No changes to coronavirus guidance, says Boris Johnson, after top scientist suggested people should limit social contacts

Boris Johnson said “it’s always sensible to be careful” as he urged people take precautions against coronavirus, but that ministers are “not going to change the overall guidance” on meetings.

His comments come after Dr Jenny Harries, head of the UK’s Health Security Agency, called this morning for people to “decrease our social contacts a little bit” as 14 cases of Omicron have been identified in the UK.

Dr Harries suggested “not socialising when we don’t particularly need to and going and getting those booster jabs” to help slow the spread of this new apparently transmissable variant.

Asked whether he agreed with Dr Harries - who gave an update to the Cabinet this morning on Omicron - Mr Johnson said: “I think it’s always sensible to be careful. But I think what Jenny is saying there is right, we’ve been living with a pandemic for a long time, people should continue to do things like make sure they have lots of fresh air, they wash their hands and take normal precautions, I think that’s entirely reasonable.

“But we’re not going to change the overall guidance. We don’t think that’s necessary. We don’t see anything to suggest that we need to go, for instance, to Plan B.

“But what we do need to do is take particular precautions against Omicron until we’ve worked out exactly what kind of a threat it may present.”

The opposing ideas come as the country heads into Christmas party season, with festive gatherings and nativity plays scheduled aplenty in the coming weeks.

Downing Street also appeared to distance themselves from Dr Harries’ comments, telling reporters that it was “down to individuals” to decide whether they wanted to go ahead with Christmas parties.

“There is clear guidance for the public about what to consider, as I’ve talked about – things like respiratory hygiene and ventilation, but beyond that there is no change in our guidance,” Mr Johnson’s spokesman said.

In October, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said that Plan B measures – including guidance on working from home – should be implemented in unison to have the biggest effect in tackling any surge in coronavirus cases.

Out of the individual measures, Sage said working from home would have the biggest impact.

But Downing Street has so far refused to reinstate guidance to work from home, in part because of the wider impact on the economy.

“Clearly it’s rightly down to individuals to decide what they think is the right approach but there is no Government guidance to that end.”