BORIS Johnson hopes to confirm “Christmas is on” early next week, Trending In The News can reveal.
Downing Street insiders say the Prime Minister is set to deliver an update on the Omicron variant days earlier than the three-week review — previously announced as December 18.
It was feared new restrictions would be announced then — putting Christmas plans in doubt.
But it is thought the Cabinet are confident no further measures are required.
Insiders say ministers are “gripped with a united fear the public would never forgive them if they ruin Christmas for the second year running”.
And another Downing Street source told Trending In The News: “The hope is we won’t have to introduce anything new, and the current measures — testing at the border and mask wearing — are not too much of an impingement.”
The positive news comes as more than 20 million Brits were confirmed to have received their Covid booster and Deputy PM Dominic Raab told people to go out and enjoy Christmas.
Experts in South Africa — where Omicron was first reported — remain cautiously optimistic it is milder and said most infections were in younger, unvaccinated people.
Read our Omicron variant live blog for the latest news
The UK Health Security Agency said 86 more Omicron cases were confirmed on Sunday, with 68 in England and 18 in Scotland — bringing the total to 246.
Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, of government advisory body Sage, said: “It doesn’t look as if it’s really severe if you get it. But it’s best to be precautionary.”
The UK recorded 43,992 new infections yesterday, the highest number on a Sunday in the past seven weeks. There were 54 deaths — a fall of two per cent in a week.
