Finishing his statement Steven Barclay says the measures proposed by the government will buy time to deliver boosters, which he says is the best protection against the variant.

The Cabinet Office minister says vaccination is now "doubly important" in the face of Omicron.

Before MPs filed out to the lobbies for the first of this evening's votes - on the measure to extend the mandatory wearing of face coverings - Cabinet Office Minister Steven Barclay closed the debate by recognising the "strength of feeling" of MPs and the "constructive approach" taken by the opposition.

He warns Omicron will become the dominant variant in London in the next 36 hours and the country as a whole soon.

In response to questions from MPs, Barclay confirms the government has decided people currently in hotel quarantine should be allowed to leave early after the red list was scrapped - unless they test positive.

As the contentious debate over the government's new Covid measures comes to a close, MPs will soon head into the division lobbies to vote yes or no on the first of the propositions.

Stick with us for the results as we get them.

Summing up the debate for Labour, shadow public health minister Andrew Gwynne says his party will not "play politics with people's lives" and will support the government's proposals.

He says the "proportionate measures" give people time to get boosted and allow the government to improve its understanding of the Omicron variant.

However, he says the prime minister has done "irreparable damage to public trust" and undermined public health messaging, referencing parties which took place at Downing Street last Christmas during lockdown.

Gwynne also calls for all eligible children to be vaccinated, better ventilation in schools and improved sick pay for those isolating.

Tory MP Miriam Cates highlights the "inevitable harms" from additional restrictions, including the increased risk of domestic violence from home working.

She argues mandatory masks also send a signal "to panic", with some schools already closing early for the holidays.

She opposes Covid passes, describing them as "discriminatory" and segregating people.

Cates says the measures reflect a "permanent change to the understanding of what liberty is in this country" as she calls for a return to a society of "freedom and responsibility".

In a pantomime-style performance, Tory MP Richard Drax lists the reasons he opposes the additional measures.

"Do we want new restrictions every time a new variant appears?" he asks.

No, is the response from many of his fellow MPs.

Do we want to see the hospitality and retail sector collapse because we're instilling the fear of god into their customers? No, is their response.

He finishes his speech by saying it is "time to put fear to one side, put our shoulders back and get on with our lives".

Tory MPs continue to line up against some of the measures and next up is Anthony Mangnall.

He says he will oppose the extension of mandatory masks, Covid passes and mandatory vaccination for NHS staff.

He argues the legislation on masks is "shoddy" and points out inconsistencies, such as colleagues being able to sing or eat together but not go to work.

Mangnall says there is also little evidence to show Covid passes work.

"We cannot continue to terrify people," he tells the Commons, saying he is "staggered" by how the government has used fear to try to persuade people in the past two weeks.

Image source, UK Parliament

Conservative Derek Thomas says is worried that the NHS and government are too focused on Covid, rather than other "severe difficulties" many people are facing with their health.

The MP for St Ives says he believes the government's imposition of restrictions to fight the virus has caused people to miss out on treatment they need from the health service.

He asks: "How many more cancer patients will miss their diagnosis and treatment and lose their lives because we told them to protect the NHS?"

Thomas adds the government should reopen the emergency Nightingale hospitals to "deal with Omicron and protect the NHS".

He adds he will be supporting the government on booster jabs and testing, but will oppose all other measures.

Image source, UK Parliament

Tory MP Greg Smith says he won't vote for the extension of mandatory masks, Covid passes or mandatory vaccination for NHS staff.

He argues the measures are a "slippery slope" and not without harm, including damage to the economy.

He also gives the example of people who may be unable to wear a mask or deaf people not being to lip read a mask-wearer.

Smith says the government should focus on the booster rollout and otherwise "give people their freedom back to choose".

Image source, UK Parliament

Tory MP Aaron Bell says he will be supporting the government, saying the measures are a "precautionary and balanced approach" while we learn more about the Omicron variant.

He says Covid passes should not be described as "vaccine passports" because people can also show proof of a negative test or recent recovery from the virus.

Bell says he will stand up for the right not to be vaccinated but "you cannot imagine that there can be no consequences" once this starts to impact on the freedom of others.

Image source, Reuters

While MPs continue to debate the measures in the Commons, down the corridor the prime minister is appealing to his backbenchers.

Boris Johnson is speaking to the 1922 Committee - an influential group of Tory MPs - to try and convince them to support his measures.

We have correspondents outside, and so far we know he has told them the government "simply cannot rely on the suggestion Omicron may be mild".

He said the first evidence was "unclear", and even if it isn't as severe as Delta, it will still put people in hospital, so he had “absolutely no choice but to act”.

The PM added: "By our sensible balance and caution, we are going to keep our freedoms alive, but we are also going to repay the trust of the electorate.

"And in some of the most difficult circumstances this country has faced for generations, we are going to do the right thing by our people and our country tonight. That is what I urge you to do.”

Tory MP Alicia Kearns says she supports "evidence-based policy making" and will be backing "precautions" brought in by the government, including masks and testing.

But when it comes to Covid passports, she will be voting against.

She says there is no evidence passports reduce transmission but adds she will vote down the plan because of the "fundamental unease" it gives her.

"We do not discriminate on a medical basis in this country and we cannot," she adds.

Former minister Andrea Leadsom says she will not support compulsory vaccination for NHS staff, saying daily testing as an alternative would be a "practical and fair solution".

It would also avoid the risk of losing those NHS and care staff who are unwilling to be vaccinated, she adds.

On measures like Covid passes, she says the focus should be on persuading people to get vaccinated, rather than "criminalising" them.

She argues the measures being proposed by the government are "precautionary" and asks why the quality of life of citizens should be limited "just to be on the safe side".

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

A week is a long time in politics - and in the spread of the pandemic.

Last Wednesday, Conservative MPs and others were shocked at the speed with which the government adopted Plan B.

When Health Secretary Sajid Javid gave a statement to the Commons, cries of "resign" could be heard from the Tory benches.

This debate has been far more measured.

The whips have worked hard to prevent some sceptics in the first rung of ministerial office from quitting.

The chief medical officer in England, Professor Chris Whitty, has been briefing MPs about the risks posed by Omicron.

As the BBC has reported, the PM is trying to persuade some in his ranks to remain in line.

And some recent polling has suggested even a majority of Conservative voters would support Covid passes.

It’s still not clear by how much all this will reduce a potentially large rebellion.

But leading rebels have always thought at least some of those declaring their opposition would in the end abstain rather than vote against the government.

It was interesting, though, to hear former Chief Whip Mark Harper, from the Covid Recovery Group of Conservative MPs, make explicit that the vote on Covid passes is about more than the issue at hand.

He said voting against this measure would send a clear signal to the party to rethink its approach and to respect its own MPs.

He has also been pressing for Parliament to be recalled during the Christmas break if more restrictions are to be introduced.

Image source, HoC

Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke says intensive care unit beds are being "filled up by people who are unvaccinated" and it is having a huge impact on others.

He says there could come a point where people who are vaccinated may not be able to have operations they need because of the numbers of Covid patients in hospital.

Shelbrooke says the measures being debated "don't sit comfortably with me" but he says they are "balanced for this moment in time" to tackle the spread.

He adds: "It is people's right to not get vaccinated... but it is my right and my constituents' right to be able to expect to seek services they have paid in for when and where they may need them."

Image source, HoC

Tory MP Ben Spencer, who used to work as a doctor, says he has "no issue" with mandatory Covid vaccination for NHS staff, pointing out that he had to be vaccinated against other diseases when he went through medical school.

He adds that this is a "basic duty of care issue" and he would want health workers treating relatives to be vaccinated.

However, he opposes mandatory Covid passes, arguing these will exclude marginalised people who do not have a mobile phone to prove their Covid status.

He also says pivoting GP services towards the vaccine rollout will have a cost in terms of missed appointments and screening and will have a knock-on effect on A&E.

There are a fair few MPs missing from today's debate on Covid restrictions... because they have Covid themselves.

The latest to confirm he has tested positive is Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who tweeted the news a few minutes ago.

But he is far from the only one.

Earlier today, three of Labour's front bench - shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson and shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon - confirmed they were isolating after positive tests.

And a number of Tory backbenchers, including Darren Henry and Dean Russell, have also caught the virus.

Rachael Maskell becomes another Labour MP to speak out against mandatory vaccines for NHS staff.

The former NHS clinician says she has "serious concerns" about the move, "not for any ideological reason [but] because it has the contrary effect to which it is intended".

She says: "The people we were clapping and calling our heroes are exhausted, traumatised and frightened and this legislation will sack them".

Maskell says the "best-case" scenario will see 62,000 NHS workers lose their jobs, and she cannot "turn her back on working people" in supporting the legislation.

Instead, she says the government should give NHS staff vaccine counselling with a qualified practitioner and win their trust.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen is strongly critical of Covid passes, saying they tell the unvaccinated they are "second-class citizens".

He questions why there is a "fixation" on the vaccination status of health workers when the vaccine does not prevent transmission.

Why put tens of thousands of people out of a job when the NHS is "stretched to the limit", he asks.

He finishes his speech by saying he believes the most dangerous epidemic sweeping the world is "an epidemic of fear... and it must end".

Image source, Downing Street

We mentioned earlier that England's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, had briefed MPs on the situation with Omicron.

Well, we have now found out the prime minister himself has been carrying out his own briefing.

Boris Johnson has been picking up the phone to those Conservatives expected to rebel on the votes this evening.

Our political correspondent Nick Eardley has been told the PM is urging them to rethink.

And he has told them approving these measures now will help avoid more in the coming weeks.