UK reports record 106,000 coronavirus cases

The UK on Wednesday reported a record 106,000 coronavirus cases, as Boris Johnson came under growing pressure to spell out whether he will introduce new Covid-19 restrictions in England after Christmas.

Some business leaders called for clarity from the prime minister after the devolved governments in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh outlined coronavirus measures that will take effect after Christmas Day.

It came as fresh research in England and Scotland indicated that people infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant were less likely to require hospital treatment than those with the Delta strain. The findings chimed with research from South Africa, where Omicron was first identified.

The UK recorded 106,122 Covid-19 cases in the latest 24-hour period, up 35 per cent compared to the same day last week, and highlighting the rapid spread of Omicron. However, the growth rate appears to have slowed, falling from a December 16 high of almost 75 per cent week on week.

The Welsh government on Wednesday announced that groups of no more than six people will be able to meet in pubs from December 26, and that the two-metre social distancing will be reintroduced.

The Northern Irish government said nightclubs will close from December 26, and it advised people to restrict indoor socialising to three households from December 27.

The moves come after the Scottish government on Tuesday announced restrictions on public gatherings from December 26.

Senior UK government officials said any further potential restrictions for England would not be announced by Johnson until early next week.

The prime minister said on Tuesday that no additional measures would be introduced before Christmas after several members of his cabinet opposed new restrictions, including chancellor Rishi Sunak.

One senior Whitehall official said the government was more likely to issue fresh guidance rather than legally enforceable restrictions if it was deemed necessary, noting the logistical complications of recalling parliament before the new year.

Johnson has committed to giving MPs a vote on any further restrictions, and the official added: “If we’re announcing on a bank holiday like Boxing Day, given that it takes two to three working days to recall parliament, we would struggle to see regulations kick in before the new year.”

But one person with knowledge of Johnson’s thinking said Number 10 was not yet considering whether further restrictions might be necessary. “The PM hasn’t looked at options yet . . . There’s still not enough data to justify further restrictions,” he added.

Roger Barker, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, said business leaders “crave certainty”.

“We are therefore looking for the prime minister to clear up the speculation about whether additional restrictions are going to be introduced in the days following Christmas,” he added.

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader, expressed concern that the UK’s four nations were not proceeding in a co-ordinated manner on restrictions.

Meanwhile, a new study from Imperial College London found that people who contracted Omicron were 25 to 30 per cent less likely to be admitted to hospital than those with Delta.

Another study from the University of Edinburgh found that people infected with Omicron were as much as 68 per less likely to end up in hospital than those with Delta.

Professor Neil Ferguson, a UK government science adviser who led the Imperial study, said the research also pointed to Omicron being 11 per cent less likely to lead to hospitalisation of people with no immune protection, suggesting the variant might be intrinsically more mild.

He said the findings were “clearly good news to a degree” but he stressed that the drop in severity “doesn’t substantially change conclusions of modelling” provided to ministers.

Projections by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies have indicated daily hospitalisations in England could rise to at least 3,000 by February under ministers’ existing so-called Plan B restrictions.

Ferguson said “some reduction in severity but not a dramatic reduction in severity” meant there was still the “potential” of “getting hospitalisation numbers which would put the NHS in a difficult position”.

In London, the area in the UK worst hit by Omicron, daily hospital admissions increased to 301 on December 20, the highest level since February 7. Weekly hospitalisations are up 45 per cent across the UK capital.

Additional reporting by Jasmine Cameron-Chileshe

​Letter in response to this article:

Reporting of the Covid death count needs refining / From Graham Stevens, London SW1, UK