UK Health Minister Sajid Javid has announced that no new COVID-19 restrictions are going to be introduced for England by the government before the new year.
"There will be no further measures before the new year", he told media. "We won't be taking any further measures. Of course people should remain cautious as we approach New Year celebrations".
The minister also mentioned that the Omicron variant now accounted for around 90 percent of cases across England, and urged people to exercise caution when celebrating New Year, according to Reuters.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, some 12.2 million positive COVID tests and some 148,003 deaths occurring within 28 days of a positive test have been reported in Britain, the media outlet notes.