England Is Reporting Record Daily Case Numbers, And Javid Says New Restrictions Should Only Be Used As A "Last Resort."
According to government figures, 162,572 new Covid cases were registered in England in the last 24-hour period, up from 160,276 new lab-confirmed Covid cases reported on Friday.
According to the figures released on Saturday, another 154 people died in England within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.
Sajid Javid previously stated that new restrictions on freedom should only be used as a last resort to combat the coronavirus. Even as he recognized that Omicron would strain the NHS to its limit, the health secretary said the UK must strive to "live alongside" the condition in 2022.
Separately, people are being warned not to post photos of their negative lateral flow tests on the internet, amid a flurry of online activity.