THE UK’s governments have been urged to show some courage and scrap plans to ease coronavirus restrictions over Christmas. 

Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said allowing households to mix over the holidays would lead to a “miserable" January and February.

Last month, the governments in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast agreed a joint approach, allowing three households to form a bubble and mix between December 23 and 27.

But, with rising case numbers, and the discovery of a new strain of Covid, that decision has come under pressure. 

Reports this morning suggest Boris Johnson will reject calls to scrap the agreement or enforce stricter restrictions.

Instead, it’s likely the UK Government will toughen its advice in England, warning people to think twice about seeing elderly loved ones.

A meeting yesterday evening between Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and the leaders of the devolved nations did not end in agreement. 

Further discussions are due to be held this morning.

Yesterday, in Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon hinted that Scotland could, if necessary, opt-out of the agreement and re-introduce some restrictions over Christmas. It’s understood she is keen to reduce the number of households that can meet over Christmas from three to two.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon may be forced into late alteration of Christmas Covid rules

Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Professor Bauld said it was a “no-win” situation for the governments.

“I think if they changed the guidance now there will be a loss of trust in government because this was a commitment to the British people that they could travel and have this reprieve over five days. On the other hand, if they don't change the guidance, or if they're not much clearer about the risks, we're in a really difficult situation.

“We actually got more people in hospital yesterday. We're almost up to the peak that we were at in mid April. Very close with over 20,000 people then and we're well over 18,000. 

"So, the situation is very worrying."

She agreed that it would be very difficult to tell people who have already booked tickets or organised travel to cancel. Instead, she said the governments should change the plan but promise not penalise people breaking the rules. 

“But if they were courageous they would just actually say look, if you can avoid, just change your plans, if you can,” she said.

“We're talking about preventable deaths here. It's not a trivial thing, and I know there are consequences for people being isolated as well, we've all talked about that, but you know we're going to make a much more miserable January and February I think that's the thing. Leaders need to be courageous.”

On Tuesday, the BMJ and the Health Service Journal yesterday called the relaxation “a major error”. 

Responding to a question from Green MSP Patrick Harvie in Holyrood yesterday, the First Minister defended the initial decision.

She said: “People have different views on what we should do over Christmas, and I don’t think the decision was rash. I know from my point of view, I can’t speak for others, it was not rash, it was carefully considered, agonised over. These decisions are always agonised over, because they are not straightforward and there is no easy answer or black and white, absolutely right and wrong.”

She said it was important that any discussion about the rules was across the four nations, “given family patterns across the UK”.

Sturgeon added: “I do think there is a case for us looking at whether we tighten the flexibilities that were given any further, both in terms of duration and numbers of people meeting,” she told MSPs.

Sturgeon said she hoped to that it would be possible to “come to a four nations agreement” but if that could not be done “then of course we will consider within the Scottish Government what we think is appropriate”.

Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, said he would not “lightly” abandon the relaxation.

He told the Welsh parliament: “The choice is a grim one, isn’t it? I have read in my own email account over the last couple of days heart-rending pleas from people not to reverse what we have agreed for Christmas.

“People who live entirely alone, who have made arrangements to be with people for the first time, they say to me that this is the only thing that they have been able to look forward to in recent weeks. Yet we know, if people do not use the modest amount of additional freedom available responsibly, then we will see an impact of that on our already hard-pressed health service.”

According to YouGov, 57% of people across the UK say the relaxation of rules should be dropped, with current rules maintained. Just 31% say the relaxation of rules at Christmas should go ahead.