London Daily

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

Prepare for a low-key Christmas, England Covid experts warn

Prepare for a low-key Christmas, England Covid experts warn

People should prepare for a low-key Christmas, or even one spent outdoors, public health experts have said, because the second lockdown might not significantly suppress the rate of coronavirus infections.
Officials and ministers are still awaiting key data on the effectiveness of the four-week restrictions imposed across England, meaning a promised update to parliament on the next steps is unlikely to happen before late next week.

Scientists said that while they accepted the economic need for shops and hospitality businesses to reopen before the crucial festive season, the advent of seemingly effective vaccines meant people could consider postponing big family get-togethers.

“We really have to be careful that we don’t just focus on what is going to happen in six weeks’ time,” said Prof Catherine Noakes, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), who was speaking to the Guardian in a personal capacity.

“I know it is human nature to do that, but we will be better off planning for the longer duration and thinking of, actually, can we have a more low-key Christmas and new year this year and perhaps plan to do the bigger family celebrations in the summer when the risks are likely to be far lower for all sorts of reasons,” said Noakes, an expert in the transport of airborne pathogens from the University of Leeds.

Prof Gabriel Scally, a visiting professor of public health of the University of Bristol and a member of the Independent Sage group of experts, said he had little hope that the latest lockdown will quash the spread of the virus, given the spring lockdown had little effect in reducing infection levels in some parts of England.

“We know that the [last] and even more severe lockdown did not get the virus under control, so how can we expect that this will bring the virus under control given that some things have not changed?” he argued.

“How can we be in a good place by Christmas? I think it is impossible,” Scally said, adding that the aim should be for “a new, Covid-safe Christmas”, involving well-ventilated homes and lots of outdoor time.

“Plant your Christmas tree in the garden this year, and open your presents underneath the tree outside with family, or something like that,” he said.

Downing’s Street stated intention is that when the four-week, England-wide lockdown ends, the country will return to regionally tiered levels of restrictions. While no details have been given, the types of restrictions are unlikely to be identical to those that were in place before, and could be more robust.

Speaking at Monday’s Downing Street Covid press conference, Dr Susan Hopkins, an epidemiologist, said the previous lowest level, tier 1, had “little effect”, while the impact of tier 2 varied in different places.

Downing Street played this down on Tuesday, with Boris Johnson’s spokesman saying that even in tier 1 areas, the R, or reproduction, number of coronavirus was well below what it would be without interventions, “so the measures were having an impact”.

One government source said that while anecdotal evidence was that infection and hospitalisation rates were “moving in the right direction”, ministers were awaiting data from the midway point of the lockdown, which falls on Thursday.

A big decision for Johnson will be whether any strengthening of tiers could mean pubs, cafes or restaurants must remain closed, which could have a catastrophic economic before Christmas.

“That’s the challenge,” the source said. “We know that the big lever to pull to reduce R tends to be hospitality. Merseyside is a good example – when they moved into tier 3, it did have a noticeable impact. But that really isn’t palatable for vast swathes of the country, in economic terms.”

Christmas, they said, was being treated as a separate issue in terms of restrictions: “You’ve got to factor human behaviour into this. You can’t just say: ‘It’s winter, bringing elderly people indoors with high Covid prevalence and during flu season isn’t a good idea.’ You’ve got to acknowledge that it is Christmas.”

The latest Office for National Statistics figures showed almost 2,000 Covid deaths had occurred in England and Wales in the week to 6 November.

The total number of excess deaths – those occurring over and above the five-year average, and seen as an indicator of coronavirus fatalities – has reached 70,000, a figure that slowed considerably over the summer but is now accelerating.
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
×