AS FRESH concerns grow about the spread of Covid-19 during the Christmas period, many believe that the planned relaxation of the rules should be scrapped.

Locals have also expressed this, with many responding to a Chronicle Facebook opinion question to give their view.

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When asked "should the government scrap the relaxed rules on seeing two other households at Christmas?" many replied with a "yes".

Karyn Druce said: "We are not mixing in person, we will use zoom to see family.

"We have no choice as our family are on the other side of the world and we are here, no point whinging about it, best to just make the best of it" while John Bird repleid: "Yes, is a few days worth a huge surge in deaths?"

Dave Fostekew responded: "I know you have to be careful, but it's individual choices."

Meanwhile, Sharron Jack said: "only because we will get really high numbers again in January, and probs go back into lockdown, and I want a holiday in Feb!"

Stephen Bosley, Joan Blundy, Recheal Peck, Bob Gardiner, Lee Matthews, Simon Ball and Jill Roache simply responded "Yes".

Chris Prior said: "Yes, it's madness - we can celebrate later if we wanted too"

Dianne Sharpe gave a different view, adding: "It's up to the individuals."

Meanwhile, communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said people will need to use their "personal judgment" in deciding whether to meet up with family over Christmas.

Mr Jenrick said the government would not be changing the "legal framework" which allows people to form household "bubbles" over five days of the holiday period.

"We all need to use our own personal judgment thinking about our own families whether we have particularly elderly or clinically vulnerable relatives who might be round the Christmas table, and also looking at the fact that the rates of the virus are rising in many parts of the country," he told Sky News.

"Thinking of some of the examples we can see internationally like Thanksgiving, for example, where lots of people coming together did have consequences after the event.

"I would just urge people to use their personal judgment and to think carefully whether this is the right thing for their family."

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said that relaxing coronavirus restrictions over Christmas will lead to a rise in the infection rate.

"This is a virus that thrives on social interaction, so bringing more people together, even over this short period of time, is not cost-free. It will have consequences in terms of increasing the rate. It will rise," he told Sky News.

Mr Jenrick suggested some people may want to put off large family gatherings until the spring.

"Easter can be the new Christmas," he said.

Professor Graham Medley said the spread of coronavirus under the proposed Christmas mixing plans was "really uncertain".

The Sage member and professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that while mixing posed a risk, the closure of schools and workplaces could mitigate this.

He added: "There are two things happening over the period: one is that most workplaces and schools are closed, so that will result in reduced contact.

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"On the other hand, if we all mix together and have a normal Christmas then we know that in a normal year most respiratory diseases and hospital admissions increase after Christmas anyway in a non-Covid year, so there's clearly a risk, but it really very much depends on what people do.

"It's very hard to predict and say 'oh yes, this is going to be a disaster' or 'nothing is going to happen' because it really does depend on what people decide to do."