As Omicron rages in UK, health minister hints at new COVID restrictions before Christmas

Britain`s health minister Sajid Javid said the government was watching the data on an "almost hourly basis" and listening to its scientific advisors and would balance that against the broader impact of restrictions on things such as businesses and education.

London: Britain`s health minister Sajid Javid declined on Sunday to rule out the chance of further COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas, saying the spread of the Omicron variant was a very fast moving situation.

Britain reported a surge in cases of Omicron on Saturday, which government advisors said could be just the tip of the iceberg. London`s mayor declared a "major incident" to help the city`s hospitals cope.

Asked whether he could rule out new restrictions before Christmas, Javid told BBC Television: "We are assessing the situation, it is very fast moving."