London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 20, 2025

Covid: Don't hug elderly relatives at Christmas warns Chris Whitty

Covid: Don't hug elderly relatives at Christmas warns Chris Whitty

Families have been warned against hugging and kissing elderly relatives at Christmas "if you want them to survive to be hugged again".

People "just have to have sense", said the UK government's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty.

Coronavirus rules announced this week mean three households can form a bubble and mix for five days over Christmas.

From 23 to 27 December, three households in can mix indoors in homes, at a place of worship or outdoors.

The rules apply to the whole of the UK, although in Scotland the number of people who can be in the Christmas bubble is limited to eight.

And in Northern Ireland, the rules are relaxed from 22 to 28 December, to allow time to travel between the nations.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Thursday, Prof Whitty - who revealed he would be "on the wards" over Christmas - said: "Would I want someone to see their family? Of course, that's what Christmas is about.

"But would I encourage someone to hug and kiss their elderly relatives? No, I would not.

"It's not against the law - and that's the whole point. You can do it within the rules that are there, but it does not make sense because you could be carrying the virus and if you've got an elderly relative, that would not be the thing you'd want to do in the period where we are running up to a point where we actually might be able to protect older people.

"So I think people just have to have sense. The fact that you can do something - this is true across so many other areas of life - doesn't mean you should."


Mr Whitty urged people not to do "stupid things" at Christmas


Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, added: "It's not going to be a normal Christmas but if you want to make those connections with family, it has to be done in a way where you try and make sure that you don't increase the risk.

"I think hugging elderly relatives is not something to go out and do. It will increase the spread to a vulnerable population."

Prof Whitty added: "If you want them to survive to be hugged again."



Prime Minister Boris Johnson also responded to the question about hugging elderly relatives, urging people to be "common sensical".

"Until the vaccine comes on stream, we are not out of the woods yet and we have to be very, very vigilant."

'Don't be stupid'


Prof Whitty also said it was "not a secret" that Christmas would increase the risk of transmission.

"Take it really seriously during Christmas. Don't do stupid things. Don't do unnecessary things just because the rules say you can. Think sensibly."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has that said the "default advice" and "safest position" was still that people should avoid contact.

"Just because we are allowing people to meet up in a limited way does not of course mean people have to do so, and people should not feel under pressure to do so," she said.

The government's official guidance on Christmas bubbles advises people with loved-ones who are vulnerable advises to take personal responsibility to limit the spread of the virus.

The NHS considers anyone 70 and over as "clinically vulnerable" and at moderate risk from coronavirus.

The government guidance also has specific advice for people considered extremely vulnerable, as well as care home residents.

It suggests forming a Christmas bubble is "a personal choice" for extremely vulnerable people, while those in care homes should only visit families if they are of working age.

Under the government's rules, the three households must be fixed, so you will not be able to mix with two households on Christmas Day and two different ones on Boxing Day. Households in your Christmas bubble can't bubble with anyone else.

Scotland has announced that the bubbles of three households should contain no more than eight people - but children under 12 are exempt.

People who are self-isolating should not join a Christmas bubble. If someone tests positive, or develops coronavirus symptoms up to 48 hours after the Christmas bubble last met, everyone will have to self-isolate.


How you and your family can celebrate Christmas and minimise the spread of coronavirus


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×