EXTRA BUBBLES TO BOOST FAMILY XMAS

FAMILIES will be allowed to spend five days together this Christmas, following an agreement between the four governments of the UK.

According to the Cabinet Office, ministers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are united in their aim of allowing “some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days”.

Families will be required to choose their bubble in advance and will be allowed to spend time indoors with them. This reportedly includes trips to the pub, reports the Mirror. Further details are yet to be agreed.

The ban on household mixing will likely be lifted for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day through to the delayed Boxing Day Bank Holiday on the 28 December.

The Government is also in discussions about how it might allow some pantomimes to go ahead during the festive period.

Temporary “pods” are being rolled out to care homes across Wales to help families see their loved ones over Christmas and the winter months.

Welsh Government health minister Vaughan Gething has announced a £3m pilot to cover the procurement, installation and lease of 100 units, with an initial 30 being installed and ready to use before Christmas.

The semi-permanent units will be available for a period of six months, whilst longer-term solutions are sourced and put in place, as the coronavirus outbreak continues.

This also includes £1m for plans to support providers who prefer to make their own arrangements on a similar basis, Welsh Government chiefs said.