Relaxations in coronavirus rules over Christmas should not be “misinterpreted” and people should do “the minimum that is possible” over the festive period, a cabinet minister has said.
Under recently announced plans, up to three households will be permitted to meet for five days over Christmas. But urgent talks are said to be under way in Whitehall following the emergence of a new Covid variant and the decision to place London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire under tighter tier 3 restrictions from midnight on Tuesday.
Asked if the Christmas easing of restrictions was under review, Stephen Barclay, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “All things are always kept under review.”
He added: “There is a balance to be struck that many families have not seen each other all year. It’s important for people’s wellbeing, for their mental health. We don’t want to criminalise people for coming together over Christmas.
“But it’s important that people do the minimum that is possible. So people will be making their own judgments,” he told Sky News.
More than 60% of England’s population – about 34 million people – will be under the tightest tier 3 restrictions from midnight, meaning eating out and socialising indoors or in private gardens is banned.
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, called on the government to look again at the easing of rules over Christmas. “We heard from [health secretary] Matt Hancock yesterday that it appears the government is looking at this again. I would encourage them to do so if they are.
“The concern is this – the rules have been relaxed for five days, allowing household mixing for up to three different households and inevitably when people are in their own households, they tend to be less vigilant.
“And my concern is that many people may have the virus and not realise it. They could pass the virus on to older relations,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Barclay said there had to be trust that people would behave in the safest way possible over Christmas, taking as many precautions as they can and making their own judgments, while doing the “minimum that is possible”.
Quick guide The five-day UK Christmas Covid bubble: how will it work?
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The government has announced that up to three households will be able to mix indoors and stay with each other overnight from 23 to 27 December under loosened coronavirus restrictions across the UK.
Can I eat out with my Christmas bubble?
No. In a blow to pubs and restaurants, and families who like to avoid the piles of washing-up, separate households in a Christmas bubble will not be able to meet up in hospitality venues. However, members of a Christmas bubble can meet at home, in places of worship and in outdoor public places including gardens. You can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble outside your home according to the rules in the tier you are staying in. If you are living in a tier 3 area in England, pubs ands restaurants will remain closed.
Is there a limit on the number of people who can meet up as part of a bubble?
There is no maximum size for a Christmas bubble, so you don’t need to worry if you and those you join with live in large households.
If I’m already in a bubble with another household, do we count as one household or two for the new Christmas rules?
Under the rules, a support bubble will count as one household when Christmas bubbles are being formed.
Can I join more than one Christmas bubble?
No, the bubbles have to be exclusive, and they cannot change over the five-day period – so pick your households carefully. This means that you can’t mix with two households on Christmas Day, and then a different two households on Boxing Day. However, children whose parents are separated will be able to move between two Christmas bubbles so they’re able to celebrate with both parents.
Do I need to socially distance from the people in my Christmas bubble?
Bubble members will not be required to social distance while they are together, so they can hug or kiss under the mistletoe. However, people are advised to exercise caution if there are vulnerable people involved in their bubble.
What about care home residents?
In England, some care home residents may be allowed to form a bubble with one other household, in agreement with the home and subject to individual risk assessments. In this case, social distancing should be maintained, with regular hand washing and ventilation to reduce risk. Care home residents should not form a three-household Christmas bubble at any point.
Can I travel to meet up with people in my Christmas bubble?
Individuals will be able to travel between coronavirus tiers and across the UK during the designated festive period (23 to 27 December). People will be able to travel to and from Northern Ireland for an extra day either side of that period, to allow for the extra time needed.
What if I live in a shared household?
In England, people living in shared households can split and join separate Christmas bubbles without breaking the three-household rule. So a group of, say, four young people living together would all be allowed to return home to their four separate families for Christmas and then come back to their shared home after the festive period.
Jessica Murray
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On the emergence of a new strain in southern England, Barclay said: “I think it is concerning, particularly in respect of whether the spread of transmission is quicker with this strain.” However, he added: “It would be very surprising if the vaccine was impaired in terms of dealing with this strain of the virus.”
Shoppers had a “duty” to act responsibly when out Christmas shopping and stores needed to ensure that compliant behaviour was observed, he said. “I will be doing Christmas shopping. I will try and do as much as possible of that locally in the constituency and some of it I’ll do online.”
The virologist Dr Chris Smith said the decision to move London into tier 3 restrictions had been “pretty much on the cards” for the last few weeks. He told BBC Breakfast that despite being spread more quickly, the new variant of coronavirus may not be any “nastier”.
“Once it infects you, once it gets in you, it doesn’t actually make you any iller. That appears to be the pattern at the moment and the other crucial question at the moment is: ‘Is the change sufficient to side step what the vaccine does to protect us?’ For now, the answer seems to be no, but that’s something we need to watch.”
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