The UK’s four nations split on Christmas Covid rules
The UK’s four nations will split on plans to relax coronavirus restrictions over Christmas, as the Prime Minister faces accusations of confusing the public over the government’s messaging.
Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford said the country will toughen up current guidelines allowing three households to mix over Christmas, announcing that Wales will limit gatherings to two households.
“Nobody wants to be ill at Christmas. And none of us want to give this deadly disease to our closest family or friends,” he said. “So the advice in Wales cut it down to two households and stronger measures coming in after the Christmas period.”
Wales will enter a “Tier 4” lockdown when the five-day window for relaxed rules ends on 28 December, with Drakeford telling a press conference that it was the “right decision” to reduce Covid transmission.
“We have seen how a lower level of restrictions in London failed to contain the virus and now greater restrictions have to be in place,” he said. “Coronavirus is rising in every part of Wales. By taking action on an all-Wales basis, we act to protect people in every part of Wales.”
Scotland will also diverge from the current guidelines, with first minister Nicola Sturgeon announcing a limit on gatherings between different households to just one day on Christmas Day.
“We don’t intend to take away at the flexibility that in my view, wouldn’t be fear. At this stage, and it wouldn’t be realistic either and indeed, it may risk undermining rather than strengthening compliance with the overall Covid guidance,” said Sturgeon.
“However, we and the Scottish government do intend to strengthen the guidance we give to people about whether and how they should make use of the flexibility.”
It comes despite the Prime Minister telling the Commons this afternoon that all four UK nations have reached a “unanimous agreement” to go ahead with plans to relax coronavirus restrictions over the Christmas period.
Boris Johnson told PMs the law would not change, but that people should “exercise a high degree of personal responsibility” if they do spend time with family over the festive period.
“We don’t want to criminalise people’s long-made plans but we do think it’s absolutely vital that people should at this very, very tricky time exercise a high degree of personal responsibility, especially when they come into elderly people,” he said.
Johnson faced accusations of confusing the public in a bid to “save Christmas”, as his statement on the “unanimous” laws came alongside simultaneous press conferences from Drakeford and Sturgeon announcing a divergence on the guidance.
The PM is set to hold a press conference announcing new guidance at 3.30pm, with an updated rulebook to be published on the government’s website later this evening.
Under previous plans, the government was set to allow three households to meet and form a bubble between 23 and 27 December across all four UK nations.
It is understood that England and Northern Ireland will still follow this advice.
But with cases on the rise, especially in London and the southeast, ministers have been warned that going ahead with the plans could further exacerbate the spread of the disease.
The UK’s two leading science journals yesterday issued their first joint editorial for more than 100 years slamming the Christmas relaxation of rules.
The British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal said the government should U-turn on its “rash decision to allow household mixing and instead extend the tiers over the five-day Christmas period in order to bring the numbers down in the advance of a likely third wave”.
It is understood that Number 10 is concerned that a cancellation of Christmas plans could lead to lower compliance with the rules in January and later in the winter.
However, ministers are said to be considering urging people to self-isolate before visiting friends and family over the festive season, in a bid to stop the virus spreading across the country.
Communities secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC this morning the legal framework would “continue” but insisted that it was “incumbent on each and every family” to discuss whether they really needed to meet up.
Jenrick added that the government would issue stronger guidance to reflect the “rising number of Covid cases”, but will stop short of changing the rules.
A poll conducted yesterday showed that more people in Britain oppose the government’s plans to relax coronavirus restrictions around Christmas than support them.
Around 50 per cent of respondents in the poll, which was conducted by Kantar, said they opposed or strongly opposed the planned relaxation, while 40 per cent backed it.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the government “haven’t got it right”, and urged ministers to rethink the decision.
“If they don’t change the rules, my message is we’re under no obligation to do all that’s allowed, there’s no reason you have to kiss or hug an older relation,” he added.