• Home
  • Politics
  • News
  • Business
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Education
  • Opinion
Sunday, 26 June, 2022
  • Login
topfmonline.com
 
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Technology
  • Foreign
No Result
View All Result
topfmonline.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Foreign

British PM Johnson imposes COVID ‘Plan B’ to contain Omicron

TOPFM NEWS by TOPFM NEWS
December 9, 2021
in Foreign
A A
0
British PM Johnson imposes COVID ‘Plan B’ to contain Omicron
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Johnson announces tighter restrictions in England, amid allegations that his staff partied during lockdown last year.

British 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 to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Undermined by accusations that his staff partied at Downing Street during a Christmas lockdown last year, Johnson said on Wednesday that Omicron was spreading rapidly and he had no choice but to move to “Plan B” while a vaccine booster programme rolls out.

While still a long way from the full lockdowns imposed earlier in the pandemic, the new measures were described as a “hammer blow” for city centre restaurants, cafes and shops that are desperate for Christmas trade to rebuild their finances.

Many lawmakers in Johnson’s own party are also angry with the new restrictions, fearing the effect they will have after the economy shrank by a historic 10 percent last year.

“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 fell sharply when news first emerged on Wednesday that “Plan B” measures were imminent and investors pared back their bets on a Bank of England interest rate increase next week.

Johnson, who lifted most COVID restrictions in England in July following a rapid vaccine rollout, had pledged to navigate the 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.

Face masks will be required in public venues, such as theatres and cinemas, and a COVID pass will be mandatory for access to nightclubs and venues with large crowds.

Johnson said the new measures were needed after 568 cases of Omicron were found in the country, with data suggesting its doubling time for infections could be between two and three days.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said officials estimated that the number of Omicron infections was actually approximately 20 times higher than the number of confirmed cases, meaning they could be closer to 10,000.

Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons said that recent accusations that Johnson’s staff partied at Downing Street during a Christmas lockdown last year have undermined his legitimacy.

A leaked video showed senior staff laughing and joking about how to explain a gathering in Downing Street during a Christmas COVID-19 lockdown last year. Johnson has apologised.

Simmons said the public is asking how Johnson can “really be a moral authority, guiding the public on what to do” after dodging questions about the Christmas party last year, which was “offensive to the British public”.

‘Hammer blow’

Some businesses reacted to the new restrictions, announced as Christmas approaches, with incredulity.

“The renewed ‘work from home’ order during the most important trading period of the year is a hammer blow for our retail and leisure tenants,” said Jace Tyrrell, CEO of New West End Company.

While many businesses adapted well to working from home, sectors such as hospitality, entertainment and travel have been hit by huge losses. Unlike previous lockdowns, a furlough job support scheme is also no longer available.

A poll from Savanta ComRes also suggested some people may be less willing to follow new restrictions following the revelations about the Downing Street party.

The prime minister also said COVID restrictions could not last forever and the country may need to have “a conversation” about what to do when a substantial proportion of the population refuses to get a vaccine.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own COVID restrictions and had already set tougher rules.

Related Posts

BioNTech breaks ground on first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa

BioNTech breaks ground on first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa

June 24, 2022
0
Taiwan donates $1 million for Afghan quake relief efforts

Taiwan donates $1 million for Afghan quake relief efforts

June 24, 2022
2
Source: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Tags: Boris JohnsoncovidhealthOMICRON
Previous Post

UN halts food aid in Ethiopia’s Kombolcha, Dessie after looting

Next Post

Burkina Faso president fires PM amid security crisis

Related Posts

BioNTech breaks ground on first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa
Foreign

BioNTech breaks ground on first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa

June 24, 2022
0
Taiwan donates $1 million for Afghan quake relief efforts
Foreign

Taiwan donates $1 million for Afghan quake relief efforts

June 24, 2022
2
Taliban say Afghanistan earthquake rescue efforts almost complete
Foreign

Taliban say Afghanistan earthquake rescue efforts almost complete

June 24, 2022
1
Ukraine forces to retreat from embattled Severodonetsk
Foreign

Ukraine forces to retreat from embattled Severodonetsk

June 24, 2022
0
Police chief who led Texas school shooting response suspended
Foreign

Police chief who led Texas school shooting response suspended

June 23, 2022
0
Two more abducted Chibok girls freed in Nigeria, military says
Foreign

Two more abducted Chibok girls freed in Nigeria, military says

June 23, 2022
1
Next Post
Burkina Faso president fires PM amid security crisis

Burkina Faso president fires PM amid security crisis

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

  • Business
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Foreign
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized

BROWSE BY TOPICS

5G 2022 Budget AFCON Afghanistan akufo addo Amazon Apiate explosion Appiate apple AT&T Biden Black Stars covid COVID-19 COVID 19 E-Levy facebook Ghana Police Service Google Hackers health Intel iphone meta Microsoft NLC Nvidia OMICRON Parliament police Russia Samsung security South Africa Taliban tech Tesla Trump twitter US UTAG vaccine WHO Windows 11 Xinjiang

Recent Posts

  • Apple and Android phones hacked by Italian spyware, Google says
  • SpaceX says 5G expansion would make Starlink ‘unusable’ for most Americans
  • Instagram trials face scans to verify age of users 
  • BioNTech breaks ground on first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa
  • Taiwan donates $1 million for Afghan quake relief efforts

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

RECENT NEWS

  • Apple and Android phones hacked by Italian spyware, Google says June 24, 2022
  • SpaceX says 5G expansion would make Starlink ‘unusable’ for most Americans June 24, 2022
  • Instagram trials face scans to verify age of users  June 24, 2022
  • BioNTech breaks ground on first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa June 24, 2022

MAIN CATEGORIES

  • Business
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Foreign
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized

Entertainment

TOP FM enters Mallam Atta market with “Apomuden” Festival
Business

TOP FM enters Mallam Atta market with “Apomuden” Festival

3 months ago
5
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE

© 2021 Top Media Group - Powered by BackUp Data Systems

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
  • News
  • Business
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Education
  • Opinion

© 2021 Top Media Group - Powered by BackUp Data Systems

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In