New strikes to cancel Christmas celebrations unlikely regardless of Omicron surge

New restrictions are unlikely to cease Christmas celebrations this week however Boris Johnson has urged warning amid hypothesis additional measures will probably be wanted to halt the unfold of the Omicron variant.

However because the Prime Minister promised to maintain the info underneath fixed evaluate, the Queen deserted her Christmas at Sandringham and London mayor Sadiq Khan cancelled the capital’s New Yr’s Eve celebrations.

After a particular two-hour assembly of the Cupboard on Monday, the Prime Minister stated the Authorities must be clearer in regards to the price of hospital admissions related to Omicron, and the effectiveness of vaccines towards it, earlier than imposing further measures in England to forestall the unfold of the virus.

However Boris Johnson stated the Authorities will “reserve the likelihood” of implementing new restrictions, inflicting opposition politicians to accuse him of missing a transparent plan.

The Monetary Occasions stated a senior Authorities insider instructed the paper: “We’re not planning to introduce new restrictions this facet of Christmas”.

However though Mr Johnson stopped wanting imposing new official restrictions, the Prime Minister stated the Authorities needs individuals to concentrate on “exercising warning”.

The Queen has now determined to spend Christmas in Windsor somewhat than to journey to Sandringham in what one royal supply stated was a precautionary strategy.

And London Mayor Sadiq Khan later introduced the cancellation of the capital’s New Yr’s Eve celebration in Trafalgar Sq. “within the pursuits of public security”.

In the meantime the Welsh Authorities has stated sporting occasions will probably be performed behind closed doorways from Boxing Day to assist management the unfold of the brand new Omicron variant.

Labour, which has stated it could help the Authorities over any additional public well being measures that had been wanted, accused the Prime Minister of placing occasion pursuits earlier than the nation.

Shadow well being secretary Wes Streeting stated Boris Johnson was failing to set out a “clear plan”, saying the Prime Minister is as a substitute selecting to “defend himself from his personal MPs by merely not saying something”.

And Liberal Democrat chief Sir Ed Davey stated that Mr Johnson had provided solely “chaos” at a time when the nation wanted readability.

“Households need to know urgently what Covid measures to count on, to allow them to plan for the times forward. Ducking the troublesome selections shouldn’t be a plan,” he stated.

Esther McVey, Conservative MP for Tatton and a former minister, tweeted to say the Authorities “at the moment are listening to their backbench MPs and for as soon as pushed again on the scaremongering by the lockdown fanatics”.

Authorities sources reported by The Occasions stated the main target can be on restrictions after Christmas, with a two-week “circuit breaker” banning family mixing being thought-about for December 28.

The Prime Minister stated the arguments for taking motion in response to Omicron had been “very, very finely balanced” and that the Authorities is maintaining the info underneath “fixed evaluate”.

He stated there have been nonetheless “uncertainties” across the severity of the brand new pressure, in addition to the speed of hospital admissions related to it, and its impression on the effectiveness of the vaccines.

“There are nonetheless some issues that we must be clearer about earlier than we determine to go additional,” he stated.

Mr Johnson added: “Sadly I have to say to people who we must reserve the potential of taking additional motion to guard the general public, to guard public well being, to guard our NHS.

“We’re taking a look at all types of issues to maintain Omicron underneath management and we’ll rule nothing out.

“However in the meanwhile, what I feel we wish individuals to concentrate on is exercising warning – so air flow, masks within the acceptable locations, all the standard stuff about washing palms, however bear in mind how contagious Omicron actually is.”

Ministers had been briefed on the newest state of affairs by the Authorities’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty.

The Day by day Telegraph reported that the Prime Minister was blocked by his Cupboard from imposing new Covid guidelines instantly, saying no less than a dozen ministers spoke out towards proposals for brand new restrictions.

Earlier on Monday, Downing Road didn’t deny reviews that a variety of ministers – together with Chancellor Rishi Sunak – had pushed again towards requires motion with out extra proof of the impression the virus would have.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman stated it was a part of the job of ministers to scrutinise any recommendation they got.

The Authorities has stated that it’s going to if mandatory recall Parliament to permit MPs to vote on any new laws it proposes for England.

Nevertheless, some MPs have questioned whether or not the Prime Minister would danger one other backbench revolt at a time when he’s politically weakened by an ongoing row over Downing Road events and the Tories’ crushing defeat within the North Shropshire by-election.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will give a press release on Covid-19 to MSPs within the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

The Northern Eire Government is because of meet on Wednesday to debate additional restrictions.

The most recent Authorities figures confirmed there have been an additional 91,743 lab-confirmed Covid-19 circumstances within the UK as of 9am on Monday, with an additional 44 deaths of individuals inside 28 days of testing constructive for the illness.

The UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) stated there had been 8,044 further confirmed circumstances of the Omicron variant reported throughout the UK, bringing the overall variety of confirmed circumstances to 45,145.