Sturgeon says Christmas rules are likely to tighten
Rules allowing people to meet up at Christmas in Scotland are likely to become more strict when they are set out today, the First Minister has said.
The UK Government and devolved administrations have agreed a joint plan to relax social distancing rules over the festive period, allowing three households to mix over a five day period from 23 to 27 December.
The First Minister said staying at home should be the “default” position but the easing of restrictions to allow households to gather over Christmas is a “recognition of a reality that exists over the Christmas period, whether I like it or not”.
Scotland’ s national c li nical director Professor Jason Leitch added the prevalence of coronavirus will “almost certainly” rise as a result of allowing more households to mix over Christmas.
During a Covid-19 briefing on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said guidance about the festive period to be issued on Thursday is still being finalised but the Scottish Government will not be “encouraging” people to meet up.
She said: “The expectation should be that the guidance will probably look to tighten around the edges rather than further expand and that will be true with the travel window of opportunity as well– we want to limit that window, not expand it.”
Ms Sturgeon said in England, due to the current form of bubbles there, “three households there, potentially, depending on how they draw the guidance, could effectively become six households”.
The First Minister added: “I think that would be going too far and it would not be something I would be comfortable with in Scotland.”
Scotland currently has a different form of bubbles than England – north of the Border, one person who lives alone or with children under the age of 18 can join another household and become an extended household.
Ms Sturgeon asked Scots not to visit relatives in other households over Christmas if they can help it, despite the relaxation of rules.
“If you can get through this