5 day break...

Bern shielding since March few extra days doing so over Christmas if it makes us safe then so be it. My DS lives in Tokyo over 120 million in Japan n a 1000 deaths. Over 64,000 deaths here in the UK. No prizes for guessing why. I am saddened I can’t get to see my family as so many others will feel the same. Let’s hope that with the vaccine that 2021 will be a much better year than this one has been. Take care everyone

Bankhurst

The family are coming here, and we will reduce the risk in many ways including
All except one who has to work, but works in a socially distanced environment, are now self-isolating.
Ventilation while people are in a room, patio doors open before breakfast and last thing at night
Separate bathrooms for us and visitors (yes, we are lucky)
Long walks each day
Coffee in the garden
Presents to be left untouched under the tree for 36hrs
We will hand out all the presents after hand-washing by everyone
Husband on duty with antibacterial wipes for regular door handle etc wiping
Luckily we can socially distance in the lounge
No hugging of course
Meals plated in the kitchen by one person after hand washing and carried to table by recipient
Etc etc

We’re not stupid and we are doing everything we can to minimise the risk

This sounds like you are taking the steps you can. You will be all sat around a table talking and laughing together. Inside gatherings for more than 15 mins in this way is considered a dangerous environment, enabling the virus to spread.

Even that one person who has been at work. Working in social distanced environment still has its risks.

As, I said, you have it all planned carefully so I wish you a happy safe gathering. Enjoy.

We are not throwing caution to the winds over Christmas but I am becoming concerned about how being tough about all this is really helping. Wales and Scotland have generally been far more cautious than England but they still seem to have the same high rate of infection.
Without the will of the people or having a communist regime, it is pointless without proper policing to enforce tough measures. The Government know that which is why they aren't saying people shouldn't mix. Instead of blaming the government we should be blaming the "I have my rights and they trump the rights of anybody else" brigade.

First time ever, just me and my cat. I'm looking forward to it too.
Incidentally, it must be a relief for the police, with no party policing to do.

Isn't it down to personal responsibility? If the government had imposed a lockdown there would have been many who would have ignored it (just as they are ignoring current restrictions), yet when (not if) there is a spike in infections in January everyone will be blaming the government - not those who didn't take precautions.

As someone said, just because you can doesn't mean you have to. Yes, see family at Christmas but ensure you take the necessary precautions. As for me, I will be spending Christmas alone - I live in a Tier 2 area and family live in a Tier 3 area.

I think folk will do what they want within the limits of what’s available ie no pubs or restaurants. Many will continue to take care but many won’t.
Not understanding the guidance is a great excuse, thinking it’ll be the government’s fault is another.
If you’re dead, it won’t matter to you whose fault it is, but the burden of guilt on your family will be crippling.
Sad though it is, I think we should have stayed in lockdown and if meeting together means you can’t achieve all of the Hands Face Space criteria, then don’t do it.
How many of us have dining-rooms that are big enough and a table at least 2m x 2m to accommodate 4 people- never mind more than that?

I've not read all comments but totally agree with the last few.

Even though some will be careful, none of those are 100% sure they do not already have the virus when they meet up for Christmas. Then off they will travel back to their homes and work.

Figures were horrendous last night. January will be the third peak and the NHS will be totally exhausted. Some already are.

I am optimistic that the majority of people are well aware of the situation and will be sensible over Christmas.

Every opinion poll recently has shown that most people have either scaled back their plans or are staying at home and not seeing family.

It would be awful if the outcome is a total lockdown in January, but the PM has stated that he hopes that won’t be necessary.

* kids * lids ? ----Cockney bin-lids.

The family are coming here, and we will reduce the risk in many ways including
All except one who has to work, but works in a socially distanced environment, are now self-isolating.
Ventilation while people are in a room, patio doors open before breakfast and last thing at night
Separate bathrooms for us and visitors (yes, we are lucky)
Long walks each day
Coffee in the garden
Presents to be left untouched under the tree for 36hrs
We will hand out all the presents after hand-washing by everyone
Husband on duty with antibacterial wipes for regular door handle etc wiping
Luckily we can socially distance in the lounge
No hugging of course
Meals plated in the kitchen by one person after hand washing and carried to table by recipient
Etc etc

We’re not stupid and we are doing everything we can to minimise the risk

I agree Glamma. No matter how careful anyone professes to be, in an enclosure ( living/dining room ) where family are, the virus will be lurking somewhere especially if the hosts work, there are children who attend school etc, while you yourself haven't been used to gatherings at such short distance.

Will everyone be 2mtrs away from each other at the table ? Of course not. There are so many obstacles to overcome.
Personally I wouldn't feel comfortable ----and chasing lids away if they come near you ?
Just what is the point for the sake of a couple of days ?

Now with this new strain doing its rounds will it put many off ? The vaccine for this virus won't recognise a new cluster so we don't know about full protection now.
I'd rather be safe I'm afraid and I have family I haven't seen for a year.

What about those admitted with other problems ? There'll be so many Covid cases that others will be left behind. It's totally selfish.

I guess the question to ask ourselves is: does the virus take a holiday break? When I think of NZ where they all knuckled down and just put up with the inconvenience in true Kiwi style they have over come the virus.!!! Think how we would be if we could only do this with integrity? Our government is indecisive and too soft which in some ways creates more stress as many people are so confused and are talking about the government as if they are "bad parents" when it's us as a nation that has to take responsibility. I know this may sound like a rant and I do apologise if it does, but it's "the elephant in the room". I have spent so much time isolated this year it is hard to watch others in denial and in the end making it worse for the economy and for about grandchildren who will have to pay. I wonder if there was no financial assistance from government how quickly we would act as a community.

It's ridiculous. What's so special about Christmas anyway? We've probably all had lockdown birthdays. People are crazy. I feel so sorry for the poor NHS. My sister & her husband are having two daughters, a son-in-law and two grandchildren for xmas, staying over. She lives with my 86yr old Dad, who is fit & healthy but still 86. She sees her family every week anyway, it's not like she hasn't seen them since March! You just can't educate some people. I get so angry

Most people I know have scaled back their plans. People who are carrying on regardless put everyone else at risk by aiding the spread. That applies to people they may infect, medical staff, business impacted by extending lockdowns and so it goes on. We have a collective responsibility, like it or not.

My husband has been on the clinically extremely vulnerable shielding
list from the beginning. We stuck to the suggestions and kept away from all people including not going in shops , other houses etc.
When it was relaxed in July , we stayed the same, and continue to do so.
The virus doesn't have a few days off, so why should we ?

I’m sad to say that many people either totally misunderstand the government guidelines for Christmas - I know they are a bit confusing, but they are available online - and common sense went out of the window months ago. People are determined to do as they please in spite of the rising virus rates and the threat to the NHS. We’ve now moved to tier 3 and have made the decision to spend Christmas at home with just the two of us - plus cats!!! We’d rather do that and hopefully still be here next Christmas. I do understand how hard it must be for those who live alone. I think a lockdown for everyone in the new year - possibly even more strict - is inevitable.

TanaMa

Has anyonè wondered how people managed during the war!!?? They didn't have an option of having husbands, brothers, fathers and sons with them. For goodness sake put safety and health first and have get togethers when it is safe to do so.

My thoughts exactly TanaMa. DM and MIL never knew where their husbands were or if they were alive a great deal of the time. Don't recall older relatives talking about being depressed or complaining it had ruined their future.

If they banned it people would anyway.. fact of life. I posted on my Facebook page....JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD. Many friends have said they have cancelled family get togethers but one said he would meet up with whoever's he wanted. A lock down will happen after Christmas into the new year. Be sensible and stay safe xxx

Candelle The Country will blame Boris whatever he does,he should put on his big boy pants and make it a complete lockdown,it will make him unpopular but so what ? if it saves lives and stops the 4th wave of massive infections the NHS will have to deal with and lives lost in January.

I think it's irresponsible of the Government to not be more firm given that the figures are so high again. It has been proven that the virus spreads most in homes. The virus doesn't know its Christmas! I've thought long and hard about going to my daughter and we've both wavered but when I thought about how it would actually be I realised it would be quite stressful for us all. What's the point in that just to uphold a tradition? My granddaughter is 7 (and there are cases of Covid in her school) and will be all excited and want to share what presents she has got with me. I don't want to have to stop her coming near me and have my daughter constantly be on edge and saying, 'Don't go near Grandma'. I've decided not to go to my daughters but am having them come over later to the gazebo I bought for winter lockdown.( I supply blankets and hot water bottles and its quite good fun) They will bring me a Christmas meal and we will open presents together. I'll also make a fire out there and put fairly lights on a tree. Not the Christmas I might choose but it'll do! Really it's only another day. The vaccine will be here soon and hopefully next Christmas will be a better time.

To add to my previous post about not really knowing how serious things are but being cautious anyway, it’s interesting how some people feel that ‘isolating for a few days’ resolves things.....’behaving properly’ ...not mixing too many generations....’popping into people’ ...’not stopping long’...and so on, makes things ok. I think we at least know that any social contact, increases transmission risk...so in that vein, cancelling Christmas is the only answer, sadly.

My most disliked expression recently is ‘it is what it is’, usually said by people who won’t follow the advice sensibly and protect everybody else.
I would like to clarify that despite my using your most disliked expression Aepgirl on page 1, I am following the advice/rules sensibly.

Mamacaz I’m sorry you’re so stressed by all this.
Obviously I don’t know your family situation, but would your mother pose a threat to you if she came to your house on Christmas Day? Probably not, unless she’s been out all the time gadding with her friends.
I’m guessing that you’re worried that you might pose a risk to her.
That’s more of a possibility, but it depends on how many other people are going to be in your house on Christmas Day and how much they have been exposed to other people. But in the end, isn’t it it her decision whether to take the risk or not?
I hope you can come to some agreement.

Christmas cancelled for us this year, not looking forward to another lockdown in January!!!

I also agree with Cambia. Matt Hancock has several times emphasised that people need to take personal responsibility, but this is something that people seem unwilling or unable to do. It would be impossible to outlaw getting together at Xmas and even more impossible to enforce this.
People want to be able to blame someone or something else and then do what they want. Look at all the politicians that have broken rules and I'm sure you have neighbours that you know have. They are also the same people that to your face will criticise others or the government for not being strict enough.