[News] Christmas COVID rules fresh from the horses' mouths

[zefarelly]

Ours, by the end of this current 2 week school closure (supposedly down to 1 confirmed case though I'm sceptical) will have missed 5 weeks each since they returned in September. Each of their bubbles have been sent home at different times but the school has insisted they both stay home each time. Additionally it's a school that opted for a 2 week half term.
End result is 2 very confused kids who may as well not have gone back

My lad was sent home with his year bubble for 2 weeks, schoool for 2 days, then half term, madness. He's not happy because half the kids don't give a toss. We haven't discussed Christmas yet, would be nice to have step Dad round for lunch but we're not sure its a good idea. likewise my mum as well . . . . but can't do both and my brother, thats 4 household . . . . no doubt next door will have a house full as they havce done regularly all summer.

 

[CHAPPERS]

So if my understanding is right, if you are in the top tier its still OK to travel outside you're area and then visit relatives in your bubble, ie tier system doesn't apply for 5 days?

This what is confusing me. Has this been explained anywhere?

 

[atomised]

My lad was sent home with his year bubble for 2 weeks, schoool for 2 days, then half term, madness. He's not happy because half the kids don't give a toss. We haven't discussed Christmas yet, would be nice to have step Dad round for lunch but we're not sure its a good idea. likewise my mum as well . . . . but can't do both and my brother, thats 4 household . . . . no doubt next door will have a house full as they havce done regularly all summer.

It's so frustrating. It's just the 4 of us at Christmas anyway so no issues there. I will pop out to see my mum at some point over the 5 days but apart from that a simple bubble

 

[Bold Seagull]

They also admitted yesterday the Tiers had been working.

I must admit, I don’t get the fans thing

2000 fans in a 60000 seater stadium or a 9000 - surely a percentage would be better if you are doing it.

Think it's more about the travel to be honest. You might have a 60,000 seater stadium, but that might be served by poor transport links and unavoidable crowding, in that scenario a 9k stadium maybe better suited to host more fans than a 60k one if it has better links and flow of people.

 

[keaton]

This what is confusing me. Has this been explained anywhere?

you can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ng-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Think it's more about the travel to be honest. You might have a 60,000 seater stadium, but that might be served by poor transport links and unavoidable crowding, in that scenario a 9k stadium maybe better suited to host more fans than a 60k one if it has better links and flow of people.

That is true, but the most fans would be 8000 and that’s at old Trafford - which is likely to be in tier 3.

The network is set up for 80k?

It’s more for the smaller grounds and the space In there.

 

[CHAPPERS]

We were clapping for the NHS a few months ago and now we seem to be ****ing them over. Odd.

 

[Notters]

This what is confusing me. Has this been explained anywhere?

Yes they have said you can travel anywhere in the UK during this period but advise against public transport. All the trains are up the shoot from 23rd anyway.

Travel could be a big issue I think with the whole of the country on the road on 23rd and 27th. Huge amounts of mixing in motorway services etc.

In some ways it would make sense for this rule to cover the whole of the Christmas period until 2nd Jan - once these three groups are together what difference does it make how long they're together for?

We were clapping for the NHS a few months ago and now we seem to be ****ing them over. Odd.

I don't remember quite this outcry when they were paying people to go to restaurants. This is an extremely measured response by comparison.

 

[Mellotron]

Think it's more about the travel to be honest. You might have a 60,000 seater stadium, but that might be served by poor transport links and unavoidable crowding, in that scenario a 9k stadium maybe better suited to host more fans than a 60k one if it has better links and flow of people.

This. No issue spreading 2k out across a 9k stadium.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Yes they have said you can travel anywhere in the UK during this period but advise against public transport. All the trains are up the shoot from 23rd anyway.

Travel could be a big issue I think with the whole of the country on the road on 23rd and 27th. Huge amounts of mixing in motorway services etc.

In some ways it would make sense for this rule to cover the whole of the Christmas period until 2nd Jan - once these three groups are together what difference does it make how long they're together for?



I don't remember quite this outcry when they were paying people to go to restaurants. This is an extremely measured response by comparison.

Funnily enough some kind of eat out to help out in December and January, in venues that will be cleaned regularly, without any household mixing indoors outside of small bubbles, might have been a decent compromise.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yet in Germany, now suffering record deaths across the whole pandemic, there are suggestions of similar loosening of restrictions over the Christmas period.

As I said, I believe governments are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

And as someone else said, most people will do the right thing where they can. The ****wits would be ignoring any guidelines regardless, because that's what ****wits do.

I’m not sure what Germany has got to do with my post. But as you mention it, there has been talk of the hope the numbers will be sufficiently reduced to relax over Xmas but until they announce the outcome of their talks today I don’t know what they plan to do. And if numbers are on the rise, and they announce we can all go to the football on Saturday and get together over Xmas, I’ll have a similar response.

Does Germany really now have “record deaths across the whole pandemic”?

 

[happypig]

Does anyone know when the government will announce the other two families that I have to spend Christmas with ?

 

[Mellotron]

Funnily enough some kind of eat out to help out in December and January, in venues that will be cleaned regularly, without any household mixing indoors outside of small bubbles, might have been a decent compromise.

I suspect something along those lines will come again around February-March to coax people back out of hibernation.

 

[atomised]

Does anyone know when the government will announce the other two families that I have to spend Christmas with ?

I did wonder if I would get allocated 2 extra households for the 5 days

 

[Bozza]

I’m not sure what Germany has got to do with my post.

Because I believe all governments are facing the same tricky decisions around the time of year when families get together, often in large number and often across many generations that include those most vulnerable.

And because the German discussions caught my eye on the Guardian coverage last night.

And because you live in Germany.

And because you seem to be near-constantly extolling the virtues of the German approach to, well, pretty much everything relative to the UK approach.

Hope this helps.

 

[Chicken Run]

Because I believe all governments are facing the same tricky decisions around the time of year when families get together, often in large number and often across many generations that include those most vulnerable.

And because the German discussions caught my eye on the Guardian coverage last night.

And because you live in Germany.

And because you seem to be near-constantly extolling the virtues of the German approach to, well, pretty much everything relative to the UK approach.

Hope this helps.

Don’t hold back sir! [emoji23]

 

[blue-shifted]

Nothing crazy about this at all, it’s up to you if you want to go visit family for 5 days.

If 90 year old granny doesn’t care and wants to see people at Christmas why shouldn’t she ?

She might get it and pass it onto her 90 year old friend!

 

[Steve in Japan]

My 90 year old Dad is definitely not for joining any of his kids and grandkids at Christmas. It's nothing personal, but he simply does not want to take the risk. He couldn't give a stuff about Christmas; he just wants to know why he can't have the vaccine yet.

I suspect there are more of his opinion than we hear about.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Does Germany really now have “record deaths across the whole pandemic”?

I think that is record deaths for Germany during the pandemic. Remember in the early stages they were more successful at keeping their deaths low compared to other countries. It's less of a jump for them to start having record death numbers in this second wave.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Because I believe all governments are facing the same tricky decisions around the time of year when families get together, often in large number and often across many generations that include those most vulnerable.

And because the German discussions caught my eye on the Guardian coverage last night.

And because you live in Germany.

And because you seem to be near-constantly extolling the virtues of the German approach to, well, pretty much everything relative to the UK approach.

Hope this helps.

You seem rather prickly these past few days; I’ll leave you to it.