General Chat

People in our area were expecting to be in Tier 2 but I have not seen the news since early-morning. With one exception, the older ones interviewed in Newcastle and Sunderland all said they were not expecting to spend Christmas with anyone from any other household as they can do all of that once the vaccine is up and running.

That is weird, Maggie, a link opening up to only your tier? Must take a look.

This seems to give which tier everyone is in:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52530518

But, even the BBC 'rules' - gleaned from the Government site, only mention a maximum of 6 inside in Tier 1.
If my work admin was that bad - I'd be ashamed!
Surely, someone at the Government should have checked the 'rules' for consistency :-|

For tier one it is the rule of 6 inside and out.
For tier two it is only your bubblei inside and rule of 6 in outside public places.
Tier three - your bubble only anywhere.

So, in Tier 1 - is that 6 your bubble, or is it a maximum of 6 because they aren't?
Tier 2 - is there a maximum to your 'bubble' or not? Clarification of Tier 1 would help, and is the 6 outside anyone, or can you have a larger gathering if they're your 'bubble'?

From the Gov. uk website:
What a support bubble is
A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult or a household with one adult and one or more people who were under the age of 18 on 12 June 2020 in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size.

This is called making a ‘support bubble’.

Once you’re in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in a single household with people from the other household. It means you can have close contact with that household as if they were members of your own household.

Once you make a support bubble, you cannot change who is in your bubble.

Continue to follow social distancing guidance with people outside of your household or support bubble. This is critical to keeping you, your family and friends as safe as possible.

Who can make a support bubble
If you’re in a single-adult household
You can form a support bubble with another household of any size that is not part of a support bubble with anyone else if you:

live by yourself – even if carers visit you to provide support
are a single adult living with children who were under 18 on 12 June 2020
If you live with other adults, including if your carer or carers live with you
You can form a support bubble with one single-adult household who are not part of a support bubble with anyone else.

This may be helpful

https://news.sky.com/story/a-covid-christmas-whats-allowed-during-the-festive-season-12138882

Thanks Gwyn. But i have just heard that all of kent is now in Tier 3!!!! Mums area is near to the sussex border, has one of the lowest rates of the virus but the government has put all of kent into the same tier.
That I believe will create havoc with noone allowed to visit anyone, shops, bars etc will close and if you cant work from home than you stay at home.

i havent the heart to tell mum just now as she is muddled enough and I know it would be difficult to police but its because of 2 other areas..Swale & Rochester i think that have the higher numbers.
Anyone live in kent who can tell me if i heard correctly please?

Florence in the hebrides

I don't live in Kent but all of Kent is in tier 3. However shops can remain open in all tiers. Everyone in every tier can still go to work if it's not possible to work from home.

All the restrictions are given here:-

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#very-high-alert

Kath. x

Those hopeful souls who thought we'd be in 2 have had their hopes dashed. Tier 3 it is for us.

As I understand it the for the 5 days starting from 23 dec you can meet with 2 other households in England.
You cannot then meet with other households.

Florence I believe your mother will still be able to meet with her family.

Of course it will be reviewed on 16 dec I believe.

Myself and OH are staying put. No family gatherings. :-(

Yes Florence, Kent is all Tier 3 now. Before this present lockdown, around here was level one.
Some areas still have relatively low numbers of confirmed cases, but the rate of increase in some other places is alarming.
There are areas of Kent with low numbers and rates, whereas some over the border into East Sussex have higher numbers but are in Tier 2.
There is even one village that straddles the border, where half are in Tier 3 and the other half of the village is Tier 2. Each have a pub.
One can open, the other can't.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55104042

Thank you AnnMarieG <3

One of the factors they take into consideration when making the Tiers is how well the local hospitals are coping.

My Cousin who lives near Derby surprised me when she said she was in Tier 3 but she said that was because the hospitals that serve her area are filling up with Covid patients and they were hoping it would stop them from being overwhelmed :-(

We mustn't forget that hospitals need to be there not only for Covid patients but for emergency non-Covid patients too, as I know only too well, so this needs to be factored in when deciding how local hospitals are coping.

Ours, along the road from us, appears to be full, Belle.

My neighbour and my pal's daughter both work in intensive care there. If everyone had stuck to the rules they may not be as busy as they are - they're not expecting much time off over the Christmas period.

It won't change for them if households decide to get together for Christmas Day.

New Year's Eve celebrations will only exacerbate the situation.

To add to the problem, we are thinking when uni students come back we'll see another massive upsurge in cases as we did in the autumn.

A lot of universities are testing all their students before they leave for Christmas. This is voluntary, but most seem to be taking up the offer.

Those I know include Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and Durham, but there are probably more.

I hope they all test negative upon their return too - twice would be better because some could be incubating it.

Durham is a very small city where at one time, students almost threatened to outnumber citizens in the town itself. It is impossible to avoid students who added to its covid numbers and kept most of us out of the city centre, small as it is.

Newcastle, larger and known as the party city, was even worse affected.

It was not for long before my Gnddtr's partner, doing his Masters, who was going for one tutorial a week changed to online for all.

My niece, at another uni, has been 'attending' her uni sessions online and is hoping to carry on doing so. It does mean, of course, that the uni missed out on accommodation fees but it also means that more of its students stayed safe.

The feeling in my family is that, apart from those students needing a laboratory, all students can complete their courses online but it would need goodwill and a teeny bit of nous for this to happen.

JpyL ...............

Here in Canada, almost all university students are only having online sessions, even some "labs" are being taught online.

The very sad part is that all those students are missing out on all other aspects of university life ................ seeing faculty face to face, working in teams, discussions, clubs, sports, etc.

Plus the very large possibility of cheating in online tests and exams .............. a not uncommon problem which has been detected in several places, especially where students in other time zones may be involved so tests and exams have to be available for several hours so that all participants can do them during decent hours in their time zone. :-(

it will be just the 2 of us his year ,1st time ever .daughter was coming down from stoke on trent ,but she would have come by train to london ,cross london by tube or taxi,then another train ..bit to risky this year..
we know she is thinking of us ,both late 70s, and her brother who has just been told he has cancer in one of his legs (lump).
not sure if we will see him or his family as they are in tier 3 we are in tier2 ,might get a door step visit . :-( :-( iris