London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Covid: Christmas five-day relaxation period 'a mistake'

Covid: Christmas five-day relaxation period 'a mistake'

Loosening Covid restrictions across the UK over Christmas is a "mistake," a public health expert has said.


Professor of Public Health Linda Bauld said the UK loosening rules over Christmas is a mistake

Edinburgh University's Prof Linda Bauld said there was concern about people travelling from "high to low prevalence areas" to see their loved ones.

Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething said changes would cause "huge issues about trust", but could happen if case rates stayed high.

The UK has recorded another 519 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The latest government figures also include 21,502 new positive cases in the UK, taking the total number in the past seven days to 124,988.

On Saturday, the number of positive Covid tests in Wales surpassed 100,000, one day after the country reported its highest case rates since the pandemic began.

Up to three households can stay together and form a "Christmas bubble" from 23 to 27 December, as agreed by all four UK nations.

Prof Bauld told BBC Breakfast that "from a public health perspective, I have to be perfectly honest, I think this is a mistake and I think people, even though we're permitted to do this, I think people have to think very carefully whether they can see loved ones outside or do it in a very, very modest way".

She added there was "nothing to stop" governments reversing the rules, "but the problem is they've made that commitment to people across the UK, and that may affect trust in government if they roll back on that".



Mr Gething said "of course we could" change the rules around Christmas, but "much of what we have done during the course of the pandemic is because people have trusted the government - when we said things we kept our word".

He said was concerned a change in rules now would have people "completely ignoring the rules", and was worried that may be the case even with the current five-day relaxation agreement in place.

"That's why we are anticipating an increase after Christmas, we expect there'll be an increase after New Year's Eve as well," he added.

Prof Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, earlier this week warned people to be "very, very sensible" and not go "too far" over Christmas, which he called a "very risky period".

According the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - which feeds into UK government decision-making - just because people can meet up, it does not mean they should.



Mr Gething said he would not rule out another lockdown if cases continued to rise, echoing a warning made by First Minister Mark Drakeford on Friday.

He added: "But the agreement around the Christmas period isn't just a political settlement. It really is because we understand that sort of shape to that period of time, we might see many people make up their own rules with the real potential of even greater harm.

"So it isn't as simple as saying 'this is just a political choice, and you could make it safer' because actually a lot of people invest lots of time, energy and effort in Christmas in travelling around the UK to see family when they don't do that in the rest of the year.

"Now we have to take account of the reality of the position as well and what would like to happen, how we want people to behave."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×