[ad_1]
Boris Johnson’s COVID Christmas plans for the country have been criticized from all sides.
For five days, between December 23 and 27, people from all over the UK can be mixed within a Christmas bubble of up to three households – but only in a private home, a place of worship, or public outdoor spaces.
The restrictions will be maintained for pubs, restaurants and the hotel industry in general, which described the rules as likely to cause “unnecessary pain and irreversible damage.”
Emma McClarkin, executive director of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “These plans for Christmas make fun of the additional restrictions that are being imposed on pubs and the economic devastation they face this Christmas.
“How can it be that pubs cannot open properly while households can blend into private settings?
“It appears that the government has chosen to inflict unnecessary pain and irreversible damage to our sector without publishing evidence in conjunction with these decisions.”
Kate Nicholls, UKHospitality CEO, added: “That the government excludes these companies in these new rules shows confused thinking and will cause even more damage to the sector as soon after the announcement of the new level restrictions.”
Michael Kill, executive director of the Night Industries Association, said the government had “ripped the vague remnants of the Christmas spirit out of the hands of many companies in the industry.”
“The government is simply wrong. It is a ghastly misjudgment at such an important time of year for everyone.”
Scientists and doctors were also unhappy with the Christmas plans, and the chairman of the board of the British Medical Association in the UK, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, said: “This virus does not discriminate on certain days of the year.
“It is almost certain that relaxing the rules on indoor mixing for a period of five days will carry the risk of an increase in the infection rate and possibly more hospitalizations and deaths, which will increase the pressure on the health service, the doctors and NHS staff. “
Dr. Nagpaul said it is “absolutely vital” that people take safety precautions when mixing with other homes, such as ventilating rooms and limiting physical contact when masks are not worn.
Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), told the BBC that easing restrictions over Christmas was “adding fuel to the COVID fire.”
“We are still in a country where we have high levels of COVID infection, particularly in young people. Bringing them together for hours, much less days, with elderly relatives, I think, is a recipe for repentance for many families.
“With the vaccine on the way, if we are not very careful during Christmas, we run the risk of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in this one.”
:: Subscribe to the daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Government figures showed that another 608 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, bringing the UK total to 55,838.
Another 11,299 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases were also reported, the lowest number since early October.
Meanwhile, the prime minister could face a backlash from some of his own MPs to the planned measures starting on December 2, when the current blockade of England ends.
Many MPs are reportedly concerned that most of the country is under Level 2 and Level 3 restrictions, ahead of official confirmation on Thursday.
A government source has told Sky News: “I would not be surprised if there are no areas [in England] ended up on Level 1. “
The Daily Mail said Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee, was among the disgruntled and said he is “inclined” to oppose the measures in a vote next week as he is concerned that the economic damage could leave a “a legacy we could live with for years to come.”
