Dominic Raab refuses to rule out new COVID restrictions before Christmas
There will not be any "hard, fast guarantees" before the big day
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said the government has not ruled out implementing new COVID restrictions on people before Christmas.
While the Omicron variant continues to spread across the country, Mr Raab said that the UK was in the position to spend Christmas with loved ones.
However, despite the cautious optimism, the minister could not fully rule out more restrictions being imposed, saying any decisions would be made on the data being monitored.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Raab said: "We will have a much better Christmas than last year because of the vaccination level, both the overall vaccination level but particularly the impact of the booster campaign and we saw on Saturday, just in one day, 900,000 people get their booster."
Last week saw the UK's highest numbers of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, with a peak of over 93,000 cases on Friday (December 17th).
The majority of cases are based in London, which alone had 10,000 cases, according to figures on Sunday. However, Omicron is spreading rapidly across the country.
Currently there are 12 confirmed deaths in the UK as a result of the Omicron variant. Similarly, 104 people are in hospital with the new variant.
Despite this, ministers - including the Prime Minister and the Chancellor - are hesitant to reinstate restrictions on people's freedoms in the run up to Christmas Day.
In order to try and stem the spread of the virus, Boris Johnson has been presented with three potential options, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Some of the details in the options reported by the paper include a reduction in social contacts, a curfew on hospitality and retail services and the potential for a full-blown lockdown.
Currently, England is following the government's 'Plan B' to try and stop the spread of the Omicron variant with different rules for the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales.
These are the current rules people in England need to follow as part of 'Plan B':
Face coverings
Face coverings have already become an added feature of our lives since they were reinstated at the beginning of December, but from Friday 10th December face masks will also be needed indoors in places like cinemas and theatres.
Boris Johnson said rules around the wearing of face coverings would be "further extended" to "most public indoor venues" including theatres and cinemas.
The Prime Minister told a press briefing in Downing Street: "There will of course be exemptions where it is not practical, such as when eating, drinking, exercising or singing."
Working from home
Under the rules of "Plan B", the government has reimposed the need to work from home where possible in order to stem the spread of the virus. This guidance comes into place from Monday 13th December.
Nightclubs
Under the government's "Plan B" , COVID passports will become necessary to get into all nightclubs. This is due to the close proximity people would be to each other in the venue and help to reduce the spread of the virus.
Indoor spaces
Indoor settings that have more than 500 people unseated will require a COVID Pass to enter. Examples of settings that would need attendees to have a COVID Pass would include music venues and large receptions.
Outdoor events
Outdoor events are not exempt from using COVID Passes either. Unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people will need people to have a vaccine pass. This includes outdoor music festivals, such as Glastonbury Festival.
Stadiums
COVID Passes will be needed to get into any event that is expecting more than 10,000 people to attend. This would include major sports events such as football matches, as well as music concerts in arenas.
The Prime Minister said: "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."