Home Secretary Priti Patel also urged families to “change their plans” if they were planning to travel long distances to see relatives during the festive season after surges in Covid-19 cases in parts of the country, including London.
Asked on Times Radio if the Government guidance now boiled down to not meeting up with elderly relatives this Christmas where possible, Ms Patel said: “I think it does as we are seeing rising infections across the country.
“Coronavirus has had a devastating impact and devastating effect and, of course, you want to protect everybody.
“I won’t be seeing my mother and father this Christmas and I’m not on my own.
“There will be hundreds of thousands of households across the country who have not seen elderly relatives and won’t be seeing elderly relatives.
“And I personally think it’s important that we do everything we can to protect them.”
It was not clear if her view on not seeing elderly relatives if possible is official Government policy.
Earlier, she said people who are planning to travel long distance over Christmas should change their plans.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: “We would urge everyone to be conscientious and to make the appropriate plans and the appropriate changes to their plans as well, hence the point about having a smaller and shorter Christmas.”
She added: “I think the British public are smart enough to make their own decisions and judgements and they don’t want to put themselves at risk, they won’t put their friends and families at risk.
“We’re urging people not to travel. Why would you travel? If you’re in a low tier area, why would you travel into a high tier area? So people will exercise their judgment.”
Asked if she is asking people to cancel their plans if they intend to travel long distances, Ms Patel said: “I would urge people to change. I won’t be seeing my parents this Christmas, my parents live in a different part of the country and I will not travel to see them.
“I want to protect them, I don’t want to be spreading the virus. I feel I will take that responsibility and others will make that judgement too.”
