Under-fire Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a Cobra meeting over the weekend - expected to be today - with leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to respond to the Omicron crisis.
Mr Johnson is facing mounting pressure to act after three record-breaking days which has seen the Department of Health confirm the highest number of cases of the entire pandemic.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged people to limit social contacts at Christmas while Welsh leader Mark Drakeford announced nightclubs would close from Boxing Day.
Leaders have called for financial support for heavily-hit businesses.
The Prime Minister spoke Ms Sturgeon today after she demanded support for hospitality venues.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister and the First Minister agreed on the importance of close collaboration for the benefit of citizens across the UK.
"They discussed the shared challenges including the economic disruption caused by Covid and will continue to work together.
"The Prime Minister confirmed UK Government will be convening a Cobr meeting over the weekend with counterparts from the devolved administrations to continue discussions."
Mr Johnson, anxious to avoid a repeat of last year's Christmas shambles, has resisted calls to go beyond his Plan B.
But England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, made it clear that healthcare bosses are extremely worried about the spread of Omicron and called on people to "prioritise" their social plans.
Earlier today 93,045 Covid cases were announced by the Department of Health, while hospital admissions are starting to rise.
Infections have risen 38.6 per cent over the past seven days compared to the week before, with more than 477,000 confirmed Covid cases.
A spokesperson for Ms Sturgeon said the First Minister had emphasised the "extreme urgency of the crisis" for businesses in the hospitality, events, culture and related sectors.
The spokesperson added: "The First Minister also made clear that the devolved administrations require clarity that additional funding support would be available, and also on how it can be triggered by any or all of the UK administrations, in the event of further protective measures being necessary to tackle the virus in the period ahead."
Northern Ireland's First Minister, Paul Givan, also spoke with Mr Johnson today, as did Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
Mr Givan said he had asked the Prime Minister for more economic support in response to cases rising.
Speaking after their conversation, he said: "During the discussion, there were a number of issues that were raised about having greater co-operation and working together.
"I also pressed the need for greater support from the Treasury because it is vital that those businesses that have already been impacted by the decisions that people have taken to reduce their own social contacts are given support, and that's an issue that we'll continue to make representation on to the Government."
Earlier Mr Drakeford heavily criticised the UK Treasury and its attitude towards supporting the devolved nations as Omicron cases continue to surge.
"Our ability to provide and sustain longer-term economic support during this new wave of this ongoing public health emergency is severely constrained by the current position of the UK Treasury and its refusal to open vital support schemes, such as furlough," he said.
"These schemes should be available for all nations when they are needed and not just at the point when restrictions are introduced in England."
Chancellor Rishi Sunak met virtually with the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, and the British Chambers of Commerce on Friday afternoon after he returned early from a trip to California.
A Treasury spokesperson said: "The Chancellor spoke to business and industry leaders this afternoon.
"We recognise how important the festive period is for so many businesses and the Government will continue to engage constructively on how it can best provide ongoing support to the businesses and sectors affected."
The groups raised concerns about the impact of cancellations and the importance of clear messaging from the Government.
