Ministers ready to restrict Christmas
Coronavirus could force ban on family gatherings
THE GOVERNMENT is prepared to prevent large families meeting at Christmas if coronavirus restrictions are still in place, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Environment Secretary George Eustice also suggested that families living in areas under different tier restrictions may not be allowed to meet even in groups of fewer than six.
The Minister said it was “too early to say” how lockdowns could affect festivities, but told LBC: “Obviously if we do need to have restrictions in place, and prevent families from coming together in large gatherings, if that’s necessary to control the virus that’s what we’ll have to do.”
Asked on Times Radio if families from different tiers would be able to spend Christmas together, he added this is “not provided for currently”.
Mr Eustice rejected demands from the Liberal Democrats to plan coronavirus restrictions for the festive period now.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has called for four- nation Covid planning in relation to Christmas, warning that people face confusion and complexity over potential restrictions.
Mr Eustice told the BBC: “This is a rapidly developing situation and we are making judgments all the time about what restrictions might be needed and what’s appropriate to have as restrictions in a particular area. We should set our guidelines, not as the Lib Dems say, based on Christmas is coming, we should set our guidelines based on the epidemiology of this virus and follow the science and respond to emerging situations in a proportionate way.”
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the Government’s failure to introduce a circuit- break lockdown over the school half- term has “put Christmas at risk” and urged Ministers to “do something quickly to save Christmas”.
Speaking on Times Radio, he said Government sources were planning for a Tier 3 lockdown in most areas of the country “at some point in November”, which he expects will continue through the festive period.
Meanwhile, a Harrogate woman’s bid to spread Christmas cheer by encouraging people to ring bells outside their homes at 6pm on Christmas Eve has gone viral online.
Mary Beggs- Reid put the idea on her Facebook page and now some 155,000 people have backed the idea.
She wrote online: “After a tough year it would be an amazing memory for the kids and communities. End 2020 with a bit of magic, hope and togetherness.”