face my swearing, if the omicron variant- face my swearing, if the omicron variant isn t - face my swearing, if the omicron variant isn t as| face my swearing, if the - omicron variant isn t as bad as detta. omicron variant isn t as bad as detta. don t~~~ omicron variant isn t as bad as delta, don t. keep omicron variant isn t as bad as delta, don t. keep that- omicron variant isn t as bad as delta, don t. keep that rulel delta, don t. keep that rule because delta, don t. keep that rule because it delta, don t. keep that rule because it builds delta, don t. keep that rule because it builds public- because it builds public confidence. because it builds public confidence. seven - because it builds public confidence. seven out| because it builds public. confidence. seven out of because it builds public- confidence. seven out of ten people confidence. seven out of ten people use confidence. seven out of ten people use public confidence. seven out of ten people use public t
organises a press i conference and brings back the rules i ve been calling for as long - time. err on the side of caution. better safe than sorry. i had a briefing - today with experts. we have now, i m afraid, - 16 reported cases of the omicron variants. i think it will go up. we don t know whether this variant is more severe, less severe than delta. the good news is the numbers of people in hospital with- covid is less than it was this time last year. - the numbers in hospital- on ventilators is less than last year because the vaccine is making a real difference. i don t want to make a frustrating political point, but your national party, labour saying the government should be tighter and going further on restrictions. you re saying you re confident as the leader that they have the approach right. it s important i say this. on issues like this, .
it sjust really. disgusting, to be honest. ther eis this anxiety about what will happen this year. particularly because in england, as the rules are stipulated at the moment, it s a far more personal decision. the human psychology of, do you think, i ve better not go to the staff meet up at work because i don t want that to wipe out a family christmas. and then the kind of slightly mixed messages from ministers or doctorjenny harries, the senior health advisor, about how we should behave on top of the rules that stipulate behaviour around face coverings and self isolation. to be clear at the moment, the government are saying, go ahead, don t cancel things. don t overreact, but also, we are in this waiting game until we have more information about whether this new variant will be something that is extremely serious, omicron, or whether actually we can still carry on as you were. the government s
whether that s theatres, cinemas, gyms? it doesn t really harm anyone. people have been pushing for and saying why not. better safe than sorry. lam the i am the better safe than sorry school i am the better safe than sorry school of i am the better safe than sorry school of thought i am the better safe than sorry school of thought here. - the precautionary principle. there is one caveat, we need to make i sure we take people with us, | and the problem with this is it feels a bit like the hokey pokey. face masks on, face mask off. that s one of the reason i m calling the government in three weeks time, now two and a half weeks, when they review - the face my swearing, if the omicron variant isn t - as bad as delta, don t. omicron variant isn t as bad as delta, don t. as bad as delta, don t get rid of the rule. keep that rule because it builds public- confidence. seven out of ten people who use public transport want it to be compulsory. i think face masks - should stay c
for instance, if we were to discover that this variant isn t that dangerous, because how does that translate if people think they re being asked to do something, but the risk isn t as significant? really good question. here s why, the delta variant . is still here and it is the one we are worried about before omicron. it s still the case we ve got lots of people catching this virus. here s the worrying number, chris. the numbers of people with covid is bigger now than it was last year, so people are still. catching this virus, but thankfully- because of the vaccine, the consequences are less serious. a recent report in thel bmj that showed most effective thing you can do to stop the pride of the virus is where a face mask. - one of three of us| who may have this virus won t show symptoms. if you are wearing a face mask, you you can sit i