IN a rare joint editorial the British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal have called for the “rash” decision to relax social distancing measures over Christmas to be scrapped.
They said that the UK Government is "about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives”.
The warning, authored by HSJ editor Alastair McLellan and BMJ editor-in-chief Fiona Godlee said: “When government devised the current plans to allow household mixing over Christmas it had assumed the Covid-19 demand on the NHS would be decreasing.
“But it is not, it is rising, and the emergence of a new strain of the virus has introduced further potential jeopardy.
READ MORE: 'This is a mistake': Scottish Covid expert issues stark warning over Christmas
“Members of the public can and should mitigate the impact of the third wave by being as careful as possible over the next few months. But many will see the lifting of restrictions over Christmas as permission to drop their guard.
“The Government was too slow to introduce restrictions in the spring and again in the autumn.
“It should now reverse its rash decision to allow household mixing and instead extend the tiers over the five-day Christmas period in order to bring numbers down in the advance of a likely third wave.”
It was agreed between the four nations of the UK that restrictions would be eased to “help people come together with their loved ones in a way that is as safe as possible”.
Travel restrictions will be eased between December 23-27 while up to three households can form a “bubble” to meet up during the festive period.
It was agreed between the four nations of the UK that restrictions would be eased to “help people come together with their loved ones in a way that is as safe as possible”.
Travel restrictions will be eased between December 23-27 while up to three households can form a “bubble” to meet up during the festive period.
This weekend Linda Bauld, professor of public health at Edinburgh University, described the relaxation of rules as a “mistake” which will have “consequences”.
She told the BBC: “From a public health perspective, I have to be perfectly honest, I think this is a mistake.
“I think people have to think very carefully whether they can see loved ones outside, or do it in a very modest way.
“I’m also concerned about the travel, people going from high to low-prevalence areas.
“I think it’s going to have consequences.”
However, Bauld added if the Government reneged on the pledge then trust in politicians could erode further.
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