Johnson tells people to work from home as he imposes tougher Covid restrictions
Boris Johnson has imposed stricter Covid restrictions on England in light of growing cases of the more transmissible Omicron variant, while also calling for a “national conversation” about mandatory vaccinations.
From Monday next week, the government will advise people to work from home if they can and will make face masks mandatory in most public indoor settings from Friday.
Covid certification will also be mandatory for entry into night clubs and for large events from next Wednesday, pending parliamentary approval.
However, the self-isolation requirement for people who have been in contact with an Omicron case has been scrapped and will be replaced with a daily testing regime.
Business groups have responded with dismay to the new rules, with the CBI warning of the effect they will have on the retail, hospitality and night time sectors.
Johnson said at a press conference today that there is evidence the Omicron variant is much more transmissible than other variants, but there is not enough evidence to say if it is more or less dangerous.
“While the picture may get better, we know the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations and sadly in deaths,” he said.
“That’s why it’s the responsible and the proportionate thing to move to Plan B in England … so we slow the spread of the virus, buy ourselves the time to get more boosters into arms, especially the older and more vulnerable people, and understand the answers to the key outstanding questions about Omicron.”
He added: “If, and as soon as, it becomes clear the boosters are capable of holding this Omicron variant and we’ve boosted enough people to do that job of keeping Omicron in equilibrium then we will be able to move forward as before.”
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said that on the current trajectory UK hospitalisations due to the Omicron variant will move from “very small numbers to really substantial numbers and it will keep on doubling” in just a couple weeks’ time.
“That really is the reason why these measures have been announced by the Prime Minister and agreed by ministers today,” he said.
There have not been any new economic help announced for businesses to go alongside the new restrictions.
Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, president of the British Chambers of Commerce, said “government must once again stand shoulder to shoulder with business and provide a package of support to ensure that we get through a challenging winter without serious damage to our economic recovery”.
Matthew Fell, CBI chief policy director, said: “Fresh restrictions are a big setback for businesses, particularly for those in hospitality and retail who are in a critical trading period, as well as others such as transport.
“We need to create consistency in our approach and build confidence by reducing the oscillation between normal life and restrictions.”
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said “nightclubs and bars have been thrown under the bus by the Prime Minister”.
“The government’s own report on the subject concluded that vaccine passports wouldn’t even have a significant impact on virus transmission – they don’t stop the spread of Covid but they do damage trade,” he said.