Christmas IS going to be cancelled - last minute.

[Elephant4]

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.

@TragedyHands

Eh? It's never been cancelled before, for any reason.

Well not since Oliver Cromwell. Let's hope there won't be riots again.

A new strain? Yeah right, more like every one in the country knows London should never have been put in Tier 2 to begin with, so now to cover their arses for making a huge mistake, a new strain in London justifies them being put in Tier 3.

@ChristmasCookies

They can cancel other religious festivals the night before and expect those people to abide by the ‘rules’

But this ‘religious’ festival they cant cancel....
Bullocks!!!!

Cancelling the birth of Jesus? Good luck with that sheep

@MercyBooth

"They can cancel other religious festivals the night before and expect those people to abide by the ‘rules"

Yes thats what they did to Eid

With Christmas it was said that the Nov lockdown was to enable families to see each other at Christmas. 23 Nov they said restrictions would be lifted
THEN weeks of guilt tripping and emotional blackmail.

NOW the last minute cancellation so actually more than what happened with Eid.

Funny how quickly the thread about Tobias Ellwood bit the dust and yet posters are so concerned about the virus spreading when families of 4 to 6 meet but not parties of 27

Very VERY suss.

Exactly, so sick of all this bull shit, god help any of the Government if the press get hold of any of them breaching Christmas lockdown rules

Nice for some. You do realise there are thousands upon thousands of people who aren't classed as 'single' households because it's too expensive to rent a flat alone, yet live with people they never see or cannot stand? I spent the first lockdown genuinely not seeing a soul and became suicidal for the first time in my life. Making people in our situation spend Chrismas alone with our 'household' is cruelty.

And for the record - I'd only be going back home to parents. No plans to see any elderly relatives or anyone beyond my parents and brother (which are one household.)

[quote BlueSkies2020]@firthy85 tell that to the staff at Addenbrookes hospital (one of our best hospitals) who have covid outbreaks on their wards tonight and a 30 hour wait for a bed in ED

The NHS is at tipping point right now.... I think it’s real enough[/quote]
Tell that to The Tory Government who have cut the NHS to tipping point over the last 10 years, 30 hour wait is high but let's be honest it's in all hospitals and has been this way for years, didn't hear anyone protecting us all then before this? And I'm a A&E nurse, and I know they have cut us to the bone. Instead of ranting to posters, take shots at the Government who put us in this position.

@Jourdain11

People have to be able to take responsibility for themselves and the risks they take. If they judge it to be necessary, low-risk, or worth the risk, fine. If not, they don't do it. That's all! I wish people didn't have this desperation to be told what they're allowed to do. I wish everyone would quit with the guilt-tripping. Personal responsibility... risk assessment... it used to be fine for medically vulnerable people and during bad flu seasons, so why not now?

@Jourdain11 but only if they are going to completely self isolate after mixing otherwise they are risking other peoples’ lives.

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@Scarby9 I am assuming your brother and SIL would have to stop somewhere en route with a six hour car journey so they can't be totally isolating.[/quote]
Dominic Cummings did not stop on his journey to my end of the woods, so your assumptions are wrong. Nit picking so boring

We will still go to my mum and dad’s regardless but they are our childcare bubble - there won’t be any difference to us going round on 25th December, like they will be on 4th Jan when I’m back at work and kids have a teacher training day at school.

@Jourdain11

People have to be able to take responsibility for themselves and the risks they take. If they judge it to be necessary, low-risk, or worth the risk, fine. If not, they don't do it. That's all! I wish people didn't have this desperation to be told what they're allowed to do. I wish everyone would quit with the guilt-tripping. Personal responsibility... risk assessment... it used to be fine for medically vulnerable people and during bad flu seasons, so why not now?

I honestly think this too but then I remember people on the whole are fairly rubbish at risk avoiding behaviour, especially when it puts them out a bit.

People eat that second bit of cake, drink, use toxic chemicals to clean their houses, sit more than exercise, drive over the speed limit etc etc. Even though we know they are dangerous for health and drink and obesity are major strains on the NHS.

Also annoyed at the hyperbole. How is Christmas cancelled? Most people will be off work, have presents and Christmas food. My parents both had to work at Christmas so it wasn’t an option to have family over for Christmas lunch, pretty much my entire childhood . It’s fine, it’s still a lovely Christmas!

I have no elderly relatives, no kids in school, I am on mat leave so I dont see people in work, my DH works outside alone, my MIL doesnt work and my FIL works alone outdoors.

I am going to be punished in January with lockdown anyway, no matter if I stay at home or go to my inlaws. If you think I am staying at home following rules that are designed to stop those with school kids or elderly relatives seeing each other, you are sorely mistaken. I have a brain in my head. I see nobody. I go nowhere. I am seeing my inlaws for Christmas and for once this year someone will cook dinner for us and hold my 5 week old while I eat undisturbed.

Not to mention my cooker has just clapped out. I refuse to eat a microwave Christmas meal after this shit that was this year.

I’m a bit worried about this new strain.

They’ll never contain it. They couldn’t contain the first strain and this one is more transmissible. It will have left Kent/London already.

I know they say the vaccine will still help but they have to redo the flu vaccine every year for each strain so it makes sense that actually they need a new vaccine for this.

Looking at the graphs, we are close to "we need a circuit breaker now" stages and then we had a lockdown in Nov.

They want the Xmas economy first.

I'm a church going Christian who loves hosting big family Christmases. I've already made the decision that even though our church plans on being open I won't be attending mass on Christmas day this year. It doesn't feel safe to me. I have committed to having my ILs over on Christmas Day because they are elderly and want to come but again, it doesn't feel safe to me. I would be delighted if the government said that we should only celebrate Christmas as one household. I would still cook for them and leave it round to them all boxed up and ready to reheat but without the worry of trying to socially distance in our small home.

@MercyBooth

Selfless? Before last Decembers election when there was that little boy lying on the floor in a hospital waiting room ppl still voted this lot in. And made all sorts of excuses for it. Berated the mother of the boy for drawing attention to it. Selfless my arse. Not many cared until something came along that could affect THEM

Well said, the NHS under this Government hands down horrific, and I have worked under both party's, A&E has been like this for years.

No, Boris is a calculating arse.

He has said people can, but shouldn't. He knows full well lots will because let's not forget the first Lockdown way back in March was trumpeted as 3 weeks to flatten the curve and went on for months and months. People have had enough and Christmas is sacrosanct in the UK.
The economy is tanking, hence even in tier 3 non- essential shops are open.
The police wouldn't be able to cope with people ignoring rules, in fact in our area they've been inept and ignorant of flouters throughout.
It's also handy for Boris because January is when other seasonal illness will hit. That way, when we get a repeat of pre-covid December 2018 and 19 and viral images of children treated on hospital floors and old people being left to die on trollies in a corridor, he can blame covid this time rather than a decade of chronic under funding and the desperate need to encourage more people to train as staff.

I don’t get why everyone is waiting for the government to make a decision. We all know the situation. Just don’t mix with other people. Simple.

Or is everyone just waiting for some rule or declaration, rather than a “guideline” so they can blame “them” when their nearest and dearest get Covid in January, because it wasn’t against the rules to gather together.

So we can probably look forward to Boris on his podium this evening about virus variant and not travelling, Boris on his podium on Monday (possible no deal Brexit, maybe a different slogan) and Boris on his podium on Tuesday with final 'no Christmas' push and lockdown after Christmas. Oh joy

Totally agree about the offending people. There has already been so many awkward discussions and at the moment we end up looking overdramatic for trying to keep our family safe. I hope they make a decision today. I don't think it should come as a shock to anyone- the cases have been rising for a while. I have been handing out presents whenever I can 'just in case we go into lockdown.'

I live in the SE. My family are in the SW

We have all been living very isolated lives so we can see each other safely for the three days over Xmas

I haven't seen my family since the summer. I'll be devastated if I can't go.

I have canned our Christmas plans. I have followed the rules all year but also bent them a bit on occasion. I am actually more concerned about Covid now than I have been all year. We had a Covid death in our family, 2 others in the hospital, others sick at home, and others positive but asymptomatic. I know others outside my family who are suffering from long Covid. Despite this, I have followed the rules but also bent them to suit me.

The clanger for me though now is that my elderly dad went along for the vaccine early this week and was turned down as he has a food allergy. He was devastated as he has been so through much and now this blow.
He can't have this vaccine. This just made me realise that this bastard thing isn't going anywhere soon. Also, last week my eldest's year had quite an outbreak and this just showed me that the school isn't going to hold this off for much longer. I have to protect my own family so I have canned it. We will have a lovely day on our own. I have done it before and it is actually possible to have Christmas with your own nuclear family and enjoy it.

We all have a responsibility to trim Christmas back as far as we can.

@RedRiverShore

So we can probably look forward to Boris on his podium this evening about virus variant and not travelling, Boris on his podium on Monday (possible no deal Brexit, maybe a different slogan) and Boris on his podium on Tuesday with final 'no Christmas' push and lockdown after Christmas. Oh joy

That's a good enough reason to keep the TV off today then.

@HeddaGarbled

People won’t comply and it’s not policeable.

I think some people, hopefully many people, will change their plans.

Things are changing fast, what was OK a few weeks ago is unwise now. Just look at the phe daily dashboard, parts of South Wales and the South East are lit up like a Christmas tree 🎄

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map

Talk about people assessing their own risk, I know if the truly wanted too be careful, people could.
True story this, I worked the Millennium Nightshift in A&E, we had anticipated it to be horrendous and had a lot of extra staff in....... we had not 1 patient in at all.