When will this shit end?

[Ozanne]

Info on the new variant:

 

[Chapple12345]

Tougher tiers and Christmas cutbacks to be announced 

[Zoo Music Girl]

Yeah getting wider traction now. Ugh. Feels so bloody endless.

[Ozanne]

At this stage will a cut back at Christmas be enough, I'm not so sure. 

[Ozanne]

Further update on the Italy lockdown over Christmas:

People in Italy will only be allowed to leave their homes once a day to visit friends or relatives over the Christmas and new year period, and travel between regions is to be banned, according to AFP. 

The entire country is to be classified a “red” zone between 21 December and 6 January. Starting from 24 December, bars and restaurants will also be closed.

[Mr.Tease]

1 hour ago, efcfanwirral said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55376727

Jeremy Hunt the voice of reason here:

"and if the government did change its mind about relaxing the rules "we should certainly not condemn it as a screeching U-turn but the responsible thing to do in a pandemic when the facts change".

For me the thing to condemn is the complete lack of expectation management. If they'd started by being honest and cautious, and said they can't guarantee we can relax things at Christmas, it depends on the data and virus situation, fine. Instead they went along with the stupid print press nonsense about 'saving Christmas', which is just daft in a deadly pandemic. 

[Radiochicken]

For my Christmas to be ruined Reading would’ve had to go from Tier 2 to Tier 3 to this made up Tier 4 in the space of a week. 

[Ozanne]

It isn't confirmed yet that a tier 4 would be the bit that changes Christmas, they might add a tier 4 but also separately change the Christmas rules which to be fair they should probably do.

[st dan]

11 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

For me the thing to condemn is the complete lack of expectation management. If they'd started by being honest and cautious, and said they can't guarantee we can relax things at Christmas, it depends on the data and virus situation, fine. Instead they went along with the stupid print press nonsense about 'saving Christmas', which is just daft in a deadly pandemic. 

Yep, on the 24th November - which was just absurd. 
I get that people needed a bit of advanced warning to allow them to make plans etc, but a month was far too early given the even changing nature and spread of this virus. 
What they should have done is made an announcement last Friday (11th Dec) which was still two weeks in advance, but we almost certainly would have gotten a stricter set of rules to adhere to. I don’t think too many people would have complained at all with this approach given the current situation. 

Edited December 19, 2020 by st dan

[oneeye]

[Fuzzy Afro]

3 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

It isn't confirmed yet that a tier 4 would be the bit that changes Christmas, they might add a tier 4 but also separately change the Christmas rules which to be fair they should probably do.

That would be unfair on people in areas without the new strain. Why punish Peter when it’s Paul who fucked up? 

[Euphoricape]

How many times will Boris say 'Alas' this afternoon. I'm going with 6.

[steviewevie]

13 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

For me the thing to condemn is the complete lack of expectation management. If they'd started by being honest and cautious, and said they can't guarantee we can relax things at Christmas, it depends on the data and virus situation, fine. Instead they went along with the stupid print press nonsense about 'saving Christmas', which is just daft in a deadly pandemic. 

yeah, this, and this again. Bojo making promises all the time that can't be fulfilled.

maybe the eveything back to normal by spring thing should be treated with sceptism too.

[Euphoricape]

Just now, Fuzzy Afro said:

That would be unfair on people in areas without the new strain. Why punish Peter when it’s Paul who fucked up? 

Its surely spread all over UK by now though?

[PolygonWindow]

Thus Christmas thing doesn’t bother me really. With the vaccine I think by Feb it should look a lot better, that’s the important thing imo.

[Fuzzy Afro]

1 minute ago, Euphoricape said:

Its surely spread all over UK by now though?

Wrong 

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

That would be unfair on people in areas without the new strain. Why punish Peter when it’s Paul who fucked up? 

do you understand that the virus is so transient that we probably already have this strain everywhere anyway ?

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, Fuzzy Afro said:

Wrong 

Have you looked at the case increases in Cornwall , devon and Somerset of late ..... there is a bit of a link ... its called the M5 !!!

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, Euphoricape said:

Its surely spread all over UK by now though?

yep, it will certainly be spreading.

[Radiochicken]

2 minutes ago, Euphoricape said:

How many times will Boris say 'Alas' this afternoon. I'm going with 6.

Alas it is I Boris Johnson who, alas Kier Starmer wants to cancel Christmas, alas as I said at PMQs only a few short days ago, alas here I am, alas telling you, alas I have been forced to by a mutant enemy across the horizon, alas Christmas is cancelled.

[Ozanne]

6 minutes ago, Euphoricape said:

Its surely spread all over UK by now though?

The virus in general is indeed spreading across the whole of the UK and I would imagine that means the new variant is as well. 

I think people need to get away from thinking of this measures as punishments, they aren't that, they are measures brought in to try to curb the spread to the virus and save lives. Which means inn my view they should tighten restrictions at Christmas across the country, it's the safest way forward now.

[Hutchmaster]

Oh God, I've a flight home to Belfast from London on the 23rd...

[Copperface]

London right now

[Ozanne]

MPs are furious about this apparently, including Tory MPs. They don't want Parliament bypassed.

[Leyrulion]

1 minute ago, Ozanne said:

MPs are furious about this apparently, including Tory MPs. They don't want Parliament bypassed.

They can't really do anything about it in the short term.