Prime minister announces a Christmas without curbs, but warns tighter measures may follow after the holiday due to Omicron’s rapid spread

Boris Johnson confirmed that England will proceed with Christmas plans without any new restrictions on socializing, offering reassurance to families ahead of the holiday. However, the prime minister cautioned that tighter curbs could be introduced after Christmas due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, even as cases showed signs of plateauing.

Johnson’s announcement came alongside a change in the self-isolation rules. Starting from today, the isolation period for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals will be reduced from 10 days to seven, provided they test negative with lateral flow tests on days six and seven. This adjustment aims to help tens of thousands of people return to their Christmas plans. However, those who are unvaccinated must still adhere to the full 10-day isolation period if they are close contacts of someone who tests positive.

Despite the relaxation of rules before Christmas, the government’s warning remains that the situation is fluid and further restrictions could be imposed if the Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly after the holiday season.