The Christmas relaxation of coronavirus rules risks doubling cases and taking the number of infected above a million, scientific advisers to the government have said.
People will be free to mix indoors between December 23 and 27 in groups of up to three households under a “Christmas bubble” plan.
Ministers have insisted that the easing of restrictions will be “limited and cautious”, with Boris Johnson telling people to make personal judgments about the risks to vulnerable loved ones when forming a Christmas bubble.
The scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) published advice on Christmas yesterday, concluding that it would inevitably increase transmission to some degree. The group urged that the relaxation be kept to under a week to prevent two rounds of infection