General Chat

I cancelled our much-hoped for train trip to Halifax and return this morning. We were due to leave next Monday, the 29th.

This darned covid and the new variant made us decide that it would not be a good idea to travel.

Delta and the new Omicron are about 50/50 in BC, but Omicron is spreading much faster in other provinces, including Nova Scotia.

We just can't take the risk of either catching or passing on covid, especially seeing that daughter's 94/5 year old grandmother-in-law and medically compromised father-in-law were both planning to have Christmas with us. Then there was the increasingly possibility of quarantine being brought in by the different provinces, as happened last year. It would be bad enough to have to quarantine at home for 14 days on our return to Vancouver, but even worse if we had to stay in a hotel in Halifax, Montreal o Toronto.

Fortunately the train company has immediately returned any money or loyalty points used for a trip, ever since the pandemic began last year. No questions asked.

Now we will hope that things that might improve next spring or early summer.

We have now not seen daughter and her family for 2 years. :-D

It is scary how quickly it spreads and I think you are very wise to stay home.

Thank you, ZZzzz

it is very scary how fast it is travelling through the population :-(

I'm due to go to my daughters for Christmas - she lives about 15 miles away - but I have my own Christmas dinner in, just in case. :-(

Admit it Sylvia.....you changed your plans so you didn't need to meet up with me :-D :-D

We probably sound weird worrying about our numbers compared to the UK, Lord knows how you all manage every day! In Ontario, we have over 3000 cases today and we're reducing numbers at Hockey games etc and stopping food and drink in arenas again. School kids went home today for the Christmas holidays and were told to empty their desks just in case.

Truly hope you manage to enjoy Christmas anyway Sylvia at least these days we can Facetime etc.

You've found me out, Caroline!! :-D :-D

It was announced in BC today that there were 300 confirmed Omicron cases in the last 24 hours, double the number for the previous 24 hours.

Cases per 100,000 population are probably close to what's happening in the UK, because our population is so much smaller.

For example, I heard this morning that Nova Scotia reported 394 new cases of covid today (Dec 17). When you compare that to the total population in NS, 1 million, then it is a much higher rate per 100,000, than in Ontario, Quebec, or even the UK ........ raising the infection rate in NS to be among the worst in the world!


We also have much tighter restrictions as of midnight on Sunday, including Bryan dams having to cancel his huge concert in Vancouver on NYE because of the cap on people attending such events.

Such a wicked disease that has been so disruptive for two years. The only thing to cling onto is hope that it is correct that if caught it does appear to be milder with Omicron than Delta. However not helped by Delta still being out there. Have you had booster jabs now?

A shame to have to cancel, sad for both you and your daughter Sylvia. do hope it won't be too long before the virus burns itself out. It is sad when this happens for people who live alone. I was alone last Christmas and was OK but it is not a normal feeling. However this time daughter who has managed to get down south to see her eldest son and family (staying in a self contained apartment self catering for two nights), will pick me up on the way home and take me to theirs for Christmas and new year. If we go into lockdown we shall resume our ;bubble'.

Caroline, I am intrigued by children clearing their desks. I don't think any of our schools any longer have desks where belongings are left. all books are carried to and from home all the time. desks, I think, tend to be tables and shared.

Such a shame, Sylvia, but I think you’ve made the right decision not to risk the health of others and yourselves.

Our daughter lives a five-minute walk from us but we have each ordered food for Christmas Day just in case the government decides that we are not allowed to mix or one or more of us tests positive before ‘the Day’.

We will see our son (hopefully) - but only fleetingly, on the drive on his way home from work. We’ve only seen him once this year - in the summer for a couple of hours but in the garden because there is always someone at his place of work with Covid. Everyone has regular covid tests there and he, himself, has tested three times now, with antibodies having shown no symptoms whatsoever.

I hope you and your husband enjoy a happy and peaceful Christmas.

It is a shame, but you are wise Sylvia.
My little brother, who is in his mid sixties was admitted to hospital yesterday with Covid. He rang me from the ward yesterday and could hardly talk. Needless to say I am incredibly worry about him as he has so many underlying health conditions. He got a positive lateral flow test eight days ago, but stupidly didn’t want to do a pcr test for confirmation because he had some tickets for a concert he wanted to go to ten days after the lateral flow when he would have been out of self isolation. It was a few days before we persuaded him to do a pcr, which of course was positive. The hospital have put him on one of the new antiviral treatments, but it is far too late. If he hadn’t been so stupid, his own doctor would have given him the new drug as soon as as the positive pcr result came. Now it is possibly too late for them to be effective

Sorry to hear this Sylvia. Hopefully you can enjoy a visit next year <3

That’s what we’re hoping too as we haven’t seen our son San Francisco for two years now. :-( :-(

We are hoping to meet with our other son and family on Christmas Eve but I did miss
us all being together last year.
Take care <3

Ann these were junior kids so they do actually have a desk they stay at all-day (though they've been doing as many lessons outside as they can. Not a flip-top like I had as a child but a little slot/shelf underneath to store pens papers etc. They had to take home their indoor shoes and any extra mitts etc they had at school. They also took home books they'd normally leave at school so if online learning started up again the teacher wouldn't have to get everyone to print up at home. Those that have laptops provided by school took them home. These kids won't have much homework normally at this age so they rarely have heavy backpacks, yesterday they were like mini packhorses :-) Our local school has only had one known case so far this school year but maybe 1/5 of the schools have cases now....which I know is not the case in the UK.
Linda I hope your brother is fine I know since this all started they've changed how they treat people as they have more idea what to do and not do now.
I haven't been able to see my mum all through this either.

So sorry to read that your plans have had to be cancelled, Sylvia.
I know how much it would have meant for you to be together this year, but quite undetstand why you have decided to stay home.
Let's look forward with hope that you can meet with your daughter and her family before too long.

Linda
I hope you have good news about your brother soon.
It's so hard to worry and wait....

Thank you for your concern about my brother. I was really worried yesterday. He rang me this afternoon and sounded much better, though he is still on oxygen. He has another four days of whatever drug they are giving him. Unfortunately his wife now has it, she ha# even more underlying medical conditions and he normally looks after her. So far she only has a runny nose, so I hope it stays like that

If she's had the booster she may only get a runny nose hopefully, at least that's what happened with my niece.

A runny nose is all I have too as I have Omicron at the moment as does Mr Owl but we don’t know who gave it to whom as despite a positive PCR I had no symptoms for four days after my test.

Linda I hope you have positive news concerning your brother soon and your sister in law’s symptoms remain mild.

Sylvia I’m sorry you had to cancel your trip though I understand why. Hopefully you can all enjoy meet again soon.