Corona virus rules will be relaxed on Christmas Day in the UK under a scheme that allows people to celebrate with their families.
Leaders in the UK, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have agreed that their respective restrictions should be in line with the “limited number of days” during the festive season.
While details are still being prepared, a statement released on Sunday confirmed the intention to allow “extra housing bubble”.
The Prime Minister is also working on a regional hierarchy that will re-emerge when the national lockout ends in the UK on December 2
Boris Johnson is due to describe his winter strategy on Monday afternoon, with ministers set to see which layer goes into each area on Thursday.
What is expected at Christmas?
Many houses – Possible three – From December 24 to 28 you may be allowed to create a bubble temporarily.
Reports suggest that these projects will cover all four countries in the UK.
Restrictions on church services may also be removed by allowing Christmas Day services.
Following talks with leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the official confirmation of the intention for families to see each other came in a statement from Cabinet Office Minister Michael Cowen.
“Ministers have approved a shared objective to facilitate a lower number of additional housing bubbles,” he said, adding that talks were underway with the Irish government to allow people in Northern Ireland to visit families living there.
But the public will be “advised to be vigilant” and “avoid public travel where possible and reduce social interaction,” his department said in a statement.
What is the new system – until December 2 Christmas – how will it be?
The country will move back to the three-tier system of regional restrictions that was in effect from October 14 to November 5.
More areas are expected to enter the upper end of the deployed system next month, and many operations will remain the same as before, with layers being reinforced in some areas.
- Non-essential retail will be allowed to open in all three tiers
- Gyms will be allowed to open
- The 10pm curfew order for pubs and restaurants will be revoked
- A mass test program is to be launched in Tier 3 areas using the military, similar to the pilot program in Liverpool
How long will the new system last?
The government is hopeful that if vaccines are approved by regulators, they can be phased out before spring, allowing it to begin next month before a broader plan for the new year.
But the timeline is uncertain as no vaccines have been approved.
What is the original layout structure?
- Layer 1 (middle): Six rules if met internally or externally; Pubs and restaurants will be closed at 10 p.m.
- Layer 2 (high): No home mix inside; Six rules apply outside; Pubs and restaurants will be closed at 10 p.m.
- Layer 3 (highest): not mixed indoors or in some outdoor areas; Non-food pubs and bars are closed
Did Boris Johnson pass his plan to the House of Commons?
A large group of Conservatives is pleased with the end of the drastic national lockout, but 70 of them, the so-called “Govt recovery team” of the backbone Tories, have issued a letter calling on the Prime Minister to publish a “cost / benefit analysis”. “The new system.
“We can no longer support this approach unless the government proves the restrictions proposed after December 2 … will save more lives than they spent,” they wrote.
In an interview with Sophie Ridge on Sunday, President Rishi Sunak refused to accept the request three times: “It is only right that we look around at all the harms caused by the fight around the corona virus, not just the economy.”