Wiltshire Council is urging residents to adhere to the new regulations, following the weekend’s announcement from the Government on a change to Christmas bubbles and that some areas in the country are now in Tier 4.
The Government has confirmed that those in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 can now only form a Christmas bubble with two other households on Christmas Day itself, and no other days.
People from areas that have been placed in in Tier 4 cannot mix with any other households, including on Christmas day. People cannot see anyone from a Tier 4 area.
The Government states that people should:
- keep their Christmas bubble as small as possible. Two other households is a maximum, not a target
- not join a Christmas bubble with anyone from a Tier 4 area
- stop all unnecessary social contact outside their immediate household as soon as possible and for at least five days before they meet other households in their bubble
- only meet a Christmas bubble in private homes or in a garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces
- only see their bubble on Christmas Day. They should not stay overnight and should keep their visits as short as possible
- stay local where possible. Avoid travelling from a high prevalence to a low prevalence area
- only meet people who are not in their Christmas bubble outside their home according to the rules in the tier they live in (unless coming from a lower to a higher tier) and do not meet socially with friends and family that you do not live with in their home or garden unless they are part of their Christmas bubble
Residents are also being reminded that they should not travel into a Tier 4 area from another part of the UK, other than for reasons such as:
- travel to work where they cannot work from home
- travel to education and for caring responsibilities
- to visit (including staying overnight with) those in their support bubble – or their childcare bubble for childcare
- to attend hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where they have had an accident or are concerned about their health
If people do need to travel to a Tier 4 area they are being urged to wear appropriate PPE and ensure they socially distance and regularly wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
The Tier 4 guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tier-4-stay-at-home#travel
Terence Herbert, Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council, said, “We are very sorry that many people’s festive plans may have changed, but it’s vital that we keep playing our part, following the regulations and doing everything we can to keep people safe.
“We’ve seen in other areas how quickly the virus can spread so we need to do everything we can to avoid that happening in Wiltshire. We know it’s a difficult moment but every right decision we each make now will ensure 2021 will be a much brighter year.”
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