In Portugal, measures for the festive season have not yet been released, but it is already possible to make a forecast. Last Saturday, after announcing the new state of emergency measures – currently in force until December 8 -, António Costa launched a lead.
“I would be very surprised if there was no state of emergency at Christmas, because that means that the evolution of the fight against the epidemic would have been very fast “, affirmed the prime minister.
If the state of emergency is in effect during the Christmas period, measures similar to those currently faced by the country can be expected, namely restrictions on circulation at certain times and regions and the early closure of trade and restaurants.
Spain limits celebrations to six people
In Spain, the Government of Pedro Sánchez proposed a “different” Christmas and New Year. The celebrations can only have six people and it is recommended that they be held in open spaces, such as restaurant terraces. The exception applies to families of more than six members who live in the same house.
“With respect to family gatherings, we recommend that they be limited to cohabitants. If there is to be an external guest who does not usually live with the family, there should be a maximum of six people at this event and preventive measures must be followed ”, established the Government of Spain.
On December 24 and 31, mandatory collection that is in effect in most Spanish regions will go from 11 pm to 1 am.
Despite these restrictions, the Spanish Executive hopes that “the soul and spirit” of the festive period will be maintained. Spain entered a six-month state of emergency in October.
In Catalonia, the regional government plans to allow gatherings of up to ten people at Christmas. A Catalan government spokesman said this week that this will listen to Madrid’s proposals, but will make its own decisions.
On Tuesday, the neighboring country recorded an additional 12,228 cases of infection with the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 1.6 million since the beginning of the pandemic. The deaths are already 43668.
UK allows ‘bubbles’ from three households
The UK has opted for more relaxed measures, allowing meetings of up to three households between 23 and 27 December. People will be able to gather in houses, places of worship or outside spaces and restrictions on circulation will be eased.
However, the Boris Johnson Government stressed that these “Christmas circles” of people must be “exclusive” and they cannot go to bars or restaurants together. Once formed, these “bubbles” of people cannot be enlarged to include more elements.
Households must travel between 23 and 27 December, with the exception of those traveling to or from Northern Ireland, who can do so between 22 and 28.
The measures were agreed between the leaders of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Tuesday. “Celebrations with family and friends at Christmas must be decided personally by individuals, who must take into account the risks for themselves and others,” warned the four regions.
“Before deciding to come together for the festive period, we call on you to consider alternatives such as the use of technology or celebrations in outdoor spaces, ”they added in a statement.
France relaxes measures in three phases
France, in turn, opted for a three-phase plan to relax the measures. The first starts on Saturday, with the reopening of “non-essential” commerce, such as clothing and hairdressing stores, and religious spaces.
The second phase happens on December 15, when the confinement will be lifted, but only if the daily number of infections is less than five thousand. The measure will allow the population to move around the country to spend Christmas with family and friends.
Instead of a mandatory confinement, there will be a compulsory collection in France between 9:00 pm and 7:00 am. The restaurants and bars will be closed during Christmas.
The third phase is scheduled for January 20. If the pandemic curve allows, restaurants, gyms and sports centers will reopen that day.
According to President Emmanuel Macron, France has already passed the second wave of infections with the new coronavirus, so the measures can begin to be eased. But he left an alert: “If we don’t want to go through a third containment tomorrow,, protecting our loved ones, especially the most vulnerable, when using a mask, including at home when we are with friends or family who do not live with us ”.
Germany should allow gatherings of up to ten people
In Germany, 16 federal states are expected to approve gatherings of up to ten people belonging to a maximum of two households during the festive period, with children under 14 excluded from this calculation.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has already called on the leaders of each region to come together to provide a coherent and collective response to the German population.
The game, the relaxation of measures will occur between 23 December and 1 January. However, the country has canceled all Christmas markets.
It will be up to local authorities to determine whether to allow or ban the use of fireworks on the last night of the year.
Christmas in Finland and Sweden may not be celebrated
In Finland and Sweden, Christmas celebrations may not be as easy. After a sharp increase in the number of cases in Finland, Helsinki decided to enact new restrictions and closed schools, libraries and swimming pools. Public events were also banned.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin warned on Monday that, if these measures do not work, a new state of emergency may be enacted in the country. Still, the contagion rate in Finland remains the lowest in Europe, with 69 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
In Sweden, which initially and for many months opted for an anti-containment policy in the hope that the collective immunity of the population would be the best method to fight SARS-CoV-2, Christmas could also be very different from the usual.
The country has already registered 6400 deaths and faces serious pressure in nursing homes, where there is a shortage of professionals. In May, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven admitted to having failed to protect his elders.
This month, the most renowned Swedish epidemiologist told the BBC that the population of that country must prepare for the possibility of restrictions on movement during the Christmas period, especially at a time when new infections happen mostly at parties and private events.
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