With this Christmas again set to be dominated by Covid – the Prime Minister has briefed ministers about the Omicron variant – saying it appears to be “more transmissible” than Delta.
According to latest figures, the UK has reported its highest weekly number of new Covid cases since January.
But Number 10 said there was still no plan to impose more restrictions in England.
Scientists are racing to try and find answers to all the key questions about Omicron and how serious its impact could be on hospitals and vaccinations.