British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday (8) new restrictions on social contact in England to prevent the rapid transmission of the omicron variant of the Covid-19-causing coronavirus, which has doubled the cases of the disease every two or three days in the country.
Starting next Monday (13), the government will order everyone who can work from home to do so, will extend the mandatory use of masks to most public places closed from Friday (10) and will require a vaccination passport for access to nightclubs and major events.
Johnson confirmed that the omicron “is spreading much faster” than the delta variant and said 586 cases of this mutation have been confirmed so far, although “the actual number is likely much higher.”
The prime minister recalled that the increase in new positives and hospitalizations being seen in South Africa – the first country where the new variant was identified – occurs in a similar way in the United Kingdom, which is why “it is more prudent now to go to the plan B to buy time”.
This “plan B” includes a return to remote work from Monday and the mandatory use of masks from Friday in public places such as theaters and cinemas, excluding bars and restaurants for now.
You will need a vaccination passport or a negative antigen test to enter nightclubs and large-capacity venues, which can accommodate more than 500 people standing or any place (indoor or outdoor) with more than 10,000 people.
To decide on the continuation of these measures, the government will evaluate the effectiveness of the booster dose of vaccines against omicron, the severity of the disease caused by this variant and its transmission speed, as well as the hospitalization rates.
Johnson ruled out bringing school to an end before the Christmas season or asking people not to gather during the festivities, though he urged everyone to “be careful.”
The prime minister took a severe blow to his reputation on Wednesday after the release of a video recorded just over a year ago in which his cabinet members joked about an alleged Christmas celebration that had been held in Downing Street , despite the severe restrictions in place that prohibited it.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/united-kingdom-reintroduces-restrictions-to-curb-expansion-of-omicron-variant/
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