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The UK reported a record 106,000 coronavirus cases yesterday, as Boris Johnson came under growing pressure to spell out whether he would introduce new Covid-19 restrictions in England after Christmas.
Some business leaders called for clarity from the prime minister after the devolved governments in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh outlined measures to take effect after Christmas Day.
The developments came as new research in England and Scotland indicated that people infected with the Omicron variant were less likely to require hospital treatment than those with the Delta strain.
Coronavirus-related staff absences would continue to disrupt businesses and public services, employers have warned, despite the government move to shorten the self-isolation period for infected people by three days.
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