(London) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Monday that he “would not hesitate” to take more restrictive measures to stem the spread of the Omicron variant, without however proceeding with the turn of the screw demanded by some.
Faced with the outbreak of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom, which recorded 91,743 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours on Monday, some Britons are worried and are canceling their outings to preserve their family Christmas, but others say they are hostile to harsh restrictions.
“Given the balance of risks and uncertainties, we have agreed to keep the data under permanent control from now on, with hour-by-hour monitoring,” the conservative leader told televisions after a cabinet meeting. extraordinary, saying “reserve the right to take additional measures to protect the public, public health and our health services.”
“We will not hesitate to take them, we exclude nothing”, hammered Mr. Johnson, without tightening the restrictions, in the face of the reluctance of his own majority. “For now, we want people to focus on being careful,” he added, citing ventilation and wearing a mask.
On Sunday, the Minister of Health Sajid Javid did not rule out the establishment of new rules by Christmas explaining that there is “nothing guaranteed during this pandemic”.
Omicron killed 12 people
According to authorities, twelve people infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have so far died and 104 are hospitalized in the United Kingdom, one of the countries already among the most affected by the pandemic in Europe with more than 147 000 dead (+44).
Boris Johnson finds himself torn between his scientific advisers who call on him to act as quickly as possible to slow down Omicron and certain conservatives who are slowing down the implementation of further measures. According to The Times, about a third of its ministers, including finance minister Rishi Sunak, oppose the new restrictions.
For the moment, the Prime Minister has bet on the acceleration of the vaccine booster campaign decided by the government eight days ago, so that more than half of those over 12 have now received a booster or a third dose. vaccine in the country.
He also made it difficult to vote for new restrictions deemed liberticidal by his camp, including the wearing of masks inside public spaces (except in pubs and restaurants) and the establishment of a health passport for nightclubs or major events.