Boris Johnson says there will be no new Covid rules before Christmas

But further measures may come into force after Christmas

Boris Johnson has confirmed no new Covid restrictions will be introduced in England before Christmas, telling Brits to "go ahead with their Christmas plans". But, in a video released on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said "we can't rule out any further measures after Christmas". https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1473337565235363850 Johnson said Omicron was spreading at a speed never seen before and added that the government would continue to monitor "the data closely and will not hesitate to act after Christmas if necessary". The PM said: "In view of the continuing uncertainty about several things - the severity of Omicron, uncertainty about the hospitalisation rate or the impact of the vaccine rollout or the boosters, we don't think today that there is enough evidence to justify any tougher measures before Christmas.

"We continue to monitor Omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed."

Earlier Tuesday, Scotland announced tough new measures to start from Boxing Day. Read more: Scottish football to go effectively crowd-free as Sturgeon outlines new Covid measures First Minister Nicola Sturgeon advised Scots to "go back to limiting contact as much as you possibly can" and announced that just 500 spectators will be allowed at outdoor events from Boxing Day, meaning the widely anticipated clash between Celtics and Rangers will be played in front of a virtually spectator-free crowd Another 90,629 new Covid cases were reported across the UK on Tuesday - slightly down on the all-time highs announced last week.