Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering introducing restrictions on household mixing at Christmas and curfew on pubs and restaurants, according to a new report.
Johnson has been given three coronavirus plans designed to tackle the spread of the Omicron variant, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The three plans reportedly include: new guidance on limiting indoor contacts without legal enforcement; new restrictions to limit indoor social mixing and an 8pm curfew on bars and restaurants; or a full lockdown.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has warned the government Covid deaths could rise to 6,000 a day if restrictions aren’t introduced.
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Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, told ministers this weekend that new restrictions should be brought in as soon as possible to avoid the NHS being overwhelmed as new cases soar.
However, ministers are reportedly pushing back against further, stricter restrictions, with around one third of the cabinet said to be against bringing in new measures before Christmas.
An unnamed cabinet minister told the Telegraph Johnson faces a backlash from his party if he introduces bans on household mixing and the closure of non-essential shops.
They told the newspaper: "The cabinet aren’t stomaching any more restrictions right now.
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"Apart from the fanatics, Michael Gove and Sajid Javid, the rest of them are pretty sensible, including the PM."
Daily coronavirus cases hit a new high on 17 December with 93,045 cases.
On Saturday, it was reported Johnson was drawing up plans for a ‘two-week lockdown’ with a ban on indoor socialising.
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According to The Times, officials are looking at introducing a new 'Step 2' set of rules, which would mean that people would only be allowed to meet indoors for work.
This would have a knock-on effect on the hospitality industry, too, with restaurants, pubs and bars only allowed to serve customers outdoors.
It would also see the return of the 'Rule of Six' for outdoor meetings and the most vulnerable told to shield once again.
The report also claimed schools would remain open.
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It's understood that plans are currently being put together and will be revealed to ministers in the coming days, with the new measures possibly in place from 27 or 28 December.
The Times reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is yet to approve the plans.
A government spokesperson told LADbible on Saturday: "The government will continue to look closely at all the emerging data and we’ll keep our measures under review as we learn more about this variant."
LADbible has contacted Number 10 for comment about the latest reports.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Politics, UK News, Boris Johnson