(Bloomberg) -- Wales will bring back social distancing rules in offices and close nightclubs after Christmas as it tries to contain a growing wave of Covid-19.
Office workers will be required to keep two meters apart, and extra measures including one-way systems and barriers will be needed in businesses and shops from Dec. 27, the Welsh government said in a statement.
The move by Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford in response to the highly-transmissible omicron variant heaps pressure on U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to introduce tougher measures in England.
Johnson has urged people to work from home, and wear face coverings in most indoor settings, but has so far rebuffed scientists' calls to bring in further restrictions despite the U.K. facing a record-breaking wave of infections.
London Suffers as Omicron Surge Fears Turn City Into Ghost Town
Drakeford also urged people to limit their socializing over Christmas, and leave at least a day between events.
“We need a plan to keep us safe this Christmas and we need stronger measures to protect us afterwards, as we prepare for a large wave of omicron infections,” he said the statement.
The U.K. reported 88,376 more Covid-19 cases on Thursday, a new daily record, and 146 more deaths.
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