Omicron: Working from home guidance and other coronavirus restrictions is 'buying time' says Sajid Javid

Mr Javid found himself defending the new measures for England, which were announced on Wednesday, following anger from within his own party due to the curbs on freedoms.

Meanwhile, the hospitality industry have urged Ministers to bring back support measures such as tax cuts, furlough, and business grants, as firms fear mass cancellations and a “devastating” blow to their recovery over the Christmas period.

The doubling rate of Omicron is estimated between two and a half to three days, Mr Javid told Sky News yesterday, and even though they represent “a real impact on our liberties” he described the measures as necessary to “build our collective defences” through vaccination.

Given the transmissibility of the new strain. “it would mean, at that rate, by the end of this month we could hit about one million infections in the community throughout the UK”, he told the broadcaster.

“We’ve always been clear that should the data change and should it move in the wrong direction and it looked like the NHS might come under unsustainable pressure – remember what that would mean, we wouldn’t be able to get the emergency care not just for Covid but for a car accident, or anything like that – we would act and implement Plan B.”

He added: “I don’t enjoy doing that, no-one does – it is a very difficult thing for many people, asking them to work from home or wearing face masks and things, it is a real impact on our liberties.

“But I hope that people will understand that by taking decisive action now, we can potentially avoid action later.”

Pub and restaurants are among those who have expressed dismay with the new rules, which also include vaccine passports and the extension of mask wearing to more indoor settings.

Bosses have highlighted that work-from-home guidance and vaccine passports will have a particular impact during the key Christmas period on retail, hospitality and leisure firms which have been battered by the pandemic for the past two years. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the UKHospitality trade group, said the measures “risk devastating the hospitality sector amid its most important time of the year”.

She added: “We therefore desperately need support if we are to survive this latest set of restrictions and urge the Government to stand behind our industry. That means full business rates relief, grants, rent protection and extended VAT reductions. Anything less would prove catastrophic.”