Name: Christmas saved as Covid bubbles let households mix over festive period
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Christmas saved as Covid bubbles let households mix over festive period

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All four UK governments have agreed to allow for extra bubbling over the festive period - but final details are yet to be agreedVideo UnavailableExtended families are set to celebrate Christmas together as households will be allowed to temporarily 'bubble up' for up to five days. Ministers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have agreed to allow "some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days" over Christmas, the Cabinet Office has said. But following a meeting on Saturday, they "reiterated the importance of allowing families and friends to meet in a careful and limited way, while recognising that this will not be a normal festive period and the risks of transmission remain very real". Families will have to choose their bubble in advance and will be allowed to spend time indoors with them - including at the pub, according to reports. What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments belowWhile it is confirmed that the four governments of the UK have agreed to allow extra bubbling over the festive period, further details are yet to be agreed. More information is expected next week in time so that families can put together their Christmas plans.&nbsp; Cabinet minister said there would be “limited additional household bubbling for a small number days”. The full statement from the Cabinet Office says: "Ministers reiterated the importance of allowing families and friends to meet in a careful and limited way, while recognising that this will not be a normal festive period and the risks of transmission remain very real. "As such, Ministers endorsed a shared objective of facilitating some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days, but also emphasised that the public will be advised to remain cautious, and that wherever possible people should avoid travelling and minimise social contact." They added: "In respect of Northern Ireland, Ministers also recognised that people will want to see family and friends across the island of Ireland, and this is the subject of discussions with the Irish Government." Reports suggest three, or possibly four, households could be allowed to meet but that is yet to be confirmed. The ban on household mixing will likely be lifted for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day through to the delayed Boxing Day Bank Holiday on the 28 December. The Government is also in discussions about how it might allow some pantomimes to go ahead during the festive period. Today the UK death toll increased by 398 - although officials blamed a data error for the spike (it compares to an increase of 198 last Sunday). On the Covid-19 UK dashboard there is a warning that "due to a processing update, 141 previously published deaths within 28 days in England were excluded from the published data on 21 November. "This issue has now been corrected for data published on 22 November, which includes deaths omitted yesterday in today’s total." The UK total is now . The England lockdown is set to be lifted on December 2 - but will be replaced by a refreshed, tougher tier system based on infection rates. The three-tier system of Covid-19 restrictions will have to be strengthened to get the country through the winter months, a senior health official warned. The system, introduced last month, saw areas put into different categories labelled medium, high or very high risk, with the medium level also referred to as Tier 1, high as Tier 2 and very high as Tier 3. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government hopes the national lockdown will be replaced on December 2 with a tiered system "similar to what we had before". But Dr Susan Hopkins, an epidemiologist, said Tier 1 restrictions had "little effect", while the impact of Tier 2 varied in different places. In Northern Ireland shoppers have been urged to stay safe and follow the regulations in the days before a tougher raft of restrictions come into force.A strict circuit-break will see non-essential retail, the hospitality sector and close-contact services closed for two weeks. The strict clampdown, which is close to the severity of March's lockdown with the exception that schools will remain open, will come into effect next Friday. Retail NI said it is expecting a surge of shoppers in the coming days. "We would urge shoppers to stay safe and follow the Executive guidance," Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said.Follow MORE ON

All four UK governments have agreed to allow for extra bubbling over the festive period - but final details are yet to be agreedVideo UnavailableExtended families are set to celebrate Christmas together as households will be allowed to temporarily 'bubble up' for up to five days. Ministers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have agreed to allow "some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days" over Christmas, the Cabinet Office has said. But following a meeting on Saturday, they "reiterated the importance of allowing families and friends to meet in a...

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Christmas saved as Covid bubbles let households mix over festive period

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