Johnson Faces Decision On New Year Covid Measures

Boris Johnson faces a crunch decision today on whether to trigger new coronavirus restrictions to prevent a renewed wave of Omicron infections around the new year. The prime minister will be briefed by chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance on the latest data on infections, hospitalisations and deaths for the first time in three days, after a break for Christmas.

- Andrew Woodcock

A crucial issue will be whether daily hospital admissions have breached 400 in the hotspot of London - a number that is thought to be an informal threshold for further action.

Mr Johnson has promised to recall parliament for a vote on any new legal curbs on social and economic activity, giving him up to 72 hours to secure cabinet approval and force any restrictions into law ahead of the traditional party night of New Year's Eve, viewed by scientists as a moment of maximum peril for virus spread.

If the PM decides the data shows that the NHS is at risk of being overwhelmed, he is likely to call a meeting of the government's Covid-O committee, or a full cabinet, to approve emergency moves. An announcement of proposed new restrictions could be made as early as tomorrow.

England currently has lesser restrictions than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, after the cabinet rejected recommendations for action from Prof Whitty last week.

Encouraging figures today could allow Mr Johnson to stick to his relatively mild plan B restrictions through the new year, mandating face-coverings in many public places and Covid passes for entry to mass-audience venues like nightclubs and sports stadiums. But if the soaring number of Omicron infections appears to be translating into more hospital admissions, more patients in intensive care and a higher number of deaths, he is likely to try once more to persuade fellow ministers to accept tougher restrictions.

This “plan C” could involve a return to the measures seen during the step 2 phase of emergence from lockdown in the spring, including a ban on indoor mixing, outdoor service only in pubs and restaurants, and the rule of six” for outdoor gatherings.