The government will set out what coronavirus restrictions might be in place for Christmas over the next few days, a cabinet minister has told Sky News.
England’s second national lockdown is due to end on 2 December, with the government having promised another tiered system of rules depending on local infection rates to replace it.
The UK government and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also in talks over what COVID-19 measures should be in place over Christmas.
Recent reports have suggested there could be a special easing of restrictions over the festive period in order to allow families to get together.
Asked by Sky News’ Kay Burley how many family members would be allowed to gather around a Christmas dinner table, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: I have a family, I would like to know that, and I think that’s why over the next few days the government will set out those details.
However, the minister also suggested Britons may have to wait until the end of the current lockdown to find out more details about Christmas.
Mr Wallace said that due to the lag time between lockdown measures being introduced and a slowing of COVID-19 infections ministers would know more about the impact of England’s new shutdown as we get closer towards 2 December.
As we get towards 2 December, the government will therefore set out all those different issues, he added.
We will go into a tiering system. I think our aims are all the same, we would like to see our families at Christmas, we would like to mix with each other as much as possible.