Yesterday the Prime Minister announced new measures to slow down the spread of the Omicron Variant in the UK, taking precautionary steps to bolster our wall of defence against this new variant.

The Omicron variant is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant, doubling every two to three days – risking a potentially serious rise in hospitalisations and death. As seen in previous waves, a swift rise in cases can lead to a rapid rise in hospitalisations, which will quickly lead to pressure on the NHS. The data in South Africa is showing a rapid increase in hospitalisations. That is why the Government has announced targeted and proportionate measures, subject to approval by Parliament, to slow the spread of the new variant, including:

• Face masks becoming mandatory in public indoor settings except hospitality from Friday 10 December.
• Advice to work from home if you can from Monday 13 December.
• The requirement to show proof of vaccination or a negative lateral flow test through the NHS Covid Pass for entry to nightclubs and settings where large crowds gather from Wednesday 15 December.
  • People will be able to demonstrate proof of two vaccine doses via the app. Having considered the evidence since the emergence of Omicron, proof of a negative lateral flow test will also be accepted.

As Omicron spreads in the community, we will also introduce daily tests for contacts instead of isolation, so we keep people safe while minimising the disruption to daily life.

A full list of guidance on these changes will be available on gov.uk in the coming days. Face covering regulations will be laid in parliament today, with the remaining regulations laid on Monday 13 December. Parliament will debate the measures next week, with a vote expected to take place on Tuesday 14 December.

The Government will continue to assess the Omicron variant and will keep the data under constant review. These measures will also be kept under review and are set to expire six weeks after implementation, with a review after three weeks. Taken together, the Government is hopeful these measures will reduce transmission and slow the spread of the Omicron variant, and will continue to urge those eligible to get their boosters when called - our scientists are clear that vaccines remain our first line of defence.

For anymore information on the Government’s decision to introduce Plan B measures, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-confirms-move-to-plan-b-in-england.

Prime Minister's Statement at Covid-19 Press Conference: 8 December 2021

As soon as we learned of the new Omicron variant, this Government acted, introducing targeted and proportionate measures as a precaution, while our scientists discovered more. And we’re still learning more every day. We do not yet know Omicron’s severity, its exact rate of transmission, nor indeed the full effectiveness of our vaccines against it.

But since I last spoke to you, it’s become increasingly clear that Omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant, and it’s spreading rapidly all around the world. 568 cases have been confirmed through genomic sequencing across every region of the UK, and the true number is certain to be much higher. Most worryingly, there is evidence that the doubling time of Omicron in the UK could be currently between two and three days. And while there are some limitations to what we can learn from South Africa, including due to different rates of vaccination and previous infection  – we are now seeing growth in cases here in the UK that mirrors the rapid increases previously seen in South Africa. And South Africa is also seeing hospitalisations roughly doubling in a week, meaning we cannot yet assume Omicron is less severe than previous variants.

So while the picture may get better – and I sincerely hope it will – we know the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations, and therefore sadly deaths. And that is why it is now the proportionate and responsible thing to move to Plan B in England while continuing to work closely with our colleagues in the Devolved Administrations – so we slow the spread of this variant, buy ourselves the time to get yet more boosters in more arms, especially in older and more vulnerable people, and understand the answers to the key outstanding questions about Omicron.

So first, we will reintroduce the guidance to work from home. Employers should use the rest of this week to discuss working arrangements with employees but from Monday you should work from home if you can. I know this will be hard for many people, but by reducing your contacts in the workplace you will help slow transmission.

Second, from this Friday we will further extend the legal requirement to wear a face mask to most public indoor venues, including cinemas and theatres. There will be exemptions where it is not practical, such as when eating, drinking, exercising or singing.

Third, we’ll also make the NHS Covid Pass mandatory for entry into nightclubs, and venues where large crowds gather including unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue with more than 10,000 people. The NHS Covid Pass can still be obtained with two doses but we will keep this under review as the boosters roll out. And having taken clinical advice since the emergence of Omicron, a negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient.

As we set out in Plan B, we will give businesses a week’s notice, so this will come into force in a week’s time, helping to keep these events and venues open at full capacity, while giving everyone who attends them confidence that those around them have done the responsible thing to minimise risk to others.

As Omicron spreads in the community, we will also introduce daily tests for contacts instead of isolation, so we keep people safe while minimising the disruption to daily life. And we will take every step to ensure our NHS is ready for the challenges ahead. But the single biggest thing that every one of us can do, is to get our jabs and crucially to get that booster as soon as our turn arrives.

One year to the day since the UK became the first country in the world to administer a Covid vaccine into the arms of Margaret Keenan, we have opened up the vaccine booster to all those over 40, and we are reducing the gap between second dose and booster to a minimum of just three months. Our heroic NHS staff and volunteers have already done almost 21 million boosters, including reaching 84 per cent of all eligible over 80s. But we need to go further and faster still, because our scientists are absolutely confident that your immune response will be stronger if you have been boosted. And while you are at it – please get your flu jab too. Let’s do everything we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones this winter – and to reduce the pressures on our NHS.

As we learn more, so we will be guided by the hard medical data around four key criteria: the efficacy of our vaccines and boosters; the severity of Omicron; the speed of its spread and the rate of hospitalisations. We will constantly monitor the data and keep it under review. And we must be humble in the face of this virus. But if it becomes clear that the boosters are capable of holding this Omicron variant, and we have boosted enough people to do the job then we will be able to move forward as before.

So please play your part – and get boosted.

Travel Measures Introduced to Prevent the Spread of the Omicron Variant

On Tuesday, new travel measures come into effect to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant – taking precautionary steps to bolster our wall of defence against COVID-19.

The Omicron variant is a stark reminder that we are not yet out of this pandemic, and we must take steps to protect the gains we have made in our fight against the virus. That is why, at 04:00 7 December, new measures to slow the spread of the variant come into effect – all travellers to the UK are now required to take a lateral flow or PCR test before their departure, and will not be allowed to travel if they receive a positive result, and measures will be reviewed once further data about Omicron is available.

Airlines will be required to check for pre-departure tests alongside a completed passenger locator form, and passengers will not be allowed to board a flight without providing evidence of a negative test result. Given the reduced incubation period of the Omicron variant, passengers are advised to take the pre-departure test as close as possible to their scheduled departure to the UK and no earlier than 48 hours before travelling.

This latest measure builds on the Government’s previously announced measures to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant in the UK. These measures include adding 11 countries to the Government’s travel red list, making all international arrivals take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival and self-isolate until they receive a negative result and making all contacts of suspected Omicron cases self-isolate, regardless of their age or vaccination status.

These additional measures are vital to delaying the import of additional cases and slow the rise in cases within the UK. However, as the Prime Minister set out on 27 November, all temporary measures will be reviewed after three weeks to ensure that they remain necessary and proportionate

While we continue to assess the Omicron variant and take further steps if necessary, vaccines remain our first line of defence and we urge everyone who is eligible to come forward for their booster jab.