Christmas back on as Sage experts model package of measures to relax lockdown

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CHRISTMAS looks set to be back on as Sage experts today confirmed they are modelling a package of measures to save the festive season.

HOAR revealed today that officials are looking at a range of measures in a bid to save the nation’s Christmas – including a five day free pass to see friends and family.

Lockdown rules look set to be relaxed at Christmas (Pictured: The Centre in Livingston, West Lothian before it enters Lockdown Level 4 on Frida)

The aim is to unite the UK under a common rule that enables households to mix indoors for a limited period.

Health bosses are eyeing a five-day run when households could mix starting on Christmas Eve.

And this evening health bosses refused to deny the idea was in the works.

They confirmed they had been modelling a series of scenarios to try and relax lockdown rules in time for Christmas.

Angela McLean, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence said they have already sent “some advice in over the weekend” for ministers to look at – but no decisions have been made.

But while the scientists confirmed a family Christmas “is possible”, it may come at a price.

Dr Susan Hopkins of Pubic Health England said “I think it is” possible to celebrate this year.

But she added that 10 days of lockdown would be needed in order to give five days of looser rules.

It means Brits face New Year inside as harder measures could be introduced to make up for several days of freedom.

She said this morning: “Some of the SAGE advice previously suggested that for every day that we release, we’ll need two days of tighter restrictions.

“So coming into Christmas, we’ll need to be very careful about the number of contacts we have to reduce transmission before Christmas and get our cases as low as possible.

“Hopefully the government will make the decision that will allow us to have some mixing but we will wait and see what that is.”

he press conference today comes as:

  • HOAR revealed how Christmas could be saved with new rules which would allow households to mix indoors for five days
  • The rule of six could be extended to include more people over the Christmas break
  • Dr Hilary blasts plans for a 5-day lockdown break over Christmas
  • Top docs pleaded with Government to ban travel across tiers and enforce ‘rule of two’ at Christmas
  • Local leaders revealed Covid hotspots that face toughest new measures under new tiered system

Her words were also a hint that lockdown rules may need to be made tighter after December 2 – despite the nationwide shutdown in England set to come to an end.

And she warned that after mixing at Christmas “we’ll all have to be very responsible and reduce those contacts again” afterwards too.

 

Susan Hopkins said today that lockdown rules could have to be tightened before and after Christmas

The graph above shows that the number of people testing positive in England is growing - but at a slower rate

The graph above shows that the number of people testing positive in England is growing – but at a slower rate

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