UK: Omicron spreading quickly; Time to work from home again

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the omicron variant. He is again urging people to work from home and mandating COVID-19 passes to get into nightclubs and large events. Johnson said it was time to impose stricter measures to prevent a spike of hospitalizations and deaths as the virus spreads rapidly. He said it was increasing clear that the omicron variant is “growing much faster than the previous delta variant.” He said beginning next Monday, people should work from home if possible. Scientists at the U.K. Health Security Agency expect the omicron variant to become the dominant strain in Britain in the next two to four weeks.