Three households can meet indoors over Christmas as festive rules announced

The rules for Christmas have been announced, and three households will be able to meet indoors over the festive period.

Three different households will be able to form a ‘bubble’ for Christmas, between December 23rd and December 27th.

The Christmas rules will apply across the whole of the UK, Sky News reports.

Joshua Herrera/Unsplash

It comes after the devolved administrations and UK government spent this week in meetings to work out a plan for Christmas, with an agreement happening on Tuesday afternoon.

The bubbles will only be able to meet in a private home, place of worship or outdoors, and won’t be able to go to a pub, restaurant or bar.

According to the rules, once a bubble is formed you can’t change it.

The lifting of certain rules will also see travel restrictions lifted across the UK over the five-day Christmas period, meaning people can travel anywhere in the country to meet their bubble.

Michael Gove chaired the meeting. He said: “For five days, from December 23rd to 27th, people will be allowed to have a Christmas bubble.

“That means that three households can get together so families can enjoy something closer to a normal Christmas.

“We all know that Christmas this year won’t be as it has been in years’ past, but all the governments agreed we should balance the need to protect public health with also allowing people to be with their loved ones.”

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We have to recognise that Christmas is a very important time for people, and that you have to have a set of rules that people will be prepared to operate within.”

He added: “While I have hesitation, because of the state of the virus in Wales and across the United Kingdom, it is better that we have a common set of arrangements that give people a framework that they can manage within and act responsibly within as well.”