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Original poster

Indoor mixing by the 17th of May? Did I hear that right?

145 replies

MargaritasAndFajitas · 22/02/2021 15:55

Just that really.

Just watching BJs statement and I was honestly shocked to hear this. I really didn't think this would be mentioned at all. I thought it would be the absolute bottom of the list!

Assuming things continue to go well, I'm personally thrilled if this does happen. I'm desperate to see my family! Both parents have been ill and they don't live close, so an outdoor meet would be impractical.

Anyway, just wanted to check I heard that correctly...

OP posts:
ThornAmongstRoses · 22/02/2021 18:11

17th of May is ages away.

I’ve seen my mom once in about 7 months. She lives alone, doesn’t go out and is finding the isolation so hard. She’s been vaccinated and so have I. I seriously doubt I’m going to wait another 3 months to see her.

Racoonworld · 22/02/2021 18:12

@ThornAmongstRoses

17th of May is ages away.

I’ve seen my mom once in about 7 months. She lives alone, doesn’t go out and is finding the isolation so hard. She’s been vaccinated and so have I. I seriously doubt I’m going to wait another 3 months to see her.

If she lives alone can’t you form a support bubble with her? Then you can see her now.
Iootraw1 · 22/02/2021 18:13

@Delatron

They’re planning on opening nightclubs in June..
This ^ For goodness sake people thinking government doing them a huge favour just to have someone outside of your household be allowed to legally come in - in three more months !!!
midgedude · 22/02/2021 18:19

Just in case things don't happen that quickly...

The dates given are the earliest possible

Don't come back as say " they changed the goal posts" if if doesn't happen then

Fingers crossed

Delatron · 22/02/2021 18:21

Just think about it. About 4 weeks after the government will ‘allow’ you to sit inside and have a cup of tea with your mum (who you may have not seen for a year) they will open all the nightclubs and hundreds of people can sweat all over each other and snog.

Do we think that makes sense?

SmidgenofaPigeon · 22/02/2021 18:21

@loostraw1

Exactly- That was my point when I said oh how we are supposed to be so grateful now for the few pathetic crumbs that have been tossed our way!

I can only think lots of the posters saying oh sit tight it’s only another three months have family and friends locally and gardens to mix in! Is it really so hard to consider that vast swathes of us with no family in our locality or gardens to face a Bbq in are going to feel pretty bloody short changed? We were meant to get to see family at Christmas- that got called off at the 11th hour and we had to cancel, yet some people were allowed to go ahead and have that depending on their tier.

southeastdweller · 22/02/2021 18:28

You heard correctly but I don't know if some others here did? It's not unlimited mixing - it's that people will be able to meet subject to the rule of six or a larger group from two individual households so better than now but a long way from normal.

Racoonworld · 22/02/2021 18:30

@southeastdweller

You heard correctly but I don't know if some others here did? It's not unlimited mixing - it's that people will be able to meet subject to the rule of six or a larger group from two individual households so better than now but a long way from normal.
Yes not normal but as you say much better than no mixing. Normality is from 21st June so not too long after.
endlesswicker · 22/02/2021 18:33

Oh well done everyone who is saying "Fuck that, I'm not waiting until May".

How selfish can you get? You really don't give a shiny shit about other people, do you? We're all in this nightmare together and you are not so special that you're above the rules.

If people don't wait until May, we will have another surge in cases and they will have to postpone relaxation of the restrictions. Then you'll have to cancel your holiday. And possibly bury some relatives, but hey ho, as long as you can do what you like and sod everyone else, that's fine.

For months now, there have been thousands of posts on MN all demanding that schools re-open because it was the most important thing, and needed to be done first. Now you're all saying that if they open the schools you don't see why you should carry on obeying any of the other restrictions either. You need your heads examined.

I despair of this country sometimes.

Delatron · 22/02/2021 18:36

10,000 fans can also meet in mid May to watch football. Hmmm.

AllMyPrettyOnes · 22/02/2021 18:38

If people don't wait until May, we will have another surge in cases and they will have to postpone relaxation of the restrictions

Are you really that naive in thinking people aren't mixing now? Really? Have the numbers skyrocketed at all? No. Stop being such a drama queen.

dreamingbohemian · 22/02/2021 18:43

[quote SmidgenofaPigeon]@loostraw1

Exactly- That was my point when I said oh how we are supposed to be so grateful now for the few pathetic crumbs that have been tossed our way!

I can only think lots of the posters saying oh sit tight it’s only another three months have family and friends locally and gardens to mix in! Is it really so hard to consider that vast swathes of us with no family in our locality or gardens to face a Bbq in are going to feel pretty bloody short changed? We were meant to get to see family at Christmas- that got called off at the 11th hour and we had to cancel, yet some people were allowed to go ahead and have that depending on their tier.[/quote]
No my family all live abroad and I haven't seen them in 18 months

No garden, live in a tiny London flat

I am desperate for things to open up, believe me, but that's exactly why I hope people will hang in there a while longer. If everyone gives up now it will be even longer until things get back to normal!

There are still several thousand people dying of covid every week. We are so close to things improving massively but we are not there yet.

lurker101 · 22/02/2021 18:47

@SmidgenofaPigeon I am also in London, and will be seeing family (only those that are within a couple of hours from me, not those that are flights away) outdoors. You could spend all day with family outdoors if you planned it in advance, particularly with the lighter evenings and warmer days-I’m thinking of something like this - meet up for a morning coffee outside and have a walk round a local park, then we’ll probably go to a pub garden or coffee shop garden/street terrace for lunch (potentially opening from 12 April I think), followed by a walk round the non-essential shops that will be open and then a farewell drink outdoors (again either pub or juice bar terrace) all within the new rules. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than where we are now, and doesn’t need a private garden, and would be a lovely day spent with family/friends whilst remaining within the rules (as I’m not aware of a time limit being imposed on socialisation).

SmidgenofaPigeon · 22/02/2021 18:54

@lurker101 yes, sounds like a plan. Hopefully loos will be open! I’m pregnant and don’t fancy walking round all day holding my bladder 😂 only concern is if train travel for that reason will be permitted.

KingAlex · 22/02/2021 18:56

@Delatron

10,000 fans can also meet in mid May to watch football. Hmmm.
Come April I'll be able to sit in a jacuzzi at the gym with several strangers, but can't have my parents in my house?!

Just stop it now.

You do realise that some of the people we are waiting to see will die before May? That those meetings will never happen? And I say that as someone who is going to their grandad's funeral this week and never got to say goodbye.

year5teacher · 22/02/2021 18:57

I’m just over the moon to have outdoor mixing before my birthday as last year was spent in lockdown and I would have told people not to mark it in any way if we were in lockdown for it again because I’m dramatic Grin
I haven’t seen my parents indoors since last March.

ThornAmongstRoses · 22/02/2021 19:00

Come April I'll be able to sit in a jacuzzi at the gym with several strangers, but can't have my parents in my house?! Just stop it now.

The country has gone crazy if anyone actually thinks this is something we should be accepting of.

lurker101 · 22/02/2021 19:02

@SmidgenofaPigeon not sure whereabouts in London you’re based, but the toilets in the royal parks have been open for months, and those in large stations are also open. We used them yesterday if it helps 😊

SmidgenofaPigeon · 22/02/2021 19:04

Yes @lurker101 I’m west London so have definitely been relieved to have royal park loos!!! Didn’t have that last time. I was more thinking about if I travel to see family, will have to go via train, and hopefully facilities to use there as it’s a bit rural.

Delatron · 22/02/2021 19:06

I don’t really understand why people are blindly accepting this. It’s all based on economic decisions.

That’s why you can go to the hairdressers, gyms etc but you can’t see family indoors. No economic benefit so it’s bottom of the list.

Me seeing my vaccinated parents is less of a risk than me sitting in a sauna with 5 randoms.

Again we’ve lost the critical thinking here.

notalwaysalondoner · 22/02/2021 19:21

God I hope so as that's when my NCT classes start and I'm just desperate for them to be in person...

dreamingbohemian · 22/02/2021 19:23

My critical thinking is fine, thanks

It absolutely makes sense to open up in stages and see how things go at each stage before you open up more widely. The whole idea is that this is the last lockdown so it's doubly important to not have to go backwards.

It makes sense to start with schools given all the evidence of how much children are being harmed right now

Then a few weeks later we can meet outdoors
A few weeks after that we get shops and outdoor dining
A few weeks after that we can meet indoors
A few weeks after that, when hopefully all adults have been vaccinated, we try to get back to normal entirely

Do people really think it's a good idea to just open up completely now? Because when you say 'I'm not following the rules anymore' then presumably you think that means no one has to follow the rules and everything should just be open now.

I don't think the new plan is perfect but no plan is going to satisfy everyone.

Racoonworld · 22/02/2021 19:26

@notalwaysalondoner

God I hope so as that's when my NCT classes start and I'm just desperate for them to be in person...
NCT are very cautious, rightly so as pregnant women are classed as CV. When indoor mixing was allowed last year their classes were still on zoom. I’d expect them to stay on zoom until the restrictions lift at end of June.
Racoonworld · 22/02/2021 19:27

@notalwaysalondoner sorry not trying to put a downer on this, just that’s what happened with them all last year.

Delatron · 22/02/2021 19:33

I haven’t actually said I won’t be following the rules.

I’m trying to understand the reasons behind the road map and assess risk of the different activities.

It’s purely an economic decision to stop families meeting indoors as it’s more important for the government to get businesses going.

But when you drill it down it doesn’t make much sense risk wise on a personal level. And I doubt indoor family meetings will be policed. It’s important to question and not blindly accept everything.