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

@doublehalo

This shit is giving me the rage. What a bunch of cunts.

Having looked at gov.co.uk there actually isn't a Tier 4. So they're just made it up in the last 5 mins. ....

Motherfuckers.

They have brought in tier 4 because it is needed. What is difficult to understand about that?

Good on Boris for having the guts to almost cancel Christmas. Should have brought in tier 4 for the whole country.

[quote Cloudhopping]@AcornAutumn my post was clearly aimed at those planning large family gatherings, not the difficult situation you describe.[/quote]
So what? So people with larger families are stupid for wanting to see them at Christmas, planning to do so within the boundaries of what is allowed, and being disappointed when the rules change?

@AldiAisleofCrap

I'm in tier 4 and so is my mum who in her 80s. I have been isolating and working from home for weeks. She has been looking forward to Christmas for weeks, and now will be all alone?

I also don't have a car so I can't go "just for the day" as there will be no transport.

So what do i do?

@BinkyBoinky are you not her support bubble?

Yes, but my mum is super strict about rules and doesn't want me to visit her too often!

@lynsey91 Nope. They happily locked the North West up nice and tight when shit was hitting the fan up here. I'm not being put back in that stranglehold again just because the South is having a shit time.

@midscram - exactly. I haven’t been anywhere (not a shop, a cafe, a restaurant) since March. We’re lucky in that I can work completely from home and DH can work 99% from home. We haven’t been anywhere with DS since March expect big open, largely empty, outdoor spaces. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t want to break the rules but I’m worried for my parents and struggling to see the difference in our particular situation between seeing them on Christmas Day only and staying overnight. I do realise they can’t make ‘bespoke’ laws to cover every situation.

Can we try and be a bit kinder to people who made plans that were presented as feasible and allowed up to today?
It might not have been your personal choice (it certainly wasn’t mine) but it was spun as something that could happen in a 5 day window for those who wanted to do it.
We’re all just doing what we can here and it’s not the fault of individuals who bought the bullshit spun by Father Chrisboris who couldn’t bear to appear unpopular until the grim reality of the changing nature of this bastard virus was presumably projected in big letters on the side of a large building for him to read.

Re their assertion that this new variant causes faster transmission. Do the positive tests distinguish between the new variants then? Or since they discovered the new variant is it the fact that cases have increased that has made them think it must be the new variant doing this? Because we have not only just come out of November lockdown, but also more people are out and about doing their Christmas shopping anyway. So it's a double whammy of mixing, and not surprising that cases would have increased anyway.

I'm in London, it is what it is and I expected it anyway.

At least all those on here who whinged and whined about London not being in Tier 3 when they "should" be, will be feeling cheerful and vindicated tonight I guess.

@catpoooffender not stupid for wanting to, but stupid for planning to.

What are the rules on 'loneliness'?

I've a family member: Man aged 71. His wife is 78. They live together.
His 'Partner' (oh yes..) whom he sees most days is 75. She lives in a houseshare. All of them live in central London.
He is proposing travelling with the 'Partner' to see her family, who live in Bolton. His wife will see her rellies in Southampton, as per usual.
This is crazy (they are all crazy!) but also against the new Rules, no?

What on earth do I say to them? They just say that the younger generation (inc Boris, Whitty etc) are 'snowflakes' and snort at me.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Re their assertion that this new variant causes faster transmission. Do the positive tests distinguish between the new variants then? Or since they discovered the new variant is it the fact that cases have increased that has made them think it must be the new variant doing this? Because we have not only just come out of November lockdown, but also more people are out and about doing their Christmas shopping anyway. So it's a double whammy of mixing, and not surprising that cases would have increased anyway.

Whitty had a slide with graphs showing what percentage of the cases in London and the south east were the new variant. So they must be able to tell.

@AldiAisleofCrap

Check your privilege

@BinkyBoinky
Yes, but my mum is super strict about rules and doesn't want me to visit her too often! it’s definitely within the rules, hopefully they will update them officially soon so she can read them.

I live in a different city from my mum and younger siblings so my only way to get there is by train....
how am i suppose to get arrive and leave on christmas day when the trains won’t be running? Unfortunately, for the sake of my mental health i’ll still be going, ive not seen my mum since August and after a rough year i’m not going to be spending christmas on my own at the age of 21 💀

@NK346f2849X127d8bca260

My ds is a uni student living in London and in our support bubble, so is he allowed back, we are tier 1

If he's still there now, then no. Whitty specifically said that if anyone was in London and packing their bag to leave the area before midnight, then they should unpack it and stay put. Sorry.

I have no sympathy for those that were planning a get together with several others even if this was family. It’s just daft

We were going to spend Christmas day with my sister and her family and raise a glass or 2 together for our parents who both died this year. for the third time this year we, as a bereaved family have been told to suck it up. No decent funerals, no wakes and now no Christmas day together as it would mean more than 2 households meeting.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Re their assertion that this new variant causes faster transmission. Do the positive tests distinguish between the new variants then? Or since they discovered the new variant is it the fact that cases have increased that has made them think it must be the new variant doing this? Because we have not only just come out of November lockdown, but also more people are out and about doing their Christmas shopping anyway. So it's a double whammy of mixing, and not surprising that cases would have increased anyway.

Yes, they do additional testing behind the scenes to track the genome of the different variants

The basic test doesn't show this, but it is additionally tested for (blood test or more specialised swab, I guess mainly hospitalised patients)

As it's a pretty important thing to know, and all countries with adequate public health do this. And it's how we know for absolutely sure you can get it twice

[quote Cloudhopping]@catpoooffender not stupid for wanting to, but stupid for planning to.[/quote]
Thanks for clarifying. Still as much of a dick comment though.

@Icdododo nothing to do with privilege no money has been lost. The poster has spent £100 on food regardless of whether her wider family eat it or not. She has not lost any money. Said poster may view it as a waste of money but she hasn’t lost any money.

@AldiAisleofCrap

I bet your sit twitching behind your curtains with the local police on speed dial

“ And it's how we know for absolutely sure you can get it twice”

If that’s the case then why have they said that they think the vaccine will work fine for this strain too?

@ActonBellI do realise they can’t make ‘bespoke’ laws to cover every situation.

That's the issue isn't it. some people could break the rules & it would be less risk than others in different areas.

[quote Cloudhopping]@AcornAutumn my post was clearly aimed at those planning large family gatherings, not the difficult situation you describe.[/quote]
Was it? So what do you think people like us should do?

My partners parents arrived in the UK last Thursday so they could see him over xmas.

Its almost a year since they saw him, they refused to speak to him for most of the year and they were just repairing their relationship. That will go to pot when we have to tell them that we will be sticking to tier 4 rules. They’ll be expecting us to break the rules despite knowing that I’m CV.

We do need to take more action, people celebrating xmas are lucky they have notice, eid had a days notice.

@trappedsincesundaymorn

I have no sympathy for those that were planning a get together with several others even if this was family. It’s just daft

We were going to spend Christmas day with my sister and her family and raise a glass or 2 together for our parents who both died this year. for the third time this year we, as a bereaved family have been told to suck it up. No decent funerals, no wakes and now no Christmas day together as it would mean more than 2 households meeting.

I'm so sorry to hear this . People forget that for many, it's not so much about celebrating Christmas, it's about getting through it. It's such an emotive time. Getting through all the firsts after a bereavement is especially hard.