Remember 2020, and how various state Governors were trying to order people not to gather for Thanksgiving? We previously noted Governor Andy Beshear’s (D-KY) orders to the people of the Commonwealth that “Beginning on Friday, November 20, 2020, and lasting through Sunday, December 13, 2020:

• All restaurants and bars will close to indoor dining services. Outdoor dining is still allowed, with some limitations.
• Gyms are limited to 33% capacity, and no group classes or indoor games are allowed. Masks are required.
• Indoor gatherings should be limited to two families, not exceeding a total of eight people.
• Attendance at wedding and funerals is limited to 25 people.

I am proud to say that the Pico family broke that indoor gathering limit for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

From The Philadelphia Inquirer:

As latest COVID-19 surge grips the Philly area, doctors warn: Stay home for New Year’s

Hospitalizations of children are rising in Philadelphia, cases in New Jersey are skyrocketing, and Delaware plans to declare a state of emergency with strained hospitals.

by Justine McDaniel and Jason Laughlin | Thursday, December 30, 2021 | 6:20 PM EST

The number of people being infected with the coronavirus continued to break records in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as the country crawled toward the new year, with the two states combined logging more than 43,000 cases in one day, according to numbers reported Thursday for the previous day.

Hospitalizations of children were also rising in Philadelphia, mirroring a national increase. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has had 10 to 25 inpatients a day with COVID-19 this month, compared to five to 10 in November.

And Delaware’s hospitalization rate jumped to the third-highest in the nation, according to New York Times data analysis, though the state’s daily case and hospitalization totals remain lower than those of larger states.

Starting Monday, Delaware will be under a state-of-emergency declaration, which will allow the state to mobilize National Guard troops for medical care and move patients between facilities, Gov. John Carney said Thursday.

“There’s a really simple solution to this dilemma — if you’re not vaccinated, get vaccinated. If you are vaccinated, be careful and wear a mask when you’re indoors,” Carney said at a briefing.

Of course, we already know that vaccinations only lessen, not eliminate, the chances of becoming infected with the older variants of the virus, and when it comes to Omicron, vaccination seems to reduce the intensity of the disease once the virus has been contracted, but does not have any power at all to prevent contracting or spreading the virus. If you’re not vaccinated, going out and getting the jab now means that you won’t be “fully vaccinated” until around St Valentine’s Day.

Public health officials said people should avoid New Year’s Eve gatherings and take precautions to minimize risk — including wearing a mask, even at outdoor events — if they decide to socialize. The Philadelphia Health Department strongly recommends residents not gather with other households.

I have no problem with people making recommendations; our freedom of speech covers that. But it seems that Our Betters have learned something: the American people don’t like being told what to do, and they aren’t going to obey illegal and unconstitutional orders.