Boris Johnson has encouraged the over-70s not to spend Christmas with relatives and urged people to refrain from staying away from home overnight unless “absolutely unavoidable”.
In tough new coronavirus guidance, the prime minister called for “extreme caution” during the five-day freedom from social distancing rules as consensus between the home nations crumbled in the face of rising infections.
Wales will restrict the number of households allowed to mix to two, instead of the three allowed elsewhere for the five days. Mr Johnson insisted that these numbers were “maximums, not targets to aim for”.
In Scotland people were given “strong advice” to stay at home with their own households. Visits from Tier 3 areas of England are discouraged.
Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press
