Ding dong merrily outside: carol concerts go alfresco as UK Covid restrictions hit

Traditional open-air singing and wassailing plans abound to keep spirit of Christmas alive in Britain this year

Clad in mittens and bobble hats, carol singers are moving back to traditional open-air performance this Christmas in response to health concerns. A string of scheduled professional and amateur choral concerts will now take place outside, while many streets are organising door-to-door carolling for charity.

Last year, group singing of any kind was deemed unsafe and, as Covid social restrictions return this December, singing alfresco has emerged as one of relatively few sanctioned communal activities.

Continue reading...

Coronavirus | The Guardian

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coronavirus live news: Japan towns abandon plans to accept overseas Olympic athletes

India reports 362,727 new infections, 4,120 deaths ; 40 towns in Japan decide not to accept overseas athletes ahead of olympics ; ‘Increasing concern’ over India variant in UK says Boris Johnson Boris Johnson under fire for delaying Covid public inquiry until 2022 UK: Reports that Sage will meet on Thursday to discuss India variant Scores more bodies of suspected Covid victims found in Indian rivers See all our coronavirus coverage 6.42am BST Coronavirus infections in England halved in recent months, according to a study, but concerns remain about the threat from new variants, PA reports. Prevalence of infections dropped by 50% between March and early May, and is at its lowest since August, new data suggests. But the figures come amid a warning from Boris Johnson that new variants “pose a potentially lethal danger”. The Prime Minister said there is “increasing concern” in the UK about the variant first identified in India. Professor Paul Elliott, director of Imperial Colle...
Read more

NSW Covid update: 65 new cases as GP clinics and pharmacies drive new spread of virus

Gladys Berejiklian says people should call ahead before visiting health services and warns of higher numbers tomorrow Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates Latest NSW lockdown rules explained Full list of Covid exposure sites and hotspots in Sydney Download the free Guardian news app ; Get our morning email briefing People visiting GP clinics and pharmacies while infected have been identified as a new driver of the spread of Covid, particularly in south-west Sydney, prompting the premier to urge people to stay at home and call ahead before visiting health services. Cases announced today also include a Covid-positive patient who attended Liverpool hospital, and a staff member at Chris O’Brien Life House, a cancer centre in Sydney’s inner west. The latter case was picked up during routine testing of staff, and further urgent testing is under way. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian
Read more

Australian expats not registered with Medicare say they can’t get their vaccinations recognised

Non-residents who live abroad but received jab in Australia frustrated by inability to be recognised by immunisation record or get international passport Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates Vaccine rollout tracker ; Cases and data tracker Get our free news app ; get our morning email briefing Australians who live overseas but got vaccinated while visiting Australia say the immunisation record system is failing to recognise their Covid vaccination status if they are not registered with Medicare, trapping them in a “black hole” of bureaucratic wrangling. Two Australian citizens, both healthcare workers living long-term in Kenya, have told the Guardian they were vaccinated during trips home to see their sick parents this year. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian
Read more