New British restrictions loom after spike in hospital admissions

FRESH Covid-19 restrictions could be imposed in England in time for New Year’s Eve as London’s hospital admissions surge by more than 90 per cent.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will decide on Monday whether to introduce new curbs in response to the Omicron variant.

Government scientists have indicated that the new shutdown measures could remain in place until late March, according to The Times.

The new rules would include a ban on socialising with another household indoors, a return to the “rule of six” outdoors — which limits gatherings to six people — and pubs and restaurants being open for only outdoor service.

Sky News reports that scientific advisers to the government predict that new coronavirus restrictions – including a ban on indoor mixing – could be in place until the end of March in order to minimise Covid-19 deaths in England.

In London, now regarded as Britain’s Omicron “ground zero”, there were 386 new Covid hospital admissions on

December 22, according to the latest NHS data.

A string of studies have shown that Omicron is milder than other strains, with the first official British report revealing the risk of hospitalisation was 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.

The number of deaths in England of people with the Omicron variant has risen to 29,

It comes amid news that Omicron could be fading in South Africa, the country where the variant was initially identified.

South African scientists are confident the Omicron outbreak there is receding and may last just a couple of months.

Infections have spiralled in the past week but admissions failed to reach expected levels, as hospitals never reached full capacity.

Francois Venter, a medical professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, predicted that Omicron would be “pretty much gone” from South Africa by the end of January

Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials say.