Piers Morgan has issued the public with a warning about the prospect of spending Christmas under coronavirus restrictions.
The Good Morning Britain presenter urged viewers on Monday to be “realistic” that the government may not be able to have the virus under control in time for the festive season.
“This virus has not got any less virulent,” he said on the ITV breakfast show.
“It doesn’t understand rule of six, or Boris’ idea of having Christmas Day off, as if somehow we can all amass on Christmas Day and then go back to the rules.”
Piers continued: “If we miss Christmas Day as a country, if that’s what we have to do, we have to do it.
“This is our war. I think people have to be realistic about that.”
However, health secretary Matt Hancock has stood by his hopes to have a Christmas that is “as normal as possible” – but only if action to curb the virus’ spread is taken now.
Speaking on This Morning, he told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “I want Christmas to be as normal as possible, and the more that we can control the virus now and stop the spread now, the easier it will be to have a Christmas as normal as possible – it’s what I hope for for my family and I hope that we can get there. But, it means making these decisions now.
“It depends how much we can control it now, if this runs out of control now then we will have to take heavier measures in the future.
“The more we can control it now with everyone doing their bit including us, then the easier it will be to have a normal Christmas,” he said.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV, with This Morning airing at 10am on ITV.