The Prime Minister has today confirmed no further Covid restrictions will be put in place in England before Christmas.
He 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.
However the Prime Minister is clear the situation is finely balanced and remains difficult across the country, with the Omicron variant continuing to surge and cases at an all-time high.
The government will continue to monitor the data closely and will not hesitate to act after Christmas if necessary.
He urges people to exercise caution and to continue to follow the guidance, including by wearing a mask indoors when required, keeping fresh air circulating and taking a test when visiting vulnerable and elderly relatives.
Most importantly, he urges everyone yet to do so to Get Boosted Now.
Full transcript of Prime Ministers statement
Good afternoon everybody.
I wanted to update you quickly on the latest Covid situation.
There is no doubt that Omicron continues to surge with a speed unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The situation remains extremely difficult but I also recognise that people have been waiting to hear whether their Christmas plans are going to be affected.
So what I can say tonight, is that naturally we can’t rule out any further measures after Christmas - and we’re going to keep a constant eye on the data, and we’ll do whatever it takes to protect public health.
But in view of the continuing uncertainty about several things – the severity of Omicron, uncertainty about the hospitalisation rate or the impact of the vaccine rollout or the boosters, we don’t think today that there is enough evidence to justify any tougher measures before Christmas.
We continue to monitor Omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed.
What this means is that 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 remember to keep following the guidance - wear a mask indoors when required to do so, keep fresh air circulating, and take a test before you visit elderly or vulnerable relatives.
So, if you have not done so already then please drop everything, find a walk-in or go online and make an appointment and Get Boosted Now.
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