Keep calm and don’t scrap any parties! Boris Johnson finally sends a clear message

Rowdy drinkers started the Christmas festivities early on Friday night despite experts’ warnings the risk of getting infected by the Omicron Covid wave is ‘high’. 

Boris Johnson insisted last night that he wanted Britons to enjoy Christmas as ‘normally as possible’ – just as Ireland was told it was going into semi-lockdown.

In scenes reminiscent of pre-Covid times Britons took to the streets of cities including Leeds and London to celebrate the run up to Christmas.

One woman was seen getting a lift on her friend’s back while others gathered in groups to drink outside pubs while donning party hats. 

Groups of glamorous women hooked each others’ arms for support as they tottered down the street in high heels as the festivities kicked off last night.  

Following a week of mixed messaging from his ministers, the Prime Minister admitted there had been ‘quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing’ on Christmas parties.

But he said it was ‘not right’ that people should consider cancelling seasonal events – saying that the ‘tough measures’ his Government has taken at the borders should see the country through without the need for further curbs. 

Leeds: Christmas revellers make the most of a night out on Friday – as Britain braces for the possibility of further restrictions

Leeds: One woman sits on the floor as she takes a break from festivities while walking through the city centre

Leeds: A woman twirls around a lamppost during a raucous night out on Friday

Leeds: A glamorous group posed as they enjoyed their night out on Friday

Leeds: One man held a bouquet of flowers aloft as he celebrated Christmas with pals, left, while a couple cozied up during their night out, right

Pubs, bars and restaurants in London’s Soho were as packed as ever last night despite new Covid rules to stop the spread of the new Omicron variant 

Leeds: The festivities come as some Britons remain concerned that tighter Covid restrictions could be brought in this month due to Omicron, despite Oliver Dowden insisting people should ‘keep calm and carry on’ with their Christmas plans and parties

A group of revellers are pictured on a night on in Leeds on Friday as the country gets into the festive season 

It came as Ireland closed nightclubs, imposed restrictions on bars and restaurants and placed curbs on household mixing to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

Last night it was claimed that the UK’s travel red list could be expanded this weekend with arrivals from Nigeria facing the prospect of hotel quarantine.

Ministers on the Cabinet’s Covid operations sub-committee could meet as early as tomorrow to decide whether to introduce more restrictions.

Meanwhile, in the US, President Joe Biden imposed tough Covid testing rules on international travellers. From next week, anyone entering the country must take a coronavirus test no more than one day before travel, regardless of vaccination status.

Last night Downing Street said they were monitoring the US move and had no plans at present to impose a stricter testing regime for those entering the UK. But a source said this was being kept ‘under review’. 

Paramedics were called to help a man who appeared to lose consciousness in Leeds city centre on Friday

A man was placed on a stretcher and brought into an ambulance for treatment in Leeds city centre

A man was arrested in Leeds city centre as police patrolled revellers when the festivities began on Friday

Leeds: Two women stood by a bin in the city centre as they donned Christmas party hats

Leeds: Christmas revellers laughed as they enjoyed their night out in the city centre on Friday 

Leeds: A woman appeared to fall down during her night out on Friday, left, while an amorous couple kissed, right

Leeds: A group waited for their friend to return to her feet, though she appeared to start crawling

Leeds: Women seemed thrilled to be out despite the threat of the Omicron covid variant 

Leeds: A man took a rest and ate their McDonalds on the floor of the city centre on Friday

Soho: Crowds flocked to central London to enjoy a night out despite the rising Covid threat

Soho: Revellers thronged through central London on Friday night 

Soho: Two men looked worse for wear as they took a seat in central London on Friday night

Soho: Crowds of drinkers stood outside a central London pub on Friday

Soho: Londoners were not put off by Covid fears and flocked to the city centre on Friday

Soho: Friends continued to meet up in central London as the threat from the Omicron variant continues

Soho: Revellers donned coats as they sat at tables outside despite the chilly temperatures

Soho: Two people enjoy a meal outside a London pub, left, and a reveller takes a photograph with a motorcyclist, right

People lined the streets of Soho having meals and drinks on Friday night, as many enjoyed their first evening out of December

Thousands of Christmas parties have been cancelled this week amid fears over the Omicron variant, with confusing messaging from ministers blamed by some.

But last night, the Prime Minister attempted to reassure Britons, saying: ‘On the subject of Christmas parties I notice there’s been quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing about it; people concerned that they need to cancel their Christmas parties.

‘That’s not right. We’re not saying that. We’re not saying that nativity plays have to be cancelled. I believe very strongly that kids should be in school and I also think that Christmas should go ahead as normally as possible.’ He added: ‘What we’re trying to do is cope with the Omicron variant and that means having some tough measures at the borders and also some measures to ensure that people isolate after coming into contact with an Omicron case. Plus we’re toughening up on masks.’

Describing the approach as ‘balanced and proportionate’, he added that vaccines would still provide the ‘best protection’.

But Irish premier Micheal Martin said that from Tuesday, table service will return in bars, with a maximum of six people to a table and at least a metre between each one.

Multiple bookings for restaurants, bars and other hospitality settings will be banned, and all nightclubs will close.

Indoor events such as concerts and sporting fixtures will be limited to 50 per cent capacity and the government has advised that no more than four households should mix at one time. The restrictions will be in place until January 9.

Earlier, Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden urged Britons to ‘keep calm’ and enjoy the festive season as he said the Tories’ staff Christmas party would still be going ahead.

But Professor Peter Openshaw, one of No10’s scientific advisers, broke ranks, saying he ‘wouldn’t feel safe’ going to a party.    

Professor Openshaw, a member of the influential SAGE subgroup Nervtag, went against SAGE’s official advice to take lateral flow tests before going to a Christmas party and said the chances of getting infected at a festive gathering were already ‘too high’ before the emergence of the super-mutant variant. 

Many stood outside packed pubs and restaurants in Soho last night despite potential tighter COVID curbs in the weeks to come 

Trade body UK Hospitality said that firms are reporting that at least one in ten Christmas parties has been cancelled in recent days. Pictured: Revellers in Leeds on Friday night 

A group of revellers enjoy Friday night in Leeds as Britain faces the possibility of another Covid-hampered Christmas

Good cheer: Three women in Leeds enjoy Friday night as Britain faces the possibility of another isolated Christmas

Crowds of Britons attended the attraction in Hyde Park, London, as the country braces for the potential of tighter Covid restrictions brought into force to halt the Omicron variant, despite Tory Party chairman Oliver Dowden insisting people should ‘keep calm and carry on’.

Britons have been rushing to enjoy nights out on the first weekend of December amid fears of an incoming Omicron wave putting a stop to Christmas. 

In Leeds, groups of revellers were seen drinking and laughing with their friends, some donning festive headwear to celebrate the holiday season. 

And Londoners flocked to Winter Wonderland on Friday to get into the festive spirit – after one of No10’s scientific advisers warned he ‘wouldn’t feel safe’ going to a Christmas party because of coronavirus. 

But mixed messaging from Government ministers has led to many major firms –  including the NHS and banks – calling off their annual festive celebrations, despite the Prime Minister insisting Christmas dos can go ahead. 

Government departments have been cancelling Christmas parties or holding them online – with the Department for Education calling off its annual talent show which was due to take place in person and be streamed for those working from home. 

Pictures showed jubilant Londoners bundled up in coats and scarfs as they braced the crisp temperatures to enjoy the fairground rides and festivities at the annual ticketed event as the Government’s stance on festive get-togethers becomes increasingly muddled.

Britons across the country were pictured enjoying their Friday nights out on the town – and hopefully savouring every moment ahead of looming uncertainty over Christmas.  

At London’s Winter Wonderland, locals could not wait to get into the festive spirt after London was plunged into a lockdown last December, with photographs showing people huddled around tables enjoying festive hot drinks and beers at the array of outdoor bars. 

The festivities come as some Britons remain concerned that tighter Covid restrictions could be brought in this month due to Omicron, despite Mr Dowden insisting people should ‘keep calm and carry on’ with their Christmas plans and parties.

Meanwhile, Professor Peter Openshaw warned that he wouldn’t feel safe going to a Christmas party amid fears over the Omicron variant, which experts fear can make vaccines significantly weaker.

He told the BBC’s Question Time on Thursday: ‘Personally, I wouldn’t feel safe going to a party at the moment, if it involves being indoors in an enclosed space where you’re close to other people, and people are not wearing masks. Even if they’ve been tested and vaccinated, I wouldn’t feel safe.’

Professor Openshaw is the first scientific advisor to break ranks from SAGE’s official recommendation, which is to take a lateral flow test before attending a party. Updated advice on Omicron and Christmas mixing is expected to be published by the expert group this afternoon.

But Tory Party chairman Mr Dowden yesterday insisted people should ‘keep calm and carry on’ with their Christmas plans and parties despite Omicron. Britain’s pubs, hotels, restaurants and clubs already set to lose billions say ‘the damage is already done’ as the cancellations continue.

Revellers make the most of Friday night out in Leeds amid fears the Omicron variant may cause cancellation of Christmas parties

Christmas drinking in Soho. The start of Christmas parties and drinks on the first Friday night of December

Revellers make the most of Friday night out in Leeds amid fears the Omicron variant may cause cancellation of Christmas parties

The start of Christmas parties and drinks on the first Friday night of December in Soho

The start of Christmas parties and drinks on the first Friday night of December in Soho

Crowds of Britons started the first weekend of December by heading to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London, on Friday as fears increase of tighter Covid restrictions due to the new Omicron variant

Pictures showed jubilant Londoners bundled up in coats and scarfs as they braced the crisp temperatures to enjoy the food, drink and festivities at the annual ticketed event

It comes amid concerns that Christmas parties could be cancelled as the Government’s stance on festive get-togethers becomes increasingly muddled. Pictured: Londoners enjoy festive drinks at Winter Wonderland on Friday

Government departments have been cancelling Christmas parties or holding them online, despite Boris Johnson insisting parties can go ahead with caution. Pictured: People warm up with hot beverages at Winter Wonderland on Friday

People flocked to Winter Wonderland after 48 hours of mixed messaging from Government ministers which has led to many major firms and companies calling off their annual festive celebrations

Crowds of people got into the festive spirit early this year, after London was plunged into a lockdown last Christmas and many had to alter their festive plans 

At Winter Wonderland, locals could not wait to get into the festive spirt after London was plunged into a lockdown last December, with photographs showing people enjoying festive hot drinks and beers at the array of outdoor bars

Londoners sat down to have a bite to eat as they started their weekend early on Friday by heading to Winter Wonderland to enjoy the fairground rides and Christmas decorations

Two people enjoy beers after apparently winning a soft toy at Winter Wonderland on Friday amid concerns that Christmas parties could be cancelled as the Government’s stance on festive get-togethers becomes increasingly muddled

Meanwhile, Professor Peter Openshaw warned that he wouldn’t feel safe going to a Christmas party amid fears over the Omicron variant. Pictured: Jubilant Britons enjoy food and drinks at an outdoor bar in Winter Wonderland

Mr Dowden insisted the Government had been clear in its guidelines – despite a plethora of ministers offering contradictory and confusing advice –  and said: ‘There’s a Conservative Party Christmas party still planned’. He also said that providing Britons abide by mask rules on public transport and in shops, they can kiss anyone they like under the mistletoe.

It came as a Christmas party at the Louise seafood restaurant in Oslo saw up to 60 people contract Omicron in what is likely to be the world’s biggest outbreak of the new strain so far. Norwegian epidemiologists have ruled out the possibility the infections are Delta variant cases and said there was a ‘high probability’ it was Omicron because at least one of the Scatec employees had recently returned from the renewable energy company’s South African office in Cape Town. 

Today Tine Ravlo, assistant district physician in Frogner district, said none of the victims are seriously ill – and have ‘mild’ symptoms such as a runny nose, cough and sore throat. It will raise hopes Omicron is not more dangerous than Delta.

In Britain, trade body UK Hospitality said that firms are reporting that at least one in ten Christmas parties has been cancelled in recent days. 

It comes as Government departments have been cancelling their Christmas parties or holding them online – with the Department for Education calling off its annual talent show which was due to take place in person and be streamed for those working from home. 

Meanwhile the Office of Rail and Road said its festive event would be online only via Microsoft teams. And The Charity Commission is also expecting to hold its Christmas party online. Yesterday, science minister George Freeman said: ‘I can tell you the department of business won’t be having a big Christmas party this year – nobody would expect us to’.

However MailOnline understands that there will still be in-person events such as Christmas parties held across Whitehall in the run up to the festive period. 

Europe’s largest biomedical laboratory – The Francis Crick Institute in London – cancelled all large Christmas events yesterday, reported the Times, while others firms including Barclays are recommending all staff take lateral flow tests in advance. 

Many major firms and companies have called off their annual festive celebrations this year amid uncertainty over new Omicron varient. Pictured: Revellers enter Winter Wonderland on Friday

Crowds of revellers treated themselves to churros and other sweet treats at the array of food stalls at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park on Friday, as they got into the festive spirit early this year following last year’s strict restrictions 

SAGE have recommended that people take a lateral flow test before attending Christmas parties this year. Pictured: People enjoy beers at Winter Wonderland, while one table was joined by a giant toy dog 

Boris Johnson has urged businesses not to cancel office parties and proceed with caution when his ministers either told people to cancel, wear masks, take tests and not snog strangers – none of which are in the Government guidelines.  

Speaking during a by-election campaign visit to Oswestry in North Shropshire, the Prime Minister said that people did not need to cancel parties or nativity plays and Christmas should go ahead ‘as normally as possible’.

Asked what he had to say to bereaved families following claims Number 10 had held parties last year in breach of restrictions at the time, Mr Johnson said: ‘What I’ve said throughout, since this thing was brought up, was that’s not true, we’ve followed the guidance throughout and continued to follow the guidance.

‘And on the subject of Christmas parties, I’ve noticed there’s been quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing about it, people concerned that they need to cancel their Christmas parties. That’s not right, we’re not saying that and we’re not saying that nativity plays have to be cancelled.

‘I believe very strongly that kids should be in school and I also think that Christmas should go ahead as normally as possible. But the key point, the key point is that whatever the risk Omicron may pose, or may not pose, the booster is everywhere and always, vaccination is going to be your best protection, so everybody should get it.’

Asked again repeatedly if he did have a party or gathering, the Prime Minister repeated the phrase: ‘We followed the guidance.’

Meanwhile, Mr Dowden told Sky News: ‘The message to people, I think, is fairly straightforward – which is keep calm, carry on with your Christmas plans. We’ve put the necessary restrictions in place, but beyond that keep calm and carry on.

‘I understand that people have concerns around the new variant. That’s why the Government has taken the sort of measures that we’ve already outlined … we think those are sufficient at this stage and, beyond that, people should continue with their plans as intended.’ 

Amid confusion about what to do, many of Britain’s biggest employers including the NHS, banks and tech firms have axed festive bashes completely or taken them online. It is now said to be a 50/50 split.

Tim Rumney, the chief executive of hotel group Best Western GB, said: ‘We have had a week of mixed messages about whether people should socialise or cancel parties or not and small, independent businesses like our hotels are on the frontline feeling the effects of that indecision. 

Boris Johnson has urged businesses not to cancel office parties and proceed with caution. Pictured: People enjoy drinks at a bar in Winter Wonderland on Friday

Amid confusion about what to do, many of Britain’s biggest employers including the NHS, banks and tech firms have axed festive bashes completely or taken them online. Pictured: Crowds of Londoners get into festive spirit at Winter Wonderland

A Christmas party at the Louise seafood restaurant in Oslo saw up to 60 people contract Omicron in what is likely to be the world’s biggest outbreak of the new strain so far. Pictured: Crowds of people chat and drink at Winter Wonderland on Friday

Winter Wonderland – a beloved Christmas ticketed event in Hyde Park, London – proved as popular as ever as crowds of locals started the first weekend of December by attending the festive event 

London: Festivities come as some are concerned tighter Covid restrictions could be brought in this month due to Omicron, despite Tory Party chairman Oliver Dowden insisting people should ‘keep calm and carry on’ with their Christmas plans and parties

In Britain, trade body UK Hospitality said that firms are reporting that at least one in ten Christmas parties has been cancelled in recent days. Pictured: People enter Winter Wonderland on Friday afternoon 

‘My fear is the damage is already done, and this festive period will need to be written off like last Christmas, which will be devastating for many small businesses who were hoping for a strong end to 2021, after the last two years of Covid interrupted trading.’  

Insurance expert Danny Roberts, a partner at DFA Law in Northampton, told MailOnline that without a change in coronavirus rules it would be ‘extremely unlikely’ that hospitality businesses could claim for cancelled parties on their insurance.

He said: ‘While disruptions caused by the Omicron variant will likely be extremely damaging for those in the hospitality sector, it is extremely unlikely that they will have any recourse against their insurers.

‘The widespread concern amongst customers and businesses may see many large functions and other bookings cancelled, with the affected restaurants, bars, hotels and other venues having to rely on their terms and conditions as to what they are entitled to recover from the customer.’

He added that Christmas markets are likely to be the same in the same situation as hospitality businesses – although if cancelled by the local council, the terms and conditions of the booking might cover them for some fees, but probably not for the loss of trade. 

And a survey by small business insurance provider Simply Business revealed today that one in five small or medium-sized firms expect to permanently close in 2022 if they do not experience a bumper festive trading period. 

Professor Peter Openshaw, a member of the influential SAGE subgroup Nervtag, told the BBC’s Question Time on Thursday night that the ‘chances of getting infected were too high’ already even before the emergence of the super-mutant variant

Britons are strongly opposed to the government ramping up Covid restrictions in response to the Omicron variant, with more than two thirds of the public against the closure of pubs and restaurants

Mr Dowden encouraged people to get their booster jabs if they are concerned about the virus.

He said: ‘The one thing that everyone can do if they are worried is to make sure that they take that booster, that they make sure that they top up their immunity.

‘Provided people take the booster when they get the call, provided they abide by the existing rules, as updated in light of the new variant, I think people can continue with their Christmas plans and I’d encourage people to do so.’

Britons are strongly opposed to the government ramping up Covid restrictions in response to the Omicron variant, with more than two thirds of the public against the closure of pubs and restaurants. 

There has been 48 hours of mixed messaging from his ministers which has led to a barrage of called-off festive celebrations.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Britons to ‘snog who they wish’ but other members of the cabinet offered contradictory advice. 

Despite the confusion, a YouGov survey has found that 64 per cent Britons are against any stay-at-home orders, while 61 per cent said they don’t want draconian restrictions on welcoming guests into their homes.

But the survey of 1,402 adults across England, carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday after a mask mandate was reintroduced in shops and on public transport, found support for some further steps to stop the spread of infection.

More people backed closing nightclubs rather than keeping them open (55 per cent to 34 per cent), while a very slim majority (46 to 45 per cent) said large sports and entertainment events should not go ahead.

And people seemed to be happy to keep their distance from each other, with 60 per cent supporting remaining two metres apart from those outside their household and 69 per cent in favour of social distancing in pubs and restaurants.

YouGov said: ‘The reintroduction of tougher Covid 19 restrictions is mostly unpopular among the English public, although support has increased slightly since July.

‘Since Tuesday, England has been placed under tighter restrictions in an attempt to control the spread of the highly infectious new Omicron variant of the virus. For now, however, England is unwilling to return to full lockdown rules.’

The findings come after 24 hours of confusing and contradictory statements from Westminster. 

Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told ITV’s Peston show ‘I don’t think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe’ as the nation battled the new variant.

But Mr Javid then contradicted her, saying: ‘People can snog who they wish. 

‘I’ll certainly be kissing my wife under the mistletoe, it’s a Javid family tradition and it’s got nothing to do with the Government who you kiss.’

Mr Johnson received his booster shot live on TV before telling Sky News there was no reason for Britons to change their Christmas plans.

‘People should follow the guidance we’ve set out,’ he said. ‘They shouldn’t be cancelling things, there is no need for that at all and it isn’t what we’re saying. The most important thing you can do in all circumstances is to have your booster when it becomes available.’

Earlier Mr Johnson’s business minister plunged Christmas party plans for millions of Britons into further chaos after declaring it would be ‘sensible’ to limit them to ‘four or five staff’ or axe them completely. 

George Freeman, the Under Secretary of State for Science, also revealed that he was cancelling his own department’s bash, changing it to drinks on Zoom instead amid concerns over the new Omicron variant, admitting: ‘It won’t be the best party in the world’.

But hours later No 10 urged firms not to cancel Christmas parties and said people are free to kiss who they like after another minister advised against ‘snogging under the mistletoe’ over the holiday period. 

Mr Johnson’s latest intervention on Sky News will be seen as an attempt to bring clarity to his government’s position, after hospitality bosses complained muddled and confusing advice from ministers had led to a ‘catastrophic’ 48 hours for the industry.

But there is growing uncertainty about the Omicron variant, which is fuelling a meteoric rise in cases in South Africa. Nationally, cases there soared to 11,535 today marking a 370 per cent rise in a week, and up a third on around 8,500 yesterday. 

It has become the dominant strain in the country in just a week since it was officially discovered, making up 75 per cent of sequenced samples now after outpacing Delta at a ferocious pace. 

But public health experts in South Africa and the World Health Organization have insisted that cases are only mild and that vaccines should still be highly effective against the strain, despite a distinct lack of data. 

At a WHO press conference today, officials said that reports on the ground suggest the variant is much better at re-infecting people than Delta, which is why it’s spreading so fast in Guateng province where up to 80 per cent have natural immunity. By contrast, only a quarter of South Africans are vaccinated against Covid. 

Yet despite the optimism, hospital admissions already appear to be on the rise in South African with today’s 274 up 180 per cent on last Thursday, even though they are rising from a low base. 

It came as a Christmas party at the Louise seafood restaurant in Oslo saw up to 60 people contract Omicron in what is likely to be the world’s biggest outbreak of the new strain so far. 

Norwegian epidemiologists have ruled out the possibility the infections are Delta variant cases and said there was a ‘high probability’ it was Omicron because at least one of the Scatec employees had recently returned from the renewable energy company’s South African office in Cape Town.

And in another twist, Scatec has insisted only vaccinated employees were allowed to attend the Christmas party last Friday and they needed a negative test result beforehand.  

One of the company’s super-spreaders was also drinking in an Irish bar in the city the following night, raising fears more could be infected.

More than 71 per cent of Norway’s population are fully vaccinated, higher than the 69 per cent of Brits and 59 per cent of Americans who have had both jabs.

It is still not known if Omicron is faster spreading or more deadly than the dominant Delta strain with scientists insisting they need three weeks to study the data, leaving bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants and millions of Britons in limbo.

There is growing uncertainty about the Omicron variant, which is fuelling a meteoric rise in cases in South Africa. Nationally, cases there soared to 11,535 today marking a 370 per cent rise in a week, and up a third on around 8,500 

The Christmas tree from Norway is illuminated in Trafalgar Square amid uncertainty over Christmas with fears of Covid restrictions

And for the businesses shelling out millions on Christmas parties for staff, they are unlikely to get a full  refund unless Boris Johnson changes the formal guidance.

Last year the Government introduced schemes including business grants and furlough for businesses forced to close during the pandemic. These programmes remained in place for the subsequent 18 months and proved to be enormously costly but proved a lifeline for businesses.

The hospitality industry erupted with fury at the move, with some branding it a lockdown by stealth and bosses warning a wave of cancellations that have hit them could cost the sector ‘billions’.

Urging people not to call off festive celebrations, UK Hospitality chief Kate Nicholls told MailOnline: ‘Individual businesses will have their own booking policies in place and a larger number than usual have been asking for deposits for larger group bookings this year.

‘However, others won’t have any contingencies in place and all will incur significant costs for last-minute cancellations.

‘It should be remembered that operators have invested heavily to ensure the safety of staff and customers, focusing on better ventilation, hygiene and sanitation, measures which SAGE recommends are the most effective ways to control infection and as a result hospitality venues are safer places in which to socialise than at home.’

George Freeman is the fifth minister to give different advice about festive parties with half of businesses cancelling this year costing UK hospitality ‘billions’. His boss Boris Johnson has insisted that there is no need to cancel this year and ‘people should live their lives’ because he is ‘confident this Christmas will be better than the last’.

Plunging party plans into further chaos this morning, Mr Freeman said larger companies might consider cancelling their staff Christmas parties. He said: ‘It slightly depends on the nature of the business. For many small businesses, four or five staff, who are working together every day anyway, gathering to have a drink isn’t a big step up in risk. 

To party or not to party this Christmas? What Britain’s biggest employers plan to do about this year’s staff festive bash

A Christmas party in Norway at the exclusive Louise Restaurant & Bar in Oslo has left between 50 and 60 people infected with Covid-19, suspected to be the new super-mutant Omicron variant

Norway has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. The Oslo outbreak will raise fears Omicron can dodge vaccines

The number of daily cases per million people is rising sharply in Norway – but it is still below the UK’s level

Ministers and Boris Johnson’s top scientists have all given different advice about whether to hold a Christmas party

Just how heavily Omicron has mutated from both the original Covid virus and other variants such as Delta has been laid bare by new images

Only a handful of people gathered for the illumination of the Norwegian Christmas tree, an annual tradition which usually draws huge crowds of people watching the switching on of the gift from Norway to thank Britain for their help during WWII

The Christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of Oslo to the people of Britain as a token of thanks for British support during their years of occupation in World War II and usually draws a large crowd when it is turned on in Trafalgar Square each year

Pictured: The Mayor of Oslo Marianne Borgen speaks to London Mayor Sadiq Khan during the annual Norwegian Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Trafalgar Square, in London, earlier today which drew only small crowds for the annual ceremony

‘But some companies might normally bring hundreds of people in from around the world to a big party, and they may decide, this year, is that sensible given the pandemic and given where we are? In the end, I think business people know how to make those decisions’.

He added: ‘I haven’t been kissed under the mistletoe for years. I can tell you that my parliamentary team and I normally have a Christmas party. We’ve decided this year that it is probably sensible to do it by Zoom and wait for the spring. It won’t be the best party in the world’. 

Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said the advice from UK Health Security Agency head Dr Jenny Harries on Tuesday that people should not socialise unnecessarily – which kicked off the row – had been ‘catastrophic for the industry’.  

He told Sky News: ‘In the last 48 hours it’s been catastrophic for the industry. We’ve seen office parties cancelled, flights are cancelling, it’s been a huge domino effect. This isn’t just restaurants, this is the whole ecology around it – it’s the supply chain, it’s the taxis, it’s hotel rooms, it’s everything that goes with it. 

‘December is a time when people can have a good time – they can take up to 25 per cent of their annual turnover in December. Sadly, at the eleventh hour, it’s been snatched away from them.’ 

He also said this week: ‘If the hospitality sector is not supported and closes in December, it will be the final nail in the coffin for many of our beloved venues.’ 

Meanwhile, there were underwhelming crowds in Trafalgar Square for the switching on of the Christmas Tree lights.

The annual tradition is usually a popular event when the  Norwegian Christmas tree is illuminated during a special lighting ceremony in London. 

The Christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of Oslo to the people of Britain as a token of thanks for British support during their years of occupation in World War II.

But there were only a handful of families gathered for the event this year as mixed messages over Covid restrictions continue to be echoed by ministers. 

It comes as major companies including NatWest, Aviva and Deutsche Bank said all staff would have to take a lateral flow test before attending their Christmas parties. The trio and several other big firms also said events would be limited to teams rather than full-staff.

Legal & General decided in October that Christmas celebrations should be kept small and team-based; Microsoft is holding a large ‘virtual’ party’; while Lloyd’s decided to hold its annual staff bash in the summer. 

The row over Christmas parties and the new Covid-19 regulations, enshrined in law until March, came as: 

• Germany will lock down its unvaccinated citizens while parliament debates making jabs mandatory, Angela Merkel said as she threw her weight behind the move;
• The super-mutant Omicron variant has outpaced Delta to become the dominant strain in South Africa in just a week, it was revealed today after infections soared sixfold in the days after its discovery; 
• British ministers bought 114million more doses of coronavirus vaccines that can be tweaked to protect against new variants with fourth or even fifth boosters planned until 2023;    
• No 10 insists its staff ‘followed the guidance’ amid reports that a Christmas party contravening social distancing rules was held there last December;
• Businesses allow staff to work from home and bring back mask wearing and temperature checks in the office; 
• Shamed Matt Hancock apologises again in first TV interview since losing his job and wife over office affair and declares: ‘I’ve blown up every part of my life’;

Shocking graphic of Omicron’s 32 spike mutations reveals why scientists are so worried about the most evolved Covid strain ever 

Just how heavily Omicron has mutated from both the original Covid virus and other variants such as Delta has been laid bare by new images

This is the image that has prompted fear among scientists, prompted ministers to turbocharge the UK’s booster vaccine rollout and seen the return of mask mandates in England.

It details the new super-mutant Omicron variant’s 32 spike protein mutations which experts fear will make it the most infectious and vaccine-resistant strain yet.

The graphic, released by the country’s top variant monitoring team, also lays bare how it is far more evolved than even the world-dominant Delta strain, with nearly five times as many alterations on the spike.   

As of yesterday, just 32 cases of Omicron have been detected in the UK but hundreds are expected to emerge in the coming days and there are signs it is spreading domestically already. 

The new strain shares mutations with all of the main ‘variants of concern’ — including Alpha, Beta and Delta — but has dozens more which all point to heightened transmissibility and vaccine escape.

H655Y, N679K, and P681H, located in the lower right of the image, are of particular concern as they could help the virus sneak into the body more easily. The new image was released by the Covid Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK).

Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of the trade body UK Hospitality, said ministers’ comments would have a serious financial impact on their businesses. 

Advertising supremo Sir Martin Sorrell said there had been a ‘sharp series of cancellations’ in Christmas parties since the emergence of the Omicron variant. 

More than half (52 per cent) of UK workplaces have chosen not to hold a Christmas office party, according to a poll of 2,000 staff by Covid testing firm Prenetics. 

Yesterday Sajid Javid was the first to spark anger from hospitality bosses after he urged partygoers to take a Covid test. The Health Secretary even suggested they should consider wearing a face mask. Yet one of his health ministers, Gillian Keegan, urged: ‘Continue with your Christmas plans, continue with your nativity plays and your Christmas parties.’

Last night Therese Coffey sent more mixed messages on socialising after she warned people to avoid ‘snogging under the mistletoe’ over the holiday period.

And there was more chaos on Tuesday when Dr Harries said people should limit socialising in December. This sparked suspicion among Tory MPs that she was being set up as the fall guy by ministers who are too scared to admit further restrictions are likely.  

Despite Mr Freeman insisting ‘the Government has set out clear guidance’, there appears to be a 50-50 split between live and virtual Christmas parties. Some will wait until next year.

Richard Corrigan, chef and patron of Corrigan’s Mayfair, said: ‘This was the Christmas that was supposed to save us. Clearly, that’s not going to happen. We’ve had substantial enough corporate cancellations. It’s shown on the bookings as well. It’s not business as usual. By next April, there will be an absolute crisis in hospitality.’

Russell Norman of Bruto told the Telegraph: ‘If there’s one thing I’ve noticed from our customers it is absolute confusion. People don’t know if they should wear masks on arrival, as they move between the table and the bar, or to the loos. People are waiting for a solid, confident message. They are nervous and they want guidance’. 

Andrew Andrea, the boss of Marston’s, which runs 1,500 pubs and hotels across the UK, said the company had already been seeing bookings on a smaller scale this Christmas before the Omicron fears. He said: ‘We have seen a lot more bookings for 15 to 30 people, instead of the 60-plus bookings we saw more of before Covid.’

Ms Nicholls said: ‘I think you are seeing once again a return of uncertainty. It’s quite clear the messaging over the weekend had a chilling effect on consumer confidence and we are starting to see a small number of cancellations.

‘It’s a trickle at the moment… but we need that message to be reinforced more strongly to put an end to the uncertainty and the threat of a stop-start to the economy again in the run up to Christmas.’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves a car this morning after a run. He and No 10 say the guidance on parties is clear

Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association and the first person to spot the new variant in a patient, said her patients infected with Omicron reported different and much milder symptoms, including tiredness, muscle aches, a sore head and a dry cough. But none reported the tell-tale symptoms of a loss of smell or taste or breathing difficulties 

Data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows 8,561 people in South Africa tested positive in the last 24 hours — increasing six-fold in a week and nearly doubling on yesterday’s number — equating to a positivity rate of 16.5 per cent. South Africa has recorded 2.9million cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Covid deaths have increased from 22 last Wednesday to 28 today, marking a 27 per cent rise. The vast majority of cases are concentrated in Gauteng, the epicentre of the outbreak, in the north east

Christmas party leaves 50-60 people infected with suspected Omicron Covid in Norway in what would be world’s biggest outbreak of the variant 

Norwegian epidemiologists have ruled out the possibility the infections are Delta variant cases and said there was a ‘high probability’ it was Omicron because at least one of the Scatec (Oslo HQ pictured) employees had recently returned from the renewable energy company’s South African office in Cape Town.

A Christmas party in Norway has left between 50 and 60 people infected with Covid-19, suspected to be the new super-mutant Omicron variant.

If confirmed, it would be the world’s biggest outbreak of the new strain so far.

Medics have ruled out the possibility the infections are Delta variant cases and said there was a ‘high probability’ it was the new strain.

Officials said 50 people tested positive on a PCR test following Norwegian renewable energy company Scatec’s Christmas dinner at Louise Restaurant & Bar in Oslo.

A further 10 people received positive results from lateral flow tests, NRK reported.

The Christmas party was held in a closed room but the guests reportedly mingled with other people in the restaurant after 10:30pm, when it turned into a nightclub.

At least two restaurant guests not involved in the Christmas party also later tested positive, though it is not yet clear if they were infected at the event or from a different contact.

Ten waiters who served the table were tested after the party, but none have tested positive.

One of the Scatec employees had recently returned from South Africa, where the company does some of its business.

It was not immediately clear if the employee was patient zero or if they had been travelling in South Africa for Scatec.

 

She added: ‘I think there’s also a sense of trepidation that their plans might be disrupted again, and so that irrespective of whether there are government controls imposed on the economy, that is having a cooling effect undoubtedly on hospitality.

‘We already saw that bookings were subdued this year compared to pre-pandemic levels. And this will clearly have a further adverse impact on our businesses.’

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, called for more clarity from government.

‘As we embark in earnest on this make-or-break festive season, clarity, consistency and proactive promotion of official advice is more important than ever,’ he said.

‘If that advice is to carry on with plans – with protective measures like hand sanitiser, screens, ventilation, masks and testing in place, which small firms have already been investing in these past 18 months – then that needs to be made crystal clear.’ 

There has been a ‘sharp series of cancellations’ in Christmas parties since the emergence of the Omicron variant, according to the executive chairman of a major ad agency.

Sir Martin Sorrell, of S4Capital, said there is ‘extreme’ uncertainty.

Asked if they were cancelling office parties, he told the BBC Radio Four Today programme: ‘It’s not so much what we’re doing as what we see our clients doing and other people.

‘The answer is they are doing that, they are cancelling, (there has) been quite a sharp series of cancellations since this happened just, what, three, four, five days ago.

‘So, the uncertainty is extreme and Government policy, understandably, I mean to be a little bit sympathetic to the Government, it is an extremely difficult situation.

‘We have been through this before with Delta and the previous variants, so you would have thought the Government would be a little bit more prepared for what may or may not happen in terms of scenario planning.’ 

The government has been accused of sending more mixed messages on socialising at Christmas after a minister last night said that people should avoid ‘snogging under the mistletoe’ over the holiday.

It comes after Boris Johnson yesterday contradicted deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries by saying that Christmas parties should go ahead, hours after she had said Britons should limit socialising over fears surrounding the new Omicron variant of cornavirus that has emerged. 

Thirty-two cases of the heavily-mutated variant have been found in the UK after it was first discovered in Africa, and it is feared that the strain may be able to evade the protection offered by vaccines and reinfect people who have previously been infected.   

Sajid Javid was the first to spark anger from hospitality bosses after he urged partygoers to take a Covid test. The Health Secretary even suggested they should consider wearing a face mask

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey then went further, and told ITV’s Peston programme that ‘we should all be trying to enjoy the Christmas ahead of us’, adding: ‘For what it’s worth, I don’t think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe.’

‘(You) don’t need to do things like that. But I think we should all be trying to enjoy the Christmas ahead of us and that’s why we’re working so hard to get the deployment of as many vaccines as possible.’ Ms Coffey said kissing should be avoided with ‘people you don’t already know’.   

And it emerged on Thursday that office Christmas parties were already being postponed by organisers who are afraid of the threat posed by Omicron.  Some employees have also been told to work from home amid fears over the new strain. Events company DesignMyNight has said that festive party cancellations jumped 15 per cent after the prime minister’s first press conference on Saturday – with more after he spoke on Tuesday. 

A string of hotels and restaurants revealed they faced losing thousands of pounds from lost bookings. 

Ministers have been accused of scaring businesses into sending staff home through December and cancelling Christmas parties because of the Omicron strain of Covid-19 as SAGE scientists called for all UK arrivals to be forced to quarantine for five days and take a pre-departure PCR test even if they are fully vaccinated. 

In rules now enshrined in law until March, Boris Johnson said that face coverings must now be worn in shops and on public transport to ‘buy us time in the face of this new variant’ while he pledged to ‘throw everything’ at the booster vaccination campaign and offer jabs to 40million over-18s by January 31 to tackle its spread.

But in the same Downing Street press conference on Tuesday evening the Prime Minister insisted another lockdown is ‘extremely unlikely’, urging people not to cancel their plans and to ‘keep living your life’.

Critics say the Government’s latest coronavirus rules on masks, blanket quarantine for Omicron contacts and gloomy language about the threat of the new variant is actually encouraging a semi-lockdown by stealth despite just 22 cases of the new strain detected so far.

While a World Health Organization official claimed today that most Omicron cases are ‘mild’ and there is no evidence the new variant has any impact on vaccine effectiveness against serious illness.

Amid accusations of mixed messages Sajid Javid also encouraged millions of people to be ‘sensible’ and ‘cautious’ about attending Christmas parties and to take a lateral flow test before going to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. There are also ‘no guarantees’ that there won’t be a lockdown this Christmas, the Health Secretary warned.

Google has emailed UK staff urging them to ‘move any planned in-person social gatherings until 2022’ and limiting them to no more than 15 people. Ronan Harris, Vice President and MD for Google UK & Ireland, also told workers that face-to-face business meetings and events must be approved by a company director. 

And despite Government guidance saying otherwise, many UK companies have scrambled to reinstate office restrictions including mask wearing in communal areas such as corridors and lifts. Insurance giant Aviva is introducing daily lateral flow tests for employees. EY is one of a number of big businesses asking staff to wear face coverings when not at their desks.

Mr Johnson exits 10 Downing Street as a children’s choir sings during the ceremony to switch on the Downing Street Christmas tree lights in London on Wednesday

Ministers including Therese Coffey (pictured left) and Sajid Javid (right) were told not to be ‘ Christmas killjoys’ on Wednesday night after festive events were cancelled because of the Omicron variant

Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope has claimed the Prime Minister’s regulations are ‘part of a scaremongering propaganda campaign that is really designed to restrict or stop interaction between social animals. They’re designed to suppress freedom of the individual and suppress social contact, and they’re doing that through unreasonable fear-mongering.’

Alec Shelbrooke, Conservative MP for Elmet and Rothwell, said: ‘I have received several emails from travel companies in my constituency whose potential bookings have dropped off a cliff because of the cost of PCR tests’, adding encouragement back towards working from home will be devastating for businesses relying on office workers.

Anyone in close contact with an Omicron case must now self-isolate for ten days, even if doubled jabbed.

The new rule is thought to have left bosses worried that an outbreak at an event could put multiple staff in quarantine.

Hospitality chiefs and Tory MPs believe the mixed messages – Boris Johnson has said people should ‘keep living your life’ – was having a ‘chilling effect on consumer confidence’.

Steve Baker, who spoke out against new coronavirus curbs in the Commons on Tuesday, said the public needed ‘clarity, not Christmas killjoys’.

The Tory former minister added: ‘People are sick and tired of this level of micromanagement of their lives. They want to be free and joyful, and they want to be free and joyful at Christmas – without the Christmas killjoys.’

World Health Organisation officials suggested yesterday that those diagnosed with Omicron so far mostly had no symptoms or only ‘very, very mild’ ones. 

None of the 32 confirmed cases in the UK has been hospitalised. However, ministers have already brought back face masks in shops and on public transport and toughened self-isolation rules. The booster rollout is also to be rapidly accelerated.  

Public health chief Jenny Harries sparked a row on Tuesday by advising against ‘unnecessary socialising’ in the run-up to Christmas. The Prime Minister later contradicted her, telling people not to cancel festive events.

But last night it was claimed that staff working for NHS trusts, for magazines and even Age UK were among those to have had their Christmas parties cancelled. Many large employers are either telling employees to return to working from home or advancing Covid security measures in the office.

Kate Nicholls, of the trade body UK Hospitality, said: ‘The messaging over the weekend had a chilling effect on consumer confidence and we are starting to see a small number of cancellations.’

Mike Cherry of the Federation of Small Businesses said: ‘As we embark in earnest on this make-or-break festive season, clarity, consistency and proactive promotion of official advice is more important than ever.’

But Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the Sage advisory group, told Times Radio that people should consider avoiding Christmas parties or at least wearing masks.

Revealed: Triple-vaccinated Israeli doctor who believes he caught Omicron Covid variant in London at conference attended by 1,250 people on 23 November – just as new strain was discovered in Africa

By Katie Weston and Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter for the MailOnline

A triple-vaccinated Israeli doctor has raised fears over the Omicron variant having been in the UK for weeks after saying he believes he caught the strain at a conference in London attended by 1,250 people on November 23.

Elad Maor, 45, travelled to the capital on November 19 and stayed at a hotel in Islington while attending the three-day convention at ExCeL London in Newham, east London, before returning to Israel. 

The father-of-three, who is a cardiologist at Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv, tested positive for the virus four days later, on November 27, and suffered mild symptoms including a sore throat, fever and muscle ache.

He took three PCR tests on November 20, 21 and 24 – all of which came back negative. After returning to work in Israel he later displayed symptoms and took a fourth PCR test which showed a positive result.

Dr Maor, who is now quarantining at home in Israel, appears to be certain that he picked up the variant while attending the conference, saying: ‘I got the Omicron in London, for sure.’ 

Elad Maor (pictured above), 45, travelled to London on November 19 and stayed at a hotel in Islington while attending the three-day convention at ExCeL London in Newham, east London, before returning to Israel

He told The Guardian: ‘That is interesting because that was 10 days ago in London – really, really early.’  

Dr Maor also believes he infected a 69-year-old fellow worker, who has since tested positive for the Omicron variant after returning from London.

Pointing to a delay between the time of infection and when the PCR turns positive, he added: ‘The only reasonable explanation is that I got infected on the last day of the meeting – maybe at the airport, maybe at the meeting.’

The associate professor of cardiology at Tel Aviv University said he commuted to the conference via the tube and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) over the three-day period. 

His comments come as Dr. Anthony Fauci announces the first detected case of the Omicron variant in the US, saying it was identified by the San Francisco Departments of Public Health in California. 

Fauci said the individual had returned from South Africa on November 22 and tested positive a week later on November 29.

He or she was fully vaccinated, but had not received a booster, and is currently experiencing mild symptoms. 

Meanwhile in the UK, in rules now enshrined in law until March, Boris Johnson said that face coverings must be worn in shops and on public transport to ‘buy us time in the face of this new variant’.

The Prime Minister also pledged to ‘throw everything’ at the booster vaccination campaign and offer jabs to 40million over-18s by January 31 to tackle its spread.

But in the same Downing Street press conference last night Mr Johnson insisted another lockdown is ‘extremely unlikely’, urging people not to cancel their plans and to ‘keep living your life’.

Critics say the Government’s latest coronavirus rules on masks, blanket quarantine for Omicron contacts and gloomy language about the threat of the new variant is actually encouraging a semi-lockdown by stealth despite just 22 cases of the new strain detected so far. 

Deaths, infections and hospitalisations were all down in the UK on Tuesday while a World Health Organization official claimed on Wednesday that most Omicron cases are ‘mild’ and there is no evidence the new variant has any impact on vaccine effectiveness against serious illness. 

Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson clashed over new Covid rules at PMQs this lunchtime as the PM faced a revolt from Tory MPs

The Government has insisted the rules will be reviewed in three weeks’ time but Tory MPs, including former chief whip Mark Harper, have expressed concerns about the expiry date