Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

Still parties happening and stuff:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/covid-tier-4-metropolitan-police-video-rave-b436863.html

There are strong indications that the new hyper-infective strain of
Covid-19 has been carried to Cumbria, according to the county’s
director of public health.

Maybe it came from Cumbria?

I think it's a good point, but I also think there is a risk in turning it into a situation where people become the villains. The virus will almost certainly spread even if everyone does follow the rules. There are still many essential services that require lots of movement. Turning people against each other could have unintended consequences.

This is not the language to use

Currently we're under tier 2 restrictions, but we live less than a 1 mile from a tier 4 boundary. Its just nuts.

"I've never been to take away food where they have sat me down and handed me a pint" says the police officer.

She is going to the wrong takeaways. I've been given a drink while I wait on more than one occasion.

Thanks for your support. If anyone has Katherine Viner’s number, slide into DMs.

Agree. Would want to avoid turning people against each other, but at present I don’t think the language being used is accurate or effective.

Not unexpected.
If I were a pub manager, I'd find it difficult to serve them to earn a living, or kick them out for being selfish pricks.

Boris conveniently exempts himself from the new Christmas rules

https://www.ft.com/content/290c234b-e8e3-4abb-9c71-26ada5a633d9

Paywall.

https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-chrome

Here's the main bit

How many of you knew about this exemption? Our impression is that it is not widely known about, and yet it means that any household that includes a baby who was under the age of 1 on December 2 (when this new exemption came into law) is allowed to form a support bubble with another household of any size, and in any tier. Even if that household includes multiple other adults and/or children, it still appears to be allowed.

Now, we imagine that if you’re the one whose job it is to set the rules, you probably are aware of all these exemptions. And, Christmas cracker question: can you think of anyone who sets the rules who has a baby under the age of one (as well as an unknown number of other children above the age of one)?

That’s right. Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ baby Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson was born on April 29 of this year, and thus their household is allowed to bubble up with another household of any size, both over Christmas and indeed at any time.

Now we wouldn’t want to comment on whether Boris’s own family would want to spend some time with him over Christmas, but what about Carrie’s?

Downing Street told us the prime minister would remain at Downing Street on Christmas Day, but declined to comment on whether he and Ms Symonds would be joined by members of a support bubble, or indeed whether they had made use of the linked household exemption that applies to them since it came into law on December 2nd.

Downing Street also declined to comment on where the prime minister and his fiancée would be spending the days after Christmas, saying such details are not usually disclosed about the prime minister.

But we do find it quite odd that a rule that applies to (again per our estimates) well over a million adults hasn’t been properly communicated to the public.

That exemption has been in for a while and is something my wife and I are beneficiaries of; we're in a support bubble with my wife's parents. It was introduced before the summer as far as I'm aware...

I guess it could potentially be linked to Boris having (another) kid but it's been a lifesaver for us. I'm stuck at this computer for at least 5 days out of 7 and my wife needs support in order to cope.

FT seems to suggest it's new.

Well, either way, nice for Boris and Nut Nuts

That's Princess Nut Nuts to you

I suppose the issue is that people need to work and childcare is a costly problem for most people...not sure it can be argued that this is a get out clause so that Boris can have a merry Christmas.

While it’s a little humourous, I think we’re verging on sexism only referring to her as PNN.

I think the questionable bit is "was under that age on 2 Dec".

If your baby turned 1 on 1 Dec, you are now no longer allowed to bubble up. If your baby turned 1 on 3 Dec, you're allowed to bubble up with a household seemingly indefinitely.

Edit: oh also the fact that Boris never mentioned this in any of the briefings is a little odd as FT says it applies to approximately a million households

Did some digging.

Childcare support bubble has been in since the start but you cannot stay overnight etc and must be for childcare only (ie dropping child off and collecting later).

Child under one support bubble was introduced, and reported on, at the end of the last lockdown (November 23rd) so well before the announcement about Christmas on December 19th.

Not saying Boris isn't a cunt - he totally is but I doubt this national rule was put in place a month ago, with the view to allowing Boris to spend Christmas with his inlaws.

The childcare support for under 1’s is a bit of a lifeline for us, with a toddler and an 8-month old. With me working, I can’t imagine how we’d cope without access to mother- & father-in-law.
I also can’t recall it being as explicit earlier in the year... I.e May/June when we had a newborn.
Edit - as above, doesn’t mean I detest Johnson any less. Also, I fully appreciate that other ‘groups’ would consider themselves equally deserving of an exemption.

Thought that FT piece seemed a bit unpleasant, but perhaps I'm overreacting as a beneficiary of it.

This year has been an extraordinarily shit time to have a baby.

This year has been an extraordinarily shit time to have a baby.

If you have a secure job and WFH, it might have been nice to have more time at home I suppose

No doubt it's been awful and I don't begrudge anyone for getting help with childcare. Maybe I'm too cynical

I have a secure job (as secure as anyone's I guess) and have been WFH since March. Our first arrived on July 24th.

It has been a monumentally shit year to be 100% WFH.

Sorry to hear that. We got kittens but then they’re quiet and shit in a box and don’t require 24 hour care