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When Wales entered its 17-day fire lockdown, it was to “save lives, not Christmas,” the Prime Minister said.
But as time passes, thoughts are already turning to the festive period and what that means for a country divided by different responses from each of its delegate governments.
Normally, people would be preparing for the annual Christmas getaway, when the trains are jammed and the highways go straight ahead. By now, they would be planning to get together with friends, family and colleagues for a good old kneeling party.
But if family gatherings continue to be limited in number, many of the larger regular gatherings will be illegal this year.
While Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government bears responsibility for health policy, including social distancing, meeting sizes, and other Covid-19 restrictions, in England, Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Arlene Foster each oversee the rules in their respective nations.
(Image: Richard Swingler)
Will families be able to travel between nations to spend time with their loved ones and will we still be able to meet in a pub or restaurant for a festive celebration?
Christmas in Wales
Jeremy Miles, General Counsel to the Government of Wales and Minister for European Transition, explained what Christmas could look like at Wednesday’s press conference.
He responded to questions about whether Wales would be looking to work with their counterparts in Westminster for a “four-nation approach”, saying: “We have always sought, wherever possible, to work in four nations during this pandemic. That is not always the case. possible and not always appropriate, but that’s our starting point for discussion
“In terms of what Christmas could be like, the Prime Minister wants the best available version of Christmas consistent with keeping people safe.
“The measures to be announced for the period after November 9 will give us a new set of regulations and guidelines to work with.
“But I think whatever scenario we face as we get closer to Christmas, we all need to look at how we spent our time in the previous weeks.
“We need to see what the outlook looks like in the coming weeks. The first step is to see the new regulations and new guidelines that will be in effect from November 9.”
(Image: Matthew Horwood)
When the fire lockdown was announced, Prime Minister Mark Drakeford said the pandemic would not end in the next few months, but added that there were “things we can do … to make sure that the coronavirus-type Christmas still can.” it will be held here in Wales. ”
He added: “It is impossible to predict how that will combine with the difficulties that are being faced in other parts of the UK.”
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Over the weekend, Wales Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: ‘We want to be able to get to Christmas with people who can see each other, but we have to see where we are with the virus, how we behave in Wales, if we are able to suppress it effectively after the fire.
“This gives us the best chance to do that, but if I were to tell you what Christmas is like today, then I’d be making it up, giving people false hope, and that’s absolutely what we shouldn’t be doing.”
The Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have accused the Welsh government of not having an “exit strategy” to end the spread of the virus and restart the economy, but Miles confirmed today that there will be consistent action across Wales after the fire.
Describing what life will be like after the brief closure ends on November 9, Miles said, “When we get out of this, our stores will reopen, people will go back to work, churches and places of worship will resume services. ..
“The bars and restaurants will serve the customers, people will be able to exercise and train in the gyms.”
Christmas in England
Across the border in England, experts said today, Oct. 28, that Christmas may have to freeze and a cabinet minister admitted it was “too early to say” what restrictions would be in place in December.
Sage, the body of scientists that advises the government, has warned that all of England will need to be under Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions by mid-December, frustrating Boris Johnson’s hopes for a normal Christmas.
(Image: Richard Swingler)
According to the Telegraph, Downing Street is working privately on the assumption that the second coronavirus wave will be more deadly than the first, and that the death toll will remain high throughout the winter.
Sage member Sir Mark Walport said there was “little to feel safe about,” adding that “there are still many people who are vulnerable.”
Speaking to the BBC’s Today show, the former chief scientific adviser said it is “certainly not unrealistic” to think that there could be 25,000 people in the hospital with Covid by the end of next month.
In response to this news this morning, George Eustice, the Secretary for the Environment, said: “We want people to be able to celebrate Christmas as normally as possible.
“But it is too early to say exactly what the situation will be at Christmas and what different parts of the country will or will not be able to do.”
He declined to rule out a possible circuit breaker in November, despite the possibility that it means sacrificing the Hindu festival of Diwali to save Christmas.
“We can never rule anything out, but we think we have the right approach for now,” he said.
The news prompted Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth to say that the government’s failure to use the middle ground for locking a circuit breaker meant it now needed to “do something quickly to save Christmas.”
Christmas in Scotland
A Scottish government spokesman said today that people would “naturally be anxious” about the celebrations that would be possible this December, and that the rules “would be guided by the latest available scientific and clinical evidence.”
A week ago, the Prime Minister confirmed that temporary restrictions, which include the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants in the central belt, had been extended in Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon also revealed that the country would adopt a five-level lockdown system from early November, with alerts similar to those being introduced in England.
There were many questions about Christmas, and in an exchange the Prime Minister confirmed that Santa was a “key worker”.
She went on to say, “If there are children watching … Santa Claus will not be prevented from delivering his presents on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is a key worker and has many magical powers that make it safe to do that.”
Christmas in Northern Ireland
Across the Irish Sea, Arlene Foster promised that the festivities “will not be canceled” in Northern Ireland, adding that she was “very eager” to see them.
However, speaking in early October, the medical director said that Northern Ireland would experience a very different Christmas this year as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Dr. Michael McBride raised the possibility of even stricter measures being applied during the holiday period than currently exist.
Both he and Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Ian Young predicted that the Executive would consider the social benefits of family gatherings at Christmas when weighing future decisions on what restrictions might apply.
“I think it’s fair to say that Christmas will be very different from previous years, because we will still have many of the restrictions in place that we currently have, if not all, and in fact there may be more restrictions in place at that time,” Dr. McBride said .
He added: “The Executive will want to consider this very, very carefully and be aware of the social benefits of our joining together more during the Christmas period, to the extent that this can be achieved safely.”
Professor Young said: “I think Christmas is a very good example of a time when the social benefits of allowing more interaction will be much greater than at other times of the year.
“While I think some restrictions may still need to be applied at Christmas, I am sure we would like to allow as much interaction as possible safely at Christmas and allow for a normal Christmas that can be achieved in the context of a very global epidemic. serious “.
A ‘four-nation summit’
Meanwhile, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds added her signature to a letter calling for a four-nation approach to be taken in setting the guidelines for family reunions at Christmas. Other signatories to the letter include the Liberal Democrat leader in England, Sir Ed Davey, his Scottish counterpart Willie Rennie, and the Northern Ireland Alliance Party.
The letter, released on Wednesday, warns political leaders across the UK, including Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford, that their governments must “accept the inevitability” of people traveling on Christmas.
Ms Dodds called for a joint approach among the four nations to “work with governments to explore viable solutions that can allow travel to take place safely.”
“To manage the public health implications, we urge you to hold a four-nation summit to cooperate in returning students, agree on uniform guidance on how many people can come together, and explore how best to expand options. traveling. to allow social distancing, “it said.
In a tweet Wednesday morning, Ms. Dodds called for a summit to resolve the issue, saying, “We need a four-nation summit to discuss how we make sure everyone can spend Christmas with their loved ones.”
Downing Street said the best way to get back “to a kind of normalcy” was for everyone to follow official instructions.
Responding to the Liberal Democrats and the Alliance Party, a Downing Street spokesman said: “The prime minister has been clear in his ambition to ensure that people can celebrate Christmas as a family this year.
“That is why we have introduced a series of measures to control the spread of the virus, reduce the rate of R and save lives.”
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