If you are cancelling plans/think we should have another lockdown

[Maddymorphosis]

Would you be prepared to do the same next winter, and the one after that and so on?
Last December I heard a lot of "It's just one year"
People not seeing family for "just one Christmas".

Are you prepared to do it again, and going forward maybe every time there's a new variant in winter?

Personally, yes to cancelling plans because our circumstances dictate it.

Lockdowns though, absolutely not. With the majority of people vaccinated, we’re in an entirely different place now and further lockdowns would be more damaging to the majority.

I canceled all my plans now to avoid missing out on travelling home for Christmas

It wasn’t worth the risk of nights out to avoid catching covid so I don’t have to isolate over Christmas or risk taking it back to my parents.

I don’t think the voting quite matches your statement/question. What’s your stance?

No and no. This will be still going for months/ years..live life while you can

No I wouldn’t, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary to do it every winter.

What's wrong w cutting down on plans to increase the chances of having a healthy Christmas with loved ones? I had COVID last Christmas, totally sucked. Currently got whole household down with stomach bug - also sucks. Very tempted to minimise interactions for next couple of weeks so we can see family.

I am anti lockdown. But I cancelled our Xmas party as I didn't want anyone's Christmas being ruined by isolation. I can accept covid exists while opposing harsh lockdown restrictions.

I’m not doing anything next weekend anyway as I’m working part of it as I don’t want to catch anything before Christmas. However I work in a hospital so could catch it there though I haven’t so far.

I don’t mind I’d rather have the Christmas with family as planned than miss a random night out or whatever. I’ve already caught up with friends the last couple of weeks and had a couple of festive nights out with my partner so haven’t missed out.

I don’t want another lockdown but I’m ok with cancelling less important plans in the hope of spending Christmas Day with family.

Restrictions are not a choice or something anyone wants, if they are brought in then it's out of necessity. To think anything else is very close to believing in conspiracy theories.

These threads are getting seriously tiresome now. It's a virus, we can't just decide to ignore it and hope it goes away.

There is middle ground.

I would think it appropriate to cancel plans regardless of what virus was running rampant around the office. It’s common sense.

I highly doubt there will be another lockdown tbh, and let’s be honest here, we haven’t been in any kind of lockdown since April. Christmas is just a day. Most people have been able to see family for most of the year, and those who live abroad haven’t not been able to see them purely because of the UK laws, the laws of other countries have come into it as well,.

I think you can reign in your own behaviour/risk and follow basic mitigations to help slow a virus without wanting a lockdown which no body wants. Including me.

It isn’t as simple as go out enjoy yourself, ignore masks etc don’t give a shit about covid OR being worried about a covid surge and insisting on full harsh lockdowns. There’s a lot of us in the inbetween it doesn’t mean we want a lockdown.

I will be cancelling some plans next weekend as we are seeing vulnerable family member. But will do some 'riskier' activities after Christmas once we've had our family celebration. So I don't think it's an either/or.

We are meant to be going to in-laws for Christmas Day and my parents Boxing Day. Yesterday I brought an emergency turkey for us just in case plans change last minute and we can’t meet up , so we still have a nice meal and Christmas.

I don’t think we should have another lock down. It’s also none of my business what anyone else is doing, so if you want to go out partying every night of the week, then you crack on with no judgement from me.

I have cancelled plans between now and Christmas though. Partly because we want to be able to spend Christmas with family this year and partly because increased numbers in my area is making me nervous. And I’ll be prepared to do similar indefinitely.

Lots of posters seem to think that restrictions like masks are equivalent to a lockdown.

I would be happy not to go clubbing or have an office party to meet family on Christmas Day if there was a new, uncertain variant.

I've been on all my nights out recently and had a fabulous time catching up with workmates I've not seen for a year as we are WFH and friends I've not seen some for 2 years.

I see my family all the time as I live with them and others are local so see every other day. So tbh I've prioritised several weeks of dressing up, having fun, going out and having parties over one day of festive eating with people I see pretty much daily.

Yes, plans made or cancelled by personal risk assessment , just like last year, this and next.

Elderly parents will not survive COVID. Christmas this year, again will be without them staying. Like last year, we will go and meet them outside instead. I work in many schools, I just can't take the risk of infecting them.

Next year, I will assess again. I might have a different job, COVID may be less of a risk. I can't plan this year based on the unknowns of next.

I'm in two minds about this. I am not anti lockdown and really want to do anything to stop the pandemic spreading and people dying unnecessarily. I am motivated by my feelings of social responsibility and also an element of fear/anxiety to want to put in whatever measures necessary.

However, i would be desperately sad if we do lockdown. Already I've had cancelled nativity plays and Christmas events for my kids, and we so desperately need some joy in our lives. My heart breaks for people who live alone with no human contact and for people in bad, abusive situations which are made worse by lockdowns. My feelings of social responsibility also make me feel that lockdowns are so detrimental to the most isolated and vulnerable in our society, and that health is not the only thing to worry about in life. Mental health is a massive issue, suicide, abuse, if we lockdown I will spend it deeply sad for so many people and worried for them.

So I feel conflicted between an urge to protect the vulnerable physically and to protect the vulnerable socially and psychologically. I feel conflicted between my need to feel protected form this virus, and my desire for a little bit of joy in our lives (I have been suffering myself with low mood, anxiety and some depression this year). I don't know what the answer is. I feel torn in all different directions

I've always cancelled plans when circumstances make them risky, or when some of the people can't make it on the original date. I've rearranged family get-togethers and celebrations with friends due to flooding, heavy snow, trains not running, power cuts, stomach bugs, chicken pox, car breakdowns, non-contagious illnesses that make of the people involved feel miserable and not want to do fun stuff etc. It's part and parcel of caring about friends and family and community, surely?

I don't want another lockdown, but I'd prefer that to thousands more deaths. And I'd rather avoid indoor gatherings, especially without masks, than have another lockdown. And I'd rather skip meeting up with my family this Christmas and see them, all healthy, later next year, than have a big family get together and have the NHS collapse under pressure leaving lots of people I love without the treatment they need.

Christmas is just a day

Yes and no. It is the only time if year that our scattered family reliably come together so is a good chance for us all to be together.

That's exactly the point "I'd rather skip Christmas this year to see my family all healthy next year."
But surely you said the same thing last December, so will that be 2 Christmases in a row now ? And will you say it again next year ?

I'm due to give birth to first child in January and panicking already there will be a lockdown. Only because I want husband in hospital with me throughout as he could be in current regulations. Hoping that were double vaccinated and had the booster will mean he can stay in post birth.

We're limiting contact /cancelling plans between now and Christmas so we can see his mum and dad then after that we're hibernating to limit the chance of us catching covid so my other half is allowed into the hospital.

I think it's all about being sensible depending on what your doing/who your seeing but it definitely can't go on like this forever.

So you're prepared to give up any sort of social events or celebrations every year in December?

@Maddymorphosis

That's exactly the point "I'd rather skip Christmas this year to see my family all healthy next year." But surely you said the same thing last December, so will that be 2 Christmases in a row now ? And will you say it again next year ?

Yes, because there is more chance of them being well. I don't need lockdown for that though, I've had a sensible conversation with my parents and DC's and they agree.