Two-pronged or two-punch? Boris’ Plan B closes in

The Prime Minister doubled down on his Plan B approach yesterday evening after daily Covid-19 cases hit a record high with 78,610 new infections on Wednesday.

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned that more records would be broken, with the Government “throwing everything” at the new Omicron variant.

While the exact ratios are not yet known, there will be “substantial” numbers hospitalised after Christmas, as the virus moves at an “absolutely phenomenal pace”, Whitty explained.

This means getting London, where cases are around 60 per cent Omicron, boosted as quickly as possible – one element of Johnson’s “two-pronged” plan.

In terms of what this means for Christmas plans, the advice remains mixed.

While Whitty urged the public to “de-prioritise social contacts”, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, President of the British Chambers of Commerce, criticised the lack of financial support.

“Businesses now face the two-punch combination of serious issues with staff absence and plummeting consumer confidence”, McGregor-Smith stated, making new measures disastrous for many sectors, especially hospitality.