UK’s Johnson says omicron ‘plainly milder,’ new restrictions unnecessary

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that implementing new COVID-19 restrictions is unnecessary since the omicron variant is “plainly milder” than other variants.

Speaking to the media, Johnson said the country will continue with current measures while saying all measures are under review, Reuters reported.

“The way forward for the country as a whole is to continue with the path that we are on,” Johnson said. “Of course we will keep all measures under review, but the mixture of things that we are doing at the moment is, I think, the right one.”

Johnson also said the new omicron variant is “plainly milder” than past variants, adding the country is in a better position than it was earlier in the pandemic. 

The prime minister has remained firm on not imposing new COVID-19 restrictions in England, despite the latest surge of virus infections.

Johnson did note on Monday that hospital pressure would be “considerable” in the next couple of weeks due to the rise of infections, Reuters reported. 

“The majority of people who are in ICU [intensive care] have not been vaccinated and the vast majority — about 90 percent — have not been boosted,” Johnson said. 

On Sunday, the U.K.’s government said older school children will be required to follow a mask mandate when they return from their holiday break. 

Johnson also imposed new restrictions called “plan B” last month, which implemented a mask mandate on public transportation and in local shops, but ended restrictions on gatherings and closed business, Reuters noted.