Many Brits are shunning pre
era to avoid the cold weather, according to a new survey. In fact, more than half of respondents said they would rather stay at home and have no heating than wind up with little money in their pockets due to long waits for public transport. The study found that 34% of people believed 2014’s brutal winter was an example of what could happen if things continued on without immediate action from central government. Experts say it will take until 2040 before the UK can affordably meet its carbon-neutral goals while still maintaining GDP growth as high as 2%.
In Newcastle, young people partied hard, while central London was unusually quiet at this time of year (photo: North News & Pictures / w8media).
Due to soaring Omicron infections, fewer Brits ventured a pre-Christmas night out yesterday night, leaving towns and cities throughout the UK hauntingly silent.
Images reveal a mostly abandoned Soho in London, with pubs, restaurants, and theaters virtually vacant.
Despite the fact that no additional limitations have been enforced, many individuals are opting to remain at home in order to prevent contracting the extremely contagious Omicron form.
Today, the United Kingdom set a new daily record, with over 120,000 new cases reported in the previous 24 hours.
Due to the Covid interruption, theatre entrepreneur Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed that his production of Cinderella has been postponed until next year, while shows of Hamilton and The Lion King have also been canceled.
Christmas shoppers in downtown London have also decreased, with fewer individuals observed rushing out on Oxford Street and Regent Street to purchase last-minute presents.
Last night, towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom were strangely silent (Picture: w8media for Mailonline)
This time of year, London’s Soho is usually busy (Picture: w8media for Mailonline)
Around Oxford Circus and Regent Street, there was also a decrease in footfall (Picture: w8media for Mailonline)
According to figures from the New West End Company, footfall in the West End fell by 27% on Tuesday compared to the same day last year.
The firm’s CEO, Jace Tyrrell, said that firms need greater assistance than the Treasury package presented earlier this week.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an additional £1 billion in financial assistance for the hotel and leisure industries, with each company eligible for a £6,000 cash award to help them weather the Omicron crisis.
The Treasury is also adding £30 million to the Cultural Recovery Fund, which helps museums and theaters, and returning the statutory sick pay rebate programme, which enables small and medium-sized businesses to receive reimbursement for the cost of sick pay for their staff.
However, the vow has been slammed by the entertainment industry as “inadequate” un dealing with the effect that growing Covid cases are having on the industry.
According to an Ipsos MORI poll, the majority of Britons are now taking things into their own hands to limit their chances of contracting Covid, with 58 percent avoiding public transportation or planning to do so, and 57 percent avoiding bars and restaurants.
Omicron did not ruin everyone’s Christmas cheer. (Image courtesy of North News & Pictures)
Brits braved the cold in Newcastle for a pre-Christmas night out. (Image courtesy of North News & Pictures)
Despite the fact that Newcastle was quieter than normal, there were still large numbers of young people out (Picture: North News & Pictures)
The Night Time Industries Association’s chief executive, Michael Kill, stated that although every pound helps, “this package is much too little and borders on insulting.”
However, Omicron isn’t ruining everyone’s Christmas plans.
While Newcastle’s streets were not as crowded as they were pre-Covid, there were still large numbers of young people out in force, keen to make the most of their night out.
Following the introduction of Covid permits, thousands of people throughout England maintained their cool and attended major events last weekend.
Many individuals are opting to make the most of their freedom in the face of the possibility of increased constraints.
Ministers have said that they would not make any announcements on further Covid measures in England until after Christmas, although the rules may be tightened after then.
To prevent contracting Omiron, many Britons have chosen to remain inside. (Image courtesy of North News & Pictures)
Today, another 120,000 Covid cases were reported in the United Kingdom (Picture: North News & Pictures)
The government has advised individuals to exercise caution and take a test, but it has not yet imposed any restrictions on social events (Picture: North News & Pictures)
Despite new data that Omicron causes less severe disease than previous Covid-19 strains, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that the NHS is in risk of being ‘overwhelmed’ by the spike in Omicron cases.
After recent estimates showed Covid infection rates in the UK hitting record levels, with an estimated 1.4 million individuals infected, he claimed authorities were monitoring the data ‘hour by hour.’
The warning came as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) calculated that people with Omicron were 31% to 45 percent less likely to go to A&E and 50% to 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital than those with the Delta variation.
The results are similar to those of Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh, both of which were released on Wednesday.
While the UKHSA findings were ‘promising,’ Mr Javid warned that Omicron cases were continuing to climb at a ‘exceptional pace.’
In a statement, he stated, “Hospital admissions are growing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed.”
‘This is a preliminary study, and we are monitoring the data hour by hour.’
‘It is still too early to make any decisions on the future steps.’
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