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Original poster

The outcome of the government's terrible messaging re Xmas mixing.

199 replies

dangermouselovespeanutbutter · 07/04/2021 21:36

I read this article this morning. It's really sad. I was so angry at the government's approach to Xmas. Indoor mixing was always going to be a huge risk. There was no way to make it safe. BoJo flipped and flopped anc just confused people.
Unfortunately there are lots of people out there, like the family in this article, who take the view that if the government say it's safe then it must be safe.
It's hard to understand how a family could go from shielding to mixing with several households in one fell swoop. But I do believe that they thought it would be ok because they'd been told that it would be (and it's interesting that his wife said she missed the updates. Not everyone reads / watches the news each day).
So so sad.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/06/james-mcallister-was-a-much-loved-family-man-did-the-christmas-mixing-confusion-cause-his-death?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 07/04/2021 21:41

It's very sad, but people need to take personal responsibility sometimes. You can't just blame the government for everything. I certainly don't blindly follow everything Boris says.

Thewiseoneincognito · 07/04/2021 21:44

Even though the messaging was a mess there was absolutely no chance I would be mixing with family indoors at that time regardless if BoJo said it was safe to do so or not.

99victoria · 07/04/2021 21:49

We did mix for christmas day as was allowed - 2 households indoors - and none of us got covid

C4tintherug · 07/04/2021 21:51

I don’t believe that she didn’t know about the rules for Xmas. The whole country was sat with bated breath waiting to find out. Obviously it’s incredibly tragic she lost her husband and she has my every sympathy but don’t pretend the rules weren’t clear. They were.

BogRollBOGOF · 07/04/2021 21:54

@Waxonwaxoff0

It's very sad, but people need to take personal responsibility sometimes. You can't just blame the government for everything. I certainly don't blindly follow everything Boris says.
This.

It was no secret that rates were high and rising. I think it's important that it was not illegal for families to meet, especially after so long, but ultimately families know their situation, their level of risk and it's their responsibility to make decisions for themselves.

FizzyTarte · 07/04/2021 21:56

Just because Boris said we could do something didn’t mean we should and more people should have realised that. He was being spineless and didn’t want to go down in history as the politician who stole Christmas after always saying everything would be fine by then.
Also many people would have just broken the rules anyway had he banned Christmas, making impossible work for the police.
People are too quick to trust and don’t think things through before acting. Sad but true.

poshme · 07/04/2021 21:59

Yes sad.

But they were shielding. Why on earth did they think mixing would be ok?

They mixed on a day they weren't supposed to, having not taken extra care (we mixed on Xmas day with 1 other family having stayed at home for 10 days first- and we weren't shielding)

People have to take some personal responsibility.

savethegrannies · 07/04/2021 22:02

I mixed and virtually everybody I know did. There was even a lock-in at our local which dozens went to. None died of covid that I know of. Luck of the draw I guess.

idontlikealdi · 07/04/2021 22:03

Ultimately they decided to mix. Most people are capable of making a risk assessment based on their own circumstances. Covid was never going to magically disappear for a few days at Christmas.

zoemum2006 · 07/04/2021 22:08

I'm all for personal responsibility but when you are dealing with a global health crisis the only way to be successful is for the government to be 100% clear.

Personal responsibility is about not getting drunk/ buying a pair of shoes you can't afford. It's not about dealing with a pandemic. This is a scenario where it's definitely on the government to have a definitive strategy.

FreyaFolkvangr · 07/04/2021 22:13

This feels like the Guardian bashing the government for the sake of it. They take every chance they can get (and I'm saying that as someone who doesn't like the Tories) No, I don't think Christmas was handled at all well and I'm very sorry for that poor family but so many people chose not to meet up at Christmas because it just wasn't safe. Some took a risk and did so and most of those were ok, but some paid a very high price for doing so. I feel for them very much, it's very very unfair but there is on way we were all sitting here in December going 'Boris says it's safe to mix so let's go ahead.' That's the Guardian rewriting history.

KatherineJaneway · 07/04/2021 22:15

@Waxonwaxoff0

It's very sad, but people need to take personal responsibility sometimes. You can't just blame the government for everything. I certainly don't blindly follow everything Boris says.
Agree.

We cancelled all Christmas plans a few weeks beforehand. It was clear it was not worth the risk.

emilyfrost · 07/04/2021 22:19

@Waxonwaxoff0

It's very sad, but people need to take personal responsibility sometimes. You can't just blame the government for everything. I certainly don't blindly follow everything Boris says.
This.
HSHorror · 07/04/2021 22:19

Quite possible it was.from.the kids from.school.
Odd mil and husband and mum ill at same time.
Mainly gov should have masked secondary all sept onwards and closed schools at least 5 days before.xmas ideally 10

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 07/04/2021 22:22

This wasn't unforeseen and while it is a really sad story and I feel so sorry for the family, it was clear that every single person who socialised was at risk of catching Covid. We deliberately made no plans as we couldn't see how it would be safe for that few days when it hadn't been safe in the months before and wouldn't be safe in the weeks/months after.

Original poster
dangermouselovespeanutbutter · 07/04/2021 22:23

@C4tintherug

I don’t believe that she didn’t know about the rules for Xmas. The whole country was sat with bated breath waiting to find out. Obviously it’s incredibly tragic she lost her husband and she has my every sympathy but don’t pretend the rules weren’t clear. They were.
I agree they were to me and most people I know. However, I've had a whole year of reading posts on MN and in other places from people who've been waiting desperately for rules to change, people being horrified that it's "illegal" to see their family inside etc. For me, it's been about risk. My dad lives alone and is vulnerable. Legally he was allowed to bubble with us. But I know the virus doesn't care a jot about bubbles so we've not seen him inside since last March. I said it was his choice for Xmas, and was very relieved (though sad) when he said he'd feel safer at home. Lots of other people have not seen it in the same way. Xmas was a free pass as the government said it was ok. I don't get it, but it's how many many people think. That's why I think government messaging should have been consistent and crystal clear.
OP posts:
Dartsplayer · 07/04/2021 22:28

It's very sad but they have to take personal responsibility. Just because they were told they could do something doesn't mean they should. My Dsis has been shielding the whole time so we chose not to go to see her and DM over Christmas

QueenOfTheDoubleWide · 07/04/2021 22:34

One of the things we were always told in professional training was "ignorance is no defence" and it applies as much in everyday life as at work. I fail to see how people can claim the government are responsible when they have not informed themselves and acted responsibly

gallbladderpain · 07/04/2021 22:43

As always throughout this as soon as Boris says its safe everyone is out happy enough even after all the mistakes he's made throughout the pandemic.
Terrible she lost her husband but people really do need to take personal responsibility and realise that the virus doesn't follow the rules.
There was many people who didn't mix at Christmas, infact many people (ourselves included) who have a vulnerable family member who haven't seen family and friends in over a year now because they are able to see the bigger picture and don't need someone to tell them not to mix especially at a time when covid was running rampant.

Loveisthehope · 07/04/2021 22:44

Totally agree that people need to take personal responsibility.

FrangipaniBlue · 07/04/2021 22:51

The government never said it was safe to mix at Christmas, they said it was permissible - the two things are not the same and people have to take some responsibility and do their own assessment of risk.

We mixed on Christmas Day but we all essentially quarantined ourselves in the week running up to the day so as to the limit the risk of one of us catching it and passing it on.

Kimye4eva · 07/04/2021 23:05

Did anyone actually ever say mixing at Christmas would be safe? We were told it was permitted but Whitty et al always said it should be kept to a minimum and that Christmas mixing would lead to an increase in cases.

Chloemol · 07/04/2021 23:08

The rules for Christmas were very clear, all over the papers the news, SM, TV i don’t believe for one minute they didn’t know

Added to which you have to take personal responsibility. With his health issues, the knowledge cases were going up and up, and already being careful with the kids coming home from school she was, in my opinion, silly to consider mixing ( and yes I get that people were fed up about mixing etc)

You can’t pin this one on the Government

Hotcuppatea · 07/04/2021 23:09

Thats a sad story, but I echo the other posters re: personal responsibility.

We mixed on Christmas Day and no one got Covid. If we had, I would have blamed no one but myself. I was well aware of the risks and decided they were small in my case.

MercyBooth · 07/04/2021 23:22

So if personal responsibility is the way to go surely we wouldnt have had lockdowns ............three of them.

The psychological abuse the bullying and the gaslighting. The November lockdown was to enable people to see each other and have Christmas. And then come the 19th December there was the sensationalist press conference saying no, AFTER ppl had spent money on presents and food of course. People had also spent money on food for themselves and intended guests, So those intended guests wouldnt have had much in. So from the 19th onwards THEY had to go out and buy their own AS WELL. These tactics ensured optimum spend. It fucking well served them right when France reacted the way they did though. Though i felt sorry for the lorry drivers and their families. People do their pieces when they piss them about over holidays. So why the fuck is it okay to do it over Christmas. London and Essex went into tier 4 on the 19th December Im sick of being gaslighted over it

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