EXPLAINED: New Year is cancelled... Here are the new festive rules

Friday 18 December 2020

Islanders will not be able to meet anyone from another household indoors this New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

As part of a new set of guidance issued by the Government today, people can only meet friends and family from another household indoors twice between 23 December and 5 January – once on Christmas Day and once on Boxing Day.

People do not have to meet the same people in the same house over those two days. People can, for instance, visit friends and family on Christmas Day but visit another set of friends and family on Boxing Day.

The maximum number allowed at any indoor gathering is ten people.

The new restrictions only cover meeting indoors and private gardens. Islanders can still meet other households outdoors, providing it is a large open space like a beach, park, round a reservoir or through some country lanes. However, they must keep 2m apart from one another.

Pictured: Cafes will only be allowed to serve takeaway food from midnight on Friday.

Any gatherings in outside public places must be limited to a maximum of 20 people.

The previous Christmas guidelines – which restricted gatherings of between six and ten people to three occasions over the same two-week period starting next Wednesday – have been scrapped. 

The guidance that smaller groups of five or fewer people across households could meet multiple times over the period has also been scrapped. 

Islanders are also discouraged from visiting elderly and vulnerable people.

Starting tomorrow (Saturday), all cafes and other places serving food can only provide a takeaway service.

From Monday, everyone who can work from home must work from home. Anyone who has to leave their homes to work can continue to do so. 

The existing rules around church and other organised events over the Christmas period remain: 

• A very small number of organised, risk assessed, indoor or outdoor events to support vulnerable Islanders will be permitted but limited to 20 people, plus five staff/volunteers. 
• In addition, traditional seasonal faith gatherings and regular weekly worship for faith communities will be allowed both indoors and outside up to a limit of 20 people plus five staff/volunteers.
• Funerals can be held for no more than 20 people. 

There will be no further exemptions to the Christmas and New Year rules, for example sporting events or charity fundraisers.

These new, stricter rules, which override previous festive guidance, were announced at a press conference with the Chief Minister and Deputy Medical Officer for Health this evening, which you can read more about HERE.