Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, urged people not to 'mix with people you don't have to', amid mounting concern over the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Whitty's comments were in stark contrast to messaging from Boris Johnson, who has previously said he does not want people to cancel Christmas parties

Subscribe to Guardian News on YouTube ► http://bit.ly/guardianwiressub

Omicron likely biggest threat of Covid pandemic so far, says UK health chief ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/15/omicron-probably-the-biggest-threat-of-covid-pandemic-says-health-chief

Surge in hospitalisations a ‘nailed-on prospect’ as Covid cases hit record high ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/15/uk-covid-cases-at-record-level-with-78610-new-infections

The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► https://bit.ly/3uhA7zg

Website ► https://www.theguardian.com
Facebook ►https://www.facebook.com/theguardian
Twitter ► https://twitter.com/guardian
Instagram ► https://instagram/guardian