What restrictions will Nicola announce on Tuesday?

[ShiftingSands21]

Does anyone have a strong sense of what we should expect tomorrow?

I hear you too, @Nonono11. Last January/February were very dark times in our house, literally as well as figuratively. My 15 year old' (at the time) took a battering - Nat5 prelims cancelled, social events cancelled, non-essential retail closed, unable to meet with her friends. She struggled enormously, she's prone to being anxious and overthinking things anyway and just slid downhill so quickly. After one almighty toddler tantrum with tears and snotters and screams we realised something had to change.

Quick text send to her best friend's mum, best friend was struggling too, mum (a GP) agreed it would do them the world of good to get together for pizza and Netflix. Which it did. I won't be stopping her seeing her friends again.

I think she struggles most with uncertainty. She's not used to mum and dad not having the answers. For everything else, most things in her life are fairly easily managed and answered, even if she doesn't like the answer we can usually provide the guidance.

It's like a never-ending nightmare. Take care, Nonomore and remember we're all here if/when you need to offload about how shite things are.

I think schools closing on Friday and then they go back later in January. Also think limit numbers for meeting. I'm totally scunnered with it all

I would be more in favour of schools closing early than opening late. Thinking that they might not go back as planned in January and that closures might drag on indefinitely like last year would just be too awful to think about. But I could manage them finishing a few days early.

I would like schools to close on Wednesday, or to do something like say there will be no work done on those days so kids like my s4 are not disadvantaged by staying at home and kids who need to be in school for childcare or welfare reasons can still go.

But Wednesday is only 2 days away now so that would be really short notice.

@Fimilo

I think schools closing on Friday and then they go back later in January. Also think limit numbers for meeting. I'm totally scunnered with it all

Absolutely would not work for the thousands of S4/5/6 children who have prelims scheduled.

I am not in favour of anything happening to schools. Always the bloody schools first.

By all means close early on Friday but they need to go back January.

DD S5, prelims in January, education has suffered enough. I'm actually horrified at the thought...

I can't believe they will shut schools! They have so much else to restrict and they went on about how schools will be the last to shut.
Honestly I wish they would let us vaccinate kids properly. I really don't understand all the dithering!! US and most of Europe has done 12-18 and some already are doing 5+. The highest Covid prevalence is in kids and we are doing nothing!

I know this is all just speculation but I prefer to wildly speculate instead of just waiting

I agree

@Rae36

I know this is all just speculation but I prefer to wildly speculate instead of just waiting

I agree

The whole ‘we’ve agreed new restrictions, we’ll tell the press that, but we’re not giving you details’ is a pile of sh*t. Literally heightening everyone’s anxiety for a few days for dramatic effect.

I get they have to inform Parliament, but call Parliament early or just leak it to the press beforehand like everyone else does.

Totally agree I don't want anything happening with the schools

I’m glad everyone is on board with the speculating!

I do feel it would be terrible if schools close and things like nightclubs are still open (though I also understand that young people want to party at this time of year and depriving them isn’t great either etc.) But without furlough money I worry it could all happen the wrong way round. This is all very tricky without financial supports.

Shutting schools should be the absolute last resort, the effects of last lockdowns have had hugely negative lasting impacts on some of our most deprived children. I can't believe it's even a consideration tbh.

I am due to visit and stay with family for the first time in three years.
I'll be gutted if my dc can't see their cousins and I can't see my family.

We are all at double or triple jagged ( live in the USA) and will be tested before we travel and again when we arrive.

The amount of politics in COVID management is depressing.

The cynic in me also thinks the closing of schools would also be a great time for them to push vaccination on under 12’s...get back to school once they are vaccinated. By all means if you want your kids vaccinated go ahead but I know a hell of a lot of people that don’t.

@MLMshouldbeillegal

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

It’s like the language is scripted, last week it was ‘can’t rule out new restrictions’, Swinney at the weekend ‘restrictions are possible’, Yousaf today ‘restrictions are inevitable’.

It’s like they’re take baby steps to communicate something thats clearly been decided. Just be up front!!! Winds me right up. Say nothing, or say everything.

We’re due to go to England for Christmas. If she restricts travel then I’m like sod it, we’ll still go. But our family are all super rule abiding (actually more just scared of what the neighbours will think) and I think they would have a problem with is coming. Which is what pisses me off the most about all this is how it’s forcing us to assess our moral compass at all times.
I watched the jingle bell ball the other night ans naively thought - they can’t allow something like this and days later cancel Christmas. But maybe they can!!

I don't care what she says. Am done. Had Covid. Been vaccinated. Time to get on with the business of living. Whatever she announces, I won't be altering my Christmas plans. I'll be raging if schools finish early as she'll be caving in to the EIS. What about shopworkers that are exposed to everyone's germs? So sick of these useless attempts to control a virus. Lockdowns don't work but none of the politicians are brave enough to admit this.

It’s like they’re take baby steps to communicate something thats clearly been decided. Just be up front!!!

Yes! And stop hiding behind euphemisms and so on too. Call restrictions restrictions, don’t try to persuade us they’re really ‘protective measures’ as though we’ll all feel less restricted then. And don’t say things are ‘inevitable’ when they are your choice to make! Own it if you think it’s the right choice but don’t pretend the virus is making your decisions for you.

@Mojoj

I don't care what she says. Am done. Had Covid. Been vaccinated. Time to get on with the business of living. Whatever she announces, I won't be altering my Christmas plans. I'll be raging if schools finish early as she'll be caving in to the EIS. What about shopworkers that are exposed to everyone's germs? So sick of these useless attempts to control a virus. Lockdowns don't work but none of the politicians are brave enough to admit this.

Focusing all the attention on lockdowns and restrictions to try to stop an unstoppable virus. I’ve said it from the start, the bloody first thing they should have done was subsidise (UK wide) medicine, nursing, midwifery etc university courses to entice more people to sign up to them.

Actually have a long term to to try and better the nhs rather than asking Jo Public to protect it.

Checking in as feeling very antsy about this - I hate the hanging about waiting.

It’s this report that just makes me think there will be a lot of restrictions forthcoming: mobile.twitter.com/kallmemeg/status/1469350830864322560

Plus this specifically for Scotland: mobile.twitter.com/kallmemeg/status/1469312352944283655

I do have the March 2020 feeling and I’m having the same discussion with DH where he thinks I’m overreacting and I’m just saying the numbers are the numbers.

One hope I have is that they might reduce the isolation to 7 days again.

There was a journalist from Ireland on the radio earlier.
They've had the longest, strictest lockdown in Europe.
Nightclubs only opened in October and they're shut again.
They've needed vaccine passports for hospitality for several months but they've got restricted hours again.
And they've now got a lot more people in ITU now than other countries, proportionately.

Oh and their population are scunnered (not exact word he used!)

If there was ever an example of severe restrictions not working in the longer term.

@ShiftingSands21

It’s this report that just makes me think there will be a lot of restrictions forthcoming: mobile.twitter.com/kallmemeg/status/1469350830864322560

Plus this specifically for Scotland: mobile.twitter.com/kallmemeg/status/1469312352944283655

I do have the March 2020 feeling and I’m having the same discussion with DH where he thinks I’m overreacting and I’m just saying the numbers are the numbers.

One hope I have is that they might reduce the isolation to 7 days again.

My feeling on that (clinging to optimism) is that it says infections could go as high as 15,000. But, and I think she says this in the thread or elsewhere?, if you assume we only ever catch about half of them that’s the same sort of figures we saw in the last peak this autumn.

I suppose that doesn’t help much if the argument is that NHS could cope then but is so busy with all the other stuff that it can’t cope now. Would be a bit peeved if we had to lockdown because of the backlogs and buildups caused by lockdown though.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses I hate the waiting for announcements as well. Plays havoc with my mental health.

I really hope she doesn't bring back rule of 6/household mixing restrictions. Will cause yet more arguments with DD18. However, to be honest I think this time I haven't got the mental energy left to fight DD.