Today in the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care gave an update on Covid-19 regarding the Omicron variant and the new measures the Government has taken to combat it.
The Omicron variant is a stark reminder that we are not yet out of this pandemic, and we must take precautionary and proportionate steps to protect the gains we have made in our fight against the virus.
That is why the Health Secretary announced new measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 – from Tuesday, all contacts of suspected Omicron cases must by law self-isolate for 10 days, face coverings will become compulsory in shops and on public transport, and all fully vaccinated international arrivals must take a PCR test on or before day 2 and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
I was pleased to hear an assurance from the Health Secretary that these measures are temporary and that, once we have more data and information on the variant, we will reconsider the position.
Under the UK presidency, the Government will also be convening an urgent meeting of G7 health ministers today to discuss recent developments and international cooperation on Omicron.
Vaccines remain our most effective tool against COVID-19 and I would urge everyone who is eligible to come forward for their booster jab - and following advice from the JCVI, this will be brought forward for 18-40 year-olds.