Boris Johnson has told his Cabinet that the Omicron variant of coronavirus appears to be “more transmissible” than Delta, Downing Street said.
Giving an account of the meeting on Tuesday morning, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister said it was too early to draw conclusions on the characteristics of Omicron but early indications were that it is more transmissible than Delta.”
But the spokesman said there was no debate around the Cabinet table on whether to introduce Plan B of the Government’s plans to control the virus this winter.
The Government has so far introduced new travel rules - meaning everyone arriving in the Uk has to have a negative Covid test - and put 11 countries on the red list - meaning hotel quarantine.
It has also made masks mandatory in shops and public transport in England.
But it has stopped short of Plan B - which would see masks mandatory in all enclosed public spaces, people advised to work from home and the possible use of Covid passports for entry to some places and events.
