Study in the time of COVID-19 (2019/20 intake): lockdown restrictions, relaxation of rules and repeat... And will the Grinch government cancel Christmas?

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Carrying on from our previous thread.

I believe these threads have probably been running since the summer/autumn of when our DC were about to start/in Year 13 (so 2018)?

Thanks for the link @marchingfrogs. But both of my DC insist on staying at uni until the end of term and I'm not sure whether they can be forced to leave. They both work better in situ, and DD really relies on the library.

simbobs, it is only guidance, not law and there is the provision re if you don't have the required facilities at home to access the online teaching etc.

DD's non-UK housemate had one flight cancelled by the airline at the beginning of this 'period of national restrictipns', even though the booking was for a date very near to Christmas, so although she is currently working towards leaving on the 16th, this may depend on when her friend can travel, as she will want to stay at least until then - I am really hoping not thev24th, as DH will be working and I suspect DS2 won't be too enthralled at the prospect of being responsible for the last minute stuff while I set off on my 330 mile round trip, as his natural getting up time and local shops' likely closing time on that day are fairly closely matched.

@simbobs DS is definitely not coming home until closer to Christmas for the same reason as your DC - he thinks he'll work better in his house-share. In a way I would rather he comes home for less time but is able to totally 'chill' while he's with us.

Also, if our young people are home for longer, surely they'd be tempted to meet up with friends (which is looking unlikely that they'll be able to do).

Mine will also be coming back nearer to Christmas than the proposed travel window for the same reasons.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 surely they will be able to meet up outside if not Tier 3?

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 there is no way that DS will not see his friends at some point while he is home. We won't be having any visitors other than DC, and I don't count them, so that will go some way to mitigating things. Hopefully his friends will also have been tested, and they will only be able to meet outside, unless someone else's parents give them indoor space. No mention has been made of New Year, and I can't believe there will be no gatherings of any sort.

We won't know until tomorrow which tier we're in. We live in a a semi rural area but close to some cities with much higher infection rates, so the feeling is that we are quite likely to be in Tier 3 even though our rates have fallen below the average. It is unfair imo.

Rumours are that we will just go back into tier 3, which means that the shops will open, but nothing else will change. At least our covid rates are going down from being one of the highest in the country.

I think, in this, case lockdown has had the desired effect.

Yes a lot hangs in what tiers we are put into. Our borough has well below average rates, but it’s going to go on the city as a whole

It’s all a bit arbitrary when the secondary schools are still operating as they are. No social distancing, no masks in lessons whatever tier they are in.
I have a theory that many students went back to university covid positive having got it from their younger siblings who had started back at school a couple of weeks before. Perfect storm.

@minesawine and any other NTU parents, the booking slots for testing have opened this morning (I saw it on facebook): NTU tests

They need to book 2 tests 3 days apart apparently. Figures crossed DD should be coming home on the 4th

@RaptorInaPorkPieHat Thanks for the update, now need to get the lazy boy to book his test. He wants to come home on 12 December, as he's too busy to come before then.

My DS coming home on 16th .. DD going to pick him up as she has day off work .. don't think any point in him getting a test as was positive last week and just recovering

I just checked with my lazy boy and he said the website for booking tests had crashed. I'm not sure there is much point in him getting one if he doesn't want to come home for more than a week after, though I did suggest he gets the last appointment and self isolates until he comes home.

Judging by the comments on our local fb page returning students will not be welcome, and should at least ring a bell like lepers if they are out in public!

It's so interesting hearing how lockdown is going in the UK, I still watch the BBC news most days, things are portrayed quite differently here in Canada.
They are currently really worried about rising numbers (although numbers are much lower than UK) and when they talk about the vaccine they say that maybe things will be better by Christmas next year, I'm not sure if it's the careful Canadian view or if Boris &Co are being unrealistically upbeat?
I don't know if either of my DC will get tested, DS1 has only just recovered from Covid, so I suppose he would still test positive and FS2 is staying till the end of term, so will miss the testing window.

Not heard for sure but DD mentioned 18/19th last time we spoke.

I haven't been on here in ages and have name-changed since last here, but I'm the person living in New England, with a daughter at college in Chicago.

She's just spent the first term living at home and studying online, but the university has told them they expect them to be able to return early Jan.

They'll have to quarantine a lot and do regular Covid tests. I'm just hoping it works out this time around.

We're thinking about driving her there - yikes!

Going to read the thread now and catch up on everyone else's news.

Welcome back ZZTop

Welcome back @ZZTopGuitarSolo I feel an affinity with you now that I am also currently outside the UK (but in Canada) although both my DC are at university in the UK.
I love MN and this thread (and the UEA one) it so helps to keep me sane and connected in this weird world 😊

Raptor thanks for that, I will remind my DS .

@ZZTopGuitarSolo welcome back. Happy Thanksgiving! Good to hear that your DD is going to be able to go back to university in January.

I am conflicted about the whole testing thing particularly if our young people (some of them at least) will then be travelling home on public transport. I can only hope that when DS comes home the trains are as quiet as they were back in August when he went back up to Norwich.

It is always interesting hearing from people who are abroad. I think in London we had so much Cv19 in March quite a few people got it and are immune whereas countryside places in the UK and bigger lands like Canada probably did not have it then to the extent London and New York did which will affect how we now feel about it.

Mine will be coming back the weekend after term ends I think and no doubt will want to meet up with friends if that’s permissible .

Just had DD on the phone. she is staying until term finishes unless everyone leaves before her. She would only be bored at home in the evenings.

So we're in Tier 2 but both DC are in Tier 3. Are we allowed to pick them up? Going to do it anyway, but just wondering.

Tier 3 for us and DD. We will be picking her up