Johnson says no new COVID curbs before Xmas

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday that he wouldn't impose any new coronavirus restrictions before Christmas - but new measures could be coming after the holiday if omicron continues to surge.

Johnson said that given the uncertainty about the strain’s severity, the U.K. hospitalisation rate and the impact of booster vaccines, “we don’t think today that there is enough evidence to justify any tougher measures before Christmas.” In a video message, he said “we continue to monitor omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed.”