Boris Johnson has urged families to limit the length and scale of Christmas gatherings, saying existing rules for a festive respite from Covid regulations across the UK would not be changed – but that people should be extremely cautious.
“A smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas, and shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas,” the prime minister told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday, echoing the sentiments of leaders from the devolved UK nations.
Prof Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said that just because three households were allowed to mix for five days over Christmas, it did not mean they should. He compared it to driving at 70mph in icy conditions, which would be legal but “not sensible”.
The prime minister said the coronavirus situation was “alas worse and more challenging than we had hoped when we first set the rules”, concluding: “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, and I’m afraid that this year I do mean little.”
Following two days of talks between the Westminster government and leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there has been agreement that the rules allowing up to three households to travel and meet without social distancing should remain in place.
But immediately after this was agreed, the first ministers of Wales and Scotland, Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon, said their advice was to restrict this to two households and avoid overnight stays. Sturgeon recommended meeting for one day only, if at all.
While saying the limit of three households were “maximums, not targets to aim for”, Johnson did not echo the advice over two households.
However, the prime minister did tell the public he was “asking you to think hard and in detail about the days ahead, and whether you can do more to protect yourselves and others”, he said.
He advised people to limit contacts from this week, ahead of any Christmas visits, to the “lowest possible”, and if at all possible to avoid long journeys and overnight stays.
Alternatively, he said, people could avoid seeing older or more vulnerable people until they had been vaccinated, and to avoid large crowds at Boxing Day sales, or on New Year’s Eve.
Earlier, Drakeford announced different Christmas guidance, as well as fresh lockdown measures to be imposed in Wales from Christmas Eve.
Drakeford said: “Here in Wales over the Christmas period the clear message from the Welsh government is that only two households should meet. That is how serious it is in Wales.” Pressed over whether this was a rule or advice, he said: “The message is the same.”
Separately, Sturgeon urged people to limit the number of households gathering: “If you do form a bubble you should not meet up for more than one day and not stay overnight, and keep it as small as possible – three is the maximum but two is better … Unequivocally, the safest way to spend Christmas this year is within your own household and within your own home.”
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