Covid: What is Europe doing for Christmas?

Christmas throughout Europe is usually a time for festive cheer as we meet friends and family, exchange gifts, and treat ourselves to copious amounts of food and drink.

But this year celebrations will be dampened by the Covid-19 virus that has run rampant through the continent causing tens of thousands of deaths, closed businesses and caused sky-rocketing unemployment.

After a dip in coronavirus cases in November, many countries are seeing a swift uptick as we head towards the New Year.

The situation is markedly different in each country, for example in Belgium households can only meet with one other person at Christmas, but Norwegians will be able to invite up to 10 guests into their homes on two separate occasions between Christmas and New Year.

We provide a run-down of the current Christmas restrictions in Europe below:

Germany

Chancellor Angela Merkel has acted swiftly to put the country into a strict lockdown after a surge in cases.

Shops and other non-essential businesses have been shut until at least January 10, with Ms Merkel warning that the country faced a difficult time in January and February.

The new restrictions will be relaxed slightly for Christmas, with a household able to host four close family members between December 24 and December 26.

Drinking has been banned in public and religious gatherings are permitted, but only if people socially distance and do not sing.

The country recorded 179.8 virus deaths per 100,000 residents over the last seven days, a new high and significantly more than the 149 per 100,000 reported a week ago by the Robert Koch Institute, the country's disease control centre.

France

On Tuesday France implemented an 8am-6pm curfew until mid-January, with one exception, on Christmas Eve.

Restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and theatres will stay closed until January at the earliest.

People from the arts and entertainment world protested in Paris on Tuesday against the government's decision to keep cultural venues closed.

Ski resorts will also remain closed until January but could reopen if conditions improve.

The current restrictions mean that a maximum of six adults and any number of children are allowed in homes.

Italy

Italians will not be able to attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve and will only be allowed to travel between regions in the country in emergency situations, starting on December 20.

Pope Francis's Christmas Eve Mass will start two hours earlier, allowing the limited number of people who can attend to be home by 10 p.m. 

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has already warned citizens to expect a “more sober Christmas, without Christmas Eve gatherings, hugs and kisses.”

However the country is still reportedly weighing up even stricter measures, with reports of a “red zone” lockdown - the strictest level in the country - being considered.

Netherlands

The country entered a second lockdown on December 15 which is set to last for at least five weeks.

All schools and non-essential shops in the country of 17 million will be closed, along with hairdressers, beauty salons, gyms, museums, zoos and other public spaces.

The number of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands jumped by 36 per cent in the week through Tuesday to 58,412, Dutch national health institute RIVM said, while Covid-19 related hospital admissions rose by 20 per cent.

Restrictions in the country will be eased a little bit in the three days over Christmas with households allowed three guests instead of two.

Spain

From December 23 to January 6 travel to different regions in Spain will be allowed but only to visit family and friends.

Social gatherings at Christmas and New Year will be limited to 10 people per household and curfews will be pushed back to 1:30 a.m from 11 p.m on December 24 and December 31.

The different regions also have the ability to be able to implement their own lockdown restrictions if cases escalate during the holiday season.

The spread of the virus in the country had been on a downward trend over the past few weeks but the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants has arisen to 193.6, up from 189 on Friday.

Czech Republic

Restaurants, hotels and indoor sports venues, which reopened only two weeks ago, will shut again from December 18.

An 11pm curfew has been put in place and public gatherings both indoors and outdoors have been limited to six people.

School holidays have started early in order to try and halt the spread of the virus.

Portugal

There will be no limit on how many people can gather per household for Christmas. 

The curfew will be pushed back from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on December 24 and Christmas Day. 

For New Year's Eve, street parties will be banned and outdoor gatherings limited to a maximum of six people.

Belgium

Belgian households will only be able to be in close contact with one extra person over Christmas. 

People living on their own will be able to meet two others. 

Fireworks will be banned on New Year's Eve and foreign travel is strongly discouraged.

Scandinavia

In Sweden gatherings should be limited to a maximum of eight people over Christmas and New Year.

Meanwhile, Norwegians will be able to invite up to 10 guests into their homes on two separate occasions between Christmas and New Year. Outside those days, the current limit of up to five guests will apply.

And in Denmark, restaurants, museums, cinemas and other cultural institutions will be closed in 69 of 98 municipalities, including Copenhagen, until January 3 affecting almost 80% of the population.

Officials in the country have recommended people keep to a maximum of 10 social contacts over Christmas and New Year.