Boris Johnson confirms no further restrictions will be brought in before Christmas

Boris Johnson has confirmed that no further Covid restrictions will be implemented before Christmas.

In an announcement shared onto Twitter, the Prime Minister said there is currently not enough evidence on the severity of Omicron, the hospitalisation rate and the impact of the booster rollout to justify tougher measures before Christmas.

He explained: “The situation remains extremely difficult, but I also recognise that people will be waiting to hear if their Christmas plans are going to be affected.

“We don’t think today that there is enough evidence to justify tougher measures before Christmas.”

He went on to say that the government will continue to monitor Omicron ‘very closely’ and that if the situation deteriorates, ‘we will be ready to take action if needed’.

“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 to keep following the guidance. 

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“Wear a mask indoors when required to do so, keep fresh air circulating and take a test when visiting the elderly or the vulnerable.”

This comes as cases of the Omicron variant continue to rise, with the recorded number of new Covid cases across the UK reaching a record high of 91,734 yesterday, December 20th.

However, many are still apprehensive of a two-week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown after Christmas, which would likely see indoor mixing banned and restaurants and pubs restricted to outdoor service only.