December 16, 2020

expert reaction to updated guidance over the Christmas period

At a Downing Street Press Conference Boris Johnson and Chris Witty discussed updated guidance around the Christmas restrictions.

Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor of Cellular Microbiology at the University of Reading, said:

“Chris Whitty likened the current Covid-19 situation to driving on icy roads.  Just as it would be unwise to drive at 70 mph in treacherous conditions, it will be unwise for many people, particularly with elderly or clinical vulnerable friends and relatives, to push the limits of the eased Christmas restrictions.  It’s clear that any mixing of households during the Christmas period may lead to more transmission of Covid-19, and the PM and CMO outlined how people need to take a cautious approach.

“Mixing three could have an impact on infection rates, which are climbing again nationally.  The governments around the United Kingdom are having to look more closely at how these eased restrictions will provide greater momentum for further spread and they will need to be poised to respond in the New Year.”

Dr Rachel McCloy, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, said:

“Throughout the pandemic, clear messaging has had a vital role to play in giving timely and effective advice to help support people in making good decisions – at times when messaging has been mixed or ever-changing, public trust has been shaken and misinterpretations of the rules have been more common.  Today’s press conference is another example of quickly changing and ambiguous messages.

“A key question to ask is whether today’s “keep it small, keep it short and keep it local” was the message that should have been sent out when the first rule relaxations for Christmas were announced – it was more closely aligned to advice from medical experts at the time, but not what was implied by the length of time allowed by the rules (especially when giving extra time for travel to Northern Ireland, which assumed people would be engaging in longer and more complex travel plans). If the Government had ensured that the rules for meeting up over Christmas aligned closely with the guidelines for minimising infections, people in the UK would have been better supported in making safer decisions over the festive period.”

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