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People bereaved by Covid-19 warned that allowing families in the UK to reunite over Christmas is “pure insanity” and urged the public to have a low-key holiday period rather than risk the pain they have endured. .
Members of the Covid-19 group Bereaved Families for Justice told The Guardian that large family gatherings were too risky, and a grieving husband said that anyone prepared to mix family groups should also “prepare for a funeral.”
The stern warnings came along with the recognition that limited contact would be good for mental health. But it also reflects a broader sentiment among many of the mourners that, with coronavirus vaccines in the offing, any further increase in deaths should be viewed as unacceptable.
On Tuesday, the government reported that three households will be allowed to mix for five days starting December 23. Public health experts predict that infection will increase, but it will allow isolated families to rejoin before they return to more stringent confinement conditions in January.
Bev Mead, 59, who lost her mother to the coronavirus, described it as a “terrifying prospect: it is literally like sacrificing loved ones for a slice of turkey and some Brussels sprouts.”
Shelly Weeks compared politics to “playing Russian roulette.” “The death rate will skyrocket after Christmas, and again the government will deny that they have done anything wrong,” he said. “Can’t people wait a few more months when hopefully the vaccine is being released? I know I’ve lost and I’m grieving, but people need to see the bigger picture. “
Louise Birkett, who lost her 80-year-old mother, Dilys, said the policy appeared to be an acknowledgment that people would have violated stricter restrictions on Christmas, but added: “I hope families who take advantage don’t suffer the way we have done it. “
“If people knew the real risk, they wouldn’t take it,” said Sam Swales, whose partner, a key worker in the oil and gas industry, died from Covid. “We have a potential end in sight and we must focus on saving as many lives as possible. There should be a massive campaign to encourage people to have a low-key Christmas. “
His comments came when Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, told a Commons committee: “The virus doesn’t care if it’s Christmas. We still have a fairly high prevalence across the country. It is risky for people to mix alcohol indoors with elderly relatives at this time. “
Tony Fitzgerald, 65, who lost his wife, Ann, also 65, said: “Younger, fitter and healthier people may very well be infected and recover. Would your grandfather, grandfather, or any older relative come if they were infected? If you’re prepared to take that risk, prepare for a funeral, it might be the last time you’ll see them. “
However, Becky Kummer, whose father Peter, 77, died in April, said the Christmas bubble plan was the “right decision in difficult circumstances” as it would be good for mental health and morale.
“Of course, there is still a great risk in mixing in this way and it will be terrible if stories of entire infected families come up, and worse,” he said. “But I think if they had said that we all have to stick with the lockdown that we currently have, people would have broken the rules anyway.”
