This Christmas would you rather-

Stay as we are. In our own households/bubbles meaning a very quiet Christmas and only getting in contact with relatives via the phone or zoom video and hope coronavirus cases and deaths reduce?

Or


Accept what we have been offered of 3 households mixing for 4 days and seeing some family and friends however inevitably causing another spike in covid cases and deaths in January and the likelihood of an even stricter 3d look down during the most depressing month of the year?


Asked my wife this question today and she couldn't give me an answer.

 

Option 1. Easily.

 

I would rather we got back to living. Not existing. Not being made to living in perpetual never ending circle of fear constantly having restrictions put upon your life.

Let those businesses who want to open up, open up. Those families who want to spend time together over Christmas do so, those who want to be protected are protected.

Let people choose their fate.

Its a hell of a lot better than this constant locking down kicking the can down the road praying for a vaccine hole we are currently in.

 

I would rather we let people make decisions for themselves on a individual basis.

 

The tier system is a joke.

Should either all be under the same umbrella rather than complicating matters and causing an us and then mentality across the country.

I genuinely cannot see an end to it any time soon.

Given a 4 day "free for all" over Christmas then the chief health advisor is saying don't hug elderly relatives. Don't given people the opportunity then.

 

Option 1 for me.

 

Are those results inevitable? We relaxed for a lot longer than 4 days in the summer and it was fine until the schools and unis went back

 

Actually thinking about it, let's lock down every Christmas, that way we'll save a bunch of lives from car crashes, trips and falls etc.

 

Difficult to answer JT. What will happen though is that most families will do what they normally do anyway (mixing families) and ignore any guidelines from the Government. Therefore there will be a rise in January anyway

 

do as we have to do .Or risk passing virus onto someone or actually getting it before the vaccine .Daily figures for covid are not good.they were stricter in Australia and virus figures are much less.

 

it’s different though. The hospitals wouldn’t be able to cope if we allowed a free for all at the moment. We would run out of beds. That’s what this is all about, it’s that simple. I don’t think any government will allow that to happen.

 

Christmas is a time for.giving, so if you want to deprive yourself of loving relatives then “give’ them the virus? It’s a no brainer for me and my loving family and friends.

 

As long as no one is on their own I think it's obviously better to go for option 1. But I ve not got a big family anyway so I wont be missing out so it's easier for me. Will miss the usual Christmas get togethers with friends though.

 

That’s the problem with the ‘everyone should make the decision for themselves’ arguments, the NHS would be fecked if too many people took the chance.

As for the OP’s question, I’m still undecided to be honest. On one hand i think it’s ridiculous that we’re even contemplating lifting restrictions for a few days which will cause deaths, on the other we’ve had such a terrible year and I think a lonely Christmas would send many over the edge. I’m about to become a father for the first time too which makes all of this even harder for me.

 

First thing is option 1 is a non- starter as non compliance would be rife and realistically not able to be policed.

For me and my family it will be option 2.

How this will work for us is:

Three households. Me and wife. Both 60ish but apart from that not in a vunerable group.
Son and Daughter in Law
Daughter, Son in Law and Granddaughter

Chrismas day at Daughters
Boxing day at ours.

We looked at it and after taking into account who works from home, who does shopping on line and outher outside contacts then the risk whilst there, is likely to be minimal.

Now that's our view but we have a simple family structure and we all agreed to the above.

I have great sympathty to families who have more relations as there's going to be some heartbreaking trade offs between granny 1 and granny 2.

Oh also, anyone who thinks that Lockdown 3 will not happen in January anyway should give their head a wobble. It's already being drip fed into the psyche by Johnson and Hancock.
They may call it something but it will be a lockdown.

 

Beyond caring.

Dad to ill to do anything. Mum doesn't want to risk it. Can't be with my girlfriend either. Probably going to drive to the coast & go for a long walk from Ravenscar to Robin Hoods Bay & back. Take some turkey sandwiches & eat them on the beach.

 

People to take personal responsibility. If you know you are in a higher risk group, elderly, diabetic, obese etc then take responsibility for your life. just because you're allowed to go and see your family doesn't mean you have to.

I'm allowed to smoke 20 a day but I don't because it will kill me (just like the 13 people it kills every hour).

We're all allowed to eat nuts but anyone with a nut allergy takes personal responsibility and avoids it.

I know that the problem with covid is that it spreads and the more people who have it the more likely you are to catch it but honestly it really is so simple to keep yourself safe if you are in a high risk category over Christmas. Just don't ******* go see the kids.

 

Your future's already knackered then mate.

 

We're still finalising what to do, but our family groups are very small, so there is much less complexity than for others.

Typically, I head up to Barnsley around 21st/22nd, then to inlaws in Kent at silly o'clock on boxing day, then back to London on 29th/30th.

Visiting those two households only adds 3 people combined however, both groups of which are staying at home and not venturing out, just as we are doing the same. So our risks are low and really only confined to catching it from a courier or something brought into the house from a parcel or shopping that we fail to disinfect adequately.

I think if you're seeing a small family group and you're not mixing with anyone in work or social groupings, then the risks are lower and visiting family at christmas is safer to do.

The main point of risk for me is the long drive north, especially as there will be increased traffic (most likely). I've tended to set off very early anyway to avoid the congestion zone (though the extension of time means a different route needed now) and I can fill my car up in London at 5am and nobody be around.

So I'll be going with option 2 and safe in the knowledge risks will be as low as our regular daily activities.

 

I shall be using my common sense, that’s what is required.