Wear a mask during Xmas dinner
Health expert urges Scots to wear a face covering during Christmas dinner
FAmiLies have been urged to wear masks – during Christmas dinner.
scottish Government clinical adviser Jason Leitch made the plea to help stop Covid spreading.
PEOPlE in Scotland have been advised by government health chief Jason leitch to wear a mask during christmas dinner.
The Scottish Government’s senior clinical adviser says the public should protect themselves when dining with people from outwith their household.
Professor Leitch and Health Secretary Jeane Freeman also urged shoppers to resist the temptation of the Boxing Day sales.
And Freeman refused to rule out an abrupt end to the festive easing of Covid rules with a third period of lockdown.
At the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing, Leitch advised people to follow World Health Organisation ( WHO) guidance published this week.
It states that households who choose to mix over Christmas should wear face coverings indoors, just as they would in a shop.
Leitch said: “The WHO advice is good. It came out because WHO are worried about Christmas around the world, not just Scottish Christmas.
“What they suggest is very sensible. It says, if you are indoors, with people who are not in your household, you should think about wearing a face covering.
“That’s true in workplaces in Scotland just now. That should also be true when you have your Christmas celebration if you can possibly do it.”
The new guidance from WHO reads: “Indoor gatherings, even smaller ones, can be especially risky because they bring together groups of people, young and old, from different households, who may not all be adhering to the same infection prevention measures.
“Gatherings should be held outside if possible, and participants should wear masks and maintain physical distancing. If held indoors, limiting group size and ensuring good ventilation to reduce exposure risk are key.
“It may feel awkward to wear masks and practise physical distancing when around friends and family, but doing so contributes significantly to ensuring that everyone remains safe and healthy.
“Vulnerable people and older friends or relatives may find it very difficult to ask loved ones to stay away physically, regardless of the anxieties or concerns they may have. Consider what others may be feeling and the difficult decisions they will be facing.”
Leitch also issued advice to Scots hoping to snap up bargains in the sales next week or grab last-minute gifts at the shops – don’t.
He said: “That may not be popular with retailers and I am
sorry. But it is risky to go to the crowds. So please try and avoid that – on Boxing Day or tomorrow.”
Freeman said nothing on sale in shops could be worth the “risk” of mingling in large crowds.
“On Boxing Day sales, the simple thing I would say is, ‘Avoid crowded places’,” the Health Secretary said at a media briefing.
She added: “Boxing Day sales are notoriously crowded places. Please avoid crowded places. There can be nothing in those sales that can be worth that risk.”
But the SNP minister – standing in for Sturgeon – would not confirm whether tougher lockdown restrictions could be introduced in late December or early January.
Other parts of the UK have already confirmed tougher measures as medical experts warn that festive gatherings will result in a spike in cases.
Wales is to go back into full lockdown from 6pm on Christmas Day while Northern Ireland will impose a six-week lockdown from Boxing Day.
Freeman admitted “every possible option remains on the table” and said health chiefs would be studying Covid prevalence rates closely ahead of the next review of restrictions on Tuesday. She said: “Nothing at this point can sensibly be ruled out.
“We will look at what the information we have tells us, the judgments we think are the right ones to make, and we will make that clear on Tuesday when the First Minister speaks in the Scottish Parliament.”
Boris Johnson has not ruled out a third national lockdown in England amid rising rates of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister said rates of infection have increased “very much in the last few weeks”, as pressure grows on the UK Government to do moreore to tackle the rise.