This is how it spreads...

[Silversun83]

DH's brother currently living with PIL after recently splitting up from his girlfriend. The two DC visit and stay over multiple times in a week.

The girlfriend now has a new rebound boyfriend who also has two DC. The new rebound boyfriend is also living with his parents. His DC's mother also has two children from a previous relationship.. Who likely see their own father.

The potential chain of transmission makes my head hurt..

Our local news reported the number of fines handed out in Wolverhampton last week including someone who had travelled down from Crewe to visit a friend.
This is how bending the recommendations and advice spreads the virus.
We have bubbled with no one because I am a frontline health worker. If I bring the virus home I don’t want it to spread any further than DH or DS who don’t go out other than walking the dog. I do all the shopping.
Fortunately I’ve had the vaccine now so further protecting them.
I will be happier when DH has had the vaccine though.

I know of a very similar situation OP and yes Covid spread like wildfire between all households over Christmas culminating in 2 hospitalised. The thing was each household thought they were doing everything broadly within the rules but they just had not considered the wider risk of each individuals connections and contacts through kids and work and how that would impact even brief contacts with other households.

We're similar. Me, dh and our 2 dcs. Plus my dc live here.
My ds goes to his dad's alernate weekends.
Dsd comes at weekends to here.
We have a childcare and support bubble. As does Dsd mum
And ds father is in a bubble with his wife's daughter and her kids.

Unfortunately that's the way it is. We're not going to not see Dsd. Nor would I not allow my ds to see his dad.
All bubbles are legitimate and needed.

@Astrabees

Out far a walk this afternoon around my village. As usual not much compliance with lockdown. There are many houses with visitors cars outside and two houses with groups in the gardens. DH saw numerous people eating in the pub garden and more sitting chatting and eating packed lunches on the wall by the river. Do they not understand ? To cap it all trod in dog poo in a field the footpath crosses, counted about 5 lots there where there are notices that you can be fined. This is the type of village a lot of people want to move to.........

It doesn't sound like somewhere I'd like to move to.

People noting down their neighbours activities to post on the internet and covered in dog poo! Sounds horrible.

You're right. I'm super careful but I have a duty to care for my parents - one lives with my brother who works all day, so I have to be there during the day. Brother has a son who he has 50/50. Nephew's mother has two grown up children with babies and she has a support bubble with one of them, who works. I also have a mother needing regular support - she's also disabled. But because I look after my Dad I can only travel the 30 miles to her twice a week or so, so her neighbour pops milk etc round between the main shopping that I do for her. I'm always in and out of my parents' pharmacies and I take them both to every appointment - last week it was an appointment for each of them in one day. Life can be complicated and I wish the people spreading it about unnecessarily could save it for some of us who have no choice but to be here, there and everywhere.

@TheGreatWave

Yep, there is a never ending over lapping over contacts, and unless we all stand still and have no food, care, hospital treatment, gas, water, internet ....... it will continue

But people must stop doing things they don't NEED to do. People think because they can, it's fine - it's not.

No one NEEDS to 'pop in' to the shop several times a week

Very few couldn't reduce how many times they see people they're 'allowed' to see

Employers NEED to stop telling people they have to go into the workplace when they could WFH

Employers NEED to instruct staff to wear masks in areas where staff are together, not just customers (friend works in a petrol station, they wear masks in the forecourt & in the shop, but not behind the screen - despite there being several staff in close proximity & most of them have been off at one stage or another, either with it or isolating due to close contacts.

There are so many ways people could 'do better' without stopping essential services.

@AlwaysLatte

You must be exhausted! 💐

It would be good, if those who could reduce their contacts did. There's more than enough with people like you, doing what they need to do!! I hope your parents (&you obviously) stay well. Have they had their first injections yet?

If that makes your head hurt, imagine the scope for transmission in schools, colleges and universities!

Schools are closed now though except for key workers. I’m so glad my families contacts are non existent, we have shopping delivered. It must be so hard when have multiple blended families.

Kids have been impacted badly enough without insisting they have to pause relationships with their nearest loved ones too (ffs).

Maybe in March it was reasonable to ask non resident partners and even parents possibly to restrict contact but a year in, no. My DCs see their dad and step sibling who sees their dad and his live in girlfriend, who works in the NHS. I see my partner about once a month and we try and space it out so he can then leave it ten days or so before seeing his parents but we do actually have to get on with things. We aren't all in a neat little nuclear family and it's not reasonable to suspend all contact if you're not.

Thanks for your kind words @WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants :-)
Yes, one of the appointments last week was a Covid jab - my mum is 80. My Dad is 79 with COPD among other things so I'm hoping he'll get his soon too.