Covid: No guarantees over Christmas lockdown, says Dominic Raab

The authorities “can’t fabricate tough, rapid guarantees” that there might perhaps be perhaps no longer a Christmas lockdown, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has mentioned.

“I’m no longer going to path issues when choices haven’t been made,” he mentioned, when requested whether England can search knowledge from extra restrictions in the arrival days.

Ministers are pondering about three assorted alternate recommendations of that you simply might perhaps per chance imagine Covid measures, the BBC has been educated.

They’re for the time being conserving talks at a virtual cupboard assembly.

The contemporary Omicron variant is persevering with to spread swiftly across the nation, with the amount of confirmed cases taking pictures up final week.

An additional 91,743 Covid cases were reported across the UK on Monday, the second absolute most sensible day-to-day total on legend.

Some newspapers are reporting that contemporary restrictions might perhaps be brought in sooner than Christmas in England – with the Day after day Telegraph announcing that alternate recommendations into consideration include curbs on family mixing or forcing pubs and restaurants to conclude early.

The BBC has been educated that civil servants accept as true with produced three alternate recommendations for future Covid measures, and so that they vary in severity from low to medium and high.

But ministers accept as true with but to fabricate a preference and so that they philosophize they are sorting out the tips sooner than taking a resolution.

With the cupboard assign to meet on Monday afternoon, it is not but known whether a press conference is being deliberate for later.

When requested whether a Christmas lockdown is being notion-about, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman mentioned “we’re easy monitoring the tips and maintaining a in point of fact conclude see on it”.

“We are capable of purchase any wanted steps in the interest of defending lives and livelihoods,” the spokesman later added.

Mr Raab earlier refused to philosophize that no contemporary principles might perhaps be brought in. Asked whether he might perhaps rule out a Christmas lockdown, he answered: “Now we accept as true with mentioned we can’t fabricate tough, rapid guarantees.”

“The acceleration of the booster makes that remarkable much less likely,” he educated BBC Radio 4’s On the present time programme.

“But in the destroy, in reply to your keep aside a question to, it is dependent on the severity of the Omicron cases and likewise you realize that there might perhaps be a time perambulate between reported cases, hospitalisations and the deaths.”

Pressed on whether booster jabs might perhaps be ample to reduction some distance from extra principles this winter, Mr Raab mentioned jabs were “the central part that is boosting our security” nonetheless there are assorted issues, too, admire the Thought B measures in England.

“It’s dazzling to assert we accept as true with now to reduction the proof reviewed on an hour-by-hour and day-by-day foundation,” he mentioned. His message to the general public might perhaps be to make spend of some “popular sense caution” over who they are mixing with.

The authorities’s scientific advisers philosophize contemporary restrictions will be required very rapidly – and accept as true with urged reducing the dimensions of groups that can meet and shutting venues where there might perhaps be a high risk of transmission.

There are also fears over workers absences led to by the surge, with some NHS trusts already having to prolong non-wanted work.

Psychologist Prof Stephen Reicher – who advises the authorities on a Fable sub-group – educated BBC Breakfast the UK likely wanted extra restrictions.

“The safest part is now to not meet up sooner than Christmas,” he mentioned – nonetheless if of us invent, they must easy purchase a lateral drift take a look at.

But any other scientist, epidemiologist Prof Carl Heneghan, mentioned the general public must easy be depended on to management their bear Covid risk.

“We are in deep, deep disaster here of doubtlessly talking ourselves into annual winter lockdowns,” he says.

In Scotland, of us accept as true with already reduce back reduction on socialising, which has slowed the Omicron wave a tiny bit, mentioned national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch. “But it surely’s coming,” he warned.

It is no longer a easy preference between prioritising the virus and the financial system, he mentioned. “You either purchase the misfortune now or you purchase it later.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer mentioned his occasion stood ready to toughen extra measures if wanted – nonetheless known as on the pinnacle minister to “reach up with a thought and salvage a grip”.

“The ball’s in his court, nonetheless where is he?” Mr Starmer mentioned, calling for clarity over whether colleges will reopen and whether companies will salvage financial serve.

“There is a vacuum of management for the time being,” he added.

Most trendy Thought B principles for England include Covid passes for clear events, face masks in extra areas and of us being entreated to assemble a living from home in the occasion that they’ll.

Utterly different countries of the UK accept as true with comparable principles, though Scotland has gone further by asking of us to restrict social contact to a pair households at a time in the flee-as much as Christmas, and might perhaps stride further easy in the contemporary year.

Wales has also ordered nightclubs to conclude from 27 December.

On the time, there were strict restrictions on mixing, nonetheless No 10 says this gathering in the Downing Avenue backyard modified into a piece assembly.