‘Shorter and smaller Christmas is safer Christmas’
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The health secretary will today outline which, if any, regions in England will change tiers before the relaxation of COVID rules over the festive period.
Speaking to Sky News ahead of Matt Hancock’s statement to MPs, which is expected around 11.30am, Priti Patel said the message from the government was for people to “have a smaller, more local and safer” Christmas if they can.
“Don’t travel if you don’t need to, don’t stay overnight somewhere else where you don’t need to, stay at home effectively, with your small support bubble,” the home secretary said.
She added: “We want everyone to have a wonderful Christmas, we really do. But in a smaller, safer way, a localised way. I think the public understand that.”
Pressed on whether people should travel to different parts of the UK over Christmas, the home secretary said the government would “urge people to exercise their judgement”, adding: “We would not advise people to travel – certainly from low tier to high tier or high tier into low tier. That would clearly put coronavirus at risk in terms of spreading the virus.”
In his statement, Mr Hancock will also explain plans to extend mass community testing to Tier 2 areas with high rates of coronavirus.
Currently, only Tier 3 areas are eligible for the localised testing scheme and the additional rollout signifies a desire to help local councils prevent their area from moving up the scale.
Some locations could see community testing up and running before Christmas.
Gallery: Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak around the world (Photo Services)
Travelers wearing face masks are seen at Beijing Capital International Airport in China on Nov. 22.
A member of the staff disinfects the stands before the start of a soccer match of the Mexican Apertura tournament between Guadalajara and Necaxa at the Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on Nov. 21.
People walk through the city center on the first day of Level 4 coronavirus restrictions in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 21.
A nurse holds a placard reading “For my rights and for your health” during a demonstration in front of the Healthcare Ministry where nurses are protesting demanding better working conditions and against the mistreatment of their sector during the pandemic, in Madrid, Spain, on Nov. 15.
A resident (L) of the Domenico Sartor nursing home in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy, hugs her visiting daughter through a plastic screen in a so-called “Hug Room” on Nov. 11.
People wearing face shields, masks and rubber gloves wait to vote at a polling station in Yangon, Myanmar, on Nov. 8.
A mask-clad, Palestinian woman waves behind the window of a bus in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, on Nov. 8.
A health worker, clad in her personal protective equipment (PPE) suit, falls asleep after tending to patients at a public health center in Bandung, Indonesia, on Nov. 6.
A customer pushes a trolley past the closed toy department of a supermarket in Bordeaux, France, on Nov. 4.
A mask-wearing student puts on plastic gloves as a precaution during class in Havana, Cuba, on Nov. 2.
Students listen to a teacher while sitting behind glass dividers on their desks in a classroom in the Maadi suburb of Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 1.
A health worker sprays disinfectant at Slave Island railway station as a preventive measure against COVID-19 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Oct. 30.
A mask-clad woman stands in front of a pair of wings painted onto a wall near Friars Walk shopping center in Newport, Wales, on Oct. 30.
A couple wear protective face masks as they cross a street on the first day of the second national lockdown in Paris, France, on Oct. 30.
Spectators maintain social distance inside individual plastic cabins as they watch a play in São Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 28.
A man in a costume adjusts his face mask as he attends a protest by people working in the entertainment and event industry against the German government’s economic policies to combat the spread of COVID-19 and demand more support for their business, in Berlin, Germany, on Oct. 28.
Nurses from the National Hospital protest for better salaries and security gear amid the COVID-19 pandemic outside the Economy Ministry in Asunción, Paraguay, on Oct. 26.
People wait in a line to vote at the Queens Public Library during early voting for the U.S. presidential election in the Jackson Heights neighborhood in the Queens borough in New York City, New York, U.S., on Oct. 24.
A staff member marks seats for social distancing at a movie theater in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 21.
A man walks past a mural in Dublin, Ireland, on Oct. 21.
A man wearing a protective face mask looks on during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia in Moscow, Russia, on Oct. 20.
Volunteers prepare food parcels before a distribution led by the international NGO ‘Gift to the Givers’ in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Oct. 14.
People wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) sanitize a “pandal,” or a temporary platform, next to an idol of Hindu goddess Durga for the Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on Oct. 12.
Factory workers wearing protective face masks and shields ride a truck as they go to their work sites in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, on Oct. 12.
Cleaners work during a nationwide curfew imposed for two days in downtown Amman, Jordan, on Oct. 9.
A man wearing a protective face mask looks through the window of a temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 9.
Women perform the “Morenada” dance at an exhibit of folk costumes during the partial lifting of restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in La Paz, Bolivia, on Oct. 2.
A steward walks amid empty seats inside the arena during a rain delay at Roland Garros during the 2020 French Open in Paris, France, on Sept. 27.
First-year students wearing masks attend a commencement ceremony at Wuhan University in China on Sept. 26.
Members of a church choir parade during the celebration of the eve of the Ethiopian Orthodox holiday of Meskel, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sept. 26.
Dancers wearing face shields perform during a practice session at an art and cultural center in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Sept. 26.
Nuns wearing face masks walk across a street in Rome, Italy, on Sept. 25.
Children play with bubbles during the opening of kindergarten schools in Bogota, Colombia, on Sept. 23.
Workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) suits attend to customers at a salon in Ahmedabad, India, on Sept. 20.
Worshippers maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the COVID-19 restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq, on Sept. 18.
A worker wearing a protective suit sprays disinfectant at a sauna and spa center in preparation for its reopening, in Hong Kong on Sept. 16.
A teacher checks the body temperature of students at a government school in Lahore, Pakistan, on Sept. 15. Educational institutes were reopened in the country nearly six months after the spread of the coronavirus.
New York City firefighters wear face masks as they pause outside of Engine Company 10 and Ladder Company 10 across from One World Trade Center, the Freedom Tower, in lower Manhattan, New York, U.S., during commemoration ceremonies for the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on Sept. 11. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, only family members were allowed to gather at the 9/11 Memorial plaza.
Municipal employees greet during a campaign to promote the keeping of safety distances against the spread of the coronavirus in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, on Sept. 10.
Participants in protective face masks attend the 4th Edition of the Equality Parade in Katowice, Poland, on Sept. 5.
Employees of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) sanitize a coach during a media preview as the Delhi Metro network prepares to resume services partially after more than five months shutdown, in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 3.
Residents of the highland city of Puno wait to be tested for free for COVID-19 during a municipal campaign in Peru on Sept. 2.
Workers of the local government disinfect a woman and her house as a preventive measure, in the municipality of Xochimilco in Mexico City, Mexico, on Aug. 26.
Santas have their temperature taken as they attend a socially distanced Santa school training at Southwark Cahedral in London, England, on Aug. 24.
A sign outside the Hollywood Hotel in Surry Hills warning people to keep their distance, in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 22.
Public officials disinfect pews at the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 21.
Military personnel from the Brazilian Armed Forces sanitize a bus at the Santa Candida bus terminal in Curitiba, Brazil, on Aug. 10.
A teacher, wearing a face shield as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak, speaks to her students in a makeshift classroom at her residence in Tangerang, Indonesia, on Aug. 10.
A Vietnamese woman carries a stuffed animal while boarding a repatriation flight from Singapore to Vietnam, at Changi Airport in Singapore on Aug. 7.
Two women in traditional kimonos wear face masks as they visit Sensō-ji temple in Tokyo, Japan on Aug. 7.
An artist gives finishing touches to a mural depicting frontline workers, in Kolkata, India, on Aug. 5.
Pilgrims wearing face masks and keeping social distance perform Tawaf around Kaaba during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on July 31.
A municipal employee teaches a user to use the thermometer of a Transmetro station in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on July 31.
Bar and restaurant owners demonstrate asking the government to allow them to reopen their businesses given the difficult economic situation they are going through during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Cali, Colombia, on July 31.
A man wearing a face mask has his temperature checked before being allowed to go into Manchester Central Mosque in England on July 31.
A healthcare worker passes paperwork to a woman in a vehicle at a COVID-19 testing site outside of Marlins Park in Miami, Florida, U.S., on July 27.
Customers sit with a teddy bear used to keep social distancing measures at a restaurant in Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City, Mexico, on July 26.
Nurses in PPE kits discuss before they start their duty of door-to-door screening in Pune, India, on July 20.
A woman wearing a face mask walks at the Trocadero Palace near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on July 10.
Paramedics gather outside the North Melbourne public housing complex, where nine towers had been placed under hard lockdown, in Australia on July 8.
A municipal funeral home worker watches the live news showing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announcing his positive result of the COVID-19 test, in Curitiba, Brazil, on July 7, 2020.
A doctor clad in protective gear measures the temperature of a woman during a house-to-house new coronavirus testing campaign in Avircato, Bolivia, on July 7.
A view of a newly built hospital to treat COVID-19 patients at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai, India, on July 7. India on July 6 became the country with the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world.
Women eat lunch in a social-distancing greenhouse dining pod in the former parking lot of the Lady Byrd Cafe in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on July 7.
Visitors hold reproductions of the Mona Lisa outside the Louvre Museum as it reopens its doors following a 16-week closure due to lockdown measures, in Paris, France, on July 6.
Serbian army soldiers prepare a makeshift field hospital to accommodate patients infected by COVID-19 inside the Belgrade Arena in Serbia on July 6.
A clown, wearing a face shield, welcomes visitors at Tibidabo Amusement Park on the first day of its reopening in Barcelona, Spain, on July 4. The amusement park reopened for the first time since March 14 under strict sanitary security measures, including mandatory wearing of face masks, maintaining of social distancing between people or family units, following hand hygiene protocol and capacity restrictions with tickets booked in advance.
A social distancing sign warning of keeping two meters apart is seen in Porthcawl, Wales, on June 24.
Personnel of the National Health Service perform Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests on the population to detect COVID-19 cases in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic, on June 13.
A worker sanitizes the railings surrounding the General Hospital’s triage area for COIVD-19 patients in Mexico City, Mexico, on June 12.
A firefighter sprays disinfectant as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 in a containment zone in Chennai, India, on June 11.
Health workers from the city of Melgaço arrive at a small riverside community, where families live without electricity, to give medical care to its residents, in Brazil, on June 9.
A caretaker cleans the floor at the Durgiana Temple after the government eased a nationwide lockdown, in Amritsar, India, on June 7.
An officer enforces social distancing at the entrance of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.
A traveler queues for check-in on an Air Austral flight to Paris, France, from Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte on June 5, as measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 are maintained on Mayotte over concerns about the continued spread of the virus there.
A member of the ‘Torcida Urubuzada’ (soccer fans) of Flamengo delivers food donations amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 5.
An organ grinder waits for a delivery of donated groceries in Mexico City, Mexico, on June 4.
Local authorities interview residents at the Santa Cruz neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia, on June 1, during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
People are seen inside a movie theater during its reopening, in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 1, after the Thai government eased isolation measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Muslims pray spaced apart to help curb the spread of the coronavirus during a Friday prayer at the Al Barkah Grand Mosque in Bekasi, Indonesia, on May 29. Muslims in some parts of Indonesia attended Friday prayers as mosques closed by the coronavirus for weeks were allowed to start reopening in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
People sit in circles painted as guidelines for social distancing at the Domino Park in New York City, New York, U.S., on May 24.
Staff at Suleymaniye Mosque perform a morning prayer in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 24.
Empty chairs are placed for worshipers on Notre Dame de la Garde basilica’s terrace before the first public mass after France eased lockdown measures, in Marseille, France, on May 24.
83/83 SLIDES
Today’s tier review was promised when the system was brought in at the beginning of the month, but its significance was undermined by the announcement on Monday that London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire would be moving into the top tier because of rising case numbers.
Parts of the country such as Greater Manchester and Leeds, whose MPs and local politicians had been lobbying the prime minister for a move from Tier 3 to Tier 2 in order to help the struggling retail and hospitality sectors, are likely to be disappointed.
Boris Johnson’s warnings on Wednesday that “a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas” and festive bubbles of up to three households are “maximums” and not “targets to aim for”, were a clear indication of the government’s reluctance to relax any restrictions.
Mr Hancock is expected to reinforce the message that people should exercise extreme caution over Christmas and think carefully about meeting elderly or vulnerable relatives.
He has consistently been one of the strongest advocates in government for more measures to prevent people mixing and curb the spread of coronavirus.
Those at the sharp end in the fight against COVID-19 have also made clear their opposition to easing restrictions prematurely.
In a statement on Wednesday Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers – which represents hospital trusts in England – said there was “real concern in many trusts in the northern half of the country about leaving Tier 3 prematurely”.
He added that “most hospitals in the north of the country still have very high levels of COVID-19 patients, just as we go into winter”, the NHS’ busiest period.
“Given this level of COVID-19 demand and the number of beds lost to ensure appropriate infection control, even a small increase in the number of COVID-19 patients will also put those hospitals under significant pressure.”
And the British Medical Association (BMA) called on people to keep social mixing indoors to an “absolute minimum” over Christmas.
BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “Relaxing the rules will, without doubt, cost lives and the impact on the NHS in the new year will be grave.
“For those reasons, as the voice of thousands of doctors, we urge people to think long and hard about how many people they share their Christmas with.”
Sky News political reporter Kate McCann said: “With the government deeply concerned about rising infection levels and adjusting guidance on Christmas accordingly it is unlikely that many areas, if any at all, will see restrictions relaxed today.
“The news is also likely to prompt fresh questions about whether the support provided to businesses has been good enough and whether more should be done to support them in what is often the busiest time of year.”
Mr Hancock’s Commons statement will be one of the last acts in Westminster before MPs head home for their own Christmas holidays.
With three-fifths of England’s population now living under the strictest measures, they, like everyone else, will be hoping the relaxation of rules over the festive period does not lead to an even tighter regime in the new year.
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Stay alert to stop coronavirus spreading – here is the latest government guidance. If you think you have the virus, don’t go to the GP or hospital, stay indoors and get advice online. Only call NHS 111 if you cannot cope with your symptoms at home; your condition gets worse; or your symptoms do not get better after seven days. In parts of Wales where 111 isn’t available, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. In Scotland anyone with symptoms is advised to self-isolate for seven days. In Northern Ireland, call your GP.
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