England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ease COVID-19 restrictions for Christmas

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ease COVID-19 restrictions for Christmas
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ease COVID-19 restrictions for Christmas
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Written by Harry Johnson

There will be some holiday relief for the Brits this Christmas season, as UK’s four countries have concurred to ease the curbs and restrains enacted to combat the second wave of COVID-19 epidemic.

English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish authorities had introduced their own restrictions to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, which has already infected around 1.5 million and killed more than 55,800 people across the UK. However, following talks between the leaders of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, they jointly decided to settle on a common approach for the upcoming festive period.

The restrictions will be eased to allow three households to meet under the same roof for a five-day period, from December 23 until December 27. However, such a gathering is only allowed at the home, not at hospitality or entertainment venues.

The leaders agreed to what senior UK cabinet minister Michael Gove described as aย “Christmas bubble”ย becauseย “people want to be with their loved-ones and those close to them for what is the most important holiday of the year.”

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pointed out that the changes would be “temporary” andย “limited,”ย adding that she wouldย “continue to ask people to err on the side of caution.”

England is currently under a month-long national lockdown, which saw non-essential businesses close down and limited the time people could spend outside. After it expires next week, different areas of the country will face varying restrictions based on the local Covid-19 situation.

About the author

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Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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