CHRISTMAS looks set to be back on as Sage experts today confirmed they are modelling a package of measures to save the festive season.
Trending In The News 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.
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.
She said:”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.”
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.
