UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has imposed tougher COVID-19 restrictions in England, ordering people to work from home, wear masks in public places and use vaccine passes in a bid to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
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Undermined by accusations that his staff partied at Downing Street during a Christmas lockdown last year, Johnson said Omicron was spreading rapidly and he had no choice but to move to "Plan B" to buy time and get more booster shots into arms.
While still a long way from the full lockdowns that hammered the economy earlier in the pandemic, the new measures could cut visitors to restaurants, cafes and shops in city centres in the run up to Christmas and deal a fresh blow to the country's finances.
"While the picture may get better, and I sincerely hope that it will, we know that the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations and therefore, sadly, in deaths," Johnson told a news conference.
Sterling had fallen in the run up to the announcement and investors pared back their bets on a Bank of England interest rate hike next week.
Johnson, who lifted most COVID-19 restrictions in England in July, had vowed to navigate the northern hemisphere winter without resorting to a fourth COVID-19 lockdown but had kept a so-called Plan B in reserve.
Part of those measures, such as reintroducing masks on public transport and in shops, had already been brought in, but on Wednesday Johnson said people should also now work from home if they can.
Face masks will be required in public venues and a COVID-19 pass will be mandatory to access nightclubs and places with large crowds.
Christmas parties are allowed and seasonal children's nativity plays should not be cancelled, Johnson said.
"We don't want nativity plays to be cancelled," Johnson said.
"We think that it's okay - currently on what we can see - to keep going with Christmas parties but obviously everybody should exercise due caution," he said, adding that ventilation, hand-washing and getting tested were sensible things to do.
The UK has recorded more than 145,000 COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic.
The emergencw of the Omicron variant has put governments on edge around the world.
The UK has registered 568 confirmed cases of Omicron so far.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own COVID-19 restrictions and had already set tougher rules.
Australian Associated Press
