More than a thousand Merseyside parents are calling for schools to close early to allow kids to isolate before mixing with elderly relatives.
A petition on the Government portal has already reached more than 65,000 signatures and will be debated in the House of Commons if it reaches 100,000.
More than 1,600 of its signatures are from people living in our region.
With the UK currently in its third week of lockdown, schools and nurseries have remained open, with education and childcare given priority status.
But the government is now facing calls to close schools on December 9 in a bid to “save Christmas”.
The e-petition states: “Schools should move to online learning from December 9 so that all students and school staff have a chance to isolate for two weeks and then can safely meet older relatives.
“We need to be able to look forward to family celebrations at the end of a difficult year. There will be so many lonely grandparents if measures aren’t taken to allow households to mix safely. There will be many very risky meetings which could lead to unnecessary pressure on the NHS.”
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The petition follows a call from public service Unison, which said moving lessons online for two weeks would reduce the risk of families being forced to self-isolate on Christmas Day.
While Christmas details haven’t been confirmed yet, Boris Johnson promised a relaxation of restrictions.
The Prime Minister yesterday said: “I know that many of us want and need Christmas with our families, we feel this year we deserve it.
“But this is not the moment to let the virus rip for the sake of Christmas parties.
“‘Tis the season to be jolly, but it is also the season to be jolly careful, especially with elderly relatives.”
Almost 40% of Merseyside’s signatures come from parents living in Sefton.
