Raab can’t promise a normal Christmas
DEPUTY PM REFUSES TO RULE OUT MORE RESTRICTIONS
DOMINIC Raab has said he cannot make any “hard, fast guarantees” that more restrictions will not be needed ahead of Christmas Day.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the data is “always under review” but claimed the country is in a “better position to enjoy Christmas with loved ones” this year.
But he was unable to offer any guarantees as he advised people to be “careful and cautious” in the coming days.
A cabinet meeting took place yesterday afternoon for ministers to receive updates and ask questions of officials over the latest Covid situation.
Amid reports ministers have pushed back against calls from scientific advisers for new measures to tackle the Omicron variant before Christmas, Mr Raab offered his support for the Government’s approach while noting all Cabinet ministers ask questions about the advice received.
Confirmed cases of the faster spreading strain have risen by more than 12,000 in the UK - and London’s cases alone topped 10,000, according to data on Sunday.
But about one third of the Cabinet are said to be reluctant to support new restrictions in the coming days, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak among them, according to The Times.
The paper reported that 10 ministers are resisting a call by the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance at the weekend for new restrictions to be brought in as soon as possible to prevent the health service being overwhelmed.
Mr Johnson has been presented with three options to tackle the spread of the virus, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The paper reported that they range from guidance asking people to limit indoor contacts, to rules on household mixing, social distancing and a curfew on pubs and restaurants and, thirdly, a full lockdown.
The Telegraph quoted one unnamed Cabinet minister as saying data presented by Sir Patrick and England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty on Saturday was “just trashed by the Cabinet”.
The source said “guidelines, rather than restrictions, are entirely possible”.
On whether a lockdown is being considered over Christmas, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “At this point, we’re still monitoring the data and keeping a very close eye on it, as the Deputy Prime Minister said this morning. We’d update if any further decisions are taken.”
Conservative peer Lord Frost offered an insight into the mood of some within the Cabinet after stating he quit as Brexit minister over the weekend because “I don’t support coercive policies on Covid”.
“The Prime Minister has got some very difficult decisions to take and I’m sure he’ll be thinking very hard at them,” he told Sky News.
Mr Raab, addressing concerns over festive plans, told Sky News: “We will have a much better Christmas than last year because of the vaccination level, both the overall vaccination level but particularly the impact of the booster campaign, and we saw on Saturday, just in one day, 900,000 people get their booster.”