Boris Johnson has again resisted calls to bring in further Covid-19 restrictions, insisting England could endure the Omicron wave.
"We have a chance to ride out this Omicron wave without shutting down our country once again," he announced from a Downing Street virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Britain’s Prime Minister said he would be recommending to Cabinet that Plan B will remain, but declined to rule out future restrictions as he admitted the weeks ahead would be "challenging".
It comes as the UK reported a record number of new daily cases, with nearly 220,000 confirmed infections on Tuesday and a spate of hospitals declaring critical incidents.
Experts warn that the health system is in "a state of crisis".
Johnson said while the Omicron variant was milder, he reminded those who believed the pandemic to be over were "profoundly wrong" and to get their jabs as many were dying needlessly.
Almost 9 million people eligible for a booster have yet to receive it and more than 60 per cent of those in intensive care with Covid-19 have not had any vaccinations at all.
"Our United Kingdom is in the midst of the fastest growth in Covid cases that we’ve ever known," Johnson said.
"This a moment for the utmost caution."
SHARE ME