The UK government has decided it will not yet impose new restrictions in England to curb the spread of Omicron before Christmas, despite warnings from scientists that waiting until the new year will “almost certainly be too late to have a material impact on the epidemic”.
In Scotland on Tuesday, Nicola Sturgeon announced some fresh measures, including cancelling Hogmanay street parties and spectator-free sporting events for the next three weeks.
All sporting events will be behind closed doors in Wales from 27 December, as well as a 2-metre social distancing rule in offices and the closure of nightclubs.
Three people in England speak about their Christmas plans and the government’s handling of the rise of the Omicron variant.
‘We need a change of government’
In Worcester, Sharon and her husband, John, have changed their Christmas plans because three family members tested positive for Covid.
“I am so angry,” said the 60-year-old, who is a full-time carer for John, who has motor neurone disease.
With two sons who are teachers and one daughter – another frontline worker – their original plan was to meet family and friends on Christmas Eve, then go for Christmas brunch at their youngest son’s house and spend the evening at their eldest son’s.
Now the couple are just hoping they will be able to see their youngest son and his family on Christmas Day, when he is due to finish self-isolating.
“If the government just did a two-week circuit break earlier in December then frontline workers, especially teachers and children, would not have gone home with Covid,” said Sharon.
She thinks the government has been “wholly irresponsible” in the way it has dealt with the rise in Covid cases and feels “sad and frustrated”.
“I understand it’s all our individual responsibility but at this time it’s not appropriate. People are feeling really vulnerable and scared and want support – even if it’s just clear messaging from the government,” she said.
“To see Tory rebels vote against plan B measures shows they are not bothered about people. It feels really selfish and inconsiderate, especially with these stories about parties and gatherings. I think we need a change of government.”
‘Not knowing whether there will be more restrictions is the worst situation to be in’
Near Lancaster, Melissa and her partner, Austin, both in their 50s, are still unsure what to do about their civil partnership, which is due to take place on 29 December.
“We have already reduced our number of guests to family only, but we just don’t know whether to cancel completely or go ahead,” said Melissa, who works in education. “Not knowing whether there will be more restrictions or not is the worst situation to be in.”
The couple are expecting 25 guests, which involves four generations of family mixing. Their venue is flexible about them rearranging their date, as is the local refugee cafe that is providing catering for the evening.
However, they have now exceeded their 14-day cancellation period with the registrars so risk losing about £350 if they cancel the event.
“Whatever we decide has a knock-on effect for businesses and we don’t want to let people in the supply chain down,” she said.
“One plan is to say to everyone that we will leave it up to them to decide if they are happy to come, but that affects the numbers for the venue and the catering. Ultimately, it’s our responsibility to make a decision to try to take care of everyone.
“I can’t stand Boris Johnson and I think he’s incredibly hypocritical about everything. Unfortunately, the handling of Omicron cases is like Brexit – the Tory party splits are dictating the direction the country is going and I feel incredibly sad about that.”
‘I dread the thought of a January lockdown’
Olivia, a PhD student, left London for her parents’ house in Kent on 18 December as Omicron cases surged in the city.
“I missed two Christmas parties, but I was worried about having to self-isolate alone in my house,” the 28-year-old said. “I’m just planning to get work done and be with my family, without seeing any friends.
“I think they should have imposed some pre-Christmas restrictions, maybe sending kids home [from school] a bit earlier or restrictions on pubs, to try and offset the case rise and avoid the need for more measures later.
“I dread the thought of a January lockdown.”
Olivia is concerned about the lack of clarity around Covid guidelines in England and feels the government has dealt with Omicron “terribly”.
“It did make me angry when I got on the train and saw no one was wearing masks. But the guidance has been confusing. Many people I know are being cautious – a friend cancelled his party and lost £250 on it – but then you see people who are not taking any precautions.
“I queued up to get my booster and it’s frustrating to hear about people not getting vaccinated. There needs to be a push to get those people jabbed. I have followed Covid restrictions to the T in the past – but I cannot deal with another lockdown.”
