Boris Johnson has announced the country is moving to 'Plan B' restrictions amid the omicron variant spreading very fast.
The measures include guidance to work from home, face coverings in most public venues and having a valid covid pass will be mandatory at some events.
Yet are Christmas parties, nativity plays allowed? And what about travel?
READ MORE: Covid Plan B activated as Omicron spreads 'incredibly fast' - all the new restrictions
The Prime Minister answered a direct question on the topic at a Downing Street coronavirus conference tonight.
He said: "On Christmas, the best way to ensure we all have a Christmas as normal as possible is to get on with Plan B, irritating as it may be, it is not a lockdown, it is Plan B, it is what we set out a while back and to get your boosters and get your jabs that's the best way forward and as for when we will review the measures as I said no later than early January.
"Possible before it we start to get some of that really granular information but we need to see that data and work on it pretty hard.
"In my view they should not [cancel Christmas parties and nativities], they should follow the guidance of course.
"We don't want kids to be taken out of school before term ends, not that there is that long to go now, we don't want nativity plays to be cancelled.
"We think that it is okay currently on what we can see to keep going with Christmas Parties but obviously everybody should exercise due caution, have ventilation, wash your hands, get a test before you go - a sensible thing to do. Give everybody else at the party the confidence that they are going to be meeting someone who is not contagious.
"Those are simple things that people can do, that is what we are saying."
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The main points of plan B include guidance to 'work from home' and people will be asked to wear face masks in more settings. The new guidance will come into force on Monday.
He said: “We can’t yet assume that Omicron is less severe than previous variants.
“So while the picture may get better, and I sincerely hope that it will, we know that the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations and therefore, sadly, in deaths.
“That’s why it is now the proportionate and the responsible thing to move to Plan B in England while continuing to work closely with our colleagues in the devolved administrations, so we slow the spread of the virus, buy ourselves the time to get yet more boosters into arms, especially in the older and more vulnerable people.”
He explained that at the moment there are 568 confirmed cases of the omicron variant in the UK but he said he expected the true number to be much higher.
He said: "That’s why it is now the proportionate and the responsible thing to move to Plan B in England while continuing to work closely with our colleagues in the devolved administrations, so we slow the spread of the virus, buy ourselves the time to get yet more boosters into arms, especially in the older and more vulnerable people.”
Prof Whitty told the briefing that cases have been increasing 'incredibly fast', with the variant doubling time currently be between two and three days.”
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