General Chat

...... no Christmas or New Year get-togethers here in BC

Our restricted rules have just been extended to January 8.

Ideally, get-togethers are restricted to the "house" unit, ie, family or house-mates. only.

But each "unit" is allowed to admit one other such unit, to a maximum of 6 people, into the house. A single person living alone may add 1 to 2 other singletons to their "house" bubble.

Most of the usual public events cancelled, or restricted to "drive-through, non-stop" car events.

We will begin to get the Pfizer vaccine next week, as the first shipment to Canada is due by the end of this week ................. but 290,000 doses will not go far in the country. It looks as though BC will about 4,000 doses, for health care workers and care home residents being first in line.

I guess it is an internet few months still.

We are fortunate here. WA has just opened up to all other States with the exception of South Australia.

So that means no quarantine, just the use of a QR code and temperature checks on interstate travellers.

There is a proviso however that the hard border will be reinstated immediately if an outbreak occurs in other States.

Two people who returned on a 'mercy' flight from India to Tasmania have been diagnosed with Covid, and WA still has a problem with crew members of ships calling into the State.

I am worried that in England there may be a lot of families getting together over the Christmas period (Boris has said that with certain limitations, families can get together indoors for five days over Christmas)
This worries me ,if there is a grave danger of spreading the virus by mixing with non-household members indoors , (I am not allowed to let family members into my house or garden at the moment) what is so different about Christmas?


I'm anxious about what will happen in January (and beyond).
Will be getting together with family members when it is safe to do so. perhaps a lovely meal in out so no one in the family has to cook or wash up.

I am sure that by January we will be locked down yet again.

I think you are right Ann. We have made the decision not to see our family at Xmas. It will be very strange being on our own as we all normally meet up in a hotel so the whole family are together. That would be a recipe for disaster, we are so close to having the vaccine, it seems stupid to give up all those months of being careful for a few days together

I agree. My OH and I are spending Christmas with each other. We hope to get together via a screen on our dining table with our daughter and family with a screen on theirs too.

None of my pals is getting together with others at home either.

One senior local health person has been on telly a couple of times and advised staying apart over Christmas - just stopped short of saying ignore Boris's ruling but she said think for yourselves! Afraid a rise in hospitalisations after Christmas and New Year, I believe.

It makes sense to us to ignore Boris's ruling, as it does to most people, I think.

There are a couple of exceptions among my siblings and cousins which annoys me, not least because two of them ought to shelter because of health issues, one much worse than my OH's.

I have given up on the Teflon-coated jackasses! If I dwelt on it, we'd fall out big-time.

At the moment we're on lockdown of sorts until the 21st Dec but as numbers aren't going down we'll no doubt carry on with the lockdown after that date. We're not meant to mix households for Christmas unless someone is on their own they may join one household, but of course, many people will ignore that instruction. So one of the biggest school boards has asked for an extension to the holidays after Christmas of 2 weeks to help slow numbers down.

I was on my (special transport) bus yesterday. Another passenger, probably in her late 80's (possibly early 90's) told me that she hadn't seen her son since August.

he was delighted that he would be coming to see her on Christmas. She would also be visiting (or visited) by her daughter (another household) and a grandchild plus four year old great-grandchild (yet another household). Some of these people will have travelled a long way.

She seemed to have no idea of the risks taken by all concerned.


I hope that all goes well for her and all family members.
However, I am hoping that I do not share the (small) bus with her in January, even though we all wear masks.

I kept my mouth shut anything> This was the first time I had seen her so don't know her at all. Pretty sure that I wouldn't have been able to change her minf anyway.


Just worrying that there are a lot more people in our Tier 3 area like her.

We had Thanksgiving back in October, the Americans had their Thanksgiving in late November (just over 2 weeks ago).

They are big events in both countries, families and friends get together, turkey dinner, etc. It's bigger than Christmas in the US, a bit less than Christmas up here.

Guess what?

People ignored the restrictions, and even the suggestions. We had a rise in cases after our Thanksgiving, and the Americans are in the middle of their increase of cases.

Of course, more Americans travelled cross-country to see their family or friends or to go "holidaying", than up here, which has led to even more spread.

I hope many Canadians will have learnt their lesson from that, but who knows??

Of course, it is not only Christmas this month, several religions have huge celebrations including Hannukah (tomorrow) to the celebration of the Aga Khan's birthday Salgirah (December 13), all or many of which usually involve feasting and get-togethers.

If OH and I are lucky, we'll get our vaccinations early next year, depending on how many doses arrive here.

We shall continue as we have been doing until well after that.

Here Syvlia they surveyed some people and at least 1/4 admitted they'd ignore the advice and met up with family over Christmas. Assuming some people lied we can expect maybe up to a half to ignore the advice??

Caroline ................ I think you've hit the nail on the head!

I'm sorry but I think it's sad that some people have no regard for others and continue to put themselves, medics and the rest of the population at risk.

(Watch out in January as cases rise due to Boris's asinine desire to be everyone's friend.)

What to do with those who have no backbone whatsoever?

A friend f mine (over 75) had to drive herself to her husband's funeral early in the March lockdown and there were only a handful (five at that time) allowed to attend. She went back to an empty house and has had no one in since. She is struggling a bit now but is determined not to let anyone in over Xmas. She has my admiration. There are two of us but if one of us were put in her situation, I can only hope that we find the same guts and determination that my pal has shown.

I have missed the company of my children and grandchildren but I would no more put them at risk than they would me by meeting inside for a day.

It's not that we always see eye to eye but on the big things we are almost always in accord.

Joy .................. it is sad about covidiots, but also maddening.

I find it hard to feel sorry for them if/when they catch covid, because they have put themselves in danger.

Indeed, I have to say that I sometimes wish that one or t'other celebrity who acts that way would catch something.

Then I feel mad at myself for being so uncaring!

We have seen NO relations since late last December, and will not be seeing any until at least next summer. Nor have we had friends in the house. We have had to have techies in fixing the alarm systems and the computer in the last few weeks, but our major contact with the world is via the internet.

OH has to go to do the shopping, although I think the young couple next door would be willing to help if necessary, even as they struggle with 4 young children themselves.