Cabinet Minister says its ‘too early to say’ how families can have Christmas

A Cabinet Minister has said on Wednesday that it is too early to say how families will be able celebrate Christmas this year.

It has been reported that the whole of England could be under tier 3 measures by Christmas, as government modelling scientists shows that over 25,000 people will be in hospital by the end of November.

The governments scientific advisory group, SAGE have warned Downing Street that by December, virus rates will surpass the levels seen in the North across the whole of England.

Environment Secretary George Eustice has told Sky News, “The Prime Minister has been very clear, as we all are, that we want people to celebrate Christmas in a way that is as close to normal as possible.

“But it is too early to be able to say exactly what the situation will become Christmas, and exactly what different parts of the country will or will not be able to do.

“Obviously checking the spread of this virus is paramount, but alongside that we want people to live their lives as close to normal as possible, including at Christmas which is an incredibly important time for families.”

Previously Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that he wants families to be able to gather for Christmas, but scientists have said this is “wishful thinking in the extreme.”

Professor John Edmunds, a member of sage, said last week, “The only way that we can have a relatively safe and normal Christmas is if we take radical action now to reduce incidence, at the very least in high incidence areas, and keep the incidence low across the country by implementing a package of measures to reduce social contacts.

“The notion that we can carry on as we are and have a Christmas that we can celebrate normally with friends and family is wishful thinking in the extreme.”