Modelling released Christmas Eve on return to Step 2

[bathsh3ba]

I've been really rattled by the release of new modelling on Christmas Eve of all days about the option of moving to 50% or 100% of Step 2 from either 28 Dec or 1 Jan for 2 weeks, 6 weeks or 3 months in England.

They acknowledge there are still a lot of unknowns but of course their data shows the longer and harder you lock down the fewer hospitalisations and deaths (even I could tell you that). But they don't consider the impact of it on wellbeing or anxiety which ONS data already shows is rocketing again.

As a reminder Step 2 means no household mixing inside. This is my key bugbear. I wouldn't even mind rule of 6 indoors as long as I could see a non-bubble friend or family member in my home.

I keep trying to tell myself it's a tactic to encourage boosters and that if Scotland, Wales and NI haven't gone as far as no indoor mixing, England won't. But I can't shake the feeling of dread now.

@YuletideLog

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Come on MNHQ. That was clearly satire... Perhaps not strictly in line with the rules, but these kind of posts liven up these threads.

We complied fully last time including not meeting my granddaughter in person u yil she was 3 months old. That was so hard as I work in a school and had half a class of children in daily who woul tell me how their fmailies were not complying.
Will we obey again? DS2 is a policeman, DS3 works in a Uni, I am a TA, and DdIL is a teacher, we simply cannot afford to risk our jobs by not complying.
Please follow the guidance if it is updated.

@Waxonwaxoff0

Same here. Before last Christmas a lot of people were coming down with it and getting pretty ill but not to the point of hospitalisation. This year people are getting it either very mildly or asymptotically and it's being picked up on LFTs before mixing. This is just in my group of friends who are late 30s/early 40s and I assume vaccinated, as no one has mentioned not being vaccinated.

I thought that as time goes by and we see more of the data more and more people were realising that the modelling is unconnected to the political agenda

Considering most "modellers" work out of Unis, the Civil Service or various branches of the health service I'd say that being unconnected to politics is unlikely

All those things are funded with public money ... which means the government ... which means politics

@Tippexy

It’s all very well saying “no one will comply” but some of us have family and friends who will comply, which is the position I think the OP is in. I know it’s crazy, but OP might even want to comply herself!

So what do we do for three months then?

The rest of my family is all about complying with rules and laws no matter how batshit they are. I’m the cynical one who won’t comply of it makes no sense. Guess I need some new, non complying friends

For the majority of pekoe, especially post vaccine it is a minor illness, if we don't start to carry on now we never will

I wish nothing more than being able to carry on without further restrictions but today we've had news of 3 separate people in hospital because of covid. A neighbour, a school mum friend and a work colleague. No details of severity but age range 40-55. That's 3 families who are going through a terrible time today. I have no idea if they have underlying conditions as to me they are just ordinary people living their lives. I'm in London but not in a borough with sky high rates. My Mum's carehome is also locked down after 6 staff tested positive so hard to feel positive about the local situation.

Absolutely no one I know would stop seeing friends and family indoors again I very much doubt we are unique in this way of thinking. None of this meeting up with 1 person for a coffee in a freezing park where we'd get fined if we stop and sit on the bench together bollocks

Have they had 3 vaccines?

Work colleague has been vaccinated but don’t know about the others.

@TheKeatingFive

i don't think Tory rebels will make a difference as Labour just vote it all through.

It's not about getting it through the commons, it's about whether it would prompt a leadership challenge.

Further to previous discussion on this, per the Guardian the backbenchers still aren't having it.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/25/now-tory-mps-warn-dont-toughen-covid-new-year-rules