AN EMERGENCY Cobra meeting will be held this weekend as the Omicron crisis gripping Britain deepens. Senior ministers from all four countries of the UK will gather to discuss a common response to the threat from the new variant.
GettyBoris Johnson held talks with Nicola Sturgeon today '/ ' 
It will be the second emergency get-together in the space of days with alarm over the spread of the mutant strain increasing. There have been three consecutive days of record cases with new UK infections yesterday toping 90,000. The meeting was announced after Boris Johnson held crisis talks with Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon today. A Downing Street spokesman said: ...The Prime Minister and the First Minister agreed on the importance of close collaboration for the benefit of citizens across the UK. ...They discussed the shared challenges including the economic disruption caused by Covid and will continue to work together. ...The Prime Minister confirmed UK Government will be convening a Cobra meeting over the weekend with counterparts from the devolved administrations to continue discussions.... Most Read in News UNDER FIRE What to know about Judge Michelle Odinet 'SHOPPING CART KILLER' 'Serial killer' who moves bodies in Target cart is probed as 4 slain IN COLD BLOOD Mexican actress shot dead while waiting to pick up her son, 11, from football TIKTOK THREAT Warning over challenge that urges kids to bring WEAPONS to school tomorrow CASHFLOW Five stimulus check payment programs to replace the monthly $300 child tax credit WE WANT JUSTICE Grieving dad of model's friend wants three suspects hit with MURDER charges FILTHY DEN Inside home where model & friend spent last hours before being left for dead MIND YOUR SAFETY What to know about the December 17 TikTok challenge in schools DEATH TRAP Deadliest animals that can kill humans in SECONDS with bites, stings and poison HOME OF HORRORS Suspects spotted leaving apartment where model & friend seen before deaths There have now been 15,000 confirmed Omicron cases across the UK and scientists say the variant is doubling every couple of days. But the booster rollout to protect Brits from the new strain is also charging ahead at breakneck speed with help from Jabs Army volunteers. More than 25 million people have now had the top-up shot with a record three quarters of a million given out yesterday alone. Ms Sturgeon said Omicron is now Scotland's dominant coronavirus strain adding ...the tsunami I warned about a week ago is now starting to hit us.... She's already imposed harsher restrictions than in England by telling Scots to restrict socialising to just three households over the Christmas period. 
Read our Covid-19 live blog for the latest updates By slapping the country with the toughest measures in months she's piled pressure on Boris Johnson to also tighten mixing curbs in England. The First Minister said the advice wouldn't apply to main celebrations with friends and family on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day. In a gloomy address to MSPs she said she was ...not asking anyone to cancel Christmas..., but advised people to limit their socialising either side of the holiday. Ms Sturgeon said: ...My key request today is this: before and immediately after Christmas, please minimise your social mixing with other households as much as you can. ...However, if you do plan on socialising, either at home or in indoor public places, we are asking that you limit the number of households represented in your group to a maximum of three. And make sure you test before you go.... Omicron is spreading like wildfire across the UK, although London is at the epicentre of the new epidemic. Welsh leader Mark Drakeford announced that he's closing the country's nightclubs after Boxing Day. He'll also reintroduce social distancing in shops and workplaces after telling people to brace for the ...storm of Omicron.... For now Boris is sticking to his Plan B restrictions in England, although he has urged people think of reducing their social contacts. Meanwhile schools are already drawing up plans to stay shut after the Christmas holidays due to the spread of Omicron. No 10 insists they should stay open amid fears more time out of the classroom would have a devastating impacts in kids' learning. There are also reports ministers are fleshing out draconian Plan C restrictions to come into force in January. They could include the reintroduction of social ...bubbles... and further indoor mask rules. Government officials are said to have been ...spooked... into looking at further restrictions as fears over Omicron continues to grip the nation. But No 10 could struggle to get any new measures through Parliament after suffering a crushing rebellion on vaccine passports earlier this week. A whopping 99 Tory MPs opposed their imposition, leaving the PM relying on Labour's support to win the vote. Source:
