London, Dec 21 (FN Agency) UK Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay on Tuesday advised people to celebrate Christmas in a “cautious way” to tackle the new wave of the Covid 19 pandemic and prevent further social distancing restrictions and an eventual lockdown. “We’re saying to people that they should continue with Christmas but do so in a cautious way,” Barclay told LBC radio. He explained that each family should make their own decisions as to how many people they would be inviting to the celebration.
Asked about media reports that the government is planning to impose further Covid restrictions and a two-week lockdown after Christmas, Barclay said: “We don’t think the case is there for further restrictions at his stage.” The latest official figures showed there were a further 91,743 Covid 19 cases and 44 deaths on Monday. Additionally, the UK Health Security Agency said there had been 8,044 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant across the country, bringing the total number to 45,145. In London, where Omicron has now become the dominant variant of the novel coronavirus, a major New Year’s Eve celebration at Trafalgar Square has been canceled by Mayor Sadiq Khan.