But any relax ation of the rules would come at a price.

Experts say that for every one day off relaxed measures, there would need to be five days off tighter restrictions to keep infection rates down.

Our health editor, Hugh Pym, has the latest on the Christmas debate.

Will it be a Christmas nightmare or a dream come true?

Ah, question being widely asked as people look beyond the current locked down in England due to end in early December, Those we spoke to in Manchester were hoping the rules would allow some form of celebration.

It would be nice if everyone could get together and everyone was toe get to some back to some sort of normality.

I mean, it would be amazing, and I think like many families, we've had a bereavement as well, so it would mean a huge amount to be able to spend time together.

Senior officials stressed that ministers would decide, but they were open to the idea of a Christmas relax ation.

We are very keen that we have close to Christmas is close to normal as possible.

That requires all of us to make every effort over this national restriction period and even in early December, so is some sort of Christmas possible?

Do you think so?

I think it is coming into Christmas.

We need to be very careful about the number of contacts that we have to reduce transmission once we have got past the Christmas period, if there's been a release on some socialization, we will all have to be very responsible and reduce those contacts again.

Scotland's first minister set out her position on the Christmas issue.

We had all desperate for some normality.

Christmas and I absolutely include myself in that on the Scottish government right now is working very closely on well with the other UK nations to try to agree a way for that to happen.

Decisions in England have to be made on how the tier system might work in December.

Officials think the highest tier restrictions in place in the Northwest before the full lock down had an effect on curbing the virus.

Daily hospital admissions of co vid patients in the region, which had gone up sharply, have begun to level off and full a little.

Allowing a limited mixing of households is one thing, but deciding what will be permitted for pubs, bars and restaurants is another matter.

It's normally their busiest time of the year in the run up to Christmas, but health officials are concerned that a full reopening will see a further spread of the virus.

This bar in Manchester only opened in March, just before the first lock down.

They had to close, reopened and then close again, and they're desperate to get customers back in.

We really need a strong December to make a zoo much money, as we know in normal circumstances as possible in order to get through the 1st 23 months of 2021 trade offs and difficult decisions will be needed on what exactly will open up over Christmas and for how long and what will have to stay closed.

Aunt, he was with me.

Hugh, How difficult is it going to be to balance this desire to give people a bit of freedom around Christmas.

You know, with concerns about health and the economy, we're here is going to be a very delicate judgment to be made by ministers at Westminster and in the devolved administrations.

How do you get transmission of the virus down on the crucial?

Our number below one to show the virus is receding through December, November into December and in England, the challenge is going to be what follows the current lock down from December the second.

How do you reintroduce thes tiered restrictions?

Will some of them actually be tighter than before?

On we've learned today this calculation that for every one day of relax ation experts on the stage committees say you need five to tighten up.

So does that mean you might have some tightening before Christmas?

Then relax ation on, then a tougher regime.

After that, all it all follow Christmas.

That's going to be a very difficult call to make on what about the hospitality sector, pubs and bars and restaurants?

It's crucial for them to be trading up until Christmas.

They'll really want to do so, but it seems that officials will feel in the area with the toughest restrictions those areas.

It may not be possible it also, there's the interests of the economy to consider a swell When all said and done, though, what we've learned today is that health and scientific advisers to governments are working around the clock to try and find something which will work to let families mix it Christmas.

Okay, once again, many thanks cube him.

There are Health Editor.

Well, there's Mawr encouraging news about the vaccine being developed by Pfizer and beyond.

Tech Final trials show it is 94% effective in people over the age of 65.

What's more, it's passed safety checks, making it ready for approval by authorities around the world On is due to arrive in the UK by the end of the year.

Our medical editor, Fergus Walsh, has the latest yet more good news on vaccines.

Last week, Pfizer by on Tech were the first to show their vaccine protected against co vid.

Now we have more details.

Pfizer says the vaccine is more than 94% effective among the over 65 showed the same consistent protection among volunteers from different ethnicities.

There were 170 cases of Kobe, 19 across more than 40,000 volunteers.

162 of those were among the volunteers who got dummy or placebo jabs on only eight.

In the vaccinated group, there were no serious safety concerns, but a small minority of volunteers suffered significant headaches or fatigue.

I think this is good news and also very encouraging that the vaccine seems to show equal protection in elderly people because that was a question we couldn't answer off after the first announcements last week.

Our immune system usually declines as we age, so it's highly significant that the vaccine protects the elderly, who are most at risk from co vid.

They should be first in line to get the jab, which requires two doses a month apart.

Booster doses may be needed as we don't know how long protection lasts.

Vaccinators will go into care homes to immunize vulnerable older residents.

GP surgeries will play a crucial role.

Some could be open seven days a week on large venues like sports halls will be used for mass immunization.

The Pfizer vaccine has to be stored at minus 70 degrees, which creates some logistical problems, but it remains usable for a few days in a normal fridge.

It's thought regulators could approve the vaccine by early December.

The U.

K has bought 40 million doses, but most of these will arrive next year.

Nonetheless, it seems increasingly likely that some covert immunization will begin before Christmas.