England will this week become the only part of the UK without a nationwide ban on household social visits after Scotland followed Northern Ireland and Wales by announcing restrictions on gatherings at home.
The curbs on home visits highlight the more cautious approach to coronavirus the devolved governments have taken during the pandemic, despite efforts to forge a cross-UK consensus on what all leaders agree is a dangerous rise in infections.
The different approach of the devolved administrations is likely to fuel debate about the role of gatherings at home in the rise in infections in recent weeks.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, told the parliament in Edinburgh on Tuesday that her government would match the nationwide 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants in England announced earlier in the day by Boris Johnson, UK prime minister. Wales and Northern…
