Tier 4 loophole means Boris Johnson could spend Christmas with his family
BORIS Johnson could spend Christmas with his family under a Tier 4 loophole. The PM burst the Christmas bubble for millions of Brits last week when he replaced a five-day reprieve of Covid rules for draconian new restrictions. Under the strictest measures, anyone living in Tier 4 has been banned from meeting another household over […]
BORIS Johnson could spend Christmas with his family under a Tier 4 loophole.
The PM burst the Christmas bubble for millions of Brits last week when he replaced a five-day reprieve of Covid rules for draconian new restrictions.
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Under the strictest measures, anyone living in Tier 4 has been banned from meeting another household over the festive period.
But Boris actually falls under a loophole that would allow him to spend time with his family.
This means the PM and his fiancee Carrie Symonds could be one of the few Londoners seeing loved ones as their son Wilfred is seven months old.
It is not clear what Boris’ Christmas plans are or where he will spend them as he continues to thrash out a historic Brexit deal.
Last week, Boris slapped tougher measures on all 32 boroughs of London and several areas of the South East to combat a mutant Covid strain.
People living in those areas have been told not to mix with other households and stay home this Christmas.
But there are a number of exemptions that would allow Brits to meet up with relatives still.
Support bubbles - who can form one
You can form a support bubble with another household of any size if:
- You live by yourself
- You are the only adult in your household who doesn’t need continuous care as a result of disability
- Your household includes a child with a disability who requires continuous care and is under the age of five, or who was under that age on December 2, 2020
- Your household includes a child who is under the age of one or was under that age on 2 December 2020
- You are aged 16 or 17 and living with others of the same age without any adults
- You are a single adult living with one or more children who are under the age of 18 or were under that age on June 12, 2020
Support bubbles remain in place for anyone in the country – meaning those in Tier 4 can leave the area for an overnight stay.
This includes single parents, single people, vulnerable people and families with a young child under one.
On Christmas Day, people are allowed to exercise in a public outdoor place with their household, support bubble, or with one other person as long as social distancing is maintained.
Matt Hancock announced yesterday millions more Brits would be plunged into Tier 4 as a result of the mutant Covid strain.
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But the latest round of changes won’t affect their Christmas plans as the new rules will only come in on Saturday at 00.01.
Mr Hancock said: “We simply cannot have the kind of Christmas that we all yearn for.
“We have learnt that when it becomes a matter of when, it is better to act sooner.”
