What are the chances of lockdown this Christmas?

[43leftfeet]

I've been away this weekend (UK, but I've been distracted and not following the news).

I see there's been talk of Johnson announcing a "ban on Christmas" possibly, around the 17th - or not, depending on what happens with Omicron - is that about right?

I know we can't know yet what's going to happen, but what are people's feelings?

What do you think the restrictions, if any, are likely to be in England & Wales & in Scotland?

I have booked extra home deliveries up until January in anticipation that we could be back to queueing outside supermarkets quite soon

@Thismonkeysgonetolidl

People dying, losing their lives, losing loved ones over Christmas, people needing the NHS over Xmas IS the priority. Your gluttony and personal freedom is NOT the priority.

If only it was as black and white as that. Because it's not.

@RichTeaRichTea do you work in ICU in a hospital?

The people there are the priority. Other people still have a chance at life, however shitty restrictions may be. They still have a modicum of freedom. The people in ICU have NO freedom. It’s these people who are the priority.
I have absolutely no problem in not having an Xmas for however long it takes if it means we get the virus under control.

@Waxonwaxoff0 of course it’s not black and white. I accept that people have mental health struggles. But as a horrible lesser of two evils - I would choose saving lives/getting virus under control/preserving the NHS over the personal freedom/no restrictions to support mental health. I DO recognise that they are both awful situations.

Some restrictions have been incredibly hard, people I know and my family have found it very hard at times.

But... there are also plenty of tosspots who are moaning about the prospect of restrictions on spurious 'freedom' grounds.

Both things are true!

"I’m following ALL restrictions - even the ones I don’t like. I don’t think anyone wants them."

There is a big difference between a restriction you don't like and a restriction that causes you or someone in your family actual suffering. Would I do something that causes my vulnerable child to suffer? No.

@RichTeaRichTea

I really don’t know how people have the nerve to call other people “out for themselves” whilst at the same time only calling for restrictions that they don’t find so difficult to follow.

Absolutely this.

No I don’t work in ICU. I haven’t said anything about freedom, mine or anyone else’s, that’s your assumption about my views. I see the fallout in the community of both long term effects of covid, and of restrictions (often both in the same people). I don’t minimise either covid or restrictions, that is my point. Telling people they are moaning and need to adapt is unhelpful.

@Spikeyball I have two children, one is vulnerable - and desperately needs social interaction. I had a visit from his healthcare worker yesterday and we’ve discussed ways to enable this and still follow restrictions.

@RichTeaRichTea sorry but there is a lot of moaning on these threads. I wasn’t particularly directing at you. I believe we do have to adapt if it means we can get the virus under control and get our freedoms back.

spurious 'freedom
To dismiss freedom so lightly you are fortunate always to have lived in a country where it can be taken for granted.
Freedom matters and people’s lives matter, not just simply their existence which is all that many on this thread seem to think about. The selfish ones on here are those in their cosy smug family groups not caring one iota for the mental health of others. The poster who said she had ditched her friends who did not follow her sigma did them a huge favour - I bet they are counting their lucky starts not to be saddled with a grim misery-fester.

[quote Thismonkeysgonetolidl]@Waxonwaxoff0 of course it’s not black and white. I accept that people have mental health struggles. But as a horrible lesser of two evils - I would choose saving lives/getting virus under control/preserving the NHS over the personal freedom/no restrictions to support mental health. I DO recognise that they are both awful situations.[/quote]
And that's your choice but to criticise others for not wanting to do that is short sighted, you have no idea what other people are dealing with. I think you need to recognise that your personal situation might be vastly different to someone else's. It should not be the responsibility of the general public to protect the NHS.

And to be honest, considering the vast majority of people in ICU with Covid are voluntarily unvaccinated, I really don't give a damn about protecting them. They made their choice.

What Johnson et al are doing to the courts etc is a far bigger risk to freedom than wearing a mask in Tesco.

Of course freedom matters. Many of the restrictions do not limit real freedom, people are not restricted in a meaningful way by wearing a seatbelt or a mask.

@Waxonwaxoff0 to be frank - you have no idea of what other people are dealing with either. You don’t know anything about my personal situation - or you are making assumptions about it, and you don’t know what I’ve had to deal with or deaths in my family.
I do know more than I’d like to know about ICU’s and people in critical life and death situations. THEY to me are the priority, and my Christmas pales in to insignificance - knowing what some people close to me have been through.

@Waxonwaxoff0

And to be honest, considering the vast majority of people in ICU with Covid are voluntarily unvaccinated, I really don't give a damn about protecting them. They made their choice.

Oh edgy

This is a stupid position.

In society we are all interlinked.

Thismonkeysgonetolidl my teenager was self injuring and attacking us during first lockdown because everything had changed and he didn't understand why. I will be doing what I need to do to keep us all safe and so he doesn't end up in residential care.

[quote Thismonkeysgonetolidl]@Waxonwaxoff0 to be frank - you have no idea of what other people are dealing with either. You don’t know anything about my personal situation - or you are making assumptions about it, and you don’t know what I’ve had to deal with or deaths in my family.
I do know more than I’d like to know about ICU’s and people in critical life and death situations. THEY to me are the priority, and my Christmas pales in to insignificance - knowing what some people close to me have been through.[/quote]
That's fine. But again, not everyone will take that stance.

@Spikeyball I’m so sorry for your situation, you need support and I hope you get the right support. I could give the example of why I have my view - but it involves someone losing their life, so I’d rather not state it.

I’m afraid - I’m a situation of the lesser of two evils - I’d still choose saving lives and having restrictions in place.

Also to say that the person who lost their life has left a child motherless.

@rrhuth not "edgy" at all. Society certainly didn't feel interlinked during lockdown number one when my child and I were essentially abandoned. I expect many now feel the same as me and just won't say it.

All my professional support says we should do what we need to do to keep our son and us safe. There are thousands of families like ours and the reaction of our young people was a normal and predictable reaction for them in those circumstances. I can decide for myself what is no or very little risk to others. I spend my entire life doing that. I don't need someone to decide that for me.

@Spikeyball - I think the issue is that you are very wise, but unfortunately there are others who are not so wise. It’s very difficult to set restrictions and take into account every individual’s circumstances. The lady I spoke to yesterday was excellent - it was so good to talk, so I would absolutely advise to reach out and speak to someone. I didn’t experience long delays, or difficulty in getting help - although I was quite persistent!

[quote Waxonwaxoff0]@rrhuth not "edgy" at all. Society certainly didn't feel interlinked during lockdown number one when my child and I were essentially abandoned. I expect many now feel the same as me and just won't say it.[/quote]
You’re right, that interlinked society wasn’t there for many dc.

If you’ve been given specific advice for your circumstances - then of course you should follow that without question. Adaptations are being made around the restrictions to cater for my son’s needs. But that doesn’t mean that I think restrictions should be completely dropped.