Health minister: Enjoy new year but be cautious

People should enjoy themselves but be cautious when celebrating new year, UK care minister Gillian Keegan has said.

Revellers should take a lateral flow test before going out and celebrate in well-ventilated areas, she advised.

The government is not imposing further Covid restrictions in England, but there are limits on socialising in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The hospitality sector described the decision not to add further measures as a “lifeline” for pubs, bars and clubs.

Ms Keegan said that while people should try to enjoy themselves, the Omicron variant of coronavirus was “highly infectious” and they needed to exercise caution.

The government was watching the data “all the time”, she added. NHS England figures show there were 1,281 Covid hospital admissions on Christmas Day – the highest number for any day since 16 February.

And a further 16,133 Omicron cases have been confirmed in England, taking the total to 159,204. Some 49 people with a confirmed case of Omicron have now died, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency.