All we want for Xmas is ...a decision
Dithering Boris refuses to tighten his festive free-for-all rules as experts warn of dangerous New Year virus spike
BORIS Johnson has refused to axe amnesties on mixing at Christmas.
But the stubborn PM was warned it may spark a deadly third wave of Covid. He faced claims his fear of cancelling festivities risks many lives.
A group of medics wrote: “The Government should reverse its rash decision.”
MEDICAL experts last night lined up to warn Boris Johnson relaxing Covid restrictions over Christmas would spark a killer third wave of the pandemic.
But the stubborn PM refused to ditch the amnesty that will allow families to mix at a time when cases are again soaring and more areas have been plunged into Tier 3 curbs.
Mr Johnson faced accusations he was so afraid to “cancel” Christmas that he was prepared to put public health at risk – as a YouGov poll found that 57% of Brits want him to drop the relaxation of rules. And in a worrying display of dithering, insiders said he plans to only strengthen the guidance and urge people to “stay local” to stop the virus spreading.
He was also warned he risked overwhelming the NHS at a time when resources will be stretched rolling out the Covid vaccination.
The British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal joined forces in a rare moment to slam Mr Johnson’s dangerous insistence on not relaxing the rules.
They warned him against “blundering into another major error” in his handling of the crisis. In a joint editorial, they wrote: “The Government should now reverse its rash decision to allow household mixing and instead extend the tiers over the Christmas period in order to bring numbers down in the advance of a likely third wave.”
BMA chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul added: “We are facing a Christmas with infection rates still very high.
“While we understand many families want to spend time together, we know no one will want to put a family member or friend at risk. That would be a terrible Christmas present.” Writing in the Mirror, Royal College of Emergency Medicine president Dr Katherine Henderson said: “The easing of restrictions will lead to a rise in transmission
of the virus and an increase in the number of Covid cases. This could lead to further lockdowns in January.”
Professor Stephen Reicher, a member of the scientific pandemic insights group on behaviours, accused the Government of “poor messaging” on the Christmas period. He said: “The relaxation of the rules sent a message to people not only that they could meet up but it was safe to meet up.
“If that many people mix, and if even more mix, then the consequence will be more infections, it will be more hospitalisations, it will mean the NHS being overwhelmed precisely at the point where we need the NHS to roll out the vaccine.”
Keir Starmer demanded an urgent Cobra review into the rules. The Labour leader said: “The public do not want false reassurance, warm words or ducked challenges from their Prime Minister. They want leadership.” The
BMA and BMJ also warned a third wave in January would be worse than the second, as there are already more than 15,000 Covid patients in hospital.
At the start of September, there were just 450. But Downing Street sources insisted the PM would “certainly not” be changing the regulations to cancel gatherings or shorten the five- day festive break from December 23 to 27.
They hinted he could take “sensible” measures, including asking people to stay away from grandparents or self-isolate first if they had to see them.
Downing Street admitted the rules are kept under “constant review” but refused to give a cut-off date for when people could be told to change plans. A meeting with the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to review the situation yesterday ended without a decision.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove was holding a second round of talks, which will continue today.
The UK coronavirus death toll yesterday rose by 506 to 64,908. Tiers will be reviewed today.
ON the fifth day of Christmas, the Government would be telling you many more will be ill and dying in January and February.
An incompetent Prime Minister and political leaders in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who should have known better, were wrong to propose recklessly relaxing virus restrictions over the festive period.
All we want for Christmas is clarity on rules to protect us because coronavirus infections may accelerate from December 23 to 27 without simple, sensible, immediate advice.
Everyone understandably wants to celebrate with family and friends yet everyone, or most of us, realise 2020 is hugely different with Covid-19 on the rise again and far from beaten.
This isn’t about cancelling Christmas but saving lives. The vaccine could make 2021 a happy new year.
We urgently need London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast to show true leadership in the national interest and tell us hard truths. Or undertakers will be busier than ever next month and the one after that.