Boris Johnson will hold 5pm press conference today amid the growing threat from Omicron

Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street press conference later today in the face of growing pressure from his own advisers to enforce new tougher restrictions because of warnings that the NHS is in 'serious peril' based on modelling of the spread of Omicron.

With the variant already dominant in London and modelling is predicting up to 200,000 people are catching it every day. The Prime Minister will address the nation at 5pm alongside Professor Chris Whitty and top NHS official Dr Nikki Kanani to shed light on the current situation.

Currently no fresh curbs are expected to be unveiled at the briefing, with No10 saying 'there are no plans to go beyond what we have set out'.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was also wheeled out on TV and radio today to bat off calls for an immediate Plan C.

Mr Shapps insisted this Christmas will be a 'good deal happier than last' and said England's current restrictions — of work from home guidance, vaccine passports and compulsory face masks in some settings — were 'sensible' and 'proportionate'.

But England has already split from their Scottish counterparts in how to handle the next stage of the pandemic, having refused to ask people to limit socialising over the festive period. Ministers have only urged people to get tested before meeting loved ones.