Tuesday December 21 2021 | thetimes.co.uk | No 73660Boris Johnson is unlikely to impose
further coronavirus restrictions before
Christmas after delaying a decision
yesterday but said that he “reserves the
possibility” of further action.
Speaking after a two-hour cabinet
meeting, the prime minister said that he
would wait until the data was clearer
before deciding whether to implement
Covid restrictions, describing the
decision as “finely balanced”.
Government sources said the delay
meant that curbs in the run-up to
Christmas were highly unlikely as John-
son has committed himself to recalling
parliament before implementing regu-
lations, a process that would take 48
hours. They added that the focus would
be on restrictions after Christmas, with
a two-week “circuit breaker” banning
household mixing being considered for
December 28.
The delay prompted a cabinet split,
with Sajid Javid, the health secretary,
telling ministers that no decision was a
decision in itself as Omicron numbers
continued to surge and hospital admis-
sions rose in London. He asked outside
experts to “kick the tyres” of govern-
ment modelling but none of them was
able to reassure him that Omicron
would prove less severe.
However, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the
leader of the Commons, said that
instead of imposing more restrictions
the government should trust people to
make the right decisions to protect
themselves and their families.
He criticised official modelling and
said there was not enough information
to justify further restrictions. Johnson
sided with the majority view of the
cabinet that there was insufficient
data to implement new curbs, despite
scientists saying that every day of delay
would put more strain on the NHS.
In other developments:
6 A record 102,297 people tested posi-
tive for coronavirus last Wednesday
amid surging levels of Omicron.
6 Hospital admissions in London have
doubled in three weeks, as Johnson
urged the public to continue to come
forward to receive coronavirus vaccine
boosters or first or second jabs.
6 The ten-day isolation period for
Covid contacts will be cut to seven,
ministers are expected to announce.
6 NHS doctors have expressed their
anger at staff photographed drinking at
No 10 during lockdown as fingers were
pointed at the Treasury over the image.
6 The Queen has dropped plans to
spend Christmas at Sandringham and
will remain at Windsor instead.
Johnson said: “In view of the balance
of risks and uncertainties, particularly
around the infection hospitalisation
rate of Omicron — how many people
does Omicron put into hospital — [and]
Continued on page 2, col 3Steven Swinford Political Editor
Chris Smyth Whitehall Editor
Stop dishing
out pills for
depression,
doctors told
Kat Lay Health EditorDoctors should prescribe fewer anti-
depressants and for a shorter time,
experts said, after a review found no
strong evidence that the drugs were
effective.
The benefits of the medication were
uncertain but many patients had side
effects and withdrawal symptoms,
which could be severe, researchers said.
Trial data had failed to show a
“clinically relevant” difference between
the drugs and a placebo, according to
the findings, published online in the
Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.
An estimated 7.8 million people in
England — roughly one adult in six —
were given at least one prescription for
antidepressants in 2019-20. Rates were
50 per cent higher in women and the
number of youngsters aged between 12
and 17 who were prescribed the drugs
more than doubled between 2005 and
2017.
The researchers, from University
College London and Royal Cornwall
Hospitals NHS Trust, said the balance
between benefit and harm from
the drugs was uncertain and that
“we should revisit the widespread
— and growing — prescription of
antidepressants”.
Although the drugs might have a role
for some people with severe depression,
their widespread long-term use was
probably inappropriate, the team said.
They found that much of the evidence
for using the drugs in adults came from
trials that lasted only between six and
twelve weeks. One patient in five on a
modern type of antidepressant known
as SSRIs reported daytime sleepiness,
dry mouth, profuse sweating or weight
Continued on page 2, col 5Amid uncertainty over whether coronavirus rules are to be tightened, the Queen
has decided to stay in Windsor rather than travel to Sandringham, where she last
attended the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in 2019. Page 3ARTHUR EDWARDS£2.20 £1.45 to subscribers
(based on 7 Day Print Pack)Good news! Feasting on
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Page 67, T&Cs applyChristmas
hopes grow
as Johnson
delays action
6 ‘Circuit breaker’ considered for December 28
Times
6 Trust the people to decide, says Rees-Mogg
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