Dr Hilary blasts idea of 5-day Christmas lockdown break calling it ‘recipe for disaster’
DR HILARY has blasted the idea of a five-day lockdown break over Christmas – dubbing it a “recipe for disaster”.
It comes after we revealed Sage scientists are considering allowing groups bigger than six meeting up – bringing a glimmer of hope for weary families wading through Lockdown 2.0.
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Health chiefs are looking at the idea in an effort to save Covid-hit festivities after a long year of limited social contact.
But Dr Hilary blasted the prospect on Good Morning Britain today, saying: “They want to have their celebrations, their roast turkey and have five households gathering together and it’s a recipe for disaster I’m afraid.
“Just look at the figures we’re seeing now – 600 deaths recorded yesterday, albeit a lag after the weekend, numbers are going up.”
With Christmas Eve falling on a Thursday and a planned Bank Holiday for December 28, ministers are hoping to lift the indoor gathering ban nationwide for those five days.
Those households that choose to link up are unlikely to be able to mix with others outside that grouping during the celebrations, but could enjoy a more normal Christmas period.
Ministers are looking to thrash out a “Four Nations” festive plan to bring some hope to the nation.
They would like England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have the same Christmas treat.
CHRISTMAS LOCKDOWN LIFT
But they and medics fear a full week of rules being relaxed would “normalise” mixing and want to cap it to a number of days to limit any rise in cases.
No10 confirmed last night: “We are looking at ways to ensure that people can spend time with close family over Christmas at the end of what has been an incredibly difficult year.”
However, Boris Johnson – who is self-isolating after contact with an MP who tested positive for Covid — will not fully sign off any plans until next month.
England is due to return to the tiers system of localised restrictions on December 2, with household mixing outlawed indoors in the top two tiers.
A relaxation of restrictions would be required in much of the country to allow families to come together.
Families will be told to keep their windows open and try to stick to social distancing rules over the Christmas weekend.
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It comes as another 598 people in the UK have died from coronavirus.
Yesterday’s daily death toll was the highest since May 6. Tuesday figures are always high after a weekend backlog.
The total death toll is 52,745. Some 20,051 people tested positive bringing total cases to 1,410,732.
