The government has made it clear that there will be no special rules for New Years like there has been for Christmas.
Matt Hancock clarified that those in Tier 2 and 3 will not be allowed to see friends or family members as they will be able to at Christmas.
In response to public questions during today’s briefing, the Health Secretary said: “We are not bringing in a special set of rules for New Year as we have for Christmas.”
He continued: “I know this has been such a tough year for so many of us – 2020 – so we’ve brought in the rules around Christmas to make sure that people have that opportunity to be able to see some members of their family who they haven’t been able to all year.
“But we’ve got to be careful. Let’s not blow it, especially with the vaccine on the horizon. Let’s make sure we all take the actions we need to to look after other people and to look after especially those who are vulnerable to the disease over Christmas.
“We therefore haven’t put in place a specific set of rules for New Year or indeed for lots of other holidays and special occasions throughout this crisis – just for Christmas. I know that that’s frustrating but unfortunately it’s necessary to keep the virus under control.”
This comes not long after the Health Secretary was accused of crying “crocodile tears” on live TV regarding the new Coronavirus vaccine.
New rules for Christmas mean that households can officially mix, between the 23rd and the 27th of December, but it can only be with a maximum of 3 households, and you can’t be in more than one “christmas bubble”.
People will also be able to travel between areas with different tiers, and visit other households, meet in public areas, gardens, and places of worship.
