Have Yourself a Jolly Careful Christmas

 

Yesterday evening the Prime Minister was urging us to have "a jolly careful Christmas." This evening a joint statement covering the four nations of the United Kingdom has been released indicating that up to 3 households will be allowed to meet to enjoy a festive celebration between 23rd and 27th December.

Sounds like the virus could be in for a treat, with payback in January just before the potential roll-out of a vaccine. Its last hurrah if you like!

There are serious caveats. The joint statement itself warns that "this cannot be a normal Christmas," and, "even where it is within the rules, meeting with friends and family over Christmas will be a personal judgement for individuals to take, mindful of the risk to themselves and others."

Conscious of our normal pattern of family meet-ups at the end of the year, the proposed relaxation of restrictions offers all kinds of possible permutations. Obviously we need to consider them in detail once we have better information as to the various tiered restrictions into which those areas where our nearest and dearest live are going to be placed next week. Alternatively do we just say here and now, no thank you, all our family get-togethers are postponed until perhaps the Spring?

How much easier would it be if everyone lived on the doorstep? We could even see and keep them there; mulled wine and canapés in the garden; socially distanced walks in Santa Claus outfits.

With the youngest in London, however, there is an added dimension of risk we need to be wary of, especially when we are in a bubble with my mother. 

When the youngest visited in August, the rate of transmission was low, the windows were open, her train was empty and we all felt able to manage the threat. Will we be so capable a month from now? If not, are she and we going to have to don party hats and communicate over Zoom? Is there an app that enables us to pull crackers from opposite ends of the Internet?

Now I am no great fan of the idea of a nanny state and firmly believe that we are by now old and sensible enough to make appropriate decisions for our own safety and well-being, as well as for other family members, without the involvement of the Government. It's just an awful lot of deliberation and dithering has to be suffered first; statistics and trends examined; health factors weighed up; all options and feasible outcomes considered. 

Could we even be in need of a team of expert scientific advisors to help solve the dilemma?



Comments

Treaders said…
I think we should all be able to make our own considered decisions. That being said, as my neighbours were saying today, we're all now paying for the stupidity of some people who think they're invincible and gather in crowded pubs and so on. It's sad as this could have been over so long ago if people had just been sensible!
Caree Risover said…
Same people that the relaxation of restrictions at Christmas are intended to appease too perhaps? What I don't fully understand is the apparent explanation that if restrictions aren't lifted people will do what they want anyway. If that is the case, why bother legislating at all and what about further exceptions for New Year and for personal celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries etc.? If the Government made a mistake in lifting too many rules too quickly in the summer, it seems to want to do the same thing again but at least it no longer claims to be following the science, only to being guided by it!

Most Popular Posts of All Time

The 3 x 60 Challenge

All Aboard for Pampering

A Full Service

Late, Even in Retirement

A Reprieve

One a Day

The Danger Zone

Exhaustion

Business Networking in Retirement

Not Only But Also

Popular Posts in last 30 days

From the Post

Three Leaks and a Garage Door

Enough

Sort Your Life Out

Boots and Balance

Exhaustion

From Out of the Rabbit Hole

Happy New Me

Keeping the Faith

Late, Even in Retirement