By Andrew MacAskill
LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson will meet with his Cabinet on Wednesday to review
restrictions to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in England as he
seeks to move attention away from parties held at his residence
during coronavirus lockdowns.
The restrictions, known as "Plan B" measures, were
introduced by the government last month as the Omicron strain
spread rapidly across Britain. They included guidance to work
from home where possible, masks for indoor settings and vaccine
passports for mass events.
Johnson will address parliament on Wednesday and hopes to
reset his agenda following criticisms after he admitted he
attended a gathering in the garden of his Downing Street office
and residence in May 2020 while social mixing was banned.
He has apologised for attending, but the growing reports of
alcohol-fuelled gatherings at the heart of government have
prompted calls for his resignation, including from some in his
governing Conservative Party.
In a clear indication that some or all of the recent
restrictions will be removed, health minister Sajid Javid said
on Tuesday he was optimistic that measures can be scaled back
next week as cases and hospitalisations look to have peaked.
"Decisions on the next steps remain finely balanced," a
government spokesperson said. "The Omicron variant continues to
pose a significant threat and the pandemic is not over.
Infections remain high but the latest data is encouraging, with
cases beginning to fall."
Coronavirus case numbers have fallen in all regions in
England in the past few weeks. On Tuesday, 94,432 cases were
recorded across Britain, down from a record 218,724 cases two
weeks ago.
The current Plan B measures have a clause that will see them
expire on Jan. 26. If Johnson wants to renew them, a new vote in
parliament would be needed to extend them beyond that date.
The removal of the restrictions would please many in his
party who want to return to something akin to normal life.
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill;
Editing by Sandra Maler)