Sajid Javid tells people to test but keep making plans over Christmas as Omicron variant spreads

Sajid Javid has urged partygoers to take a test before they attend any events, but said “people should continue to behave in the way they were planning to behave over Christmas.”

The Government gave details yesterday on how it is accelerating the Covid booster programme to try and slow the spread of the new strain.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) recommended that Ministers “be prepared for a potentially very serious wave of infections” when they met on Monday, according to meeting minutes that have been seen by the BBC

They recommended a “very stringent response” to the Omicron variant and warned that the impact it could have on the UK is “highly uncertain.”

Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of Sage from University College London, told Times Radio that if the variant was more transmissible “then it’s going to spread anyway, the question is at what speed and whether or not it’s going to peak before we get that extra protection in through vaccination”.

So far, 22 cases of Omicron have been detected across the country, nine in Scotland, and another 13 in England.

Top medic Dr Jenny Harries suggested yesterday that people may want to reduce their social contacts to reduce the risk of spreading Covid, but Ministers are keen for people to keep their plans.

Mr Javid told the Today Programme on Wednesday: “If you are invited to a Christmas party, there’s quite a few people there, maybe you want to take an LFT (lateral flow test) before you go.

“Go to the party, but just be cautious.”

His comments came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson also urged the public not to cancel their parties or nativity plays.

Meanwhile, the Mr Johnson and Downing Street staff have been accused of breaking Covid rules by hosting parties in Number 10 in the run up to Christmas last year.

The Daily Mirror said the Prime Minister gave a speech at a packed leaving do for a senior aide last November when the country was in the midst of the second lockdown.

The newspaper said members of his No 10 team then held their own festive party days before Christmas, while London was under Tier 3 restrictions.

In each case, the paper reported, there were 40 or 50 people crammed “cheek by jowl” into a medium sized room.

Asked about the reports during a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Javid insisted the coronavirus restrictions would have been adhered to in No 10.

Elsewhere, Yorkshire MP and new Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called on the Government to tighten up travel rules.

Alongside new Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, she is calling for people to be required to take a lateral flow test before they depart to come to the UK, as well as the Day 2 PCR when they arrive.

Mr Streeting told BBC Breakfast: “We’re talking about a lateral flow test. We’re used to this by now.

“It’s not unreasonable that before people travel to a busy airport, board a busy flight, arrive into busy arrivals halls at airports and travel back home on busy public transport, that they would have a test before they fly.

“That would be the responsible thing to do.”