Not sure if this has any bearing on it, but the most common family "size" is with two children (well according to Statista it was the most common in 2019). Now say that by their early 20s, maybe both children have since left home, that would automatically make that now a "three household" bubble if both children were then to meet with their parents over Christmas.

 

If that IS the most common "family size" then three households would make sense. And not sure who would want to tell them "it's either none of you meeting up, or one of you is going to have to miss out" at a time were maybe they haven't seen each other since March.

 

I know I'm very grateful that three households are allowed to bubble, so that I can see both my sister (who I've not seen since our birthday in March) and my parents.

The problem, though, is that one or both of those children may have a partner. You can’t mix with two households on Christmas Day and then a different two on Boxing Day.

The problem, though, is that one or both of those children may have a partner. You can’t mix with two households on Christmas Day and then a different two on Boxing Day.

 

Yeah I get you, just another thing to have to think about.

 

Honestly it's depressing.

I guess in my opinion it should have been either everyone can mix or no-one can mix over Christmas.

Yeah I get you, just another thing to have to think about.

 

Honestly it's depressing.

It is :(

I for one am looking forward to the post-covid discussion & analysis pieces already.

 

I firmly believe that this will be looked back on as a hysterical time where governments threw policies at the wall to see what stuck.

2-household rule, 3-household rule, infinity-household rule. I think we can all agree the government could have done anything yet people will make their own decisions over Christmas.

The problem, though, is that one or both of those children may have a partner. You can’t mix with two households on Christmas Day and then a different two on Boxing Day.

 

I've been confused about this from when the Christmas relaxation policy was announced as I don't feel it's been made clear enough whether it's the same three households in total for the entirety of the five day period, or a maximum of three households at a time. Probably another thing that's been left purposefully ambiguous.

 

On one hand it's probably good that my parents have booked to go to the Canary Islands over Christmas and New Year (and are still planning to go even now they've been removed from the travel corridors list), even though that itself is another issue :lol:

It's this constant webwork of rules that shift all the time that gets me. Britain's gone from the 1.5-metre-rule, to the social bubble, to the three household rule, from full lockdowns, to circuit breaker lockdowns, to tiers, to completely different tiers, masks not compulsory, then masks are compulsory, schools closed, schools open, schools open for some year groups. All these rules that seem to lose sight of the target, they're aimed at stopping this moving target from getting too far away from them when the gaps they're leaving will just let it slip through anyway and getting a better system of declaring someone clear would have avoided so much more hardship.

 

Their solutions aren't really aimed at any target in particular, just reactive governance whenever something looks too bad for them. From my experience China's traffic light health codes may not be 100% effective but they make it so easy to see at a glance who is probably fine if there's any doubt - but there would be SO many people in Britain who would resist signing up to them because of how much information you need to sign over, I'm not entirely comfortable with it but I have had to, there wasn't a choice.

I guess in my opinion it should have been either everyone can mix or no-one can mix over Christmas.

 

 

 

If you say no-one can mix how do you police it? I may be wrong but I think most people would just ignore it as it's Christmas. They'll see it as their right to see family and friends.

 

My late daughter's best friend says she's coming round Christmas Eve to see us with a couple of others. Am a bit worried as she's a teacher now. How do you tell someone not to come though when she's been the last two Xmas Eves? We put a little buffet on with wine.

Edited December 15, 20204 yr by CHRIS-TMAS

I've been confused about this from when the Christmas relaxation policy was announced as I don't feel it's been made clear enough whether it's the same three households in total for the entirety of the five day period, or a maximum of three households at a time. Probably another thing that's been left purposefully ambiguous.

 

On one hand it's probably good that my parents have booked to go to the Canary Islands over Christmas and New Year (and are still planning to go even now they've been removed from the travel corridors list), even though that itself is another issue :lol:

The question was raised at the time and the answer was that the limit is two other households over the whole period. I agree, though, that they haven’t done anything to make sure this message is clear to as many people as possible.

From ITV News.

 

BORIS Johnson has been told to SCRAP his plan to relax coronavirus restrictions over Christmas by experts.

 

This morning top doctors at the British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal published a joint editorial calling on the Government to stop Christmas household mixing to protect the NHS.

 

The demands have been backed by Labour, whose leader Keir Starmer demanded an urgent COBRA meeting to look again at whether it was safe enough for people to meet up over the holiday period.

 

As things stand the entire UK will see rules relaxed for five days over the Christmas period, allowing multiple households to meet in bubbles - a move that will encourage mass migration on public transport over the period.

 

But such a relaxation could prove disastrous, experts warned potentially costing tens of thousands of lives - a move that appears even more reckless with the mass rollout of a coronavirus vaccine just weeks away.

Edited December 15, 20204 yr by CHRIS-TMAS

DELETED

Edited December 15, 20204 yr by CHRIS-TMAS

As if doing yet another U-turn NOW is gonna change anything given most people will have already booked transport & made plans etc.

As if doing yet another U-turn NOW is gonna change anything given most people will have already booked transport & made plans etc.

 

 

Yes and given out and accepted invitations to homes and as you say, booked advance coach and train tickets. They'd just look foolish if they changed it now with 10 days to go.

Chris, I've tried to edit your post. Can you please not just copy & paste the entire Sun online newspaper in future ?

They can’t scrap the rules because people will do what they want regardless. They need to look like they have at least some control.

 

They can’t dangle a carrot and remove it. After this year it’s simply not fair. I’m also not sure what people are expecting to happen. I have never had a wild drunken Christmas Day and don’t intend to start now. I’m meeting with my family, some of whom I’m already in a support bubble with, and we’re not going to go mad. I think for something like this it’s up to the individual what risks they want to take. No one is being forced to mix.

I know I'm very grateful that three households are allowed to bubble, so that I can see both my sister (who I've not seen since our birthday in March) and my parents.

 

And that's probably why guidelines/rules should have been number of people you are allowed to invite over to your house over Christmas not households as there is a difference as four people in all is a low number in your case from three households.

And that's probably why guidelines/rules should have been number of people you are allowed to invite over to your house over Christmas not households as there is a difference as four people in all is a low number in your case from three households.

If you see every household as its own bubble though, the idea in theory is that you’re “controlling” the spread as naturally again, in theory, it should be limited to within that larger bubble. If you referred to it by number of persons, there’s a more increased change of spreading it as 5 people could be in one household and they each all go to a different house and could, in theory spread it to those 5 different households rather than one.

 

The easy answer is to continue the ban on mixing but there’s no way that’s feasible and I’d hate for it to happen. It wouldn’t surprise me though if they announce it two days before do that the majority of the shopping is all done. It just feels like constantly getting punished for continuing to put your life on hold.

2-household rule, 3-household rule, infinity-household rule. I think we can all agree the government could have done anything yet people will make their own decisions over Christmas.

 

Yeh exactly, there has to be an element of individual responsibility involved. But unfort I work in housing and when you leave people to do that it’s the government or the collective which suffers.

One good thing about this is that if you want to buy a very large fresh turkey on Christmas Eve you should get one cheap if you look around. On one of the Xmas food shows the other day a farmer said people have ordered smaller turkeys this year due to presumably having less people to dinner so supermarkets and butchers haven't ordered as many big ones. Many will be left unsold. They can't keep them alive just to carry on growing so have to be slaughtered. Many will have to be frozen for next year and some sold cheaply to the pet food makers.

Edited December 16, 20204 yr by CHRIS-TMAS