Bristol’s mayor is encouraging people to be cautious over Christmas, warning that an “uptick” in coronavirus is expected afterwards.
Marvin Rees has suggested that people should organise their celebrations on the basis of “need” not “want” to reduce the risk of spreading Covid over the festive period.
His advice echoes the words of prime minister Boris Johnson, who has urged people to keep gatherings “short” and “small” this Christmas.
The city will move into Tier 2 restrictions from Saturday, December 19, along with North Somerset, although South Gloucestershire will remain in Tier 3.
Restrictions will be relaxed between December 23 and 27 to allow up to three households to form a temporary “Christmas bubble”.
The same three households can mix indoors in private homes, but the PM has advised people not to stay overnight during the five-day period.
In a live Q&A session on Facebook on Wednesday (December 16), Mr Rees said: “While the guidance for Christmas makes more things permissible, that doesn’t mean that they are required.
“So I would suggest that when you’re upping the frequency and the scope of your physical interactions with people, do it on the basis of need, rather than on the basis of wanting to do that.
“There are lots of things we want to do but those aren’t necessarily advisable at this point in time, so we do need to be responsible.”
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He urged people to behave in a Covid-safe way over Christmas to reduce the spread of the virus, protect hospitals, and improve the city's chances of escaping into Tier 2 when the government next reviews the tiers.
“We do expect that there will be an uptick in Covid after Christmas as a result of people mixing more, and that could bring pressure onto our hospitals and undermine our ability to earn our way out of Tier 3,” he said.
“Over Christmas, stay safe, be aware of your Covid-safe behaviours, and take care of yourselves and your families, and minimise the risk that you and your families and loved ones are exposed to.”
Mr Rees plans to have Christmas at home with his family and his mum would be there for Christmas day, according to a spokesperson.
Other figureheads in the Bristol region have expained how they will use Christmas rules to safely celebrate, saying they have had to make 'difficult decisions'.
Mr Rees said that as at 4pm on Tuesday (December 15), Bristol’s rate of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people was 115.
This was much lower than the national average of 173 and lower than the rates in South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, with 148 and 122 cases per 100,000 people, respectively.
However, it was higher than the rate in Bath & North East Somerset, which had 95 cases per 100,000.
The R-rate for the South West is currently between 0.8 and 1, meaning that every 10 people infected with the virus will spread it to between eight and 10 other people.
