My Parents Party Went Ahead Update 12 People

[gordiescotland1]

Hi there.
I managed to make it to my parents 60th wedding anniversary party yesterday. Staying overnight in a hotel the night before travelling there and back in the dark. Only 12 guests, all socially distanced wearing masks when not eating and drinking, everyone had to take a LFT in the morning.
I was so glad it went ahead for their sake. It was a wonderful day the venue were super cautious apparently all staff take a LFT on a daily basis.I think I have resigned myself to the fact that we are going to have another lockdown certainly for hospitality. I don't believe my 50th party on 8th January will go ahead in fact I would be astonished if It did.
Do you think we are heading for another lockdown? If so why are the government dithering about it so much ?

[anneasquith]

Well, just one partyto have a tantrum over now gordie. Only 12 guests why ?

[bednobs]

surely when you have been married 60 years, you probaly dont have many friends left to invite anne?

[Bobbisox1]

I’m really pleased for you gordie, I’m sure everyone had a wonderful day , I do hope your 50th goes ahead but no one knows what’s happening , maybe postponing it might be the best idea for now rather than stressing if it’ll go ahead
Thanks for the update

[Stickybottle]

Do you think we are heading for another lockdown? If so why are the government dithering about it so much ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-59716357

[choux]

gordie, I am pleased to read about the party and note that you were delighted for them. Well done. Did your parents have a great time?

I agree that it is inevitable that your arrangements for 8th January look less likely to succeed but please remember what I said on a previous thread - your party can be postponed and you will have something to look forward to.

To put it all as bluntly as is possible - it is better that you and your parents survive Covid and celebrate whenever it is safer. Take care.

[anneasquith]

So much better choux. Health before anything .

[Sqad]

///Do you think we are heading for another lockdown? If so why are the government dithering about it so much ?//

Inevitable geordie.......probably in a different name.

The Government has to see both sides and please both sides....the medical side and the economic side which is impossible to do. Bynot introducing lockdown type restrictions until after Christmas, they hope both sides willbe appeased.
By then we will see 80 000 cases of Covid a day .

[Sqad]

Sorry..800,000 cases per day.

[New Judge]

You talk of a lockdown - especially for hospitality - as if it is a trifling matter of little consequence. In the last week, because of various prophesies made by the "experts", hospitality venues have seen an avalanche of cancellations. Many of these places earn up to 40% of their annual profits in December, so they have been absolutely devastated. Most of them have yet to recover from last year's debacle and some have now packed it in for the rest of the year, unable to cope with this constant uncertainty. It's a fair bet that a number of them will never reopen.

In a normal year the hospitality industry contributes around £60bn to the UK economy and makes up about 3% of the country's turnover. As well as that it employs over 2.5m people, accounting for around 7% of the country's jobs. To glibly ask "why are the government dithering about so much?" is crass. It may be, because of the figures I quoted above, that the government is considering the matter carefully rather than simply locking the country down to protect the NHS from having to deal with a disease that is currently seeing about 5% of hospital beds occupied by its sufferers.

Of course there is nothing to prevent individual people and businesses from continuing to behave in the way you describe your parents' anniversary was conducted, nor indeed for businesses to close entirely if they are that much concerned. Personally I would hope they wouldn't. I went for a final meal of the year to my local family run Italian restaurant - Mum, Dad and daughter. I expected it to have suffered a wave of cancellations and to be empty. Fortunately I was wrong and it was packed (well as packed as it can be - they can only do 30 covers). I was pleased to see that some people had taken a pragmatic approach to the latest surge in infections and continued to behave relatively normally.

[choux]

gordie, when you posted your previous thread I tried to recall my 50th birthday but to no avail. I have no idea if there was any celebration at all. There was for my 40th and 60th. Just goes to show how different we all are I suppose.

Sqad, 800,000 cases seems unimaginable to me, however is the NHS supposed to cope with that? I know that not all will need hospitalisation but nevertheless...

[Redhelen72]

All lives matter does a party matter?
Hold the party another time.
I would have loved to have my family and friends at our celebration but common sense tells us that is not sensible at the moment.

[Sqad]

NJ

///You talk of a lockdown - especially for hospitality - as if it is a trifling matter of little consequence.///

Really? I haven't seen such talk.

[Sqad]

Yes choux.....unless we take immediate action, that will be the number of cases in the second week of January.........in my opinion.

[New Judge]

//Really? I haven't seen such talk.//

Look at the OP, sqad:

"Do you think we are heading for another lockdown? If so why are the government dithering about it so much ?"

So don't fret about some of the facts I have mentioned (and the many more besides that I haven't). Just shut the country down again, don't "dither". How else can you interpret that other than it is an attitude that suggests such action has few consequences?

[gordiescotland1]

Sqad that is terrifying, of course we don't know how many people will need hospital treatment but at the rate of 5% of 800,000 that is 40,000, pretty terrifying for the NHS with staff having to isolate as well if they test positive too. I have had both vaccines and booster, so God forbid if I do get it, it will be not as bad as someone not vaccinated

[Sqad]

NJ

Methinks that you are substituting the OPer word "dithering" with you own preferred word of "trifling" which changes the meaning.

[dave50]

Well said NJ, common sense amongst all the hysteria. Why people have been cancelling their celebrations I have no idea, I won't be, whether I'm told to or not.

[Sqad]

Exactly gordie........just my assessment.

[Sqad]

LOL...LOL New Judge and Dave ...the popular ventriloquist's act.

[gordiescotland1]

Annesmith there were supposed to be 20. My sister tested positive for Covid on Wednesday so that was her and her husband and my 2 nephews out. As they are all isolating. My uncle and his wife were talked out of coming by my cousin who are having them for Christmas dinner and didn't want them to bring covid, not impressed with that one. And 2 other friends cancelled because their daughter is having chemo which is understandable.