Cancellation of Christmas plans will bring pain but there is hope for the future: Archbishop of Canterbury

The cancellation of Christmas plans for millions of people across the UK will bring intense pain but there is hope for the future, the Archbishop of Canterbury said on Sunday, as the government confirmed that a new strain of coronavirus is out of control in parts of the country.

The cancellation of Christmas plans for millions of people across the UK will bring intense pain but there is hope for the future, the Archbishop of Canterbury said on Sunday, as the government confirmed that a new strain of coronavirus is ''out of control'' in parts of the country. Justin Welby said he had spent Christmases alone and had ''no illusions about how dark it feels''.

''But as the vaccine comes in, things will change,'' the 64-year-old archbishop told the BBC. He urged people to take practical steps to avoid loneliness and plan for proper celebrations in the future.

The most senior bishop in the Church of England also said the elderly and vulnerable should not feel compelled to go to church this Christmas amidst the raging pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 60,000 people in the country and infected tens of thousands. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday broke the news that London and large parts of southern and eastern England, where cases are surging, would enter Tier 4 restrictions, just days after reiterating his pledge to relax rules over the Christmas period.

Johnson outlined that in Tier 4 areas under the toughest restrictions, there will be no possibility for household mixing over Christmas. In areas under lower alert levels in England, Scotland and Wales, mixing will now be permitted only on Christmas Day. He said that the strain of the virus appears to spread more easily, and may be up to 70 per cent more transmissable than the earlier strain.

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Saturday that the new variant is responsible for 60 per cent of infections in London, which have nearly doubled in the last week. The Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledged that for many families this year has been difficult and that many will be feeling lonely.

Asked whether Christmas was cancelled, he replied: ''No. The celebrations are cancelled - we'll come to those again. ''This is very different to what we hoped for and longed for and it is the most intense pain for a lot of people,'' he said.

He said people should share memories of lost loved ones, speak to friends and family, and make plans for the future when the pandemic has eased. The new strain of coronavirus, which prompted the UK government to impose a Tier 4 lockdown in London and southeastern England and tighten restrictions for all of England over the festive period, is ''out of control,'' UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday.

Hancock said the new variant, which can spread faster than other strains but is not more dangerous, had to be controlled. ''The only way you can do that is by restricting social contacts and essentially, especially in Tier 4 areas, everybody needs to behave as if they may well have the virus and that is the way that we can get it under control and keep people safe,'' he said Sunday.

Still, Londoners piled on to trains and vehicles on Saturday night as they rushed to leave the capital ahead of new restrictions announced by UK Johnson. By Saturday evening, there were no free seats on trains leaving London from several stations in the capital, UK media reported. Passengers also complained about not being able to socially distance themselves within the train carriages.

The chaotic scenes were condemned by politicians and public health experts. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called the introduction of the restrictions ''devastating'' in an interview with the BBC, adding that scenes at London train stations ''was a direct consequence of the chaotic way the announcement was made, and the late stage it was made.'' ''I understand why people want to return to see their mums, dads, elderly relations, but I think it's wrong,'' he said. Keir Starmer, leader of the Opposition Labour Party, accused Prime Minister Johnson of ''gross negligence'' in failing to act earlier. Starmer said Labour supported the latest coronavirus restrictions, but criticised Johnson for waiting until the ''11th hour'' to take a decision.

The UK has reported 2,010,000 confirmed cases. The country has seen over 67,000 deaths in the pandemic, the second-highest confirmed toll in Europe after Italy. PTI AKJ AKJ AKJ.