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Covid-19 mourners have warned that allowing families in the UK to get together over Christmas is “sheer madness” and urged the public to spend a low-key holiday period rather than risk the pain they endured.
Members of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group told the Guardian that large family reunions were too high-risk, with a bereaved husband saying anyone willing to mix family groups should also “prepare for a funeral. “.
The stern warnings were accompanied by the acknowledgment that limited contact would be good for mental health. But it also reflects a broader feeling among many of the bereaved that, with coronavirus vaccines in sight, any new increase in deaths must be seen as unacceptable.
On Tuesday, the government reported that three families will be able to mingle for five days from December 23. Public health experts predict it will increase infection, but allow isolated families to reunite before returning to stricter isolation conditions in January.
Bev Mead, 59, who lost her mother to coronavirus, described it as a “terrifying prospect: it’s literally like sacrificing loved ones for a slice of turkey and some Brussels sprouts.”
Shelly Weeks compared politics to “playing Russian roulette”. “The death rate will rise after Christmas, and once again the government will deny it has done anything wrong,” he said. “Can’t people just wait a few more months when the vaccine is hoped to launch? I know I have lost and am in mourning, but people need to look at the bigger picture. “
Louise Birkett, who lost her 80-year-old mother, Dilys, said the policy seemed to be a recognition that people would violate stricter restrictions at Christmas, but added: “I hope families who take advantage of it don’t suffer as much as we did. “
“If people knew the real risk, they wouldn’t take it,” said Sam Swales, whose partner, a key worker in the oil and gas industry, has died of Covid. “We have a potential end in sight and we need to focus on saving as many lives as possible. There should be a massive campaign to encourage people to have a quiet Christmas. “
Their comments came when Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, told a council committee: “The virus doesn’t care if it’s Christmas. We still have quite a high prevalence across the country. It is risky for people to mix alcohol in the house with elderly relatives at this time. “
Tony Fitzgerald, 65, who lost his wife Ann, also 65, said: “The younger, fitter and healthier people out there could very well be infected and get by. Would your grandmother, grandfather, or older relative have gone through if infected? If you’re ready to take that risk, get ready for a funeral, it might be the last time you see them. “
However, Becky Kummer, whose 77-year-old father, Peter, died in April, said the Christmas bubble plan was “the right decision in difficult circumstances,” as it would be good for mental health and morale. .
“There is, of course, still a huge risk in mixing this way and it will be terrible if stories of entire families being infected emerge, and even worse,” he said. “But I think if they had said that we all have to stick with the block we currently have, people would have broken the rules anyway.”
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