Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

New Covid controls as PM Johnson moves England into ‘Plan B’

New Covid controls in England into ‘Plan B’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a press conference at 10 Downing Street on December 8, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Adrian Dennis-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he was starting a so-called Plan B for England, as Omicron variant cases surge, including guidance to work from home and mandatory Covid passports.

Johnson said at a briefing that the rate of Omicron cases was doubling every two to three days, risking a "big rise in hospitalisations".


"We must be humble in the face of this virus", he said, adding that it was "the proportionate and the responsible thing to move to Plan B in England".

The UK has had more than 10 million confirmed cases and nearly 146,000 people have died from the virus, one of the highest tolls in Europe.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Wednesday there have been 568 confirmed cases of the newly discovered Omicron variant, but the true figure is "probably closer to 10,000".

Johnson said that it was becoming increasingly clear that Omicron is "growing much faster than the previously dominant Delta variant and "we can't yet assume Omicron is less severe than previous variants".

"We just have to respond today in the way that we are," he said, while insisting the new measures do not amount to a lockdown and people can continue with Christmas parties and children's events such as Nativity plays as long as they "exercise due caution".

Christmas party probe

Johnson announced the stringent measures while facing public anger over video footage of his aides joking about an alleged illicit Christmas party at Downing Street during last year's lockdown.

The footage aired on national television showed aides laughing as they discussed how to respond if questioned about a "fictional party" at Downing Street, at a time last year when many families had to cancel long-awaited Christmas gatherings.

Johnson on December 19, 2020, announced a strict "stay at home" alert level for London and southeastern England.

The prime minister has insisted that to his knowledge there was no party inside his Number 10 Downing Street office and no rules were broken. He has ordered an investigation into the incident.

An advisor to Johnson, Allegra Stratton, who was his press secretary when she was featured in the footage, gave a tearful resignation speech on Wednesday. She offered "profound apologies", saying she would "regret those remarks for the rest of my days".

Passports for stadiums

As part of a raft of new measures, the government is reintroducing advice to work at home in England.

"From Monday, you should work from home if you can - go to work if you must," the prime minister said.

He added that the government in a week's time will make it compulsory to show Covid vaccine passports in England for the first time, while the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales have already brought in similar measures.

The passes will be required "for entry into nightclubs and venues where large crowds gather", Johnson said, specifying that this would mean indoor venues where more than 500 people gather unseated.

He also said that the passes will be required for any venue with more than 10,000 people present, such as sports stadiums. Four Premier League football matches will take place next Wednesday.

People will have to show certification that they have received two vaccine doses or taken a negative lateral flow test.

The government is also making it a legal requirement to wear masks in "most public indoor venues, including theatres and cinemas", Johnson said. Mask-wearing is already legally required in England on public transport and in shops.

The prime minister stressed the importance of people taking vaccines and the booster doses now being offered. So far more almost 21 million people have received boosters in the UK.

"The single biggest thing that every one of us can do is to get our jabs and crucially to get that booster as soon as our turn arrives," he said.

More for you

 The Wholesale Group’s first tradeshow at Cheltenham Racecourse, bringing together suppliers and wholesale members.

Tradeshow saw 190 suppliers and 180 wholesalers unite for networking, deals, and industry growth.

The Wholesale Group

The Wholesale Group celebrates first tradeshow

UK's newest buying group The Wholesale Group held its first tradeshow since its launch in January 2025 which saw supplier partners and members come together to plan for future growth.

Held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Thursday (20), the event saw more than 190 supplier partners meet with more than 180 wholesale members.

Keep ReadingShow less
RH Amar's new 94,756 sq ft headquarters in High Wycombe.

RH Amar Expands with New 94,756 Sq Ft HQ in High Wycombe

RH Amar signs deal for new purpose-built HQ

RH Amar has signed a deal which will see it move to a new 94,756 sq ft state-of the-art facility in High Wycombe at the end of the year.

The move follows a period of significant growth and expansion for the UK food distributor and growth partner which has seen it achieve double-digit growth in each of the past five years, with new business wins including Weetabix, Dr. Oetker and Divine Chocolate.

Keep ReadingShow less
G4S workers protesting over pay dispute, risking UK cash shortage.

G4S strike could leave UK

Photo: iStock

Cash crunch: banks, ATMs, pubs face shortage as G4S workers vote to strike

Banks, hotels, ATMs and pubs are facing a cash shortage as more than 1,000 G4S workers vote to strike over a real terms pay cut.

GMB members deliver money to companies such as NatWest, Lloyds Santander, Tesco, Asda, Wetherspoons, McDonalds and Travelodge.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trading Standards enforcing new Tobacco and Vapes Bill measures in the UK.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill to crack down on illicit tobacco and vapes.

Photo: Nottinghamshire Police

Government unveils '£10 million boost' to smoke out illicit tobacco, vapes

Tighter and tougher protections to protect children and communities from illicit tobacco and vapes have been unveiled on Sunday (22) as the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill moves closer to creating a smokefree UK.

A new £10 million boost for Trading Standards will bolster operations in local communities for the next year, to fund an expected 80 more apprentice enforcement officers to stop harmful tobacco and vape products finding their way into neighbourhood shops and stopping underage sales.

Keep ReadingShow less
CCTV footage of a masked robber in a black Nike hoodie holding a knife at VR Supermarket on Kingstanding Road, Birmingham, during a robbery on March 20, 2025
iStock image

Birmingham convenience store robbed at knifepoint

A knife-wielding masked robber robbed a convenience store in Birmingham, forcing the staff to empty the till.

In CCTV footage seen by local publications, a man was seen entering the VR Supermarket in Kingstanding Road just before 3pm on Thursday (20).

Keep ReadingShow less