By Tony O’Riley-
Most Brits don’t plan to meet with two other households over xmas, despite UK laws permitting the mix during the Christmas break.
Boris Johnson has urged people to keep Christmas celebrations “short” and “small” to reduce the risk of spreading Covid over the festive period, while urging the British people to think hard before meeting friends and family, when restrictions were originally relaxed between 23 and 27 December . Those in tier 3 are permitted to mix with two other households on Christmas day.
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Following the discovery of a new variant, the government revised its guidelines, insisting those in tier 4 areas only mix with their support bubble.
A survey of 1,083 people conducted between the 13th and 20th of December revealed that 77% of British people do not even plan to mix with as many as two other households this Christmas. 913 people out of those questioned revealed that they don’t plan to meet with more than one other households, including their own household.
141 people(12%) expressed plans to meet with just their own household, and 29 (2%)said they would meet with more than three other households.
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604 (51%) of those surveyed said they were not restricting their meetings because of Covid rules, but rather to suit the wishes of other people who are concerned about the virus, either because of the ages of some of those in their bubble, or someone with an underlying issue.
414(35%) gave their reasons as being because they did not want to take any chances with children involved, and 65 (5%) said they had always planned to have Christmas with just their household or a partner.
On whether they felt the fuss over restrictions to household mixing was too much 544(46%) said they felt the fuss made about Christmas restrictions was understandable but over the top. 248 (21%) said they believed the rules are about control, and 792 (66%) said the fuss was necessary.
The research conducted on both the London underground and British rails suggests that most people plan to stick to the rules, but for all different reasons and reveal a high number of people who are likely to stick to the rules.
Ashley Young, who led the research said: ”The findings of this limited research suggests that most people plan to keep the rules, but also confirms that quite a number will maximise the allowance of three households for this Christmas.
It is fair to say that this research, though indicative of the general trend of thinking, cannot be fully representative of England. Broader research after the Christmas period will be required for a more accurate picture
Maximum
Boris Johnson last week emphasised that the rules allowing three households to meet over five days were “maximums, not targets to aim for”. “It’s always going to be safest to minimise the number of people you meet,” he said.
After the news conference, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments issued a joint statement saying this “cannot be a normal Christmas” and that they “strongly” recommended people stayed at home.
They advised people who were visiting others to stop unnecessary social contact as soon as possible and for at least five days before travelling. No one should visit another household if they were ill or self-isolating, they said.
Mr Johnson urged caution over seeing elderly or vulnerable relatives, saying that since the vaccine was being rolled out to these groups “by the early months of the new year”, they would be able to meet people more safely soon.
“Whatever your plans for Christmas, please think carefully about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day sales, and no one should be gathering in large groups to see in the new year,” he added.
England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty warned: “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean it’s sensible in any way.”
“Any kind of period where people come together in groups that otherwise wouldn’t meet leads to an increase in risks and that will lead to an increase in hospitalisations and deaths,” he said.
He urged people to keep their Christmas celebrations small, short and local to reduce these risks.
The four UK nations previously agreed a set of rules for the festive period, which has been set down in legislation and is not expected to change in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland – even though the guidance has been updated.
In Wales new guidance on households mixing will be put into law, meaning only two households – plus an additional single person who lives alone – will be able to form a Christmas bubble.
However, the Welsh government has now decided Christmas bubbles should be limited to two households – plus an additional single person who lives alone.
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