Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged Britons to exercise 'extreme caution' over the festive period, as the government toughened its guidance on Christmas bubbles. Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Johnson said the legal rules allowing three households to mix for five days remain unchanged, but stressed these are 'maximums, not targets to aim for'. He advised people to keep their bubbles as small and short as possible, and to avoid staying overnight or travelling from high- to low-prevalence areas.
The Prime Minister also urged people to isolate from December 18 to reduce the risk of infection before meeting others, and to 'avoid elderly people wherever possible'. He said: 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas – and I'm afraid this year, I do mean little.' The new guidance comes after Scotland and Wales introduced stricter measures, with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford announcing a three-week lockdown from December 28 and reducing household bubbles to two.
England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty warned that social distancing will need to continue for months, despite the start of a vaccination programme. He said the UK is 'tantalisingly close' to protecting the most vulnerable with a vaccine, but cautioned that anyone who gets into trouble due to Christmas actions would have been protected in the near future. He advised people to 'keep it small, keep it short, keep it local – and think of the most vulnerable people'.
Johnson defended the decision not to ban Christmas gatherings, saying it would be 'inhuman' to cancel the festivities. He predicted that the 'crossover point' where restrictions can ease will occur between now and Easter. Almost 140,000 people in the UK have received the Pfizer vaccine in the first week, with plans to vaccinate 20 million of the most vulnerable over winter and spring.
