Boris Johnson Confirms No Covid Restrictions Will Come In Before Christmas

Boris Johnson has announced that no new Covid restrictions will be introduced in England before Christmas. Watch here:

The Prime Minister said there is currently not enough evidence on the severity of the Omicron variant, the hospitalisation rate and the impact of the booster rollout to justify tougher measures before Christmas.

However, he highlighted that cases were at an all-time high and the data would continue to be closely monitored, with new measures a possibility after Christmas.

In a video shared on Twitter, he said: "There is no doubt that Omicron continues to surge with a speed unlike anything we’ve seen before.

 "The situation remains extremely difficult but I also recognise that people have been waiting to hear whether their Christmas plans are going to be affected.

 "So what I can say tonight, is that naturally we can’t rule out any further measures after Christmas - and we’re going to keep a constant eye on the data, and we’ll do whatever it takes to protect public health.

 "But in view of the continuing uncertainty about several things – the severity of Omicron, uncertainty about the hospitalisation rate or the impact of the vaccine rollout or the boosters, we don’t think today that there is enough evidence to justify any tougher measures before Christmas."

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He went on to urge people exercise caution and get their booster jab.

He said: "We continue to monitor Omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed.

"What this means is that people can go ahead with their Christmas plans but the situation remains finely balanced and I would urge everyone to exercise caution, to keep protecting yourselves and your loved ones, especially the vulnerable.

"And remember to keep following the guidance - wear a mask indoors when required to do so, keep fresh air circulating, and take a test before you visit elderly or vulnerable relatives.

"So, if you have not done so already then please drop everything, find a walk-in or go online and make an appointment and get boosted now."

Covid-19 has been spreading rapidly over recent weeks, reaching record highs in large part due to the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Yesterday (Monday), a further 91,743 confirmed cases were announced.

More than 28 million booster doses have been administered across the UK so far, 24 million of those in England.

Topics: UK News, Boris Johnson, Coronavirus

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey