Hogmanae

[rookiemere]

This is an ongoing thread for Scottish mumsnetters - or indeed non Scottish mumsnetters such as myself, to comment on ongoing covid matters pertinent to ourselves, in a hopefully not too partisan and friendly fashion.

@StatisticallyChallenged

Scottish rules:

If you are resident in a tier 4 area you may accept guests from a tier 3 area, but not from a tier 1 or 2. If you are from a tier 3 area you may visit tier 2, but only if you wear a tartan mask. Tier 1 and 2 may visit each other but must not transit through a T4 area. This may mean sailing out in to the Irish Sea. For the purposes of transit, all water within 1/2 mile of land in a T4 area counts as T4, so no sailing up the Clyde. Dirty Englanders must not cross the border in a vehicle as they're not allowed on Scottish land, but we can't stop you flying in. Once you fly in you can be collected from the airport by someone who lives in that tier but they must not fly out cos that's naughty, and nobody from outside that tier can come and collect you because it's not essential. No using public transport to get to other people if you live in T4. No drinking, snogging or shagging - and that includes the sheep Fifers! Households within the christmas bauble must still maintain 2m distances and must not share utensils, dishes etc so bring yer own gravy boat

Hilarious :o but it's really bad that I had to get a ways through reading before I realised you were joking!

If only it were that simple...

Is it the temptation of Mistletoe that's been the reason for cancelling Hogmanay?

...or cos the entire tartan reserves have been used up on Nicola's masks and Ian Blackford's outfits?

I reckon it's the snogging and the alcohol that have meant hogmanay is a nae.

NS is really not liking the Christmas bubble thing, is she? Apparently "supporting others and their families (being) something we feel is essential" is now a bad thing... We are selfish and weak for that, and for not staying at home. Well, fuck me.

Stats you almost had me there!

I though the 3 house bubble were the national, UK rules for Christmas.

My guess Queen Nic, will want everywhere in tier 4 from the 11th and schools closed, to bring the levels down to keep the bubbles clean that Dirty Boris is insisting on. You'll all be in tier 4 until 5th January and we'll review then. Keep those alkies away from booze for Hogmanay/ NY.
100% my guess.

A week or so ago I guessed Boris would want 4 households for Christmas they've settled on 3.

Well we've already organised a dog sitter and booked the Premier Inn in England last night, so too late. If she doesn't want people to travel or see each other then she shouldn't have agreed to the UK wide arrangement, should she ?

Instead it will be like half term - go on your holidays - a few days later, try not to visit High tier areas in England- few days later - avoid going over the border if you possibly can. Meaning that if - like us - you've already made the booking either you don't go and don't get a refund because travelling isn't banned, or go but feel really stressful about the whole thing until you get there.

I wanted to try to be non partisan, but it is a particularly SNP position. Don't want to say No to families seeing each other at Christmas because that's not a vote winner, but don't actually want anyone to see their families.

everywhere in tier 4 from the 11th and schools closed, to bring the levels down to keep the bubbles clean that Dirty Boris is insisting on. You'll all be in tier 4 until 5th January and we'll review then.

Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. That's what's going to happen, isn't it? Feck. I'm just feeling more and more helpless about this.

The fence sitting is infuriating isn't it. I think having different systems and rules across the UK is pretty messy - surely they could have created a system where the devolved governments would decide on the tiers for their nations, but the actual structure of the tiers and the rules within each would be consistent? Instead we're suddenly attempting to change rules at a border that doesn't really exist

Yes, so she agreed to the relaxations but us proud Scots have to continue to be Different and embrace abstinence from any form of hope, joy or love. She better not have anything on her official Christmas cards other than a fucking miserable looking lonely robin.

The October half term rules were ridiculous. I think it was don't have non essential travel but you can go on holiday if you have one booked.

So sod the people with not a lot of cash who would love a day trip but can't afford a overnight.

Sorry Sheep didn't mean to depress you. But you can see it coming- keep everyone safe....

I read this on BBC comments, if Boris went to Tenerife Nic would go to Elevenerife

Meaning that if - like us - you've already made the booking either you don't go and don't get a refund because travelling isn't banned, or go but feel really stressful about the whole thing until you get there.

I agree with this being the effect... the general messaging that "we don't want you doing this, but we're (probably) not going to stop you (though we can't rule it out)" is really wearing. The message from the briefing today was very much "we're going to keep on and on about it being a truly terrible idea until Christmas" to try to guilt trip everyone in just not bothering. Obviously no one who is feeling uncomfortable about meeting should be press ganged into a bubble, but really, now we have the rules, just let people do their own assessment of how they will respond within them... I can see my dad getting really worried by this constant negative messaging (mum not so much) - when what we're planning is pretty low risk, all things considered.

Interestingly we had an email from dd's school this morning saying there's a case of covid and they're working with t&t, followed by one a few hours later saying actually nobody in the school has been identified as a close contact. That's the first we've had

@Bikingbear

Stats you almost had me there!

I though the 3 house bubble were the national, UK rules for Christmas.

My guess Queen Nic, will want everywhere in tier 4 from the 11th and schools closed, to bring the levels down to keep the bubbles clean that Dirty Boris is insisting on. You'll all be in tier 4 until 5th January and we'll review then. Keep those alkies away from booze for Hogmanay/ NY.
100% my guess.

A week or so ago I guessed Boris would want 4 households for Christmas they've settled on 3.

I was wondering if they'll close schools early... do we think it's likely?

Apparently Edinburgh airport has just opened up a paying test facility. Unfortunately as results may take 48-72 hours it's not a foolproof way of knowing you're covid free but might be of interest to those planning visits to elderly or vulnerable loved ones over Christmas.

Sheep the negative messages really do worry people. And play on their minds. Esp if they have any reason at all to be worried.

Stat that's a weird one unless it's been a cleaner or someone. Or could T&T called the wrong school, same name but wrong school. Like there are multiple St Marys schools.

I thought they'd close on 18th, but heard a rumour they are looking at 11th to avoid kids self isolating over Christmas. But that might not be how they word it.

11th is also date current lockdown ends.

fucking miserable looking lonely robin
The spirit of Scotland 2020!

No worries biking, its just when I saw it written I thought, yup, that's definitely being considered... I hate that we are just having all this stuff dumped on us (whether needed or not) without having any say, and almost no one in Parliament pushing back on anything at all.

One of the greens asked about getting sight of the modelling done around the Christmas bubbles, (presumably to prove it was an absolutely terrible idea and everyone should stay in their own home and eat sprouts and not enjoy anything at all, because its bad for the environment). There was some fluff about increased mixing leading to a spike in cases (well, yes, probably...) But it sounded very much as if no modelling had been done. So no idea why 3 households is better than 2 or 4, or 5 days better than 6, or whether isolation/ testing before or after could help or anything. It's all finger in the air stuff.

Yes, the tone of it is so grumpy - if you feel it's essential...yes it bloody is essential to some people!

I had to get through a bit to realise @StatisticallyChallenged was joking too.

You just know the epidemiologists think Christmas at Easter is a much better idea!

The one thing we've learned through covid is that the rule followers who listen and try and do the implied right thing are going to have the worst, most constrained, time.

It is weird @Bikingbear. I'm guessing a kid who was already isolating because of family symptoms/positive test so hadn't actually been in school during contagious period. Or it could be a teacher, they have very small classes so depending on subject it's possible 2m rule was observed

Look up Emily Oster's turducken post about when to test. 50 percent of covid positives show up within 5 days of exposure. She's on Twitter and blogs.

It's accessible and explains how to manage risks at each stage of seeing vulnerable relatives.

I thought what stats wrote was the facts.

That’s how far down th3 rabbit hole I am.

😂

It's not just Christmas, if Christmas was in mid summer, decent weather, light nights it wouldn't matter so much.

It's the grim weather, the dark nights, doom and gloom that a bit of festive cheer is needed to get through winter.