BORIS Johnson will review the new Covid restrictions in three weeks – just days before Christmas.
It means Brits face a worrying wait to find out whether rules will be relaxed or tightened in time for the holiday period.
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On Saturday the PM announced a raft of new measures to tackle the new omicron variant of Covid, which has now nine confirmed cases in the UK – and more expected to come.
But there’s still no formal plan B in place, which means a return to work from home, and Covid passports.
The PM announced at the weekend the following rules would come in from Tuesday:
- Masks will be mandatory on public transport – including buses and trains
- Everyone coming into the UK will have to take a mandatory PCR test and isolate until they get a negative result
- Anyone who has contact with an omicron case of Covid has to isolate for 10 days – even if they have been double jabbed
- Kids in secondary school will also have to wear masks in communal areas – but not inside the classroom
The new rules are set to be reviewed in three weeks’ time.
It’s not yet clear whether it will be three weeks from when the rules were announced (Saturday 18 December) or three weeks’ from when they come in (Tuesday 21 December).
Either way, they could change just days before Brits get ready to celebrate with their loved ones, after many millions were unable to do so last year.
Yesterday Health Sec Sajid Javid tried to reassure Brits that we were “nowhere near” a full lockdown like last year.
He insisted that Christmas will be “great” despite the panic over the new variant but it was impossible to make any guarantees right now.
He told Sky’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday: “We know now those types of measures do carry a very heavy price, both economically, socially, in terms of non-Covid health outcomes such as impact on mental health.
“So, if one was to make decisions like that they would have to be done very, very carefully and we’re not there yet, we’re nowhere near that.”
He added that people should plan for Christmas as “normal”.
“I think it’s fair to say that the nature of this pandemic is it would be irresponsible to make guarantees,” Mr Javid said.
“As for Christmas, I think people should continue with their plans as normal for Christmas, I think it’s going to be a great Christmas.”
