A bus company has apologised for disruption to its services after being hit by "higher than normal" levels of stack sickness due to Omicron.
The current coronavirus restrictions will be reviewed by the Government this week and changes could be coming in a matter of days, if it is deemed necessary.
Yesterday (Monday, January 3) more than 1,800 new covid cases were recorded in the Bristol region in 24 hours while at least half a dozen NHS trusts across the country have declared critical incidents as thousands of health staff isolate.
READ MORE: Updates as Boris Johnson to address nation later today
And First Bus West of England has now said they also being affected by covid-related staff absences.
A First Bus West of England spokesperson said: “Along with many other organisations up and down the country, we are experiencing a higher-than-normal level of staff sickness due to the current wave of Omicron Covid 19 cases.
"The safety of our staff and customers will always be our number one priority.
“We are doing everything we can to minimise disruption to services and inconvenience to our customers and our teams are working extra hard to ensure as many buses run as is possible.
“We are also continuing to do everything we can to support and look after our colleagues whilst in the workplace with hand sanitizer, face coverings and enhanced cleaning taking place to minimise the risk of transmission of the virus.
"Our local teams will continue to ensure our vehicles are cleaned regularly to a high standard."
The bus company said that, for the latest information, it will continue to provide regular updates on services in First West of England through their website, the First Bus app and our social media platforms.
It added: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers where services are disrupted."
Stagecoach, however, has said that its Bristol services are not being impacted by the problems.
Rachel Geliamassi, managing director at Stagecoach West, said: “As with many businesses across the country, we are experiencing short-term staff sickness, with drivers off work with COVID and unrelated seasonal illnesses.
"However, this isn’t currently affecting our services in Bristol, and we are pleased to report that all of our scheduled journeys are running as planned today.”
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