The Government has outlined what Christmas 2020 will look like for Islanders, confirming that 3 households will be able to mingle for just 5 days from 23rd December.
From next Wednesday, the UK will return to the 3-tier system which controls what each county can and cannot do. This will vary in different parts of the country depending on a number of factors, including the rate of infection.
It is expected that the Isle of Wight will fall into Tier 1 as it has been indicated by Health Secretary Matt Hancock that the Island will be ‘treated as an Island’, as reported by Island Echo earlier this week. This means life will be fairly normal for Islanders compared to other parts of England.
The Rule of 6 will come back into force from next week but the rule will be relaxed for Christmas for a limited period of 5 days from 23rd December until 27th December inclusive. This will allow a maximum of 3 families to come together over Christmas dinner, or other festive activities.
There has been no indication on a maximum number of people gathering, as long as they come from 3 households.
The festive exemption only applies to private households, outdoor spaces and church services, meaning 3 families couldn’t all go to the pub together. In addition, the 3 families must remain a ‘Christmas bubble’ throughout the period.
For those looking to travel, restrictions across the country will be lifted during the 5-day period allowing people to head home for the festive period.
Under Tier 1, pubs and restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 23:00 but last orders must be called at 22:00. Shops will re-open once again, alongside hairdressers and beauty salons. Gyms and leisure centres will also be allowed to re-open.
A full announcement on which areas will be in the different tiers is due on Thursday, but with the Isle of Wight seeing one of the lowest rates of infection it is almost certain the Island will escape the toughest measures.
The Government currently anticipate that things will return to some sort of normality after Easter.
Didn’t know that covid is safe for 5 days. I have spent 9 months trying to keeping my parents who are in their 80s not going to risk 5 days. We wait for the vaccine then have our Christmas. Turkey and extras will be cheaper as well.
im with u on this….y have we just had a lockdown all the gud work is going to go to s**t waste of bloody time and the new yr is going to start well with numbers rising and deaths rates go up….ridiculous
This is not right, is it? Think of the implications for reliability of the PCR mass testing system in U.K. It’s not trustworthy. Yet these results are driving measures which crush the economy & deprive us all of liberty. If it wasn’t so serious, it’d be funny. But it is serious.
Looks like Wightlink, Hovercraft and Red Funnel will become very busy, bringing people over to Island for the pubs then !! Since most of south coast will only be tier 2… their pubs without food will be shut.. and allowed to travel between 2 and 1 tiers.. guess more Covid will be coming across too !!
Dont go to the pubs then.
Yes, this will most certainly cause a few cases. But we can’t stay indoors until the end of eternity for christsakes. It’s like living in prison.
Without the tv & internet I wouldn’t have known about the covid….
All well and good for those NOT working over the Christmas period but loads of people will be working some or all of the Christmas period.
“The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus. There is no such thing as consensus science. If it’s consensus, it isn’t science. If it’s science, it isn’t consensus.” – Michael Crichton
You are being lied to…
Crazy so all the young idiots after a shandy will be cuddling each other at the pubs come jan/feb lockdown this government is a joke
Wonderful Boris let us adore him not.Wait and see what penance we will have to pay for having it
looks like xmas is out then if you work for the nhs or a care home and your family are on the mainland
Get a grip been many people who have spoke out saying most of COVID is lies not see the whistleblower from the mainland?
That’s good for us all on the island . But something has got to stop everyone from the mainland jumping on ferries to our SAFE island !
So what will they do
How will our local MP
HELP us ALL
The pi.. taking out of us by the government is just unbelievable! They make rules that you know don’t make sense,yet you still follow and believe their bs! We have a nightmare future, that you all have had a part in to create. God bless our children.:(
Are you the guy i saw in Newport town centre the other day, long hair, scruffy with two big pieces of cardboard front and back attached with string over your shoulders?
Ok hands up it was me,you must have been the man that went past me with a dunce hat on.
Best laugh today – thanks
News flash bojo. I don’t need your permission to go about my daily business .jog on .
Christmas, where greed, gluttony and stupidity is celebrated. And now we all get to catch covid.
Crikey how enjoyable Christmas will be in your house. Ho! Ho! Ho!