PUBS, shops and restaurants could be forced to shut in January because so many workers will be off sick with Omicron.
In a “bleak” update to Cabinet the PM and chief medical officer Chris Whitty warned the new variant is set to spark staff shortages.
They told the meeting – which was held virtually for the first time in months due to the spread of the strain – things are looking “very bad”.
The pair said that even on “the most conservative” estimates the virus is set to unleash a tidal wave of new cases and hospitalisations.
And questions were raised about how long vaccine passports can keep venues open, even if they are extended to bars and restaurants.
The behind closed doors remarks will raise fears of a new “Pingdemic” even worse than the one sparked by Delta earlier this year.
No 10 said the Cabinet was told Omicron is spreading at a “concerning rate” with almost 4,500 cases confirmed in the UK.
Prof Whitty warned the PM’s top team: “We can expect a significant increase in hospitalisations as cases increase.”
UK Health Security Agency chief Susan Hopkins today said restrictions will have to stay for up to two months if modelling is right.
She told MPs: “We would need some level of restrictions in place for the next four to eight weeks.”
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It comes amid fears the PM could impose even tougher restrictions in the New Year as he faces angry accusations of “lockdown by stealth”.
MPs and businesses are afraid that Plan B measures could escalate to a greater squeeze after Christmas if Omicron continues to rip.
From tomorrow vaccine passports will be required for large venues to add to current Covid-fighting rules to weak masks and work from home.
The PM has said this is the “right approach” and there are “no plans for tougher measures.
But today Trending In The News reveals that gloomy officials are drawing up proposals to shut the pubs if required.
It’s sparked jitters of a fresh “Plan C” crackdown that will further encroach on freedoms.
Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin warned: “In effect, the country appears to be heading towards a lockdown by stealth.”
Tory MP Danny Kruger also revealed that the PM suggested there could be another lockdown if Plan B measures don’t work.
He was on the brink of resigning as an aide to Michael Gove over plans to introduce vaccine passports.
Tory revolt
In a statement agreeing to back the Government he said: “I spoke to the Health Secretary last night and the Prime Minister this morning.
“Both stressed that these deliberately limited measures are intended to prevent another mandatory lockdown.”
But Tories are worried that the Plan B measures would naturally lead to harsher curbs in the coming months.
Announcing his intention to rebel against Plan B tonight, Tory MP Tom Hunt feared it “could well lead to a gradual creep towards more and more draconian restrictions”.
Mr Johnson has dramatically ramped up the booster programme to counter a “tidal wave of Omicron” coming in the New Year.
Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to put jabs into arms as the PM urged Brits to get behind Trending In The News’s Jabs Army campaign.
The UK Health Security Agency believes the Omicron variant is causing around 200,000 new infections per day, with cases doubling at least every two to three days.
This morning Deputy PM Dominic Raab insisted people will be able to spend Christmas with friends and family.
He said: “I want to give that reassurance. I think people can look forward to spending Christmas with loved ones in a way that we couldn’t last year.”
