Furlough must be ready to go if omicron triggers new Covid rules, ministers told

The government must be ready to rapidly restart the furlough scheme in case more restrictions are needed to contain omicron, ministers have been told.

- ANNA ISAAC, BEN CHAPMAN

The warning from unions and business leaders came as it emerged ministers have discussed introducing stricter measures in response to growing concern about the new Covid-19 variant. Measures under consideration include instructing the public to work from home where possible and limit their social contacts, The Independent can reveal.

Previously, the government had suggested that conversations had only touched on masks and transport and that additional restrictions had not been presented to ministers. However, people familiar with briefings and deliberations told The Independent that extra measures were weighed as potential routes to try to contain the variant.

Fresh measures could be put in place “very fast” according to a person familiar with the government’s Covid-19 taskforce. Some ministers have already expressed concern at any prospect of reintroducing instructions to work from home, according to the same sources above.

Such a move might be required even if vaccines continue to reduce the chances of hospitalisation in cases of the new variant, as it still spreads much more easily than the currently dominant delta variant. This is because the total number of people requiring hospital care could still rise if cases soar, even if they form a small share of total infections.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the government must be ready to step in to provide “immediate financial support” for jobs at “a worrying and uncertain time for workers and businesses”.