Christmas break?

Crazy idea hospitals will be full of family members, all for a bit of turkey

It’s been enlightening to see just how stupid and dim witted some people are being. Why would any government in any country choose to kill off the people who pay rates, taxes etc that fund their own wages?

At least future employers will be able to check job applicants out on social media and find out who the sensible conscientious people are, who will make reliable intelligent workers and not rabble rousers because they have fallen in line with the conspiracy theorists.

I can see me and DH falling out over this. He's just said 'They are considering letting people mix a Christmas'. He looked disappointed when I said I'm not going anywhere. Yes we have a great day with the family. It's always lovely.
However I am 71, DH is 74. He has type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer (in remission), is on medication for high BP and cholesterol, he has to have vit B12 injections. (You would never guess any of this as he looks really well). It's not worth it. He likes to have a drink so that would mean taxis which I'm not keen on either. I don't drive. So NO.

Well said. I cannot understand how any of us who are doing everything we can to protect not just ourselves but our own beloved families can be accused of being selfish. Surely that is a description of people who put their own wishes first and are quite happy to risk infecting who knows whow many others for their own selfish reasons? A quite disgraceful comment.

Forgot to mention that my comment was meant for Jillybird who talked so much sense!

I'm with Sparklefizz and others on this one. We've come this far and it would be ridiculous and selfish to throw it all away for a few days. I would love to see all my family as I usually do, but am resigned to not doing so. Hopefully it's just this year ...as others have pointed out, Eid and Diwali have been affected - why should Christmas be a special case - all races and cultures treasure their traditions and we all have to make sacrifices for the greater good, until vaccines and continuing developments in healthcare and treatment put us in a better, safer position. We can still Zoom and use the phone...leets do what we have to do and look forward to better times next year.

I agree with Froglady, Christmas comes every year but this year we're dealing with Covid and it has to be different. We all want to be with our families, of course we do but the daft idea that people can roam wherever they like in the country spreading any infection they may have from the place they live is irresponsible to say the least. Whatever our feelings about the vaccine, it's on the horizon so we need to hang on, and carry on doing what we're doing for the forseeable future.

lets

Olive53 (and others)
The suicide rate is not increasing.
There is no evidence to support that "fact".

Olive53

Ajswan agree with every word you said. There were no masks worn at the beginning of lockdown as we were told they won’t work. Now everyone is wearing them and guess what, The rate of infection is increasing. People are even wearing them in their cars, all alone, do they also wear them in bed!!
Get the country back to normal, the suicide rate is increasing at an alarming rate
And what about those poor people waiting and waiting for life saving surgery and treatment. Their lives obviously not important.

Their lives are important. They'll have to wait even longer if the hospital beds are taken up with Covid patients.

It is irresponsible of the government to send out a message that they "hope" to give a 5 day respite to the country over the Christmas period. Also all the tabloids have picked up on that and are predicting families can all get together.
I suppose that the Covid 19 is in agreement to take 5 days off also.
I am getting so p***ed off listening to folk talk on t.v and radio about the fact they will still see their families at Christmas and they don't care if it means they could catch something and die at least they will die happy. I mean what is wrong with people? it is one year that they may have to have a quieter Christmas so what is their problem.
It's about time people grew some b***s and be sensible about their health and damn stop moaning. I am getting sick of it.

Reading some of the comments above, I'm wondering how many of your children and their children are thinking to themselves thank goodness we have an excuse not to visit Mum and Dad/Granny and Grandpa?

I can remember when we were about 23/24 when we decided to have Christmas by ourselves in our own home and it was lovely. We didn't spend Christmas with either sets of parents for about 10 years. My in laws were quite relieved and took themselves off to a hotel which they thoroughly enjoyed. We started to spend time at Christmas with them because my Father died (aged 55) and my in laws started to get frail.

Franbern How dare you call people who have been self-isolating and have given up a lot selfish?

If too many people hadn't thought that somehow they were special and invincible, the infection rates would have plummeted to manageable levels.

The government could do much to save unviable businesses - in fact, it has - although some people have fallen through the net. It's a fact that some people have done very well - approximately 30% of people are better off. There people who are losing most money are the corporate landlords.

A short, sharp shock (not this wishy-washy half-hearted lockdown) would have resulted in a healthier population and healthier economy.

I am just assuming that we will spend Christmas Day at home.
I am quite looking forward to it.
Secretly I am hoping that DH's lovely daughter will bring us round some lunch but if not we always seem to get biscuits and chocolate for Christmas so we won't starve.
I do not plan on doing any cooking
3Nanny6 ,15:23 pm - well said.

They also walk among us....... ^hmm]

Sorry ,Maw Be
Please explain.

I am not looking forward to January. The first part of 2021 will be payback time for all of us. It seems that many will be having their usual Christmas whatever the rules are at the time and as many have said the virus will still be there.

I will be very careful as usual and only do what is safe even if it is Christmas.

We were supposed to be going to my sons house for Christmas Day as they have just finished having a huge extension with lovely new kitchen fitted and in normal times we would have really been looking forward to going. However these aren't normal times so we will just stay at home and cook for the 2 of us.
My mum is 97 and although she is in a bubble with my sister she intends going to my son's as she feels at her age she's spent enough time being at home and wants to go there for the day, can't really say too much about that as I know she is very lonely.
I'd rather they didn't allow us to mix this year as I can see a lot of people will be put under pressure by friends and families to go out. We have been self isolating by choice since the beginning of March and apart from going to have our flu and pneumonia jabs all we have done is walk the dog around the park every day. Neither of us have any underlying health issues and we are both in our 60's but we don't want to take the risk of going to my sons and possibly picking something up. Both son and DIL work from home but GD is 13 and at school so really don't think it would be a good idea.

I think the government has accepted that a large number of people fully intend to be with their families over Christmas, so the current lockdown will enable them to allow gatherings of up to a certain number.

Obviously we can all decide for ourselves whether or not to see our families, and as many on here have stated, some will decide to continue shielding this year.

I think the reason a lot of us have decided not to spend Christmas with family this year has nothing to do with Government restrictions but more to do with using our own common sense. Unless by some magical means the
Goverment can make the virus disappear over Christmas we are as likely to either infect or become infected on Christmas or Boxing Day as on any other. What is the point in being careful for nine months only to risk it particularly when the vaccine is just around the corner.Unless all family members can isolate for the 2 weeks before Christmas this is just asking for trouble. Weather permitting it will be lovely to meet up outside, socially distanced, and even open Christmas presents in the garden. We have bought a fire pit and have plenty of logs. Again if it’s fine a family walk on Boxing Day, socially distanced with maybe a hot toddy! God willing we can have a celebration when things are much better and hope that won’t be too long.

I think the government are just worried that if they don’t let people think they won’t have a semi normal Christmas they won’t go out and spend lots of money. And, just as eat out to help out has pushed the infection/death rate up so will a semi normal Christmas. This pandemic is our WWII. We will party like there’s no tomorrow when it’s over so let’s just wait till then. It isn’t as if the vaccines aren’t giving us hope that there is an end to it. Just as the first lockdown made a lot of people appreciate different things so will this different Christmas. All I want for Christmas is for my family to be safe and healthy.

My apologies Lancslass I didn’t mean you!
That’s the problem with timing, crossed posts etc.
I was referring to the conspiracy theorists and Covid deniers.
I find it absolutely incredible that there are people who are totally insouciant about the risks to themselves and to others.
Like the anti-vaxxers, they make me shake my head in sorrow.
Yes, they may escape or have escaped so far but to defeat this virus we need a concerted approach.

I'm glad that the vast majority of posters now realise the risks they'd run for celebrating a 'normal' family Christmas. It's just not worth losing lives for is it?

Those selfishly saying 'My life, my choice' just don't take into account the potential transmission to others, the overwhelmed NHS.

Next year when, hopefully, this dreadful virus is gone, and we've survived, we'll have such a brilliant, extra happy, OTT big family party to compensate!

covid does not recognise christmas, its not like in the war were warring sides stopped for christmas day, unfortunately covid does not do that

But MawBe, it is all one big hoax, don't you know. The Governments around the world have trashed their economies, purchased humongous amounts of PPE and buried thousands of people just so they can control us. Quite why they want to control us, I don't know but there must be a reason because there are people on here who tell us so.

Sadly, I think that the Government will let people mix more at Christmas, not because the science says we can, but they know too many idiots won't comply and it will be obvious they are losing control. It's a sad state of affairs when people will "die" if they can't have a normal Christmas because that is exactly what they risk if they do.