To break the rule of six for my birthday?

[44jams]

It’s my birthday on Sunday and I’m planning to have a small gathering in the garden with friends. I know I’m meant to stick to the rule of six, but it just seems so nonsensical, considering that we will all be outdoors so our risk of catching the virus is tiny. Would you break the rules and have say five or six households (or 20ish people) round? Or stick to the rule of six even though as I say, the chance of catching it outside is tiny?

No.

I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t blame anyone that does to be honest, I can’t see the difference then being in a heaving pub beer garden.

There's a massive difference between 6 and 20.

And your poor neighbours - you'll all get pissed, play loud music, start shouting (gotta make sure everyone can hear what a great time you are having) and finally hug each other and if any of you do have covid, all of you will have it, whether you are outside or not.

I sincerely hope you don't live near me.

If you do it this weekend with virus levels at 1 in 2300 then you're an evil Granny killer

If you do it when it's legal 22 days later, when 1 in 3000 have the virus then it's fine and you're an upstanding citizen.

I wouldn't do it but only because someone might report me. From a scientific POV there is no need to restrict it. Some people seem to want to stop others socialising forever, regardless of what the virus is doing.

@starfro

If you do it this weekend with virus levels at 1 in 2300 then you're an evil Granny killer

If you do it when it's legal 22 days later, when 1 in 3000 have the virus then it's fine and you're an upstanding citizen.

I wouldn't do it but only because someone might report me. From a scientific POV there is no need to restrict it. Some people seem to want to stop others socialising forever, regardless of what the virus is doing.

You clearly don't understand that even with your made up stats that's a 30% improvement so things would have changed. Plus more vaccinated and fully vaccinated. Plus if everybody did the same as this then obviously a stepped increase in risk But you just crack on with your complete lack of understanding of risk

I don't see the difference it makes mixing with 6 and then another 6 at different intervals so why bloody not all together. Happy birthday!! Xx

I’m clearly not as speshul as some people as I have a (major milestone- aargh, there’s a six in it) next week and I’m not breaking any rools for it. I’ll go for a ‘socially spare‘ (I made it up) walk in the morning, possibly involving cake and coffee too, and otherwise spend the day with DH and the two adult DC who live with us. We’ll have naice dinner at some point. I’ll also have some chocolate. The two DC who live away from home can’t visit bc we’re too far for a day trip and they can’t stay over. Scotgov rules. I’m hoping for good weather bc the place I want to eat cake and coffee is outdoors. I’ve been shielding since last year and I’ve done what was advised throughout. I haven’t done all the crap stuff with all the limitations on my behaviour to keep safe just to chuck it all away now. I get my 2nd dose of vaccine 2 days before my birthday. The other DC are coming to stay in May and we’re all looking forward to that. Best friend’s been having chemo and she’s shielding too. We plan to meet up in May too - her big birthday was earlier in the year too. She’ll send me an email on the day (I know she will, she’s reliable like that). Ditto my sibling.I’ll see them and family later too. DH is unreliable as hell but I’m used to it and have quite low expectations.

OP, I hope you have a good birthday but I’d just follow the guidance. It’s there for a reason.

If there’s under 15 I don’t think you incur the £10k fine
Please fact check as I may be wrong
We kept it to 13 at new year
Everyone fine

20?? No

8?? Yes

I think that is unreasonable, twenty is a lot.

If you were going to say 7 or 8, I would say it was probably doable especially as people usually arrive and leave at different times and you would probably have six or less some of the time. And neighbours are more likely to not particularly notice.

20 is obvious and a lot noisier and you are more likely to be reported. A fine for your birthday would probably not be on your wish list.

I wouldn't want 20 guests even in normal times if I had a garden.

@Dowser

If there’s under 15 I don’t think you incur the £10k fine Please fact check as I may be wrong We kept it to 13 at new year Everyone fine

Luck rather than judgement

@Dowser

If there’s under 15 I don’t think you incur the £10k fine Please fact check as I may be wrong We kept it to 13 at new year Everyone fine

🤦‍♀️

Lucky for you. My friend lost her father after Christmas gatherings.

@Dowser

If there’s under 15 I don’t think you incur the £10k fine Please fact check as I may be wrong We kept it to 13 at new year Everyone fine

Nothing like Doing The Right Thing, huh!

I've read reports where families were decimated by COVID-19 after Christmas (large family) meet-ups. Admittedly being garden-based will lower the risk but even so it's not really a risk worth taking (if only because you will not enjoy the day with the threat of being 'unmasked' by someone 'ratting' (LoD influenced) on your illegal get-together.

On the subject of such nosy neighbours, do you reckon there's a 'type'?

How come the rules don’t apply to you?

I think 20 no probs not, some busybody might report you 10 would be ok , I would bat a eyelid at that

We had a great time at our family Christmas
No Covid after
I honestly don’t think it was just luck
Low prevalence in our area,most of us working from home etc

@user1487194234

We had a great time at our family Christmas No Covid after I honestly don’t think it was just luck Low prevalence in our area,most of us working from home etc

Catching Covid or not is largely down to luck.

Of course you can help luck along. The more you meet with different people the less likely you are to be "lucky".

DS has 2 best friends. They spend lots of time together doing the same things. Just before Christmas one friend caught Covid mildly, one friend caught Covid quite badly and DS didn't catch it at all. Entirely luck.

Fair point,but statistically the chances of us catching it were tiny and I have always been a numbers person.anyway worked out great for us and we had a fab time

No I wouldn’t I’ve not broken a single rule all year. IMO it’s selfish. Just follow the rules, it’s not hard and you can celebrate properly in the summer. The longer people keep doing this the longer we will have restrictions in place.

@CoffeeAndCaramel because by that logic we may as well all mix in groups of 20, or 50 or 100. What is so hard about following the rules I can’t understand why people can’t follow them.

OP, do what you want. It’s time to get back to normal.

Also to everyone saying things like - I don’t see how it’s different to doing x or y. The whole point is that some things are allowed and some things aren’t which overall minimises how much people mix. By all your logic we would just have everything completely open then and just forget all the restrictions and give up. Of course we all want it to be over but the longer everyone bends the rules the longer it goes on so you’re only shooting yourselves in the foot.

Is it because you're special?

No I wouldn’t.