Boris Johnson is "not expected" to announce further restrictions to control the Omicron variant in England after being briefed on the impact Christmas had on covid infections and hospital pressures.
In what was described as an internal Government meeting, the Prime Minister was scheduled on Monday to be talked through the latest data by chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser.
The PA news agency said it understands no announcement is expected to come out of the meeting, potentially leaving England at odds with other parts of the UK, where post-Christmas restrictions have been deployed.
READ MORE: Live updates on lockdown options and Boris Johnson announcement
Conservative MPs have urged caution in going beyond Plan B in England, with veteran Tory Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown calling for a "wait-and-see" approach to the impact of infections on hospital admissions.
The latest UK infection data currently in the public domain dates back to Christmas Eve, when more than 122,000 people tested positive in the previous 24 hours, while hospital data on the Government dashboard has not been updated since December 20.
Sir Geoffrey said he hoped the Prime Minister would be "very cautious before introducing further measures" as he pushed for people to be able to "make their own decisions" when it came to taking precautions against infection.
The comments come as curbs on hospitality and large events were brought in for those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the Scottish Government ordering nightclubs to be shuttered from Monday while hospitality businesses will need to return to offering only table service if serving alcohol.
England is currently under the UK Government's Plan B rulebook, with guidance to work from home, mask wearing in shops and other public settings, and covid passes to gain entry to large events.
Cotswolds MP Sir Geoffrey, when asked whether he was concerned that England was "out of step" with the rest of the UK in terms of Omicron restrictions, was critical of the decisions taken by the devolved administrations.
The treasurer of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives told Times Radio: "I think the principalities are out of step with England.
"I think they have been overly cautious, I think they are doing more damage to their economies than they need to, I think they are doing more damage to people's liberties than they need to.
"I just don't think the evidence, unless the data coming out today looks very different, is there for any further measures."
The Government, according to reports, may choose to issue new voluntary guidance on limiting contacts rather than risk another damaging Tory rebellion by recalling Parliament to impose new rules beyond the existing Plan B measures.
Sir Geoffrey said, should the Prime Minister choose to upscale the measures required to tackle Omicron, it would "not be a cop-out at all" to introduce them as guidance, adding: "I think that would be a very sensible way to go forward."
The Times reported that, even if more measures are imposed, plans are being drawn up so that weddings and funerals - deemed "significant life events" - would be exempt from any new rules and disruption.
Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, said the number of staff absences due to covid infections was likely to play a part in the Government's thinking on whether to go further than Plan B.
He told PA: "Clearly there are still large numbers of new cases being detected.
"I assume that hospital bed occupancy and staff absences due to isolation rules will be the critical factors on the public health side of any decision."
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