According to reports, plans are being drawn up which would see a return to restrictions which were in place earlier this year for a two-week "circuit breaker". However schools and shops would not be shut under the plans, The Times reports. This included a ban on indoor mixing and indoor hospitality. The total number of Omicron cases confirmed in the UK currently stands at 14,909, but experts believe up to 400,000 people could be catching it every day. Based on this they also estimate the reproduction number (R) of Omicron was above 3, over the period studied.

Source: The Times December 18, 2021 13:48 UTC