From the BBC Health Correspondent:
London, which was the first area to see an Omicron wave, gives us an indication of what to expect. The first half of December saw cases detected double week on week. But the growth in hospital admissions - taking into account the lag between initial infection and becoming seriously ill - has been much lower, at about two-thirds. And those that are admitted appear to be spending less time in hospital. What's more, the surge in infections looks like it started levelling off before Christmas. If this is right and the trends hold and are repeated elsewhere, it would suggest hospital numbers will peak at under half of what was seen last winter - very much best-case scenario territory. That, though, is a lot of ifs. But it looks like it has been enough to convince ministers more restrictions cannot be justified for now.
The decision not to introduce new measures in England came hours after the prime minister was briefed by England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. It looks as though they are cautiously optimistic for now. And whose opinion should we trust if not theirs?
I'm sure the situation will be carefully monitored and things could still change by New Year. But let's hope not, eh?
