Boris: We're On Right 'Path' To Beat Virus

PM warns 'absolute folly' to say pandemic ending but Omicron 'plainly milder'

- Martyn Brown

BORIS Johnson has vowed sticking to his plan is the way out of the pandemic.

The Prime Minister said that the highly contagious Omicron strain rampaging across Britain is considerably milder” than previous variants with far fewer people getting seriously ill.

Despite a huge increase in Covid infections, Mr Johnson declared the country was in a better position than most because of our “very, very high level of vaccination.

Ruling out further restrictions for now, he said: “I think the way forward for the country as a whole is to continue with the path that we are on.

“We will keep everything under review.

The mixture of things that we're doing at the moment is, I think, the right one.

Mr Johnson spoke yesterday, in his first public comments of 2022, as government figures showed virus cases had jumped to 157,758 and 42 new Covid-related deaths were recorded in the latest 24-hour period.

Nearly 35 million booster vaccinations have now been given in the fight against Omicron.

During a visit to a Covid vaccination centre in Aylesbury, Bucks, the Prime Minister said it would be folly” to say the pandemic was over - but the Plan B measures currently in place were the right ones.

It will mean continuing with the safeguards already introduced, which include mask wearing in certain indoor settings and guidance for people to work from home where possible.

Mr Johnson added: “There's no question Omicron continues to surge through the country.

“I think we've got to recognise that the pressure on our NHS, on our hospitals, is going to be considerable in the course of the next couple of weeks, and maybe more.

“So, number one, continue with Plan B, make sure that people take it seriously, do what we can to stop the spread.