Downing Street to set out plans to relax Covid-19 restrictions for Christmas
ITV News Health Editor Emily Morgan has more on plans around relaxing Covid restrictions for Christmas
Downing Street has given its strongest hint yet that Covid-19 restrictions will be relaxed to some degree in time for Christmas.
The official spokesperson for Number 10 said that plans will be set out next week on how restrictions will be eased in time for the festive season.
The prime minister's official spokesperson said: "As the PM and others have said, whilst Christmas will be different this year, we will look to relax rules to allow families to have as normal a Christmas as possible.
"We will set out our plans next week”.
The government has said that families should be able to come together after a "difficult year" but ministers have so far resisted confirming plans to ease restrictions.
But one scientific adviser warned that meeting friends over Christmas poses "substantial risks".
Andrew Hayward, a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), spoke to Radio 4's Today programme in a personal capacity and criticised the government for “inconsistent” messages.
He said: "Mixing at Christmas does pose substantial risks, particularly in terms of bringing together generations with high incidence of infection with the older generations who currently have much lower levels of infection and are at most risk of dying if they catch Covid.
"My personal view is we’re putting far too much emphasis on having a near-normal Christmas.
"We know respiratory infections peak in January so throwing fuel on the fire over Christmas can only contribute to this."
Reports suggest households might be allowed to mix indoors for a five-day period from Christmas Eve, and that ministers are considering plans to allow three or four households to form bubbles.
However, a five-day easing could mean a potential 25-day period of tighter measures into January if the government was to follow advice from scientists.