Boris Johnson will outline plans for a limited relaxation of coronavirus restrictions to allow some mixing between households across the UK for Christmas.
According to the Sun the yet to be confirmed plan is for up to four families to be allowed to form one bubble for five days which would be able to meet indoors from Christmas Eve through to December 28, which is a bank holiday because Boxing Day lands on a weekend.
The Prime Minister is to set out the basis of plans for the festive period on Monday, as well as detailing a new tougher three-tier system for England when its national lockdown ends on December 2.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove met with leaders of the devolved administrations over the weekend to agree “a shared objective of facilitating some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days”.
But the public will be “advised to remain cautious” and told that “wherever possible people should avoid travelling and minimise social contact”, a statement from his department said.
Mr Johnson will still detail the strengthened tiered system in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, but the full details of the festive relaxation is not expected until after the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland consult their own cabinets.
Johnson will set out a return to the three-level shutdown system after December 2 but with more areas could be placed into the top Tier 3 than before the November lockdown.
Related: ‘Wouldn’t risk it for the sake of a dinner’ – Grieving Covid families warn against Xmas reunions
