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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Ben Reid

Boris Johnson 'not expected' to announce post-Christmas Covid restrictions this week

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not expected to announce post-Christmas Covid restrictions this week, it has been reported.

A senior government source told Sky News the latest situation on restrictions being brought in.

It comes as new data on the severity of Omicron from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSQ) is set to be published on Thursday, December 23.

Two UK recent studies by scientists at Edinburgh University and Imperial College London showed that it appears to be milder than Delta, raising hopes that people infected with Omicron are less likely to be hospitalised.

But they arrive with the context of a record day for Covid cases, with more than 100,000 reported for the first time since widespread testing was introduced.

Data is being "constantly monitored" and further restrictions have not been ruled out before the new year.

The NHS is facing its busiest Christmas period ever, with bed occupancy rates 5% higher than last year, one of the service’s senior leaders has said.

Chief executive of NHS Providers Chris Hopson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the “broader picture” of critical care pressures beyond Covid hospital cases was being overlooked.

“If you look at the broader picture, we are busier at this time of year than we’ve ever been before,” he said.

“Our bed occupancy rate is 94.5% compared to last year’s 89%. That’s a huge difference in terms of much more busy.”

Mr Hopson said around 2,800 people every day are having to wait more than half an hour in the back of ambulances before being admitted to hospital, with staff shortages worsening the strain.

The latest Government figures show a further 106,122 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the UK as of 9am on Wednesday.

The Government said a further 140 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.

Figures from NHS England show that 1,904 people were in hospital in London with Covid-19 as of December 21, the highest number since March 2 and up 41% from a week earlier.

Across England, 6,902 patients were in hospital with Covid-19 on December 21 – the highest number since November 10 and up 7% week-on-week.

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