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Christmas IS going to be cancelled - last minute.

726 replies

Elephant4 · 18/12/2020 23:35

Isn't it?

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/18/boris-johnson-calls-crisis-meeting-to-discuss-response-to-new-covid-strain

They're panicking now.

OP posts:
Bubblemonkey · 19/12/2020 09:51

Boris can kiss my ring Grin

Oliversmumsarmy · 19/12/2020 09:53

I'll be very surprised if we are not in lockdown in January whatever happens at Christmas. I'm expecting right restrictions in January & February at least

Which will lead to more infections and more deaths in March.

You only have to look at the facts. Lockdowns in European countries don’t work and ultimately lead to more deaths.

RedToothBrush · 19/12/2020 09:55

@DailyPotion

I don't think they'll change the Christmas rules now, although they may well advise against, I think the panic is about what happens after Christmas.
This.

They will be strict. New Year lockdown will be stricter than November one.

I am fully expecting a curfew.

Tbh i think one of the reasons people are doing stuff now is because they know theres another lockdown coming.

It was busy on the motorway yesterday. Definitely people starting to get away when they shouldn’t be.

ScrapThatThen · 19/12/2020 09:56

Time to cancel travel plans people.

AliceMadHatter · 19/12/2020 09:57

Oliversmumsarmy

I did not know this. More deaths from other things or covid? What is the alternative?

SchadenfreudePersonified · 19/12/2020 09:58

@mstumble

Yep I wish they'd cancel. Its too risky and feels wrong. My hubby thinks its fine and I'm so sick of being the bad guy.
Same in this house.

DS and DIL are coming. I felt I couldn't say "No" because DH thinks I'm over-dramatising the risks and that I would make them feel unwelcome to say "no". I also felt I didn't want them to feel unwanted so I agreed, but I am chewing myself to death worrying about it. they both work in schools which are seething hotbeds of infection.

I just want the govt to say "We've changed our minds (again) and you can't mix"

They won't starve. I'm quite happy to give them our turkey!

Calmandmeasured1 · 19/12/2020 09:59

@Cam2020

How do people not comply then?

Err, street parties for one! Sme ee VE very local lives where families and friends live close by. Oh ye of little imagination.
The report was referring to banning travel. That is what I was referring to. They don't want it to travel into other areas from where the mutated strain of the virus is rife.

I think the press have a lot to answer for during this pandemic. They constantly speculate and report it as news, then report the news then start speculating again. Their speculation hasn't always been right but has managed to rile people up against the Govt before anything has happened.

Phrases about Christmas being cancelled originated in the press. As PPs have stated, that is rubbish. Christmas occurs on 25th December here every year and will this year too. We have our tree and decorations up, have some of the food in, most presents bought, cards sent off. Most shops won't be shutting until the big day.

IF the Govt decide to ban travelling or further restrict mixing, it won't be a decision taken lightly. They don't want to stuff the economy, it isn't in their interests to do so.They don't want people to lose their jobs, their livelihoods or their lives. It's a huge weight of responsibility on them and they are trying very hard to balance our needs and wants, safety and economy of the UK. They know many people are sensible but they may have to take additional measures because of those that aren't.

RainMoon · 19/12/2020 09:59

@MercyBooth

Didnt see as much vigour against the ski trips or summer holidays.
But you know the prevalence was quite low then? Now it’s fucking scary. Do what you want/break the rules that you want but I guess you don’t know anyone I’ll/dying/having medical treatment cancelled or working for the NHS. Transmission is so much worse than the summer. And no I haven’t been on a single holiday this year
RainMoon · 19/12/2020 10:00

Christmas isn’t cancelled. It will happen if you live on your own, it will just majorly suck but there will be more people alive

Scottishskifun · 19/12/2020 10:01

I get restricting some elements of travel especially from London to the Highlands given the Highlands are extremely low and have been for a very long time and London is very high. But the Highlands Christmas get away seems popular for quite a few from the south of England. Same for London to Cornwall.

We have to travel from Scotland to the South East of England regardless as we have to go provide resbite for my MIL for 2 weeks who is currently caring for her parents (been unable to increase professional carers due to a shortage) and now my FIL who can't be left alone due to seizures which started a month ago. She simply isn't coping but has been promised more carers slots in January. We have a cottage booked to try and limit risk (we also wfh and are voluntary self isolating).

Hopefully whatever this announcement is we won't get stopped too many times!

islockdownoveryet · 19/12/2020 10:01

You can't actually cancel Christmas why do people keep saying this .
It's sensible not to see lots of people and if you want to be really careful then don't see anyone outside your household . That's not cancelling Christmas is it ?
I get those that live a distance away and have big family get togethers normally , but you can still have a nice Christmas just smaller .

EleanorRigbyWasReal · 19/12/2020 10:01

It speaks volumes that nothing is in place for New Year’s Eve. I think it’s possibly because after the “5 Days of Christmas My True Love Gave Granny Covid” debacle, the damage will be well and truly done.

RainMoon · 19/12/2020 10:03

Lockdowns don’t lead to more deaths. Hospitals having to cancel outpatients and surgeries leads to more deaths. The only reason they do this is because of more fucking coronovirus patients, who can’t wait as they are dying at the door. Jim with his chest pain review isn’t dying at the door so his outpatient review is cancelled, he then has a heart attack over night. If people didn’t mix and helped bring the infection rate down he might have got to his outpatient appointment.
Lockdowns happen when the virus is prank by so more deaths. WTF do you think would happen to the number of positive cases if they didn’t happen? Cause and effect isn’t always the way you see it

Timeturnerplease · 19/12/2020 10:04

My mum will actually lose it if they do. She has mental health issues and atm it seems that seeing our daughter (her only grandchild) is the only thing she is looking forward to. She missed out on seeing her on her second birthday due to second lockdown (we live 200 miles away).

Tbh, as much as I love her she is tricky to be around due to her bitterness over dad’s affair (30 years ago) and MH issues so we’d be fine with a quiet Christmas just the three of us, but I dread to think what Mum would do and of course our DD loves her so would be very sad. She’s been talking about Grandma non stop this week.

I absolutely appreciate the need to deal with this before it all kicks off in January - I’m a primary teacher currently under my second isolation this term due to positive case - but this last minute nonsense isn’t doing anything for the rate of compliance. If they’d just said Christmas with households/support bubbles only then yes there’d have been whining but it would have covered vulnerables and still limited mixing....

Kumquatsquash · 19/12/2020 10:04

Oooh, I hope they cancel flights! I have 5 tickets for Greece flying out on the 22nd December that had to be abandoned and I can't get them refunded unless the flights are actually cancelled.

ajandjjmum · 19/12/2020 10:05

It’s not comparable.

I know.

catgirl1976 · 19/12/2020 10:06

They should have cancelled it last week if not sooner. It's madness. But they care more about votes than lives.

We are just having a Christmas with me, DH and DS but the pressure from DP's to join them and DS, DBIL, DB and DSIL (which would be 4 house holds and against the guidance anyway) has been immense.

DSIS is so relieved she can't travel to her IL's on Boxing Day now as they didn't want the risk but whilst it was "allowed" didn't feel she could be the one to disappoint them

The government need to take responsibility instead of saying "well we won't stop you but you shouldn't really" which SO many (not all) people will take as a green light to do whatever they want.

If the DO do the right thing now and cancel a lot of people will ignore it on the basis that they've made the plans / bought the food etc.

midgebabe · 19/12/2020 10:06

Oliversmummy, the European situation shows that half arsed lockdowns don't fully suppress the virus, so growth will resume easily

Go and look at the graphs of cases and deaths over time and you can see clearly that lockdowns do work in that they reduce deaths and cases

Without lockdown, the deaths per day would have been much higher all over the summer and early autumn , that's a lot of people alive today thanks to lockdown. But the half arsed nature, and slow response when growth unticked has left us here today, with hospitals struggling , again

Go and look at the east rather than western approach and you will see how harsh early lockdowns save lives and economy

PimlicoJo · 19/12/2020 10:15

Re Scotland at Xmas - when my dad was growing up in Scotland Christmas Day was a normal working day and his father went to work. This was in the 1930s/40s.

Frostythesnowwoman · 19/12/2020 10:15

@catgirl1976

They should have cancelled it last week if not sooner. It's madness. But they care more about votes than lives.

We are just having a Christmas with me, DH and DS but the pressure from DP's to join them and DS, DBIL, DB and DSIL (which would be 4 house holds and against the guidance anyway) has been immense.

DSIS is so relieved she can't travel to her IL's on Boxing Day now as they didn't want the risk but whilst it was "allowed" didn't feel she could be the one to disappoint them

The government need to take responsibility instead of saying "well we won't stop you but you shouldn't really" which SO many (not all) people will take as a green light to do whatever they want.

If the DO do the right thing now and cancel a lot of people will ignore it on the basis that they've made the plans / bought the food etc.

This. It shouldn’t be about individual responsibility. That’s the whole point about a virus - there are no ‘personal decisions’ unless you live on a private island (probably even then!). Everything you do affects someone else.

A lot of people will do what is ‘allowed’ due to social pressure - there aren’t even individual decisions within families - we live in networks of people with differing views.

Hopefully whatever they announce today will still allow people to bubble with single people, as during lockdown.

greenlentilandturmeric · 19/12/2020 10:15

[quote IndecentFeminist]@doyouthinktheysaurus so stay at home unless you are visiting a tier 1 island with one small, underfunded hospital and an aging population?

Nah, YOU stay at home please.[/quote]
Bloody well said.

The Isle of Wight has already had people going over for massive booze ups.

The hospital has 6 - read it - 6 (SIX!!!!!!!) intensive care unit beds. An ageing population, a populaiton of approx !50,000 and is economcially deprived.

Stay away please.

greenlentilandturmeric · 19/12/2020 10:15

that was a population of approx 150,000

Medievalist · 19/12/2020 10:18

You can't actually cancel Christmas why do people keep saying this .

Why on earth do people keep feeling the need to point this out?!

The word 'cancel' is just shorthand for cancelling the relaxation in tier restrictions. Surely that's blatantly obvious?

Purplecatshopaholic · 19/12/2020 10:24

It’s always been common sense not to mix. It’s always been blindingly obvious the virus doesn’t follow rules or take days off. Why people need the government to say they can or cannot mix with x number of households is totally beyond me.

treening · 19/12/2020 10:25

I've reached my limit today. I've had enough. Can't see the point in carrying on any more. Don't feel like there will ever be any joy in life again.