JUST TOO CLAUS FOR COMFORT
Sturgeon and Gove in crunch talks to ease lockdown on holidays FM’s Covid-19 fears as the Tories push to lift festive travel ban
Nicola Sturgeon has been in tense talks with the UK Government over plans to save Christmas.
The FM and cabinet minister Michael Gove last night tried to agree Scotland’s part of a four-nation deal that would allow up to 12 people to meet over the festive period and the travel ban lifted.
But a source said: “She is wary as she wants to be sure that infection numbers are on their way down.”
Nicola Sturgeon was last night locked in talks wwith the UK Government oover plans to lift the travel ban and allow families to meet up at Christmas.
The First Minister and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove were attempting to thrash out detail sofa four nation sn at agreement during a tense phone call.
The UK Government is keen to make a statement after a Cobra meeting that will a allow up to three households or groups of between eight and 12 people to meet over the festive period.
The Scottish Government’s ban on travel to other parts of the UK would be lifted under the deal.
A source said: “The First Minister is wary of committing to anything too early as she wants to be sure infection numbers are on their way down. Everyone is broadly agreed that a four nations approach is best and that special arrangements will be put in place.
“There will be a Cobra meeting at the start of next week and it is hoped a joint announcement can be made after that.
“The likelihood is it will be an arrangement whereby either three households or a number of people
– between eight and 12 – will be able to meet up.
“Details still being discussed are whether children should count in the numbers and how long the window should last for.
“There is an argument that a longer window of about a week will be more safe as it will mean less people on public transport, for example, over a shorter period.
“This is only going to cover households. There will not be a lifting of restrictions on retail and hospitality.
“Everyone understands there are deep ties of family and friends across the four nations so lifting any travel ban between countries would obviously be part of this.”
But top scientists have warned against the plan and urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be
“The Grinch” and not “The Grim Reaper”.
SAGE s c ient i s t s were unanimous in dampening Christmas expectations.
SAGE adviser Professor Andrew Hayward said: “We’re putting far too much emphasis on having a nea r - normal Chr i s tmas . Respiratory infections peak in January so throwing fuel on the f ire over Christmas can only contribute to this.”
Fellow SAGE member Professor John Edmunds added: “We will have to moderate and have a slightly disappointing Christmas.”
Epidemiologist Professor Gabriel Scally said: “It’s no use having a good Christmas if you’re burying friends and relations in the New Year.”
Calls for a five- day Christmas
– mixing four households in return for 25 days’ lockdown in January – were also dismissed by experts.
Dr Zuba i da Haque , of SAGE, said: “The devastating outcome would be the impact on 20million vulnerable people.”
Neuroscientist Professor Karl Friston said: “It’s very attractive but a misdirection. We’re talking months not weeks before we come out of this.”
Social psychologist Dr Stephen Reicher said: “It would be mad to give guarantees.
“We don’t know what state we’ll be in at Christmas.
“The worst present you could give anyone is to infect them.”
The scientists said getting together only works outside as 95 per cent of infections are spread indoors . Dr Reicher said windows could be thrown open if Chancellor Rishi Sunak provides a pandemic fuel allowance to pay for turning the heating up.
Mathematical biologist Dr Kit Yates said: “There’s a cost to relaxing restrictions. A 25- day lockdown would make for the most depressing January ever.”
And deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam added: “There are no magic numbers.”
The Scottish Government said: “No firm proposals have been put forward to ministers. The First Minister and the first ministers of the devolve administrations held a discussion with Michael Gove at which it was agreed off icials would bring forward proposals for discussion next week following clinical advice.”