The introduction of 'Christmas bubbles' will allow family and friends to socialise in December.
The coronavirus restrictions will be slightly eased for a five-day period between December 23 and 27.
For many it will be the first time they have been close to their loved ones since the start of the pandemic in March.
The rules for Christmas will be in place across the country after the UK government and devolved administrations agreed on the arrangements.
However, there will still be rules to follow. The main ones are:
- you can form an exclusive 'Christmas bubble' composed of people from no more than three households
- you can only be in one Christmas bubble
- you cannot change your Christmas bubble
- you can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble
- 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 rules in the tier where you are staying
- you cannot meet someone in a private dwelling who is not part of your household or Christmas bubble
But with a strengthened tier system in place, things will be different in different regions.
Between December 23 and 27, you must not meet friends or family in your home unless they are part of your Christmas bubble.
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You can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble outside your home according to the rules in the tier you are staying in.
If someone is in your Christmas bubble, you can visit each other’s homes and stay overnight, including in private rented accommodation.
You can also go to a place of worship together, or meet in public outdoor spaces.
Outdoor public places include:
- parks, beaches, parts of the countryside open to the general public
- public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)
- allotments
- playgrounds
However, you cannot meet your Christmas bubble in any other indoor setting, such as a pub, hotel, retail, theatre, or restaurant.
The rules on who you can meet where will also depend on what tier the area you are staying is in.
It has also been advised that in the two weeks that follow your last meeting with your Christmas bubble, you should reduce your contact with people you do not live with as much as possible.
