Delay On Curbs New Year' Too Late To Make A Difference

Scientists have reacted with dismay to Boris Johnson's decision not to impose fresh restrictions to curb the spread of Omicron, emphasising that waiting until the new year would "almost certainly be too late to have a material impact on the epidemic”.

- Linda Geddes

Because the rate of growth in infections may already have plateaued or fallen by then, it may also be too late to know what impact those restrictions would have had.

“We are damned if we do and damned if we don't,” said Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia.

Following a cabinet meeting, the prime minister announced that he would not be introducing any further Covid restrictions for now, adding: “The situation is extremely difficult and the arguments either way are very, very finely balanced.”

Data on the hospitalisation rate for the variant would be kept under constant review”, he said, with government sources hinting that further restrictions are likely after Christmas, possibly starting a week tomorrow.