Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has offered an assurance that Plan B measures are sufficient enough to allow people to see their loved ones at Christmas this year.
In an interview with Times Radio he discussed how the Government was confident of this due to their plans of an accelerated booster rollout.
It was announced on Sunday (December 12) that the booster jab would be offered to everyone over the age of 18 in England before the end of the year, in an effort to tackle the Omicron variant.
Mr Raab spoke on the plans, saying: “It’s a demanding target but … the facts are that we will go into this Christmas with the ability to spend it with loved ones in a way that was impossible last year.”
He did not rule out further measures being considered for Christmas or New Year, saying: “These issues are always discussed but we have got Plan B, that’s what we think is required over the Christmas period.”
Pressed if Christmas will be safe, Mr Raab replied: “Yes, I think it is. I want to give that reassurance. I think people can look forward to spending Christmas with loved ones in a way that we couldn’t last year.”
What are the Plan B measures that are set to be brought in?
A vote is set to take place today on whether Covid passes will be brought in, which is looking likely to succeed with Labour's support after 70 Tory MPs said they would oppose it.
Under the new measures from Wednesday, NHS Covid passes will be required for entry to indoor venues containing more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people.
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