As you will be aware, the Government’s previously stated Christmas bubble rules have changed.
For those in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 (Including Moseley), rules allowing up to three households to meet over 23-27 December will now be limited to Christmas Day only.
A new Tier 4 has been created for areas in the South East, to which people should not travel except in circumstances under strict exemptions.
The updated Christmas Day Only Bubble flyer, which can be read here, outlines the rules for forming a Christmas bubble, now on Christmas Day only:
- You can form an exclusive ‘Christmas bubble’ composed of people from no more than 3 households.
- You can only be in one Christmas bubble, cannot change between Christmas bubbles, and must not socialise with anyone who is NOT part of your household or Christmas bubble in a private dwelling.
- You can travel to meet with members of your agreed Christmas bubble, but must not travel to Tier 4 areas, and we urge you to check local guidance if you do travel.
- You can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces.
- You can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble outside your home according to the tier where you are staying.
Updated information on forming Christmas bubbles can be found here, with information in other formats here. And more on information on keeping safe at home can be found here.
However, we are urged even more strongly to maintain our vigilance and are advised that even though we’re allowed to form Christmas bubbles, we must all gauge our own levels of risk to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Where people are particularly vulnerable, we’re advised not to put each other at risk, but to maintain our social links at a distance, for example by video call, telephone, walks outside, and to form smaller bubbles.
If we do choose to form Christmas bubbles, Birmingham City Council reminds us “every action counts when it comes to protecting ourselves and our loved ones from coronavirus.”
There are things we can all do to limit the risks:
- Ensure indoor spaces get as much fresh air as possible.
- Keep hand sanitiser in accessible places for everyone to use.
- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds.
- Staggering mealtimes is a great way to reduce the risk of the virus spreading across households.
- Limit the numbers of people in shared spaces at one time.
- Follow the rules on self-isolation if you develop symptoms or test positive for coronavirus.
- The above guidance is illustrated in this image.
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, summarised the Christmas guidance simply:
“Keep it small, keep it short, keep it local. And think of the most vulnerable people”.