Page 17 | Christmas IS going to be cancelled - last minute.

Elephant4 · 2020-12-18T23:35:51+00:00

Isn't it? [[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/18/boris-johnson-calls-crisis-meeting-to-discuss-response-to-new-covid-strain]] They're panicking now.

bornatXmastobequiet · 19/12/2020 10:30

When Christmas was cancelled (short and easy)
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02dxh25

Also The Long View - really forcing the comparison between then and now, not always successfully, but a good listen nonetheless
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000pxnz

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 19/12/2020 10:32

Around here I see so much non-compliance - people not wearing face masks in shops, people wearing masks under their noses - and nobody ever says anything. Though I did for the first time ever the other day - to a woman on the bus who was wearing a face mask on her chin and jabbering 19 to the dozen to her friend.
The response - ‘Oh, I know, but I can’t, it steams up my glasses.’ 🤬

Not to mention the mass of people who seem never to have heard of social distancing.
It’s just too easy to blame an already largely-hated government.

For comparison, where we have signs outside shops saying, ‘Please wear a face covering’ - typically wet and ‘polite’ - in France it’s much more likely to be, ‘Masks obligatory.’

As for comparing us to countries that are either much more isolated, or have a much more thinly spread population - or where people are generally much more obedient as regards rules/genuinely afraid of consequences if they don’t comply (those often go together) - please just stop comparing grapes to pineapples!

81Byerley · 19/12/2020 10:33

Why on earth people haven't used their own common sense and decided to forgo visits to and from relatives, I don't know. Coming from an Army family, our Christmases were always spent away from extended family, and when I married and had children we continued to spend Christmas day at home, just us. When I was with my 2nd partner, we invited his 16 year old daughter to stay, and she phoned her Mum and said "Mum, I wish you could be here to see Christmas at 81's house. It's magical, like Christmas in a film or a book". Now it's just me and my second husband, and it's still just as lovely, and just as special. Oh - and the year I spent Christmas Day alone, (I turned down invitations) was different, but still lovely. I watched crap Christmas films, ate very delicious food when I wanted, and had a very restful easy day. I enjoyed it, and didn't envy the families in my street of terraced houses, which included one family fight which spilled out onto the street!

Chloemol · 19/12/2020 10:34

I hope it gets announced this weekend, I also think we need a full lockdown. We now have Wales and NI doing this as well as Italy Germany and Holland

Figures are rising everywhere in Europe, we need to do something short and sharp and Nows the opportunity with a two week holiday for schools plus the weeks delay for secondary’s. We are in T3 now, cases here are still rising.

Rosehip10 · 19/12/2020 10:35

@PimlicoJo Maybe depends on job/area then? My grandfather (Dundee) did have Christmas day off (in "industry" but was a clerk/accountant)

Frostythesnowwoman · 19/12/2020 10:37

@81Byerley

Why on earth people haven't used their own common sense and decided to forgo visits to and from relatives, I don't know. Coming from an Army family, our Christmases were always spent away from extended family, and when I married and had children we continued to spend Christmas day at home, just us. When I was with my 2nd partner, we invited his 16 year old daughter to stay, and she phoned her Mum and said "Mum, I wish you could be here to see Christmas at 81's house. It's magical, like Christmas in a film or a book". Now it's just me and my second husband, and it's still just as lovely, and just as special. Oh - and the year I spent Christmas Day alone, (I turned down invitations) was different, but still lovely. I watched crap Christmas films, ate very delicious food when I wanted, and had a very restful easy day. I enjoyed it, and didn't envy the families in my street of terraced houses, which included one family fight which spilled out onto the street!

Well I don’t think people using their common sense is the point really. The government has the national picture, the scientific advice etc - they should have said Christmas relaxations were contingent on infection rates (the Welsh first minister said this on the radio recently).

People may have lonely relatives desperate to see them, they may just have mutually agreed plans that feel hard to change without rules in place. It’s not just a question of ‘common sense’.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 19/12/2020 10:39

It should be.

Furrybootsyecomfy · 19/12/2020 10:44

Maybe I’m being a bit thick. Although people might be going to see family, social contact will be reduced for a lot of people as they won’t be going to work, school, uni etc? Or am I missing something?

ineedaholidaynow · 19/12/2020 10:44

Surely in a pandemic people don't have to be told by the Government that mixing households is not a good idea. We have known from quite early on that being in the same small room as someone else is one of the riskiest things to do in respect of transmission of the virus. And that unless you are isolating for the rest of time you then risk passing it on to others not in your household

VanGoghsDog · 19/12/2020 10:44

@Kjc39

This new strain is massively over hyped. Viruses evolve all the time. It’s very unlikely to be more harmful. They don’t work that way. More likely to become less harmful

Noone has said it is "more harmful". More contagious is how they have described it.

dottiedaisee · 19/12/2020 10:46

Yes I hope they announce today...it takes away the stress of wanting to stop visitors and people can say it’s now the guidelines. Unfortunately there are too many people who are not capable of using their common sense or they are under pressure from their families. Luckily we as a family had already made our decision! People need to ok at the bigger picture and not just a specific day !

Leftrightatthelights · 19/12/2020 10:50

My mum and Dad (early 70’s) are insistent that we come and visit. They have been really quite depressed at not seeing their young grandchildren and have weighed up how many years they have left versus the risk. Of course we’re self-isolating since school finished yesterday but it’s still worrying.

greenlentilandturmeric · 19/12/2020 10:51

@dottiedaisee

Yes I hope they announce today...it takes away the stress of wanting to stop visitors and people can say it’s now the guidelines. Unfortunately there are too many people who are not capable of using their common sense or they are under pressure from their families. Luckily we as a family had already made our decision! People need to ok at the bigger picture and not just a specific day !

yes I hope for a decision too.

Under pressure here from families. I could do with something decisive.

treening · 19/12/2020 10:52

If people have booked to go away they won't get refunded if it is guidelines and not the law. Therefore many of them will go anyway.

Rosehip10 · 19/12/2020 10:54

Most trains and flights out of London are fully booked for xmas travel - unless the Government order transport companies not to run, then people will travel.

ConcernedAuntie · 19/12/2020 10:55

@ineedaholidaynow

Surely in a pandemic people don't have to be told by the Government that mixing households is not a good idea. We have known from quite early on that being in the same small room as someone else is one of the riskiest things to do in respect of transmission of the virus. And that unless you are isolating for the rest of time you then risk passing it on to others not in your household

I wish we could like posts. I also don't understand why people don't understand! All the risks about mixing too closely have been known since the beginning of all this. We decided back in September that we were not going to travel to family for Christmas and we have only seem them three times this year. The scientists always said it would get worse again in Autumn/Winter.

I understand that a lot of people are despereate to see family and are isolating beforehand to make it all as safe as possible. But, there are too many people, if you can believe what you read on here, that will do what they want to do regardless of the risks. Everyone I know is just going to stop at home.

TibetanTerrier · 19/12/2020 10:57

@HeddaGarbled

It’s not “just for a bit of turkey”. It’s leaving “elderly relatives” on their own over Christmas when they’ve been on their own all year and have been looking forward to this. They might not be here next year, COVID or no COVID.

They might not be here next month if people do this.

HaHaVeryBunny · 19/12/2020 10:58

The virus has mutated now, as all viruses do, however this strain is much more easily spread with the highest rate being in the South East.
It's tough for everyone, especially those who have a terminal illness and whose last Christmas it could be.
But if they don't want the NHS be become overun with cases, due to this mutant strain, then lockdown looks like the only option.
I personally think that there should be an extra bank holiday next year, a sort of second Christmas type thing, when the full effects of the vacancie have kicked in.

peboh · 19/12/2020 10:59

I truly don't believe the government will announce anything now. It's too late, and they made it clear the other day the mixing of households was still going ahead.

inappropriateraspberry · 19/12/2020 10:59

I think it'll be left as is for now, with a lockdown in the new year.

wildraisins · 19/12/2020 11:02

They won't bring in further Christmas restrictions at this point

shinynewapple2020 · 19/12/2020 11:02

@HeddaGarbled

It’s not “just for a bit of turkey”. It’s leaving “elderly relatives” on their own over Christmas when they’ve been on their own all year and have been looking forward to this. They might not be here next year, COVID or no COVID.

I agree @HeddaGarbled and I think a lot of people are missing this point about the elderly. For the people on this thread saying they have already isolated for two weeks so they can see family members then there shouldn't be any risk . I don't know if others has this in their area but we can book Covid tests here (tier 3) for people without symptoms so that would give a peace of mind as well .

peboh · 19/12/2020 11:02

@inappropriateraspberry

I think it'll be left as is for now, with a lockdown in the new year.

I totally agree with this. Allowing people to mix will give them a bit of good faith in our government (it won't, but I believe that's the thought process) which will allow for an easier time when announcing a lockdown in the new year.

AmaryllisNightAndDay · 19/12/2020 11:04

Christmas is way beyond a minority religious festival.

Minority vs. majority is not the issue because if a minority group can suck it up then so can a majority group. People who celebrate Christmas are not more psychologically vulnerable than people who celebrate Eid or Passover.

And religion is not the issue either. It's culture tradition and especially family. What is being cancelled are all the traditional family get-togethers.

And fed up of people comparing it to Eid. We are not a Muslim country. Eid is not a national celebration of the U.K. Christmas is.

That makes no difference except to the number of voters getting upset.

AmaryllisNightAndDay · 19/12/2020 11:06

And fed up of people comparing it to Eid. We are not a Muslim country. Eid is not a national celebration of the U.K. Christmas is.

Or (obviously) that it's even more important to restrict Christmas because otherwise even more people will be mixing than would have mixed at Eid.