Sadiq Khan has called on the Government to rethink the Christmas rules as cases soar in London.
The Mayor of London suggested the Christmas rules could be relaxed in a way that was less unsafe than currently planned.
Sadiq Khan also told families to be careful around their elderly loved ones, adding that this virus doesn’t respect Christmas.
It comes after a Government minister told families to do the minimum over Christmas and warnings from scientists that relaxing restrictions would induce a spike.
The Mayor told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that they’d heard from Matt Hancock and it seemed the Government were looking at this again and that he would encourage them to do so if they are.
He said that his concern was that numerous people may have the virus, not realise it and then they could pass the virus onto an older relation.
He continued that we’re so near now to the end of this – the vaccine is being rolled out and families will kick themselves if they pass the virus on during Christmas.
The Mayor said he could comprehend why the Government allowed for respite over Christmas but added that he wasn’t sure whether five days worth of relaxation was the right way forward.
Pressed if he was saying the Government needed to reconsider those rules, he responded that he was worried about going from Tier 2 to Tier Zero to Tier 3 potentially to a national lockdown and the NHS being overwhelmed in January and lives being lost.
Pressed again, he added that he believed the Government should be looking at the rules again.
Sadiq Khan said the rules weren’t compulsory and that just because families are permitted to see other households, it didn’t mean they had to and he added that if you’re seeing an older relation, for understandable reasons, there’s no need for you to kiss, embrace or spend too much time hugging them.
Scientists have warned that the intended easing of constraints over the festive period will yield a spike in infections.
It comes as London and some surrounding regions are set to cruise into Tier 3 on Wednesday.
Downing Street has insisted there are no plans to change the Christmas bubble policy, which permits a maximum of three households to get together between December 23 and 27.
Businesses are being closed again to try to hinder the spread and schools were shut early in some locations as some kids were, according to GMB yesterday the most highly infected group.
And do people care what Sadiq Khan says? He was delinquent for the party and we frankly didn’t see him all through the first lockdown in March for three months the first time, and then he came out of hiding when the BLM demonstration occurred.
People should be permitted to make their own choice because no law has been passed saying it’s mandatory not to get together and adults should be allowed to evaluate the dangers and choose for themselves.
It’s Christmas time and that means families getting together, but that can be taken away without warning if the Government chooses to do so, but many elderly people spend Christmas isolated and alone.
It’s a roast dinner for God’s sake with a soggy mince pie and many playing happy families that barely bother the rest of the year. With increased debts, domestic violence and marital breakdowns and it’s an overrated hype that many buy into.
Let’s give a sweet sherry and COVID to granny, along with the family member who’s got the undiagnosed health condition, then there will be the guilt and an empty chair next Christmas.
Loving your family as many profess to may mean not seeing them but fools will do it anyhow regardless and then there will be more whimpering and groaning in the New Year.
Isolation or COVID tests before the day is the only safe choice, not winging it and hoping for the best!
