Breaking News - Press conference

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I almost can’t stand it. What the hell will they be announcing now?

@Elfieishere if you’re entitled to do that, then we all are. What would happen if we all ignore the rules? We would be killing people. It’s as simple as that.

@yeOldeTrout I'm a Londoner & don't need to travel to see family. We have all been self isolating & not in contact with anyone & wfh as we wanted to be careful.

@feellikeanalien

If Boris cancels travelling at Christmas he can come round to my house and deal with my DD. I have already had her in tears because she thought she would not be able to go to my Dsis for Christmas.

She has SN and has lost both grandparents and her Dad in the last year. I fucking hate Boris. If he had decided to ban Christmas visits then this should already have been done.

I thought I'd been coping quite well with having been in Tier 3 for ever but over the last few days all this Christmas crap has started to make me feel really down. What is the point of anything ? We'll travel to see my sister and her family. We won't stop on the way and we won't see anyone else while we're there.

I need some adult conversation, I need to feel that there is something to look forward to. I am sick of all this gloom and doom and all these self-righteous people who will be spending a quiet Christmas with their lovely little families telling me to suck it up.

Even the vaccine sounds like it is going to be a cock up so life will not go back to anything like normal for a very long time. There is bound to be another lock down after Christmas.

I know I'll get told I'm being selfish but you know what I don't really care any more.

You are not selfish at all and I am so sorry for your loss, your poor DD. I hate Boris too, fuck him, take your daughter and have a lovely Christmas, you have been through enough.

Dd just nipped to the shops for me and says it's absolute Armageddon out there. Clearly people think there's another lockdown coming

@donquixotedelamancha Thank fuck we dodged that bullet. I felt like crying and you made me laugh. Thank you, nice to know I can still laugh.

One of my relatives died from Covid & I know if my Aunt has to spend her first Christmas alone she will be incredibly upset.

@Puzzledandpissedoff the lack of police either because of those self-isolating and mainly because of cuts in numbers (in London by Boris Johnson when Mayor) makes enforcement very difficult. Which is why something simple such as closing non-essential shops is done, as it is almost self enforcing.

@RosePetalss thank you for your kind words. I am very sorry for your loss and that you didn't get to say goodbye.

Interestingly the members of our family who had previously disregarded lots of the rules have now changed their Christmas plans having seen (on zoom) how unwell DH is- it has bought home the reality of the situation.

I'm sad for other families who will reach that realisation the hard way too.

@Rhine - Again, couldn’t care less what you think. Let’s be honest, the NHS wouldn’t refuse me treatment because I went to see my family over Xmas.

Shall we start refusing lung cancer patients treatment because they have smoked their whole life too

Elfie does your relative who is not expecting to survive the year need ongoing healthcare for a non covid problem? Or will they need end of life care?

That's the point I'm trying to make-they may struggle to get care if people spread covid. The two things are sides of the same NHS coin?

@GrumpySausage

There wasn't all this hoo-ha when rates in the north of England were up in the 400s and more. Our rates are really low now, but because London's rates have gone up we're all expected to panic. Glad I'm not the only one who was pissed off at this. When Andy Burnham was stamping his feet demanding more support he was pretty much told to shut up and go away, there is no money in the pot, there's a pandemic on. London gets closed down and all those little businesses need support, you know... 

Gosh how true this is. I was furious at the press conference last week when they announced London and SE in tier 3. Where was all this hand wringing and woe is me when it happened up north? The media couldn't have cared less. Andy Burnham may have been doing it but the media made him seems like a over zealous idiot who was being awkward for the sake of it. Now its London, apparently its a financial travesty.

It made us who have stuck to the rules and done their bloody best in the North look like we hadn't given a damn this whole time whilst London have just been unlucky and its not their fault there is a new strain. The hypocrisy is astounding.

Yep

Especially It made us who have stuck to the rules and done their bloody best in the North look like we hadn't given a damn this whole time whilst London have just been unlucky and its not their fault there is a new strain. The hypocrisy is astounding

I am in the South East, at the moment tier 2 but this apparent new strain is creeping along the coast in my direction.

It seems to me that the message from central government is that in the North people got what they deserve "because they can't be trusted to behave" whilst in the South "it can't be helped because its a new strain" Even if there is a new strain that is more highly transmissible I would draw attention to the fact that this new strain started in a specific region in Kent that is less garden of England and more concrete back yard.

Have the other devolved administrations announced press conferences? If they haven't perhaps the English announcement will be in line with Scotland or Wales?

Oh and I was very unwell when I had suspected covid back in March. Another reason I'll be following rules if they are upped regardless of the fact o don't want to. I'm a healthy 40yo. Was 39 then.

"travelling wasnt enforced in the first lockdown and they wont be able to do it this time"

... Except all the times when travel ban was enforced.

Disregard of the rules should be a deal breaker for NHS treatment. Can’t follow the rules? fend for yourself.

Completely disagree, that's a dangerous precedent. Do we stop treating those who take illegal drugs? are in accidents which involve speeding? don't treat prisoners?

I felt like crying and you made me laugh. Thank you, nice to know I can still laugh.

Honestly, I think to laugh is all we can do these days.

Chin up, by summer things will be much improved.

[quote Wrecktal]@Elfieishere if you’re entitled to do that, then we all are. What would happen if we all ignore the rules? We would be killing people. It’s as simple as that.[/quote]
Of course you are entitled to do what you want. Merry Christmas!

@feellikeanalien You aren't alone, I've found myself sinking the last few days. I've honestly coped well since March but it has suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. My DH is disabled, my kids are along way away, the Sainsbury delivery man chatting for a few minutes while I unload the shopping is the highlight of the week, conversation with a real human being standing in front of me. Who could have thought we'd be here.

@Elfieishere

*Goodness is that the only reason to go ahead?! What about people who cancelled birthdays, weddings, holidays? What about those with an empty space at the table of someone who will never come back because they died from Covid? Bought and paid for- what an entitled attitude!*

Iv also had 3 holidays cancelled this year and what?
And I have a family member that most likely won’t be here NEXT Christmas! What about that? Or does it only matter if someone dies of covid!

I’m entitled to see my family so I will be. I couldn’t care less if someone on the internet gets the hump about it.

"Entitled..."

Very apt.

@Matilda03

I'm guessing they'll really stress this new strain and how it now means that tier 3 areas are being put under a travel ban. Some people I know have already started their Christmas mixing so not sure they can fully cancel it.

Quick, someone phone 10 Downing Street to tell Boris that he can't cancel three-household bubbles after all because various branches of the Featherstonhaugh-Smythe family have already got together and opened the Christmas sherry.

My daughter, who lives in London, had confirmed Covid in March followed by a positive antibody blood test a few weeks later. She has just had another positive Covid test. She thought it might be a false positive and is getting another test sent to her home. But perhaps it's the new strain - and maybe you can catch Covid again?

[quote sergeilavrov]@feellikeanalien As you can tell from my post, it was written quite generally as a number of posters reflected the same thoughts. However, as you feel personally attacked, I'd point out that we use a number of different modelling techniques which we then weight to look at different scenarios. I'm sorry if you are left unsatisfied with data science. I'd be happy to engage in a discussion of these methods, and explain how they work if that is helpful for people on a different thread. My PhD is in a related area.

While I have lots of sympathy for those who lost out on time with elderly or already ill relatives, your logic could extend to those whose family members would have experienced a death as a result of an accident which then didn't occur due to lockdown. Ultimately, 66,500+ people have died of COVID this year in the UK. Governments and advisors design policies that are general, not specific to your situation - as it should be.

Christmas in countries that locked down fast and hard are having a normal Christmas this year: perhaps following the rules isn't such a bad idea.[/quote]
@sergeilavrov I have been following the rules since March. I am fully aware that government cannot tailor its' policy to individual needs. As things stand at the moment I will not be breaking any rules by seeing my sister and her family at Christmas.

To have the carrot dangled in front of you and then snatched away at the last moment is the last straw as far as I am concerned. I am allowed to express my frustration. 2020 has been the worst year of my life but hey I'm not allowed to moan about it. I must spend my time thinking of others.

I'm out of here now. It's one year today since my DMum died and I am probably being over emotional so I think it's probably best to step away.

the lack of police either because of those self-isolating and mainly because of cuts in numbers (in London by Boris Johnson when Mayor) makes enforcement very difficult.

Even without cuts & covid we don't have enough police

@DailyPotion

I'm inclined to think it's more likely to be good news than bad, plus a request to not blow it now.

They won't change the Christmas rules now There'd be no point, plans are set and no PM in a democracy would risk the unpopularity for likely very little gain . They can't close transport, they'd effectively close the hospitals.

Yes because they are going to go to the bother of a press conference to give us Good news.

I would live to be proved wrong

@VaTeLaverLesMains

Elfie does your relative who is not expecting to survive the year need ongoing healthcare for a non covid problem? Or will they need end of life care?

That's the point I'm trying to make-they may struggle to get care if people spread covid. The two things are sides of the same NHS coin?

Not currently, we are getting no help from the NHS. All family are providing the care at the moment on a rota so that’s your theory screwed.