Are Christmas restrictions ruled out in the UK?

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says there will be no further restrictions imposed over the holiday period, using a video message to reassure Brits that they can go ahead with their Christmas plans

As Omicron cases surge right across Britain, the leader believes there is simply not enough evidence yet to justify tougher rules.

Johnson says there needs to be more certainty around the new variant, including its severity, associated hospitalisation rate and the impact of current vaccines. 

However, the PM did not rule out the possibility of enforcing new measures once the holiday season is over. 

Over the past 24 hours, the UK recorded over 90-thousand new coronavirus infections and 172 deaths. 

There were also more than 15,000 Omicron cases detected, bringing the total number of confirmed Omicron infections to 60,000.

Whilst Johnson says British residents can go ahead with their Christmas plans, he is also urging everyone to exercise caution.