Coronavirus latest - Circuit-breaker lockdown restrictions STILL on the cards after Christmas as ministers ‘look closely at data’ after Omicron sweeps across the UK.
A DRACONIAN circuit-breaker to bite down on Omicron is still on the cards after Christmas as ministers watch the data like hawks.
The post-festive squeeze could catapult Britain back to Step 2 restrictions like outdoor pints, a ban on indoor mixing and the hated rule of six.
Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay says the government is "concerned" over an increase in growth of Omicron cases, and is "balancing hospital admissions against the wider economic consequences of any further restrictions".
"We keep these issues under close review," he said.
"Obviously, there's considerable uncertainty within the Omicron data - we're concerned about the increasing growth in cases, particularly in London.
"But there is a considerable time lag between those catching the infection and presenting as cases at hospital and of course, that needs to be looked at... alongside the booster campaign, the increase in treatments, the changes in behaviour as a consequence of Plan B, which will also have an impact on those hospital admissions.
"We're balancing that against the wider economic consequences of any further restrictions which also carry health risks... in terms of the mental health consequences, for example, as well as those wider economic consequences."
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