Covid: Boris Johnson to lead press conference amid calls to tackle Omicron with restrictions
Boris Johnson will lead a coronavirus press conference this evening, amid calls for the Omicron variant to be tackled with new Covid restrictions.
The prime minister has repeatedly resisted pressure to tighten measures in England and he is not expected to announce a change of heart in tonight's press conference.
He will instead provide an update on the latest Covid data and again urge people to get their booster jab, after claiming on Monday the Omicron variant is “plainly milder” than other strains.
The PM will be joined in the 5pm national address by two of his most senior advisers, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance.
Calls for new measures to mitigate the impact of the fast-spreading Omicron variant have increased recently after a number of hospital trusts declared critical incidents over severely reduced staff numbers.
One trust has warned it is "unable to maintain safe staffing levels" because Omicron is sending large numbers into self-isolation, leading to "compromised care" across its sites.
On Monday the Royal College of Nursing sent an open letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Monday, urging him to take a "more cautious approach" to coronavirus restrictions, "without further delay".
But Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup indicated to ITV News on Tuesday there would be no further restrictions in England, insisting that Plan B "is working".
"We're not looking at additional restrictions at the moment," she added, as she urged people to get boosted.