Christmas Tiers

[davidgillon]

I did actually see my first person carrying Christmas tree of the year earlier, while out getting a repeat prescription

I'm not impressed with the allegedly 'tougher' Tier system Boris has announced to replace lockdown from the 2nd. He's introduced so many caveats and loopholes to satisfy the Tory backwoodsmen that it ends up slacker than the previous Tier system that put us into lockdown in the first place. So plan for going back into lockdown in January or February. The failure to deliver the plans for Christmas also failed to impress.

My sister and I were discussing it afterwards and have pretty much concluded that what arguments there might have been for me coming up at Christmas no longer apply given I'm now living next door to the highest rate in the country*. It's definitely at the ordering stuff for Christmas Dinner on the presumption I'll be here not there stage. Which doesn't quite preclude a late decision to travel, but the chances are getting smaller by the day.

* Sheppey East, 2,079.5 cases/100,000

Comments

[rmc28]

I think we're going to continue much as we have been. I'll double-check our cleaner can still come each week, but given she can come even in the current restrictions I doubt even the new tier 3 is going to exclude her. And I will be surprised if Cambridgeshire is higher than tier 1, tbqh.

(We are careful to use masks and ventilation to reduce the risks to all concerned as much as possible. It gets a bit chilly by the end of her 3 hours but so worth it for less-squalid house.)

[davidgillon]

I was discussing it with a friend who lives in Kent last night and we both think that Sheppey is likely to trigger Tier 3 for at least Swale and Thanet. Medway and the rest of East Kent might get away with Tier 2, but they could just dump us in Tier 3 with Swale and Thanet, and possibly the entirety of Kent.

I think you're likely to be safe with your cleaner, Boris seems dead set on ensuring every form of commerce can continue, even at Tier 3 and they're pretty much bound to slip through one way or the other.

[rmc28]

Well, given that even in the current don't-call-it-lockdown it's ok to leave your house to go to work, even if your work is in someone else's house, I'm sure you're right.

[davidgillon]

As I commented elsewhere, the new Tier system has more loopholes than the Ministerial Code!