No new Covid restrictions before Christmas, Boris Johnson announces
No further Covid restrictions will be put in place in England before Christmas, Boris Johnson has announced.
In a video message, Mr Johnson said that there was not yet “enough evidence” to justify any tougher measures at this stage.
In order to provide certainty over plans for family get-togethers, he confirmed there will be no new restrictions before Christmas Day.
But he made clear that he cannot rule out further measures in the following days - leaving open the possibility of new controls on pubs and nightclubs by New Year’s Eve.
It comes after Rishi Sunak today unveiled a £1 billion support package to businesses hit by Covid-19 restrictions after the “eye-wateringly high” transmission of the omicron variant raised concerns.
It includes one-off grants of up to £6,00 for businesses in the affected sectors in England, to be administered in the coming weeks, the Treasury have said.
Cultural organisations in England will also be able to access a further £30 million funding during the winter via the culture recovery fund.
