Covid news: Boris Johnson urges UK to keep Christmas celebrations small as death toll passes 65,000

Welsh leader’s plan differs from PM’s

The Welsh first minister has appeared to undermine the prime minister’s claim of an agreement between the four nations over Christmas plans, saying: “Here in Wales, the position is that only two households should come together to form an exclusive Christmas bubble during the five-day period.” 

Under Mr Johnson’s plan, three households may mix, and he told MPs all four nations had agreed it.

But Mark Drakeford told a Welsh government briefing: "Here in Wales, the position is that only two households should come together to form an exclusive Christmas bubble during the five-day period.

"The fewer people we mix with in our homes, the less chance we have of catching or spreading the virus.

"None of us wants to be ill this Christmas. And we don't want to give coronavirus to our close family or friends.

"The Chief Medical Officer for Wales has provided special advice for people who were previously shielding about mixing over Christmas."

Wales to go back into lockdown after Christmas

All non-essential shops will be forced to close in Wales after Christmas Eve while tighter lockdown restrictions for household mixing and staying-at-home guidance will be introduced from 28 December, reports Ashley Cowburn:

Relaxed Christmas rules ‘due to go ahead as planned’ 

A relaxation of strict coronavirus rules over Christmas is expected to go ahead as planned after the second meeting in as many days between the four parts of the UK. But ministers are expected to publish stronger guidance on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus over the festive period. Kate Devlin reports:

Scots should stay in their own homes at Christmas, Nicola Sturgeon has urged.

If people feel it is "essential" to meet with others indoors, she said this should be for one day only and not overnight.

The first minister told the Scottish government's coronavirus briefing: "That in my view wouldn't be fair at this stage and wouldn't be realistic either and may risk undermining, rather than strengthening, compliance with the overall Covid guidance."

But she said the Scottish government would strengthen its guidance to people on "whether and how they make use of the flexibility".

She said: "Firstly and unequivocally the safest way to spend Christmas this year for you and for those you love is to stay within your own household and your own home.

"My strong recommendation is this is what you should do if at all possible."

Plans to recoup an estimated £26bn of fraud and defaults on coronavirus loans to businesses are “woefully underdeveloped”, an influential committee of MPs has said, Ben Chapman reports.

Losses on the government-backed loans could be higher than £26bn because the government has not properly assessed the extent of potential fraud on the schemes, according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street press conference this afternoon alongside England's chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty, No 10 has said. 

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine was "a marathon not a sprint".

"We saw the rollout in hospitals first, now more and more GPs are coming on line to be able to provide the vaccines," the prime minister’s spokesman said.

"We have been clear that we will roll out to care homes as well before Christmas."

Passengers prevented from taking flights because of government travel restrictions may be in line for cash refunds, travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into whether airlines have breached consumers’ legal rights by failing to offer cash refunds for flights they could not lawfully access.

A further 369 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 45,126, NHS England said on Wednesday.

Patients were aged between 40 and 100. All except 13, aged between 61 and 93, had known underlying health conditions.

The deaths were between 4 August and 15 December.

Fifteen other deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has said he has not had any communication with the government ahead of a review of tiering decisions.

Speaking at an online press conference, he said: "I haven't had conversations with the government this week.

"Our boroughs have given indications to the government, so those have gone in.

"There is no indication yet coming out of the government."

He said it was possible different boroughs of Greater Manchester could see different levels of restrictions.

He said: "If the government does not want to put Greater Manchester as a whole in tier 2, particularly given the fact a couple of our boroughs are above the national average or close to it, we do still believe there is a very strong case for a substantial part of the city region to be placed in tier 2.

"We would ask the government to give regard to the fact we have been under restrictions for four-and-a-half months, that would mean five months by the next review period."