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| No new Covid rules to be announced in England on Monday | No new Covid rules to be announced in England on Monday |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| No further Covid restrictions will be announced in England on Monday, the BBC understands. | No further Covid restrictions will be announced in England on Monday, the BBC understands. |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being briefed on the latest Covid data this afternoon, after two days without published figures. | |
| Ministers are expected to continue regular meetings with scientists, and keep the data under review. | Ministers are expected to continue regular meetings with scientists, and keep the data under review. |
| Meanwhile, Scotland and Northern Ireland have tightened rules for a second day. | Meanwhile, Scotland and Northern Ireland have tightened rules for a second day. |
| In both nations hospitality venues have returned to table service only and social distancing has been reintroduced in several settings. | In both nations hospitality venues have returned to table service only and social distancing has been reintroduced in several settings. |
| Nightclubs have also been closed in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. | Nightclubs have also been closed in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. |
| BBC political correspondent Ione Wells said the lack of new legal restrictions for England on Monday did not rule out more guidance, or stronger language urging people to be careful. | |
| What are the Covid rules now? | What are the Covid rules now? |
| How to look after yourself if you get Covid | How to look after yourself if you get Covid |
| Omicron: Good news, bad news and what it all means | Omicron: Good news, bad news and what it all means |
| Data on daily Covid cases has not been published over Christmas, but the UK saw several days of record cases as Omicron took hold in the run-up to the festive period, with 122,186 cases reported on 24 December. | Data on daily Covid cases has not been published over Christmas, but the UK saw several days of record cases as Omicron took hold in the run-up to the festive period, with 122,186 cases reported on 24 December. |
| Downing Street previously said it would not hesitate to act after Christmas if necessary. | Downing Street previously said it would not hesitate to act after Christmas if necessary. |
| England's current guidance - known as Plan B - requires people in England to work from home, wear face coverings in shops and other public settings and present Covid passes to gain entry to large events. | England's current guidance - known as Plan B - requires people in England to work from home, wear face coverings in shops and other public settings and present Covid passes to gain entry to large events. |
| The data from England emerging points to a very difficult month ahead for the NHS, but not a completely overwhelming one. | |
| Last week, estimates were published suggesting Omicron was causing milder illness. | |
| But it was unclear what that would translate to in the real world - if infections rose high enough, there was still a threat the NHS would not be able to cope. | |
| The latest data in London, which was the first to see an Omicron wave, gives us an indication of what to expect. | |
| December saw the number of cases detected double week-on-week. | |
| But the same is not happening for hospital admissions. While taking into account the lag between infection and falling seriously ill, admissions have risen by two-thirds. | |
| The numbers in hospital have increased even less, suggesting those admitted are spending less time in hospital. | |
| What's more, the increase in infections appears to have levelled off before Christmas. | |
| If this is right and the trends hold and the same pattern is repeated across England, it would suggest a peak under half of what was seen last winter. | |
| That, though, is a lot of ifs. But it looks like it has been enough to convince ministers more restrictions cannot be justified at this point. | |
| The briefing by scientific advisers on Monday is one of a regular series of updates given to the prime minister, and he has not yet called a cabinet meeting or announced a recall of Parliament. | The briefing by scientific advisers on Monday is one of a regular series of updates given to the prime minister, and he has not yet called a cabinet meeting or announced a recall of Parliament. |
| MPs have been promised a vote if it is decided fresh legal measures are needed, after Mr Johnson suffered the largest rebellion since he became PM over the introduction of Covid passes earlier this month. | MPs have been promised a vote if it is decided fresh legal measures are needed, after Mr Johnson suffered the largest rebellion since he became PM over the introduction of Covid passes earlier this month. |
| Early findings last week suggested people infected with the fast-spreading Omicron variant were less likely to be admitted to hospital - although a range of factors will likely be examined when looking at the case for restrictions. | Early findings last week suggested people infected with the fast-spreading Omicron variant were less likely to be admitted to hospital - although a range of factors will likely be examined when looking at the case for restrictions. |
| Omicron: What we know so far | Omicron: What we know so far |
| This variant is very contagious - it spreads faster than others and can infect people even if they are fully vaccinated | This variant is very contagious - it spreads faster than others and can infect people even if they are fully vaccinated |
| Vaccines and boosters are still essential - they do a great job at protecting against severe disease that could put you in hospital | Vaccines and boosters are still essential - they do a great job at protecting against severe disease that could put you in hospital |
| It is milder - if you catch it, the risk of needing hospital treatment is up to 70% lower than with previous variants - but that is largely because many of us have built up immunity from vaccines and past infections rather than changes to the virus | It is milder - if you catch it, the risk of needing hospital treatment is up to 70% lower than with previous variants - but that is largely because many of us have built up immunity from vaccines and past infections rather than changes to the virus |
| Even if Omicron is milder, because it is more contagious a large number of people will catch it and some will still become very ill, which puts pressure on the NHS. | Even if Omicron is milder, because it is more contagious a large number of people will catch it and some will still become very ill, which puts pressure on the NHS. |
| Read more here. | Read more here. |
| The UK has massively ramped up its booster programme in response to Omicron, which was first identified in South Africa just one month ago. | |
| A record 968,665 booster jabs and third doses were reported in one day last week, and the NHS said a further 1.5 million vaccination slots were available to book in England in the coming days. | |
| In a tweet, the prime minister said: "We know two jabs don't give you enough protection against Omicron so whether it's your first, second or booster jab I urge you to book an appointment now." | |
| Meanwhile, there were no walk-in PCR tests available to book in England for a few hours on Monday due to "high demand". | |
| Appointments were temporarily unavailable in every region of England, but the UK Health Security Agency said the issue was now resolved. | |
| A VERY BRITISH SCANDAL: One of the most notorious and brutal legal cases of the 20th Century | A VERY BRITISH SCANDAL: One of the most notorious and brutal legal cases of the 20th Century |
| A STUNNING WINTER WALK: Shepherdess Amanda Owen takes us through the Yorkshire Dales | A STUNNING WINTER WALK: Shepherdess Amanda Owen takes us through the Yorkshire Dales |