Christmas easing of restrictions

Those who were intent on flouting the guidelines at Christmas were always going to do it anyway. I fear the 5 day “relaxation” will nudge many more folk into “we might as well if everyone else is doing it” frame of mind.

I’d love nothing more than to have a leisurely Christmas dinner and hugs with my daughter and grandchildren. Especially as I’ll see so little of her in January when she’ll be working flat out caring for very ill patients when hospital cases escalate further as a result of the Christmas family gatherings.

I’ll be happy with a distanced garden visit with them on Christmas Day just as we’ve been doing for months. I know I’m lucky to be able to have that as so many grandparents are far apart from their AC and GC.

No one is being encouraged to meet up and socialise over Christmas. The govt recognises that people will get try and get together anyway so they’re trying to lay some guidelines down.

I think for many people, not having guidelines, or easing guidelines is tantamount to encouraging. People will feel that if there’s no law against it and the government wants them to go out and do it. Because if the government didn’t want them to do it they would keep the guidelines. I can’t say that I disagree with them.

I think easing the rules so that rule breakers don’t get In trouble is madness

Thanks Jaxjacky.
I've been going nowhere since March, so I have no idea what happens in pubs.
The difference, tho, is that in shops people should have masks (everyone does, where I am) but no masks while drinking or eating in pubs.

FarNirth there was no mingling in tier 1, seated in bubbles, no standing, full track and trace by law, very different from supermarkets/other shops

With the new tiers now being announced not many will be mingling in pubs only 3 areas in tier one
In tier 2 you can only go to the pub for a meal and only with your household
Many pubs are going to struggle and probably see their livelihoods go down the drain taking jobs with them

It's hard to see why it's fine to mingle in pubs, other than wanting them to make money.

No one is being encouraged to meet up and socialise over Christmas. The govt recognises that people will get try and get together anyway so they’re trying to lay some guidelines down. If there were no rules then maybe six or even ten families might decide to meet up. At least this is an attempt to keep some control.

Although at a time when premises who’ve broken the rules are still allowed to trade, it’s hard to see why you shouldn’t have granny round to dinner when it’s fine to take her to the pub. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-55071975

I am sure I posted this yesterday but can’t find it - so my apologies if it is appearing for a second time.
It says it all though.

Floradora9, of course, it's utter madness to encourage so many to meet up and socialise - all at the same time. There was no relaxing of the rules for other religious ceremonies/events this year. Therefore it's biased and unfair too.

I know someone closely connected to the advice given to governments who thinks it is sheer folly to relax the rules like they are doing .

Well said LauraNorder.

I posted this on another similar thread

The government said three households, the virus clapped with joy.
The government said if you’re already in a bubble, that counts as one household so now you can have four households together, the virus leapt about with glee.
The grannies said their guilt wouldn’t allow them to say ‘no’. The virus was beside itself with happiness.
The scientists said there was a vaccine coming soon, the virus wasn’t bothered after all it was going to have the merriest of christmases

I feel the same as Grannybags. I would love to see my 92 year old Aunt 110 miles away as I've only seen her once this year and she's the only family I have left on my Dad's side but she will be seeing my 2 cousins over Christmas. I certainly don't want to be on the M62 when he "releases" people for Christmas as I think it will be chaos so was hoping the decision would be made for me so we can both stay safe. OK I'll be at home on my own but |I'd rather wait until things improve as I just think there will be a resurgence in January.

I will be spending my usual Christmas Day with DD & family, my support bubble. I normally arrive at DD's at around 10 & leave about 3, so no change this year.

My DM is in Yorkshire, 600 mile round trip, she is almost 92 & I haven't seen her since January this year, no chance I will see her over Christmas, I normally visit in November.

I believe that we are eventually going to have to learn to live with this virus as we do Winter Flu especially once a vaccine is available, this may not be a popular view but it is my opinion The Scientists can't agree on the correct actions or even the interpretation of the statistics. I will of course continue to wear a face mask, wash my hands, maintain social distancing & carry on using hand sanitizer.

On another note I have had a lot of Hospital appointments since March, at first they were checking temperature before you could enter the Hospital, over the last few months I now walk straight in, go to the appointments desk & to my appointment stopping only to was my hands (standard practice at this Hospital for Outpatients for many years pre-Covid). Appointments at my GP Surgery, Practice Nurse checks temperature just before you enter their room, GP's don't even do this, masks must be worn. Makes you wonder what they know that we don't

My DS and his fiancee live fairly close to us. They haven't been in our house since March, but we have had gatepost /frontdoor chats and met them in the park a couple of times. She hasn't seen her parents ,siblings , nieces or nephews since January. She has also just found out she is pregnant. I have said that, if they get the chance they should travel to see her family. They are also part of a research programme and are getting tested every week, so feel safe in going. That will leave us with our two DDs andctheir families. DD1 and her husband both had the virus a couple of weeks ago so hopefully they will have some immunity. My DD2 has been tested for antibodies and that came back positive. We are also in their childcare bubble. So we are quite happy to have Christmas Day together. But that will be all, even though it is DH's birthday on Christmas Eve. Mind you, if I am unfurloughed, I will be at work that week anyway and I work with the public.

Two weeks after Toronto celebrated their Thanksgiving there has been such a spike that now they are in lockdown.
This next weekend, after the shops have been closed in France for three weeks, they will be open. Throngs will rush for Black Friday reductions and present shopping. What will happen two weeks later? My guess is that covid will be rife with the asymptomatic people celebrating innocently with their family members.
I think people should listen to the government not to break the law, then to think about their own health and use their common sense.
Unless there is a possibility of a covid breathalyzer or a vaccine in the next couple of weeks I will spend Christmas by myself

Ease restrictions to boost the economy, and give the feel good factor. Small print - cases and deaths will rise because of it. I will continue to isolate and look forward to the summer when I will be able, hopefully, to meet with family in safety.

We’ll be staying at home this year. I understand why some need the rules to be relaxed, but whatever the ‘rules’ say, many will simply ignore suggested numbers or multiply them, claim that their ‘condition’ means that the rules should not apply to them or continue to claim that the virus is a hoax.
For those who do plan to meet up in large groups, I read today that Christmas pudding, flambéed with rhubarb gin and topped with cognac/brandy sauce is the latest protection against COVID.

As much as I would love to see family as usual for Christmas,I will face the reality that is, Covid won’t be having any time off.
We intend to keep one another safe without the gamble that, any of us could be the next victim and have made our own risk assessment.

Weather permitting, a quick garden visit, hot chocolate and exchange of presents for GDs ?

Doreen5

We'll be celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas Day at home on our own whatever the restrictions are. No point in messing things up now when a vaccine is, hopefully, on the horizon. Haven't been to a shop, hairdressers, Church or anywhere except the countryside since the beginning of March so it's not worth risking anything now.

With you on this one Doreen5. We haven't been anywhere since March too so why risk it now? If we all act responsibly now we will still be around for future Christmas/birthdays/get togethers. It's madness to lift restrictions for one day it will only cause another rise in COVID cases in the new year.

If gyms and restaurants are open and families are allowed to have big get together but they still ban outdoor tennis (and golf) I shall be chaining myself to somebody’s railings.

We've already talked to our AC about this and agreed that we will not be mixing indoors over Christmas. Seems silly to risk it now when a vaccine is literally just around the corner. I saw this in the newspaper this weekend- I think it came from one of the scientists ' Don't give Granny Covid for Christmas and bury her in January'. That is our mantra leading up to Christmas this year. So many on Gransnet being sensible and cautious. There will hopefully be other Christmases- and beautiful memories of Christmases past. That'll do for me.

The way I see it there were some folk hell bent on flouting the rules at Christmas. There were folk who preferred to remain careful and keep the risk to a minimum and wait for us all to be vaccinated.

Now that the government has suggested there will be a relaxation for a few days at Christmas we have a new group who think “we might as well meet up and celebrate because the government have suggested it’s fine”

There is no logic to this decision. I hope those who let their guard down for the sake of a Christmas get together still think it was all worthwhile when numbers are soaring in January.

It's crazy We won't be going anywhere

i think we need to realise that the virus does not recognise christmas unfortunately so, scarily, there could be more people contracting virus due to mixing so its not really worth it