Coronavirus latest news: Boris Johnson announces new restrictions on travel and face masks to slow omicron variant

• Boris Johnson held press conference at Downing Street this afternoon

• Omicron variant: The new Covid rules set out in Boris Johnson's speech

• First two UK cases of new omicron variant confirmed in Essex and Nottinghamshire

• If a new vaccine is needed for the omicron variant, how long will it take to arrive?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced new travel and face mask rules in response to two cases of the omicron variant being identified in the UK.

Mr Johnson said that, from Monday, people must wear masks in shops and on public transport. There are no changes to the hospitality sector.

Anyone who enters the UK must now take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival and self isolate until they have a negative result.

All contacts of those who test positive with a suspected omicron case to isolate for 10 days regardless of vaccination status.

These rules will be reviewed in three weeks.

Follow live updates below

07:02 PM

Hospitality wouldn't survive another lockdown, warns industry chief

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “We are encouraged by the Government's decision not to mitigate against hospitality and night time economy settings, with the additional measures presented by the PM, including wearing masks within shops and on public transport in England, coupled with more stringent border controls for visitors entering the country as a first response.

“Although somewhat tentative about the coming weeks, need to be clear that the sector is still extremely fragile and will not survive further trade inhibiting restrictions or a potential lockdown."

06:58 PM

Omicron: Map showing where it is in the world

06:44 PM

Hospitalisations remain low

The PM said hospitalisations and deaths due to Covid-19 have reduced in part due to the "massive" take-up of the vaccine and successful booster programme.

This graph, presented during the Downing Street briefing this afternoon, shows that the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in the UK remains significantly less than in April 2020.

06:31 PM

Mayor of London 'welcomes' tougher face mask rules

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said the Government's decision to impose tighter restrictions on face masks is "welcome".

He tweeted: "Today's announcement that face coverings will be compulsory on public transport nationwide, as they already are across TfL, is welcome.

"Evidence shows they help stop the virus spreading, and this is a measure I've repeatedly urged the Government to take."

06:21 PM

Wales' response to new variant

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford called the new omicron variant a "serious development".

He said on Twitter: "This new variant is a serious development in the ongoing pandemic. I urge everyone in Wales to continue to work together to keep each other safe.

"Please get your vaccine or booster when offered, wear a mask when necessary, and book a test if you have symptoms."

06:18 PM

Scotland's response to new variant

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said "we all have a part to play in beating" the new omicron coronavirus variant.

She tweeted: "There are no confirmed cases of omicron in (Scotland) yet, but we MUST act as if it's already here. @scotgov is introducing new requirements for travellers, but we all have a part to play in beating this new threat.

"So wear (masks), wash hands, get vaccines & test before socialising."

06:17 PM

Italy: First omicron case identified

Italy has detected a case of the new variant in Milan.

06:16 PM

Omicron in South Africa - doctor who alerted the authorities speaks to Telegraph

The first South African doctor to alert the authorities about patients with the omicron variant has told The Telegraph the symptoms of the new variant are unusual but mild.

Dr Angelique Coetze said she was first alerted to the possibility of a new variant when patients in her busy private practice in the capital Pretoria started to come in earlier this month with Covid-19 symptoms that didn’t make immediate sense.

Find out more about the omicron symptoms here.

06:12 PM

Omicron in the UK: What we know so far

The first UK cases of the omicron Covid variant were confirmed on Saturday.

Two people in Essex and Nottinghamshire have been found to have tested positive for the new variant, with officials carrying out mass testing in affected areas to identify further cases.

Click here to find out all we know so far about omicron and the UK.

06:09 PM

What are the new rules?

Changes have been made to travel, isolation and mask rules.

Click here to find out all you need to know after today's coronavirus briefing.

06:08 PM

Germany: Two omicron cases identified

Germany has confirmed its first two cases of the new omicron strain of Covid-19, in travellers who arrived at Munich airport from South Africa, regional officials said.

"Two suspected cases of the new virus variant omicron classified by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern have been confirmed in Bavaria," the health ministry of the southern state said in a statement.

06:07 PM

Mask rules should never have been relaxed, claims Manchester mayor

Following the announcement on face coverings becoming compulsory on public transport and in shops, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham tweeted: "This is right but shows why they shouldn't have been relaxed.

"It will now be harder, and take longer, to get levels of compliance up to where we need them to be."

06:06 PM

Wales follows UK on travel restrictions

The Welsh Government has confirmed it will introduce the same measures on international travel announced by Boris Johnson this afternoon.

05:59 PM

PM: 'We couldn't have responded faster'

The PM admitted the latest restrictions on travel "sound tough", but added: "That's the way it's got to be."

Asked whether the Government could have moved faster to close borders to protect the country from the new omicron variant, he added: "I really don't know how we could've acted faster.

"We got the news out about it on Thursday and we put quite a lot of southern African countries on the red list yesterday, and some more today."

05:55 PM

Anti-viral pills need a 'rethink'

Professor Chris Whitty said anti-viral pills for Covid-19, which were approved by the UK earlier this month, need a "rethink" because of the new variant.

"We are going to have to do a bit of a rethink on the basis of this new variant just to be confident we've got the right indications from it," he said.

"There's a variety of ways you could use it in different ways, and what we need to make sure is whatever stock we've got of these, what appear to be highly effective drugs, that we use in the most effective way and for the right people.

"Where you are in the pathway right from the very beginning... working out their place, we do need to think through and I think we probably need to do a rethink of it just to make sure with the new variant we're targeting in the right direction."

05:49 PM

A toast to the scientists who produced the vaccines

Professor Chris Whitty encouraged households to "raise a glass" to the scientists who have produced the vaccines.

He said: "If I can make one Christmas plea? It would be that when people raise their glasses this Christmas, they do so to the extraordinary scientists who produce the vaccines, the diagnostics, the drugs which will allow this Christmas, if possible, to be in a very different place to what it would have been without them."

05:44 PM

Boosters could be brought in for adults as young as 18

Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will need to decide whether to extend the booster vaccine down to adults aged 18.

A second dose may also be offered to children aged 12-15 who decided with their families to get the first dose of the vaccine.

05:40 PM

Further restrictions may be brought in if omicron proves very transmissible

Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, said the UK may need to "face up" to the possibility of further action if the omicron variant is very transmissible.

"I think we'll get more information on transmissibility, we'll get more information on the ability of the vaccines to protect against the virus, but that's going to take a little bit of time," he said.

"At the moment, the models are more 'if it spreads very fast, of course it's going to spread very fast and go into a lot of places, and if it spreads less fast it's going to do so less'.

"But if it's very transmissible and does cause big escape, then clearly that's a major issue we have to face up to.

"But that isn't what we know at the moment, we need to get that information."

05:37 PM

Restaurants and bars: No further restrictions

Boris Johnson said there will be no changes to the rules for the hospitality sector.

05:28 PM

Transport Secretary: Masks required on public transport and some indoor settings

For those who test positive, they must isolate for 10 days. There will be no change for unvaccinated travellers.

People will also now be required to wear a face covering on public transport and in some other indoor settings. (3/4)

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) November 27, 2021

05:25 PM

PM: How we are dealing with omicron compared with delta

"When you look at delta, the measures we have in place are effective. You are seeing downwards tracking of hospitalisations and deaths, assisted by the booster programme and massive take-up of vaccines.

"But for omicron, we need to slow the seeding with the border measures we're taking, tough measures at the border, to give us time to find out exactly what the risk is, but give us time to have another 6 million boosters in people's arms."

05:19 PM

PM: Christmas this year will be better

Asked if families should prepare themselves for a disruption to their December plans, Mr Johnson said that this year's Christmas will be "considerably better" than last year.

05:16 PM

Government Chief Scientific Adviser: Defensive steps we must take

Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, said these steps must be taken:

1. Limit number of cases entering the UK

2. Limit spread in the UK when cases are identified

3. Ensure people get their booster jabs

05:13 PM

'Virtually inevitable' that omicron will spread

Countries increasingly reporting omicron cases is "virtually inevitable", said Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England.

There will be some degree of vaccine escape with this variant, but there's a reasonable chance that vaccines may still be sufficient to prevent severe disease, he said.

05:10 PM

Chief Medical Officer for England outline main case trends

Professor Chris Whitty said:

• Younger children - significant transmission and rates increasing in many parts of country.

• Over 60s and 70s - case rates drifting downwards in people over 60 and particularly those over 70.

• Number of people going to hospital is drifting downwards.