Pubs and restaurants could be CLOSED or have entry limits to halt Omicron under plans drawn up by Whitehall officials
MISERABLE Whitehall officials have drawn up plans to restrict numbers in pubs and restaurants and even close them down in the coming weeks.
There are growing fears of further restrictions after Christmas as Omicron is expected to peak in January, with New Year parties in grave doubt.
A government source said: “You will be able to see your family at Christmas, but at this rate, you might not be able to do it in a pub.
"As for New Year’s Eve, that is a different story.”
But MPs privately warn they will torpedo any attempts to bring in former restrictions like the Rule of Six or a ban on household mixing.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid insisted there were “no plans” for any more measures, as the Omicron variant was poised to become the dominant strain of Covid in London and it claimed its first victim.
More than one in five Tory MPs will vote against Boris Johnson tomorrow night as a brutal rebellion on vaccine passports hit 80.
One ex-minister told The Sun that Tuesday night’s vote is a “show of force".
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No10 vowed to crack on with the vote despite the PM’s majority being wiped out - amid dire warnings of a bigger backlash at any attempt at "Plan C" restrictions.
But Covid certification for nightclubs, mega-bars and stadiums is expected to sail through the Commons with the backing of Sir Keir Starmer's Labour.
Yet Mr Johnson sparked further Tory jitters by refusing to say three times that there will not be further measures introduced before Christmas.
Deputy PM Dominic Raab today insisted Brits will be able to "enjoy" the festive period with their families but also wouldn't rule out new restrictions.
Asked about the possibility of new curbs on pubs and restaurants such as capacity limits, he admitted: "These issues are always discussed.
But he added: "We have got Plan B, that's what we think is required over the Christmas period.
"I think people can look forward to spending Christmas with loved ones in a way that we couldn't last year."
Mr Raab also defended vaccine passports saying fears about them have been "overstated" and they're not the start of a "slippery slope" of restrictions.
He said that he would be "very surprised" if 80 Tory MPs rebel against No 10 over their introduction in tonight's crunch vote.
The number expected to rebel in the Commons far outweighs the 56 MPs required to trigger an internal confidence vote in the PM - but falls short of the 181 needed to defeat him.
A senior MP said: “They may be able to get stuff through on Labour votes, but if they push things too far I have no doubt it would be curtains."
Meanwhile leading Tory rebel Marcus Fysh was slammed after comparing the planned coronavirus health passes being introduced to limit the spread of Omicron to atrocities in Nazi Germany.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews called his remarks "completely unacceptable".
Mr Fysh argued that the passes, which can be acquired by being fully vaccinated or receiving a negative lateral flow result, would be "segregating society based on an unacceptable thing".
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"We are not a 'papers please' society. This is not Nazi Germany," he said.
"It's the thin end of an authoritarian wedge and that's why we will resist it."
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Despite his opposition to being a "papers please" society, Mr Fysh voted in September for the Government's Elections Bill which will introduce photographic identification for voting.
