Prime Minister Johnson has no plans to limit travel or impose any other restrictions on the virus’s spread, his spokesman said on Friday. Scottish officials have claimed that they expect omicron coronavirus variants will become dominant within just days now and could go down as one of Britain’s most threatening outbreaks in decades if nothing is done about it fast enough.
Johnson, who sets health rules in England introduced his “Plan B” COVID-19 measures on Wednesday. He ordered people to work from home and wear masks while out in public places as well as getting vaccinated with passes that slow down the spread of Omicron.
Sajid Javid, the health minister, said on Wednesday that the number of Omicron infections is closer to 10,000 even though there are currently 817 genomically confirmed cases in the United Kingdom. More than 50,000 infections of COVID-19 have been reported each day for three out of the last four days in the United Kingdom.
Scientists studying the virus have found a new variant that is causing concern. The spokesperson for Omicron, an international organization dedicated to fighting viruses and epidemics said they need more time before making any conclusions about it’s potential impact on vaccines.”
When asked about the possibility of a “Plan C” being put in place, he said: “There are no plans to go beyond what we have set out already. Obviously we need keep watch on this variant’s characteristics and act if necessary but it seems like all is well with our current approach.”
The UK Health Security Agency, in their assessment of the Omicron strain has determined that it is more severe than Delta but lacks sufficient data to make conclusions about vaccine protection and previous infection.
The senior minister, Michael Gove is chairing a meeting with the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Friday about coordinating their responses to COVID-19 data.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said next week may mark the arrival of Omicron’s dominance in the country.
She said that while she hoped those who got Omicron might have more mild disease, it was not guaranteed and the rapid growth in cases would cause problems for National Health Service nonetheless.”
“The director of infection prevention in London has warned that the number of people infected with Omicron could put a massive strain on healthcare services if not dealt with properly. She said they’re worried about its greater transmissibility, which makes it easier for more mild cases to turn serious.”
