UK health minister doesn't rule out new COVID restrictions before Christmas

FILE PHOTO: People walk through the Piazza in Covent Garden amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in London, Britain, December 18, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's health minister Sajid Javid declined on Sunday to rule out the chance of further COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas, saying the spread of the Omicron variant was a very fast moving situation.

Britain reported a surge in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant on Saturday, which government advisors said could be just the tip of the iceberg. London's mayor declared a "major incident" to help the city's hospitals cope.