Christmas during Covid times

whisky_galore

YFlyer wrote: »

Will it be Covid free during Christmas week?

The virus will magically vanish for Xmas and return after New Years Day.

Kermit.de.frog

YFlyer wrote: »

Will it be Covid free during Christmas week?

No, no it won't

jrosen

Most people I know have already made their plans for Christmas Day and all are doing what they would any other year. Hosting for family or traveling to family.

We all know gatherings will lead to an increase of cases. The reality is there are alot of people who simply dont care anymore.

So when we see more numbers rise, and face another lockdown where people are out of work again I wonder will we think it was worth it or not? Because the government will lock down again.

Melanchthon

L'prof wrote: »

Really? So when the Taoiseach comes out last weeks and says - “I do believe we can create a window of opportunity for December to enable people to have a good Christmas”, what way do expect people to interpret this exactly??? How does someone who lives on their own in one county have a good Christmas when all their family live in another. Christmas has absolutely been hinted as an end goal for this lockdown. Only level 2 will do that unless it’s level 3 with less restrictions

Annoying thing is that it would probably be bearable with the original level 3 restrictions but due to the government sneakily changing level 3 to much harsher than it was originally for PR reasons it's between level 2 and level 3 that's the really significant jump in restrictions

Kermit.de.frog

Deleted User wrote: »

"See, it's definitely going to happen here it we don't adhere to x, y and z."

And 100% correct :cool:

Aside from being 100% correct it would be unfortunate to have the present lock downs throughout next year which Micheál Martin has already hinted at.

That depends on the behavior of the public ultimately.

Based on some of the comments here it's obvious some don't understand the seriousness of the situation.

It’s all down to the public, but most of that public have no sense of responsibility and want to blame everyone else. Most will do whatever they like for Christmas the same as they’ve been doing up to now.

zerosugarbuzz

jrosen wrote: »

Most people I know have already made their plans for Christmas Day and all are doing what they would any other year. Hosting for family or traveling to family.

We all know gatherings will lead to an increase of cases. The reality is there are alot of people who simply dont care anymore.

So when we see more numbers rise, and face another lockdown where people are out of work again I wonder will we think it was worth it or not? Because the government will lock down again.

They can lock down as much as they like. Level 5 this time at round is nothing like it was in March. Hairdressers doing home visits. Everyone out and about mixing with whom they like. They might as well open the shops and pubs, literally everyone l know is living as normal but they can’t go to the shops or pubs.

Kermit.de.frog

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Most will do whatever they like for Christmas the same as they’ve been doing up to now.

Well, they won't because restrictions will be in place to prevent much of that.

Christmas is just a date on the calendar.

YFlyer

whisky_galore wrote: »

The virus will magically vanish for Xmas and return after New Years Day.

Hallelujah

Kermit.de.frog

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Christmas is just a date on the calendar.

Your attitude summed up in a nutshell. To the majority of us, it's a significant occasion reuniting with family & friends. In the interest of preserving a little sanity these dark days of winter.

Kermit.de.frog

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Well, they won't because restrictions will be in place to prevent much of that.

Christmas is just a date on the calendar.

There’s restrictions in place now and they’re a complete waste of time.

I don’t like that ‘date on the calendar’ attitude though.

Kermit.de.frog

Deleted User wrote: »

Your attitude summed up in a nutshell. To the majority of us, it's a significant occasion reuniting with family & friends. In the interest of preserving a little sanity these dark days of winter.

I'm 100% right again, it is just a date on the calendar 25th of December if you must know.

It's one Christmas (ok, maybe five - but you never know)...you can go without for the one year and have an extra special family reunion in 2026 2021.

Don't take risks and wear your mask.

eviltwin

jrosen wrote: »

Most people I know have already made their plans for Christmas Day and all are doing what they would any other year. Hosting for family or traveling to family.

We all know gatherings will lead to an increase of cases. The reality is there are alot of people who simply dont care anymore.

So when we see more numbers rise, and face another lockdown where people are out of work again I wonder will we think it was worth it or not? Because the government will lock down again.

I'm not surprised. Some people can't see beyond Christmas at the best of times. That's why you have people who spend like mad and wonder why they are broke in Jan or eat and drink all around them and wonder why they've gained weight. I totally understand everyone wanting something good to look forward to, its been a tough year for all of us but I really hope common sense prevails. I don't think it will though.

Rodin

We should have mandatory quarantine for 2 weeks or test on arrival, test a week later and if all negative you can go..

That would allow people to come in earlier, quarantine then go and celebrate Christmas

hatrickpatrick

lawred2 wrote: »

A vaccine

Quite obviously

And yet you have high profile politicians, including Simon Harris for example, admitting that a vaccine simply may never exist for this. If that's true, what's Plan B?

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

The world has changed. After a vaccine the world will still have changed. How much remains to be seen but failure to understand this is what makes people upset. It's better to accept reality than live in the denial phase. The world has suffered a trauma and, like it or not, it's going to take a lot of getting over.

It mystifies me that people don't understand the gravity of what has happened.

Some seem to think it's back to how it was in January after a vaccine is distributed. Some things, yes. It will never be the same again.

The most important thing is that the spread of an unknown pathogen is never allowed to unfold in this horrible way ever again.

If social distancing from strangers remains a necessity indefinitely then the human race will become extinct or will fundamentally regress due to inbreeding.

It mystifies me that people don't understand the gravity of telling young, single people that they may never be allowed to date, much less f*ck, again. Because that is the logical conclusion from "being forced to stay two metres away from all strangers at all times may be a long term reality and not a short term stop gap".

Honestly, if there's no vaccine, what is the end game? When it someone who is 18 now and finished school supposed to make new friends, meet a future partner, and have kids down the road? If they're never allowed to physically touch anyone new to their "bubble" ever again?

These are the questions which aren't being answered, and that's literally the kind of thing I'm getting at. You can't tell people that mingling with strangers may be forever off the table - however we get out of this, that is not an acceptable option for humanity. The depression which will accompany this in terms of both social isolation and sexual starvation will ultimately cost more lives than the pandemic itself.

Before you attack any of this as hyperbolic, please try to actually answer the following question:

If it proves impossible to effectively vaccinate against this virus, then if someone is currently 18 and doesn't yet have an established group of friends, friends they'd normally make in college or work but won't now with e-learning and WFH in place; Then how is that person ever supposed to meet somebody to have a relationship with? If social distancing from all strangers is a permanent fixture of humanity, how the f*ck do we reproduce?

This is not a hyperbolic question. When people bleat on about "the new normal", young, single people who haven't been allowed to mingle with strangers since March hear "you're going to die alone". That's one of the main reasons so many of them have decided not to follow the restrictions, and it's absolutely ridiculous that nobody is realising this.

You cannot tell young, single people that they will never be allowed to date again unless a vaccine is found. There has to be a plan B - long term social isolation is not an acceptable solution. People will either literally take the express route out of this world, or they will ignore such rules. Eventually, those will be the only two outcomes if social distancing is a permanent feature of our lives - because with very, very few exceptions, no human can handle either social isolation or sexual starvation for periods of time spanning years or decades.

faceman

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Ugh another one.

Can you provide the relevant statistics on transmission and circulation of the virus in the countries and regions you say are not using a "blunt instrument" please? Please use Italy. Germany, Spain or France as a big enough sample size in the presentation.

Look, i'll just save you the bother.

You haven't a clue.

Why, yes I can.

I’ll start here, it’s a massively comprehensive resource on rolling stats for Comunidad Valencian. It’s not in English but you’ll be able to work out bits of it. I’m not translating the rest for you :cool:

http://coronavirus.san.gva.es/estadisticas

And here’s some more evidence based studies on lockdown effects and lessons learned specific to Spain.

https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-020-01619-5

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.12.20129429v2

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0236779

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01540/full?report=reader

wrote:

And, yes, sorry but I have been right from the start. It's not an ego thing (well maybe kinda). Hey, i'll take it. It's not easy being a muppet :cool:

And don't get me started on Mrs Piggy, we're done loooong a go

Ok I laughed. Touché.

Antares35

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Well, they won't because restrictions will be in place to prevent much of that.

Christmas is just a date on the calendar.

But the restrictions aren't being enforced and many people are doing whatever the hell they want. Don't even get me started on the Neanderthals wearing their mask around their necks like a fúckin fashion accessory, or around their mouth with their big covid spreading honker sticking out the top

Antares35

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

And yet you have high profile politicians, including Simon Harris for example, admitting that a vaccine simply may never exist for this. If that's true, what's Plan B?



If social distancing from strangers remains a necessity indefinitely then the human race will become extinct or will fundamentally regress due to inbreeding.

It mystifies me that people don't understand the gravity of telling young, single people that they may never be allowed to date, much less f*ck, again. Because that is the logical conclusion from "being forced to stay two metres away from all strangers at all times may be a long term reality and not a short term stop gap".

Honestly, if there's no vaccine, what is the end game? When it someone who is 18 now and finished school supposed to make new friends, meet a future partner, and have kids down the road? If they're never allowed to physically touch anyone new to their "bubble" ever again?

These are the questions which aren't being answered, and that's literally the kind of thing I'm getting at. You can't tell people that mingling with strangers may be forever off the table - however we get out of this, that is not an acceptable option for humanity. The depression which will accompany this in terms of both social isolation and sexual starvation will ultimately cost more lives than the pandemic itself.

Before you attack any of this as hyperbolic, please try to actually answer the following question:

If it proves impossible to effectively vaccinate against this virus, then if someone is currently 18 and doesn't yet have an established group of friends, friends they'd normally make in college or work but won't now with e-learning and WFH in place; Then how is that person ever supposed to meet somebody to have a relationship with? If social distancing from all strangers is a permanent fixture of humanity, how the f*ck do we reproduce?

This is not a hyperbolic question. When people bleat on about "the new normal", young, single people who haven't been allowed to mingle with strangers since March hear "you're going to die alone". That's one of the main reasons so many of them have decided not to follow the restrictions, and it's absolutely ridiculous that nobody is realising this.

You cannot tell young, single people that they will never be allowed to date again unless a vaccine is found. There has to be a plan B - long term social isolation is not an acceptable solution. People will either literally take the express route out of this world, or they will ignore such rules. Eventually, those will be the only two outcomes if social distancing is a permanent feature of our lives - because with very, very few exceptions, no human can handle either social isolation or sexual starvation for periods of time spanning years or decades.

Yes, propagating the human race is exactly what we should be worried about right now.

eviltwin

Antares35 wrote: »

Yes, propagating the human race is exactly what we should be worried about right now.

Its not worrying about the human race ffs, its worrying about everyday life. People want to be out doing normal things, having relationships, planning families, going to work or college, just stuff.....its those things that make life worth living. That's all paused and people are entitled to feel a loss over it no matter how trivial it seems.

We're not designed to be educated via zoom, work from the kitchen table or meet our relatives through a glass window. We can't have people afraid to be in the world in case they bring this home to a vulnerable person, we can't go around with our faces partially obscured by masks or queuing to buy a loaf of bread. We'll do it for so long because that's what we need to do right now but we're doing it in the hope that it will soon come to an end.

Long term ,its just not an option.

freshpopcorn

So, what do we do if this time next year of the vaccine isn’t a success or if we end up with another strain of Covid and they are looking for another vaccine?

whisky_galore

Mr.S wrote: »

What a moronic post.

For most Irish people it's not just a date on the calendar, you know that of course.

The virus doesn't care whether it's a significant date for people or not.

Spanish Eyes

Christmas should be in July. Outdoor gatherings, long evenings, good weather, brilliant. Jesus won't mind.

hmmm

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

And yet you have high profile politicians, including Simon Harris for example, admitting that a vaccine simply may never exist for this. If that's true, what's Plan B?

Seriously, your over the top extinction of the human race posts if we don't get a vaccine are very odd. We have a vaccine, it was announced last week. We'll probably have another one next week, and a third and fourth to follow in the next two months.

It's a pandemic. They've happened before and they'll happen again, and all we're being asked to do is reduce our social interactions to allow us reduce the death toll while the pandemic is ongoing.

As for Christmas, we're going to have dinners with our families, and wave at each other from the garden. It's not worth taking risks when the end of this looks to be in sight.

mcburns07

hmmm wrote: »

Seriously, your over the top extinction of the human race posts if we don't get a vaccine are very odd. We have a vaccine, it was announced last week. We'll probably have another one next week, and a third and fourth to follow in the next two months.

It's a pandemic. They've happened before and they'll happen again, and all we're being asked to do is reduce our social interactions to allow us reduce the death toll while the pandemic is ongoing.

As for Christmas, we're going to have dinners with our families, and wave at each other from the garden. It's not worth taking risks when the end of this looks to be in sight.

Sorry, we're actually effectively being told we can't have any social interactions face to face. Household visits are banned and the majority of places people socialise are closed.

Downlinz

My extended family is scattered around the country and the UK and have already decided that there won't be any visits or travel this christmas regardless of what NPHET or the government proposes.

It sucks and will cost a lot in couriers to move gifts around but we're all healthy and there'll be more christmas seasons in the future!

freshpopcorn

freshpopcorn wrote: »

So, what do we do if this time next year of the vaccine isn’t a success or if we end up with another strain of Covid and they are looking for another vaccine?

Why, is anyone doing much different for this one?

whisky_galore

whisky_galore wrote: »

The virus doesn't care whether it's a significant date for people or not.

It still is though. Just because decent people shouldn’t break regulations for it doesn’t mean it’s not important.

freshpopcorn

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Why, is anyone doing much different for this one?

Well going by some people they certainly are!

freshpopcorn

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Well going by some people they certainly are!

Traffic is at huge levels, towns are full. Nobody is doing a thing.

Spanish Eyes

Our parents are now gone RIP. We usually rotate a gathering in one of our houses for nibbles and drinks around 11am. Great fun, everyone sees each other, babies, bottles, buggies, bags, toys, noise the lot. Then we peel off to have our own Christmas Day our own way. It works great, those who prefer a quiet time can do so, and those who like a hoolie can do so too with their outlaws or whoever etc.

Trying to figure out what to do within the restrictions this year.