Boris Johnson has said Covid restrictions could start to be scrapped by the end of January, telling MPs he hopes "life will return to something much much closer to normality".
It came as the Prime Minister confirmed the current 'Plan B' restrictions would remain in place for at least another three weeks, as he warned the NHS was still under intense pressure from the Omicron variant.
An estimated 3.7 million people in the UK had Covid-19 in the week ending December 31, up from 2.3 million in the week to December 23 and the highest number since comparable figures began in autumn 2020, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Read more: People who test positive on a lateral flow test won't need to take a PCR
Mr Johnson, speaking in the Commons, said: "In response to the latest data the Cabinet agreed this morning that we should stick with Plan B for another three weeks with a further review before the regulations expire on January 26.
"I know some might therefore ask whether this means we can now do away with measures altogether, but I’m sorry to report that hospital admissions are rising rapidly, doubling around every nine days, with already more than 15,000 Covid patients in hospital in England alone."
He added: "We’re experiencing the fastest growth in Covid cases we’ve ever known with over 218,000 cases reported yesterday although that included some delayed reporting and potentially of greatest concern, case rates are now rising rapidly among the older and more vulnerable including doubling every week among those over 60, with the obvious risk that this will continue to increase the pressures on our NHS.”
Asked how long it would be before the public could expect a return to the “old normal”, Mr Johnson said: "As Omicron blows through and it is is very much my hope and belief that it will, I do believe we will get back to something much closer to normality.
“That doesn’t meant there won’t be further challenges but I think life will return to something much much closer to normality. It won’t be necessary to have the restrictions that we currently have in place. Business, investors, will have all the confidence that they need, but to be frank, you are already seeing a huge investments in this country because of the approach that we have taken.”
Ministers also approved changes to the travel regime for England, with the requirement for pre-departure tests scrapped from 4am on Friday.
Mr Johnson also said the requirement to self-isolate on arrival until receipt of a negative PCR test on arrival was being scrapped, returning instead to the system in place in October last year, where travellers need to take a lateral flow test no later than the end of day two after arriving in England, with a PCR if they are positive.
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