On Tuesday 22 September, Boris Johnson delivered two addresses in which he outlined new restrictions that are to be implemented in England in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Speaking in the House of Commons at midday and then again in a televised address broadcast to the nation, the prime minister said that “we have reached a perilous turning point” as we “face the prospect of a second wave”.
The prime minister added that people should assume that the new restrictions being put in place – which include a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, table service at hospitality venues and the number of attendees allowed at weddings being capped at 15 – will “remain in place for perhaps six months”.
So what does this mean for this year’s Christmas celebrations?
What has Boris Johnson said about restrictions over the coming months?
During his first speech about new coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday 22 September, Mr Johnson spoke to the Commons about the decision to raise the Covid alert level from 3 to 4, “the second most serious stage, meaning that transmission is high or rising exponentially”.
The prime minister stated that unless action is taken, “tens of thousands of daily infections would, as night follows day, lead to hundreds of daily deaths in November”, which could continue to increase.
He added that “as with all respiratory viruses”, Covid-19 is more likely to spread at a rapid rate in the colder months.
In addition to the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, table service at hospitality venues and the reduced number of guests allowed at weddings, the prime minister stated that the new restrictions would also include an extension on the rules for use of face coverings, with retail staff, taxi users and hospitality staff and customers required to wear face masks, other than when sat a table to eat or drink.
He added that the rule of six for socialising with friends and family – which came into effect on Monday 14 September – would be extended to include indoor adult team sports.
Could the rule of six be eased for Christmas?
It has been reported that the rule of six for socialising with friends and family could be eased for Christmas Day.
However, this claim has not been confirmed by the government.
When contacted by The Independent for comment, Downing Street pointed towards the address given by Mr Johnson on Tuesday 22 September.
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During his televised evening address, the prime minister stated that while medical advisers and health professionals are “unanimous that things will be far better by the spring” they are “rightly worried” about current data regarding numbers of Covid-19 cases and how they may increase as winter approaches.
“If we follow these simple rules together, we will get through this winter together. There are unquestionably difficult months to come,” he stated.
Mr Johnson added that people should assume that the latest restrictions will likely remain in place for around half a year, which could mean that the rule of six remains in place for Christmas celebrations.
Following the prime minister’s address to the Commons, former party spin doctor Alastair Campbell wrote on Twitter that “Christmas is cancelled – exactly as @BorisJohnson said it wouldn’t be”.
Mr Johnson confirmed on Tuesday 22 September that places of worship would remain open.
On the government’s website, it states that those attending services at places of worship – which would include those attending Christmas services in church this year – ”must not mingle in a group of more than six”, excluding people they live with or are in a support bubble with.
The guidance adds that the number of people allowed within a communal place of worship “should be decided on the basis of the capacity of the place of worship following an assessment of risk”.
How have festive businesses been affected by the pandemic?
The organisers said that they made the decision to cancel the event due to “ongoing health concerns, travel restrictions and uncertainty surrounding Covid-19”, adding that they knew how “disappointing this news will be for the millions of people we usually welcome each season”.
The organisers for the Frankfurt Christmas market in Birmingham also confirmed that they had decided to cancel their event.
“Under no circumstances did we want the Christmas market to become a place that promotes the pandemic,” said spokesperson Kurt Stroscher.
“Therefore, the right decision could only be to not bring the market to Birmingham this year. We will now concentrate all our efforts on 2021 in order to return with an impressive Christmas market in its recognisable form.”
James Lovell, director of the Ministry of Fun Santa School, which trains professional Father Christmases, told the PA news agency that the company is facing “the very real possibility that Father Christmas will be doing lots of meetings and greetings over the internet this year”.
“We’re not getting too panicky and thinking that Christmas is ruined, we are just having to think about how Father Christmas can meet with people this year – it may have to be on smart phones and iPads and tablets instead of face-to-face. We’ve done it before, with children who are abroad or in hospital,” he said.
“We are still waiting for so many of our regular customers to get in touch [about grottoes] – it isn’t that people have cancelled, it’s that they haven’t said yes yet.”
However, Mr Lovell acknowledged that it is likely the “hesitation” the company has noted so far “will continue”.
“We will be doing everything to make sure we don’t just shut down, we want to make sure everyone gets a bit of Christmas magic,” he added.
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