South Holland residents are being told they can only mix with other households on Christmas Day this year after the government announced a change to COVID-19 protocol.
Previously it had been announced that you could meet with up to three households over a five day period around December 25, but the identification of a new variant of the coronavirus in London and the South East has led to the change, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a press conference today (Saturday).
South Holland and the rest of Lincolnshire will remain in Tier 3 of restrictions, but a new Tier 4 has been introduced elsewhere in the country. Areas currently in tier three in London, the South East and parts of East England, including Peterborough, will be in the new Tier 4.
Restrictions in Tier 4 areas will be similar to previous lockdown restrictions including the closure of all non-essential shops and gyms must close. People in those areas can only meet one person from another household outdoors and are being told not to mix at Christmas at all.
Tier 3 restrictions currently in place in South Holland will remain the same.
Mr Johnson said that there is no evidence the new variant of COVID-19 being more deadly, nor that it the currently available vaccine would not work against it.
But he said it is spreading more quickly where it’s been identified in the country.
Mr Johnson said: “I know how disappointing this will be but we’ve said throughout this pandemic we must and will be guided by the science.
“When the virus changes its method of attack we must change our method of defence.
“There’s no alternative to open to me.
“We’re sacrificing the chance to see our loved ones this Christmas so we can see them at future Christmases.”
