Nottinghamshire’s Public Health Director has provided some important festive news ahead of Christmas.
With the nation in a national lockdown until early December, fears have been raised over whether Father Christmas will be able to deliver presents to people’s homes this year.
Current rules state that households cannot mix indoors, and that individuals should only meet one other person outside.
Nottinghamshire’s Public Health Director, Jonathan Gribbin, however said that he was “hopeful” Santa would be able to provide some festive cheer this year.
When four-year-old Katya’s question about whether Father Christmas would be able to visit at a time her grandparents cannot, the Public Health Director said: “I think Santa has access to some great arrangements around PPE.
“I think some of his helpers are not necessarily subject to all the restrictions that apply otherwise to households mixing.
“So I’m hopeful that we’ll be ok this Christmas, but it is really important that the rest of us stick to the guidance and restrictions to make sure of this.
“That will help to make sure that Katya and everyone can enjoy Christmas this year in a way that is as near to normal as we can all manage.”
Credit: Hugh Casswell / Twitter
Last month Boris Johnson said he hoped that families would be able to mix on Christmas Day, but it relies on peoples’ compliance with current restrictions.
At a briefing for journalists, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “The PM has been clear previously that he is hopeful that in many ways we could be able to get some aspects of our lives back to normal by Christmas.
“As I say, we’ve been clear about the ambition to ensure that people may celebrate Christmas as a family this year.”
The deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, and the Prime Minister are “hopeful… but not yet certain” that a vaccine could begin to be distributed as early as December.
By Matt Lee
Lead Image: Hugh Casswell (inset: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels)