South Korea to reduce gathering size to four people and introduce 9pm curfews for restaurants and cafes; South Africa reports its highest daily Covid tally since the start of the pandemic
- Omicron found to grow 70 times faster than Delta in bronchial tissue
- Surge in Covid hospitalisations predicted, UK medical chief warns
- Google tells US staff to get vaccinated or face losing jobs
- US passes 800,000 Covid-related deaths – highest in the world
- Follow all our coronavirus coverage
People in England have been told to cut down on socialising in the lead-up to Christmas.
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.