How Europeans are going to spend Christmas this year

LONDON – One thing that most people agree on as the festive season approaches and the coronovirus epidemic continues: Christmas doesn’t seem to be the same this year.

Governments across Europe have been holding meetings in recent days to find out how they can allow families to come together over Christmas without risking the dreaded third spike in coronovirus cases. This is when the mini-lockdowns appear to put a cap on the second wave of transition that began after a summer of restriction restrictions in the region.

From the family’s “bubbles” to fireworks, Britain, France, Italy and now Germany have released more information on what will be allowed this Christmas and New Year and what not.

Scientists have warned of a relaxation of critically important public health measures over the Christmas period, which could lead to greater transmission of the virus, and potentially death.

Meanwhile, policymakers have sought to underline the morale-boosting effect of allowing families and friends to meet after a difficult year. There are expectations that the holidays may ultimately persist to some extent. Here’s what Europeans can expect in 2020:

The four nations that make up the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) reached an agreement earlier this week to allow families from across the state to live together over Christmas, assuming different policies Can cause havoc with families spread all over Britain.

Publishing the rules on Tuesday, the UK government said that restrictions on social gathering would be relaxed between 23 and 27 December, allowing three families to “create a special ‘Christmas bubble’.” Too many rules about “bubbles”. Government, namely:

• You can only be in a christmas bubble
• You can’t change your christmas bubble
• You can travel between levels and UK nations for the purposes of completing your Christmas bubble
• You can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship or public outdoor spaces
• You can not meet anyone in private accommodation that is not part of your house or Christmas bubble

Also, you can only keep meeting people who are not in the Christmas bubble in your house where you are staying.

After a month-long lockout was lifted on 2 December, England would return to a tedious system, in which the transition rate in that region would determine the severity of restrictions on social ceremonies. Non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen in all levels from 2 December, as well as gyms, hairdressers and churches. Whether pubs, bars and restaurants are allowed to accept customers will depend on the tier they are serving.

On Tuesday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the Christmas ban, which will take place in France, where a second national lockout will begin from Saturday after shops are allowed to reopen.

Then, from 15 December, the lockout will be further elevated in France, if health conditions permit. This could allow people in France (who could not leave their homes without special reason under lockdown, to shop for food, for example) to be able to travel around the country and see family and friends .

Theaters and theaters will be allowed to reopen on 15 December, although bars, restaurants and gyms will remain closed until after January.

Curfew will be in place from 9 to 7 pm but will not apply on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, although no major public ceremonies will be allowed.

There may be no such Christmas this year for skiing enthusiasts, President Macron said in a television address on Tuesday that no decision has yet been made as to whether ski resorts will be allowed to open this year .

The Prime Minister of Italy, earlier this week, set the rule for enforcing the country’s restrictions, or resting, telling the nation that they had ruled the big get-offers over Christmas, calling the country any so-called Not to be high covid-risk – zone “until the time of the holidays.

According to the news agency ANSA, “If the trend of contagion continues (downward), there will be no more red zone in December.” “But we cannot allow socializing opportunities over the Christmas period, which begins with a holiday indiscriminately on the ice.”

Italy, like France and England, also has a systematic system of regions or areas in areas designated as high or medium and low-risk areas. Red zones are considered to be the highest covid-risk and are currently under a second mini-lockdown unless people are allowed to leave their homes as long as the specific reasons and most shops and other public places Is not discontinued.

If red areas are picked up in time for Christmas, Italian families in Italy will be able to go elsewhere. For now, however, Calabria, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Valle Deosta are red areas unable to leave residents until December. 3. In France, Conte has not decided about the Italian ski resort.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a meeting with federal state leaders on Wednesday to decide what restrictions are in place for Christmas, as the number of daily deaths from Coronavi-19 and deaths from Kovid-19 in the country. Is worryingly high, which seems to have recently been less badly affected by the epidemic than its neighbors.

Germany’s 16 states, which have been largely allowed to impose their own sanctions, came together with Merkel and decided that the “lockdown light” (shops and schools open but bars and restaurants closed) As to what will happen by 20 December. Orders that the ban could be relaxed over Christmas – before they are tightened again in January.

“It’s not at all clear,” Merkel said at a news conference after meeting state leaders on Wednesday.

By Christmas (starting December 1) the number of people meeting socially will be limited to five, but after that 10 people will be raised (23 to January 1) to allow friends and family to visit during the Christmas and New Year periods. (Children under 14 are exempt from the limit).

Germans are being encouraged to avoid contact for seven days before Christmas to reduce the possibility of infection.

New Year’s Eve could be a quiet affair in Germany this year, with fireworks allowed in “busy streets and squares” in public areas. Ski tourism has also been banned until at least 10 January.