Covid-19: No need to cancel Christmas parties and call for pre-arrival testing

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

1. No need to cancel Christmas celebration plans

There is no need to call off Christmas parties despite the emergence of the Omicron variant, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said. However, he added that people should consider measures such as taking a lateral flow test or wearing face masks when socialising - and he also urged people to get a booster jab. However, some NHS trusts have asked staff "not to mix in big groups" in the run-up to Christmas to "set an example", NHS providers has said.

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2. PM quizzed over lockdown Christmas parties

Amidst all the disagreements about the best course of action heading into this Christmas, the prime minister has been quizzed over allegations Downing Street held Christmas parties last year in breach of lockdown rules. Asked at PMQs about the reports in the Mirror newspaper, Boris Johnson did not deny parties had taken place - but said no Covid rules were broken. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the PM of hypocrisy for flouting the rules he had set for everyone else at the time.

Watch: Keir Starmer asks if No 10 held a Christmas party while the rest of the country was in lockdown

3. Time to consider mandatory jabs over Omicron, EU chief says

European Union countries should consider mandatory vaccination to combat Covid and the Omicron variant, Ursula von der Leyen has said. The European Commission president added vaccines would be crucial in the fight against the "highly contagious" new strain and it was "understandable and appropriate" to discuss forced jabs, with a third of the EU's population unvaccinated. Omicron has now been reported in 24 countries according to the World Health Organization, which added early signs were that most cases were "mild" and not severe.

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Ursula von der Leyen said it was "appropriate" for EU states to consider compulsory jabs

4. Pre-departure Covid tests would be valuable, scientists say

Pre-departure Covid testing for travellers returning to the UK would be "valuable", the government's Sage scientific advisory committee has said. Current rules only require people to self-isolate until they have received a negative Covid PCR test taken within 48 hours of arriving. But, in the minutes of a meeting held on Monday and seen by the BBC, Sage scientists say this policy will "identify significantly fewer cases" than extra tests on days five or eight.

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5. Co-op latest supermarket to not enforce mask wearing

The Co-op has become the latest supermarket chain to say it will not enforce new mask wearing rules to avoid staff being abused by customers. The face-covering requirement was brought back in on Tuesday after concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant. Supermarkets are taking a light touch approach with Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and Iceland also not challenging customers, while industry body the British Retail Consortium has said it is up to police to enforce the rule.

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And there's more...

Just how risky is going to your office Christmas do? Our health editor Michelle Roberts has taken a look here.

You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

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