having tests before the day (community testing) and isolating after the tests, but 7 households here (each a single person household). I'm not even a little bit sorry.

SnowySheep · 16/12/2020 08:25

@Werk

I have a couple of single parent friends who have bubbled with other families - technically they could all bubble together for Christmas and there would be almost 30 of them!

They must be very large single parent families then. The bubbles should only have been 2 adults, so max 6 adults plus children associated children. They've got an average of 4 children each?

Thirtyrock39 · 16/12/2020 08:29

People definitely don't follow the exclusive bubbles. Throughout this year I've known so many people claim to be in multiple bubbles acting surprised when I say that a bubble is only a bubble if exclusive . Possibly those with kids at school realise school bubbles immediately burst due to siblings, teachers family's etc and use this as a bit of an excuse

UghNotThisAgain36 · 16/12/2020 08:31

It doesn't matter what the guidelines say, people will do whatever they please because the think they have special, more pressing reasons to ignore/misinterpret the rules. It seems silly to take the risk with the vaccine now being given. We'll see a huge drive in the governments 'just because you can, doesn't mean you should' crap too.

I will judge them as I live in the highest area of infection in the south east. I'm seeing none of my family indoors over Christmas except my children and DP. If I can manage that, they can too.

It also makes me wonder who actually IS self isolating (i.e. not letting their teens out to gather in groups, not Christmas shopping in shops etc) in order to see vunerable relatives.

halcyondays · 16/12/2020 08:34

@LolaSmiles

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'

Well Robert Jenrick did say people should use their own judgment. I think people travelling across the country and stay for several days crammed in together is a disaster waiting to happen. Most people are not going to sit all day with the windows open in December and the government know this. It’s actually safer to call in and have brief visits with a couple of households even if not on the designated days, e.g a cup of coffee sitting on opposite sofas rather than sitting around a table close together. Also known as breaking the rules in a limited and specific way.

halcyondays · 16/12/2020 08:38

@ConspiracyFamily

I think you’re only allowed one existing bubble within the Christmas bubble. So max of four households. In NI you can bubble with any other household, not just a person who lives on their own, so the gatherings could be bigger than elsewhere.

Werk · 16/12/2020 08:38

@SnowySheep the single parents have bubbled with two parent families - so, for example, each have 3 children = 9 people x3

Then there are children that are allowed to go between their separated parents too.

greenlynx · 16/12/2020 08:41

The rules are clear. As some PPs pointed out - people just don’t want to follow them so pretend not to understand.
We are spending Xmas at home, 3 of us. We usually have friends over between Xmas and New year but won’t this time. Many people I know are doing the same: they are not having any guests, only if they are in support bubble, and exchanging gifts outside.

Werk · 16/12/2020 08:42

Anyone else think that the government should have kept the rules the same over Christmas? I assume those who are going to break these rules would have done so regardless?
We decided back in October that we were going to stay within our support bubble group (family of 4 plus single MIL); when the new rules came out we did consider it but then, weighing up the risks, we decided against it. Has anyone changed their mind about meeting up because of the government rules?

InTheLongGrass · 16/12/2020 08:49

And some people are understanding them, and know there is now way to monitor who you have seen (until you get covid transmission) and so will do what they want.

Personally, I just want to see my parents. Thsts it. Me and 2 kids meeting up with my 2 parents, they we will come back to DH for the 25th. No further mixing of either household. Thankfully that means if bubble sizes are dropped to 2, we will be pl, but if they change the days, were screwed.

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