'I will ignore these ridiculous rules' - Telegraph readers on Covid restrictions at Christmas
The coronavirus pandemic, and restrictions on gathering indoors, have thrown many families’ Christmas plans into disarray.
None more so than BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire, who apologised for saying she would ignore coronavirus restrictions and break the rule of six in order to celebrate with her family at Christmas.
Telegraph readers have shared their own plans for Christmas Day, including whether they would flout the current prohibitions if they remain in place in order to see their family at Christmas, despite the threat of police intervention.
Read on to see what your fellow readers have had to say on coronavirus restrictions at Christmas. Tell us whether coronavirus has put a damper on your Yuletide plans, or whether you’ll celebrate regardless, in the comments section below.
'Break the rules and be proud'
@Paul Strange:
"I will ignore the ridiculous rules and not just at Christmas. The costs of this hysteria - economic and social - far outweigh any benefit. Break the rules and be proud of your actions."
'It's laughable'
@An Beckett:
"Who among us isn't thinking exactly the same as Victoria Derbyshire? Mum and dad, some kids (perhaps with their partners) throw in a few grandparents and hey presto you too are a criminal.
"The idea of the police enforcing these laws at Christmas is laughable, policing levels are cut to a bare minimum to avoid bank holiday pay rates, so the idea that they will be going to perfectly peaceful houses to count occupants is ridiculous.
"I also strongly suspect that a significant number of the patrol officers have more than a little sympathy with the public and are likely to use their discretion and advise people ‘not to do this again’.
"Always assuming of course that people can actually get what they need for Christmas, maybe the sale of turkeys could be deemed inessential and that would deal with the matter. "
'Who will enforce these rules?'
@Andrew Moore:
"Exactly who will patrol millions of homes on Christmas Day breaking up illegal family gatherings? There are very limited police.
"I urge all families to have extra large gatherings, raise the famous British two fingered salute and stand shoulder to shoulder with their neighbours against Covid tyranny."
'We just need to follow the rules'
@Mr Rennick:
"If we allow large numbers of people to travel all over the country we are going to boost infection rates just like the student returns did last month.
"There is no easy solution here but I think people are just going to have to continue to follow the rules.
"We need to start thinking how best to help single people socialise over the Xmas period. Everyone else will just need to hunker down."
'Just an attempt to scare and intimidate'
@Jo Jo:
"Police shutting down Christmas gatherings? It is not going to happen, not enough resources for one thing.
"Remember back in March when neighbours reported people for exercising twice a day? They were ignored.
"This is just an attempt to scare people and intimidate. Ignore it"
'Will we be arresting Santa as well?'
@Joe Taylor:
"Can I ask, when the cops burst in to break up a family Christmas meal of 8 people, who do they arrest? Everyone, including the children? The last two people to arrive? The owner of the house?
"And, I don’t want to be flippant, but what about Santa? Will he break the rule of 6 in each household he visits, becoming a virus super-spreader? Maybe we should send the Met’s specialist snow plough unit to the North Pole right now to stop him - we have to keep people safe!"
'More and more people have decided they will break the rules'
@Geraldine Noonan:
"I suspect Ms Derbyshire will ignore the rule whatever she says in public. More and more people are coming to the same conclusion. I will enjoy my Christmas Day with the family (a good deal over six people)."
'What about grandparents?'
@Kate Pilgrim:
"It does seem absurd, to ban more than six, when two of them are partners from the same household.
"Many grandparents are in the position that if they visit family, only one should go in, but it is often the case that of elderly partnerships, only one person drives, for various reasons. Is the other person then to be treated as a chauffeur and remain outside the house, even though they pose the same risk?
"It will be impossible to police the rules and most families will make their own decisions, with varying regard to the risks. When people are in their last years, priorities change."
'A catalyst for civil disturbances'
@Stephen J Ainsworth:
"I honestly believe that if the cops break up a happy family gathering causing children to become upset, there will be violence and unrest. It will be a catalyst for civil disturbances. The authorities had better beware."
'There is one advantage'
@Paul Bradshaw:
"The only advantage is that when you’re uncomfortably full after one serving too many of Christmas pud, you’re losing at Monopoly to your nephews and nieces, and you’ve had enough of your brother-in-law bragging about the value of his house and his new car, one quick phone call to PC Plod can end the evening."
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