UK scientists warn New Year 'too late' for more COVID restrictions amid Omicron spread

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision not to impose further restrictions to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID has been met with dismay by many scientists. They argued that waiting until the new year will be "too late" to have a significant impact on the pandemic. It may also be too late to tell what impact those limits would have had if they had been implemented earlier because the rate of growth in infection rates may have stagnated or dropped by then, they believed. "If we implement control mechanisms now, they might not be enough to stop the growth, but it will definitely slow it down. Slowing the peak may still be beneficial in regards to flattening the curve," Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, was quoted saying by The Guardian.

After holding a cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister announced that he would not be implementing additional COVID restrictions as of now. He stated that data on the hospitalisation rate for people infected with the Omicron will be kept under "continuous evaluation". Meanwhile, the government sources hinted that further restrictions might be imposed after Christmas, reported the British daily. However, with Omicron infections doubling every 48 hours in most parts of the UK, the country may have already reached a point where the pace of expansion begins to fall and case numbers plateau, the report added. 

Last week, PM Johnson faced a massive backlash over his proposal to impose new COVID limitations. On Tuesday, December 14, several Conservative MPs spoke out against the government in Parliament, resulting in the biggest Tory rebellion against the Johnson-led government. As per reports, more than 80 Conservative backbenchers have indicated that they are prepared to protest to new COVID laws, which include mandatory face masks, quarantine, vaccine passports, and mandatory vaccinations for NHS employees. 

COVID passport regulation would curb people's freedom: Conservative Party

Conservative Party members are of the opinion that implementing the COVID passport regulation would jeopardise people's freedom and establish a two-tier society by restricting access to those who have not been vaccinated. Scientists in the UK have warned the government that daily numbers could reach between 600,000 to 2 million by the end of the month if stringent measures are not taken. According to the government's SPI-M-O group of scientists, which reports to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), hospitalizations might reach 3,000 to 10,000 per day and deaths could reach 600 to 6,000 a day, the British daily reported. 

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