PM ‘set to make announcement in next 48 hours’ over possible circuit breaker

The festive period could look very different by Thursday

Boris Johnson is set to make an announcement in the next two days on whether he will be imposing a circuit-breaking lockdown in the coming week. With Omicron on the rise across the globe, governments are scrambling to put restrictions in place to curb its progression. One such restriction is a circuit breaker lockdown, which last year saw indoor mixing banned. Doctors and scientists are to present MPs with the latest data tonight but time is of the essence. Roughly two days is needed to recall the commons from recess, meaning that big decisions will need to be made in the next 24 hours. It is understood that the PM is considering a post-Christmas rule change. With covid messaging vague at best and incompetent at worst, the UK is tossing and turning over the festive period. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said today that there is "an enormous amount of uncertainty" surrounding the Christmas period. He said: "I absolutely appreciate people's frustration with all of this. "And I'd refer people to the Prime Minister's words yesterday. And unfortunately, we're just dealing with an enormous amount of uncertainty at the moment. "And what the Prime Minister said is that we're reviewing the data day by day, hour by hour, keeping the situation under constant review that can't rule anything out." On the other side of the room, Labour's John McDonnell tweeted: "Let's provide alternative to Johnson's dithering. 1.Circuit breaker lockdown 2.Furlough & business support 3.Sick Pay increase 4.Restore £20 Universal Credit Uplift & include legacy benefits 5.10% pay rise for NHS & Social Care heroes, stretching themselves to their limits for us." https://twitter.com/johnmcdonnellMP/status/1472688719643791360 Similarly, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: "There is a "considerable time lag" between what the public can see and when the Government do their job of preparing and planning. https://twitter.com/AngelaRayner/status/1473243132049477634 "Nearly 100,000 cases a day. It is appalling not to outline a plan for how our essential services will stay up and running."

Related links:

• Man's four tests in 24 hours to show just how quickly lateral flows turn positive
• Boris has spaffed his political capital on boozy nights in lockdown
• Scientist explains how you can tell the difference between a cold and Omicron