UK says it may need tougher restrictions as COVID cases skyrocket

By AP 16 December 2021, 5:07 pm

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People wear face coverings as they walk through Westminster, in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the omicron variant. He is again urging people to work from home and mandating COVID-19 passes to get into nightclubs and large events. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

England’s chief medical officer says the UK government may have to consider a tougher response to the wave of COVID-19 sweeping the country if vaccines prove less effective than anticipated against the new Omicron variant.

In testimony to a parliamentary committee, Prof. Chris Whitty says scientists won’t fully understand how well vaccines work against Omicron until they’ve conducted clinical studies on patients infected with the variant. Data from those studies isn’t expected until the last week of December at the earliest.

Whitty’s comments come in response to questions about whether the government was considering more restrictions on personal and business interactions after the UK reported 78,610 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest number since the pandemic began.

The government this week rolled out an accelerated vaccine program that aims to offer everyone over the age of 18 a booster shot by the end of the year. It has also implemented new rules ordering masks to be worn in most indoor settings in England and requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter nightclubs and large events.