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.

I don't think the schools will close on the 11th. The most I can see happening is shutting high schools on the 18th, in areas where the term ends on the 22nd. But even that's unlikely. It's more likely that there will be no dropping down levels, except for those currently in level 4.

Someone up thread pointed out students are to be tested twice before they are allowed home. That will uncover a few more asymptomatic that will feed into the positive figures....

Well they can't force students to be tested. A lot won't risk it as they then won't be able to go home if they are positive. Unless they happen to be called Margaret Ferrier.

BBC Scotland breaking news, Christmas bubbles to be kept to 8 people in Scotland.

I can't even.

Statistically, that's surely true at all times though?
It shouldn't matter whether I am 5 miles or 55 miles from home, if all I'm doing is going for a walk up a hill, with a flask and a sandwich, and meet nobody.
I'm at greater risk if I go to the supermarket 1 mile away!

8 people from 3 households, under 12s don't count, but even if you're all staying in the same house, the adults from each household have to social distance 😂

Better get working on the 2m cracker, which is an amazing idea and I might just do it for the fun of it, which is otherwise banned.

BBC News - Covid in Scotland: Christmas bubbles 'should be kept to eight people'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55085335

but even if you're all staying in the same house, the adults from each household have to social distance

I'd like to see Nicci trying to stop my mum from cuddling her grandchildren who she has seen twice all year.

What was the point in a 4 nation plan...

That’s just beyond ludicrous 😂😂😂

Though ds will be glad to be twelve 😃

She's putting her own spin on the agreed UK plan.

Offs

@RaspberryCoulis

And how are shops going to shift their Christmas stock?

They're not. I volunteer in a charity shop every Thursday, obviously not today though. Last thursday we had our last delivery of Christmas stock - mainly little handmade ornaments but also cards and wrapping paper.

We are hoping to reopen on 12th December. There is NO WAY we are going to shift all those decorations in the fortnight before Christmas, or the cards. Wrap possibly.

We have taken such a hammering this year.

I agree, this is awful for small shops (and charities in general which have had all their usual fundraising opportunities scuppered this year) - by the 12th anyone needing decorations will have bought them from the supermarket or B&M type places, or online/ click and collect. Small places without much if any Internet presence and reliant on people pottering down a high street have been shafted.

DH and I were talking about this, and we think the only truly "fair" way of closing retail (if indeed you think that is worth doing at all, which is doubtful) is to only allow anywhere to sell "essentials" (food, drink, medicine and a limited range of other consumable stuff like cleaning products, toiletries, repair stuff, home office stuff...). Any shop or online shop is allowed to open and sell these things, but nothing else. And you can't buy anything else, instore or online (with a possible appeal mechanism for unexpectedly essential things). It would be awful, and v v v unpopular. Though my unscientific and gut feeling is that of any retail, warehouse- based online stuff has to be one of the worst in terms of proximity of workers and so on.

I'm getting to the stage of wondering if a closure of schools on the 18th rather than 22nd (in Edinburgh... I know other places will do this anyway) would be such a bad idea after all. I may need a lie down.

@Bikingbear

Someone up thread pointed out students are to be tested twice before they are allowed home. That will uncover a few more asymptomatic that will feed into the positive figures....

I think this is possible, but I think infections have dropped quite low in the student population now. Apparently the number of "active cases" in Edinburgh uni is less than the prevalence in the wider community. Yes, there could be some asymptomatic cases, but my understanding is that if these were rising you'd also see the symptomatic cases rising, and we're not.

In regards to students, we have been offered 2 tests starting from Monday coming so that if we have to isolate we still have time to go home.

Thing is on my course one of the groups I'm in for coursework they have all flown home already. It doesn't apply to me because I'm an old student who stays in my own house. Anecdotally my uni have sent an email this morning saying they are disappointed in the take up for the tests. Huge list of why it is important etc so students are obviously not taking up the offer.

I have never actually set foot on campus so it's a moot point. Surely she has to open shops and hospitality on the 11th? I don't understand how she would get away with not. The numbers are coming down even in GGC

[quote WaxOnFeckOff]BBC News - Covid in Scotland: Christmas bubbles 'should be kept to eight people'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55085335[/quote]
Oh FFS. Scotland always has to go one further... Presumably these non-UK measures will be guidance rather than law?

The single households not being allowed to use tourist accommodation outside tier 3 or 4 is galling. So if people had decided NOT to bubble with far flung vulnerable relatives, but instead stay in a b and b and meet them outside or for a walk, they can't if they or the relative lives in T3 or 4?

Yep, DSs have had no face to face classes. Only DS2 lives away. I don't care if he has a test or not and he'll be travelling home in his car to join our household.

I hope you guys are right and the shops and hospitality get to open and students don't push up the numbers.

Sheep - I'm still chuckling away at the shared test, economy version 🤣🤣🤣

Anecdotally my uni have sent an email this morning saying they are disappointed in the take up for the tests. Huge list of why it is important etc so students are obviously not taking up the offer.

Oh, that's interesting. I'd have thought it would have had quite high uptake. I suppose there is a fairly high level of isolation-fear, given many of them will already have had to isolate with their hall/ student house, or indeed already have tested positive. And unless anyone at home is vulnerable, they may just want to take their chances and isolate there if they become symptomatic.

I'm an older student in my own house too, haven't had a single class on campus this year. Haven't been to the library or anything either. I wonder how many students are actually living in student accommodation this year? There's only one on my course who uses accommodation and he stayed home with his parents this year.

I don't get why people can't use tourist accommodation for Christmas in Tier 3 &4

If I had a uni age DC, I'd be bringing them home for Christmas regardless of any regulation or poxy guideline.

@Bikingbear

I hope you guys are right and the shops and hospitality get to open and students don't push up the numbers.

Sheep - I'm still chuckling away at the shared test, economy version 🤣🤣🤣

If NS is getting antsy about passing round roasties using a shared spoon she's really not going to like that technique...

She's not keen on the private testing anyway, apparently as it's "less reliable" than the NHS. Not sure how that can be, given the methods used and labs will presumably be the same ones the NHS uses. And absolutely nothing to do with her not really liking private health care. No, not at all.

Joy sucking the life out of us all

FFS