A series of new “targeted and precautionary” Covid measures will be implemented in the UK to halt the spread of the new Omicron variant.
During a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson outlined the new measures alongside a “boost” to the booster campaign in an attempt to slow the spread.
From today, anyone arriving in the country will be asked to take a PCR test for Covid-19 on the second day and they must self-isolate until they provide a negative result.
Close contacts of people who have been confirmed to have the Omicron strain will also have to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status.
The rules on face coverings will be tightened as well, with masks now made mandatory in shops and on public transport.
‘We need to take targeted and proportionate measures now’
The measures, which will be reviewed in three weeks, were announced after two cases of the concerning new Omicron variant were detected in the UK.
Boris Johnson warned the new variant could reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and said “tightening up the rules” was a necessary precaution while experts find out more about Omicron and its impact.
The Prime Minister said: “We need to take targeted and proportionate measures now as a precaution while we find out more.
“First we need to slow down the seeding of the variant in this country, we need to buy time for our scientists to understand exactly what we’re dealing with, and for us to get more people vaccinated, and above all to get more people boosted.
“We’re not going to stop people travelling, I want to stress that, but we will require anyone who enters the UK to take a PCR test by the end of the second day after their arrival and to self-isolate until they have a negative result.”
However, Mr Johnson said border measures can “only ever minimise and delay the arrival of a new variant rather than stop it all together”.
‘Boost’ to booster campaign
While the effectiveness of vaccines against Omicron is currently unclear, Mr Johnson said there are “good reasons for believing they will provide at least some measure of protection”.
He continued: “If you’re boosted, your response is likely to be stronger so it’s more vital than ever that people get their jabs and we get those boosters into arms as fast as possible.
“From today we’re going to boost the booster campaign, we’re already planning to do six million jabs in England alone over the next three weeks and now we’re looking to go further.
“The Health Secretary has asked the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) to consider giving boosters to as wide a group as possible as well as reducing the gap between your second dose and your booster.”