Boris Johnson today warned a “big wave” of Omicron is now “coming through” as the leaders of Scotland and Wales voiced their alarm - and businesses begged for urgent financial support.
The Prime Minister said the Covid variant is a “very serious threat to us now” after daily confirmed cases exploded to 88,376 in yesterday's update.
He added: “We are seeing a considerable wave coming through, and people have got to be prepared and they’ve got to understand what it takes.”
Yet he did not announce any new restrictions, with speculation that he could bring in extra Covid rules only after Christmas.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - who has asked Scots to socialise only with two other households at a time - today said the R number of Omicron is “possibly above four”. She added: "The tsunami I warned about a week ago is now starting to hit us".
Officially the R rate for Covid in England, updated today, is 1.0 to 1.2. But this figure has a lag time of two to three weeks and applies to all variants.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser for the UK Health Security Agency, said the R number for Omicron had “broad brush estimates of between 3 and 5 at the moment." This means every person infected passes the virus to between 3 and 5 others.
Meanwhile Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford announced he’ll shut nightclubs and bring back the two-metre rule to shops, workplaces and businesses from December 27.
Mr Drakeford said today: "If you can, please reduce the number of people you meet, especially if you're seeing older or more vulnerable people over Christmas."
He added restricting the number of households allowed to meet remains a possibility, and hinted at the prospect of further rules in hospitality after Christmas, such as the "rule of six".
Meanwhile, MPs in London were warned the Omicron situation is "changing rapidly" in a crisis call with health chiefs on Friday morning.
England has brought back the least stringent restrictions out of the three mainland British nations.
Yesterday England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, warned further Covid restrictions may be needed if vaccines are less effective than expected against Omicron.
Mr Johnson today said Christmas parties could still go ahead, despite Prof Whitty warning the new wave could break the UK's record of daily hospital admissions.
The Prime Minister said: “There is a big wave of Omicron coming through. People need to be prudent. You need to think about your budget of risk as it were.
“But what we’re not saying, we’re not in the position we were in last year of closing everything down and trying to mandate exactly what people do.”
But Ms Sturgeon demanded the "type and scale of financial support available earlier in the pandemic”.
She added: “That can only come from the UK Government because it has borrowing powers that the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments simply do not have."
Chancellor Rishi Sunak was jetting back from California today to hold crisis talks with hospitality bosses over a Covid bailout package.
Scottish government ministers have found £100 million for business support, with £66million of that going to hospitality.
But while Ms Sturgeon said this was "significant" support, she added: "I know it will not fully compensate these sectors for the impact they are suffering right now."
Mr Drakeford said shops, workplaces and businesses would reopen in Wales after Christmas but with new protections in place, which will include a return to the two metre rule on social distancing.
He said he believed the Delta variant will continue to be dominant in Wales over Christmas - but Omicron is already the dominant strain in Scotland and London.
It is understood Rishi Suna will hold talks with pub and restaurant bosses in person on Friday afternoon.
On Thursday night, Mr Sunak spoke to businesses, understood to include Greene King, Adnams Brewery and Nando's, during a call from the US.
Sources told the PA news agency that those on the call urged him to freeze business rates, reduce VAT rates for the sector, and provide targeted support for the most heavily affected parts of the industry.
The Treasury launched a business rates holiday for hospitality, retail and leisure firms during the pandemic but this has been heavily reduced in recent months.
Meanwhile, hospitality VAT has increased to 12.5% from 5% in recent months and is due to return to 20% in April.
