UK Government to review next moves regarding Omicron

Since the spread of Omicron made the UK government take a stronger stance against Covid once again, the UK has remained under “Plan B measures,” which consist of compulsory face coverings and the use of Covid passes at bigger events. However, these were scheduled to end on 26 January, which is fast approaching. As a result, the government is now figuring out the next steps for the country, and the Cabinet is set to meet to discuss its next steps

The health sector has been busy giving out as many booster jabs as possible in a bid to restrict the spread of Omicron in the hopes this would put the country in a better position, but some are keen to proceed with caution. 

Current state of the situation

The Plan B measures have been in place since December, when concerns about Omicron first emerged. In addition to compulsory face coverings in most public spaces, the measures included advice to work from home where possible. The Covid passes mean that proof of full vaccination is necessary to gain entry to certain events and locations.

Infections now seem to be falling in the country, with a 38.9% drop in recorded cases between the 12 and 19 of January. Even more importantly, hospital admissions are also down, although they haven’t dropped quite so dramatically with a decrease of 2.9% between 7 and 14 January.

However, they certainly haven’t disappeared, and part of the drop could be due to the amount of testing decreasing. It’s also important to remember that there’s a lag between contracting Covid and it showing in any figures, so it can be hard to measure the true levels of the virus.

Different opinions

So far, Boris Johnson has remained coy about how to proceed with the Covid measures, saying that Covid remains a threat, and we’d be wise to remember that. However, considering he currently faces a major scandal after details of his restriction-breaking party last year emerged, he’s unlikely to give a controversial statement. 

Others have been more optimistic. Sajid Javid has expressed hopes that the UK can return to normal shortly. Wales and Scotland have already started to lift measures, so it’s likely England will follow suit.

Sarah Bromley

Sarah is a a journalist at Parliament Magazine specializing in UK and European news. She is also full-time freelance writer specializing in business and finance and has worked with a range of clients, from growth marketing agencies to cryptocurrency platforms. She previously studied Economics with Spanish Bsc at the University of Birmingham.