Scrutable

So now London and the SE are going into Tier 4 with the new virus variant being blamed. Christmas is pretty much f.cked although support bubbles are still allowed. Gyms will shut, which is my main sanity support.

Still waiting for exact details on the rest.

People not allowed to travel abroad.

Unless it's for business, obvs

This will save a lot of lives. It is a good thing. Gyms can open again in the spring when the vulnerable have been vaccinated.

lpm wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 4:30 pm

This will save a lot of lives. It is a good thing. Gyms can open again in the spring when the vulnerable have been vaccinated.

It's not a good thing but it is a necessary thing so I'm allowed to be pissed off while also recognising that.

Wait, you mean gyms were open even in tier 3?

I haven't been to the gym since October and they won't open until at least mid January even if we're currently only "yellow".

shpalman wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:11 pm

Wait, you mean gyms were open even in tier 3?

I haven't been to the gym since October and they won't open until at least mid January even if we're currently only "yellow".

Gyms in both Tier 2 and 3 areas could open, Tier two areas could have classes but in Tier 3 areas it was individual exercising only.

I went back to the gym when they opened after the first lockdown - July I think, but haven't been since the number of infections started to rise again; I have now decided to hunker down, apart from essential shopping, until I have had the vaccination, keeping fingers crossed it will be soon.

I haven't been to the gym since before the first lockdown and won't go back until I've been vaccinated.

I've never been to the gym in my life, unless school gym counts.

I might try it one day, but they're too expensive for me right now.

shpalman wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:11 pm

Wait, you mean gyms were open even in tier 3?

I haven't been to the gym since October and they won't open until at least mid January even if we're currently only "yellow".

Mate, there are football fans inside Goodison Park right now watching Everton lose to Arsenal.

This is England. Our aim is restriction theatre, not Covid prevention.

Well done on breeding a new more infectivous strain of covid though, I hope the two weeks of London in tier 2 were worth it. How were the scotch eggs?

Am I going to get trapped in the UK?

I am, aren't I?

shpalman wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:09 pm

Well done on breeding a new more infectivous strain of covid though, I hope the two weeks of London in tier 2 were worth it. How were the scotch eggs?

Nicola Sturgeon is insisting that they are now referred to as "English eggs".

Bird on a Fire wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:31 pm

Am I going to get trapped in the UK?

I am, aren't I?

Assuming you can get to the airport and that the flight doesn't get cancelled, I think you're always allowed to go back to wherever your residence/domicile/habitation is.

shpalman wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:40 pm

Bird on a Fire wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:31 pm

Am I going to get trapped in the UK?

I am, aren't I?

Assuming you can get to the airport and that the flight doesn't get cancelled, I think you're always allowed to go back to wherever your residence/domicile/habitation is.

Indeed, but you have to be able to convince not just immigration officers but also airline staff.

One of the frustrating things about Mrs sTeamTraen and me *still* not having our residency cards after 10 months (I now actually have mine, but she doesn't have hers, due to assorted bureaucratic f.ckups) is that in the first lockdown people were getting denied boarding at the UK end if they didn't have Spanish residency cards, even if they were de facto residents. We moved to Spain in February and don't have anywhere else to stay, and if we landed at Madrid or Palma we could surely explain our situation and be let in (because deporting people is hard and requires putting you in front of a judge), but we won't take the risk of some airline jobsworth saying "You won't be let in when you land so you can't fly". Spanish residency cards for EU citizens are a total joke that were never designed to be used outside the country as proof of residency. Ironically, the new post-Brexit card that Brits are gradually getting will work much better, as it has your photo and fingerprints on it and is in a format recognised across the Schengen zone.

well, if anyone needs cheering up there’s always the comments on Conservative Home. Johnson is toast.

Son and GF had to decide immediately whether to jump in the car and head here from Salford in case they weren't allowed tomorrow.

Am I being too demanding to think Gov.uk should have had a list of tier 4 rules ready to go with Boris's speech, instead of continuing to claim there are only 3 tiers?

Boris said you shouldn't travel into tier 4, various news media said you were advised not to. They were presumably all quoting some press release. It's no f.cking help in making a decision. I understand the science that drives the decisions isn't black and white, but the rules f.cking well are. If they can't tell us the rules , no wonder people don't know them.

On family zoom they asked when I thought Tier 4 would end. I said end of March. They got cross with me - they thought I'd say mid Jan, may be end Jan.

March seems right? Easter is 2 April, unlockdown for then. 2 months to regain control, maybe a touch of unlockedness in 3rd month?

sTeamTraen wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:23 pm

shpalman wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:40 pm

Bird on a Fire wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:31 pm

Am I going to get trapped in the UK?

I am, aren't I?

Assuming you can get to the airport and that the flight doesn't get cancelled, I think you're always allowed to go back to wherever your residence/domicile/habitation is.

Stuff about Spanish residency.

Luckily we have a lovely neighbour who just happens to be a well-connected high powered lawyer who did our TIE applications almost free. 5 weeks from start to picking up cards. In Spain that counts as a 'f.cking result!'. They just love bits of paper. The more the better.
Have you both got EU driving licences?

March is not an unreasonable guess. Depends if tier 4 restrictions are effective. I assume huge numbers of people will flout the rules from now till New Year but after that it might start to work.

plodder wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:07 pm

well, if anyone needs cheering up there’s always the comments on Conservative Home. Johnson is toast.

plodder wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:48 am

Lots of rumours that Johnson is still ill w/ Covid and will step down in the next few months for health reasons.

We're still allowed to meet one person outdoors so I'll be going for lots of winter walks with anyone I can drag out.

There's no word on libraries. I assume they'll be closed. At the moment a small number of people are/were allowed in for a quick browse and borrow or to use the computers. If we'd had more notice I'd have gone in this morning and stocked up.

You know what to do .

Martin Y wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:12 pm

Son and GF had to decide immediately whether to jump in the car and head here from Salford in case they weren't allowed tomorrow.

Am I being too demanding to think Gov.uk should have had a list of tier 4 rules ready to go with Boris's speech, instead of continuing to claim there are only 3 tiers?

Boris said you shouldn't travel into tier 4, various news media said you were advised not to. They were presumably all quoting some press release. It's no f.cking help in making a decision. I understand the science that drives the decisions isn't black and white, but the rules f.cking well are. If they can't tell us the rules , no wonder people don't know them.

Not sure what you mean. Are you in Tier 4? If so you cannot have anyone from outside your household visit you at any time. If you are in Tier 2 or 3 then they can visit you on Christmas day only.

lpm wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:51 pm

Martin Y wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:12 pm

Son and GF had to decide immediately whether to jump in the car and head here from Salford in case they weren't allowed tomorrow.

Am I being too demanding to think Gov.uk should have had a list of tier 4 rules ready to go with Boris's speech, instead of continuing to claim there are only 3 tiers?

Boris said you shouldn't travel into tier 4, various news media said you were advised not to. They were presumably all quoting some press release. It's no f.cking help in making a decision. I understand the science that drives the decisions isn't black and white, but the rules f.cking well are. If they can't tell us the rules , no wonder people don't know them.

Not sure what you mean. Are you in Tier 4? If so you cannot have anyone from outside your household visit you at any time. If you are in Tier 2 or 3 then they can visit you on Christmas day only.

Unless they are your support bubble.