Millions in the UK are wondering whether the newly detected variant of Covid-19 will threaten their Christmas plans, following a week of mixed messaging from government and health officials.
Face coverings are compulsory in shops and on public transport once again under measures introduced after the Omicron variant was detected in England and Scotland. And all new international arrivals must take a day-two PCR test and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
Boris Johnson also announced ambitious plans to offer a booster jab to all citizens aged 18 and over by the end of January, in a bid to tackle the spread of the variant.
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Temporary vaccination centres will be “popping up like Christmas trees”, the prime minister told a press conference on Tuesday. Booster doses will be administered at 1,500 community pharmacy sites, temporary vaccination centres and extra hospital hubs in England, and as many as 400 military personnel to be drafted in to assist the NHS and its “fantastic jabs army of volunteers”.
But Christmas parties shouldn’t be cancelled, the PM insisted, contradicting one of his top health officials. Dr Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Security Agency, has said that Brits should “decrease our social contacts a bit” in order to limit the spread of the virus.
Elsewhere, the Labour Party edged further towards the centre in a major reshuffle of Keir Starmer’s top team, and the Conservatives managed to hold on to the safe seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup, the constituency held by the late James Brokenshire. Councillor Louie French won with more than 50% of the vote, but a significantly reduced majority could unsettle the party leadership.
Need a reminder of some of the other headlines over the past seven days?
- MI6 chief Richard Moore warned that the rise of China was the Secret Intelligence Service’s “single greatest priority” as Beijing continues to “conduct large scale espionage operations against the UK and our allies”.
- The Women’s Tennis Association has suspended all its tournaments in China in support of tennis star Peng Shuai, who went missing after making sex abuse allegations against a former Communist Party official. WTA chair Steve Simon said he had “serious doubts that she was free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation”.
- Jack Dorsey, the “raggedy-bearded, nose-ring-sporting” boss of Twitter, announced his resignation from the social network that he co-founded 15 years ago.
