Think hard about Christmas plans, PM Johnson tells UK

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the public on Wednesday to think hard about their Christmas plans but said the government would not change the decision to ease COVID restrictions for five days over the festive period.

"We've decided that the overall situation is, alas worse, more challenging than we'd hoped when we first set the rules," Johnson told a media conference.

"We're keeping the laws the same, but we all want to send the same message: a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas."