Uncertainty for racing as Johnson refuses to rule out further Covid restrictions

Prime minister Boris Johnson has not ruled out imposing further Covid-19 restrictions in England, leaving the racing and betting industries facing a period of uncertainty.

Ministers met to discuss Covid-19 measures after a surge in cases due to the Omicron variant on the day more than 90,000 new cases were announced in the UK.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Johnson described the current situation as "extremely difficult" and said: "The arguments either way are finely balanced. We will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public and our NHS.

"We've agreed that we shall keep the data now under constant review, following it hour by hour. There are still some things we need to be clearer about before we decide to go further."

"We won't hesitate to take action," he added, advising the public to show caution.

When asked what sort of measures the government is considering, he said: "We're looking at all kinds of things – we will rule nothing out."

Racecourses in England have not faced capacity restrictions since July 19

Newspaper reports on Monday had suggested restrictions could be brought in before Christmas, with the Daily Telegraph saying Johnson had been presented with three options for further measures. These reportedly included curbs on household mixing, the return of social distancing and a curfew for pubs and restaurants, while one of the options was the return to a full lockdown. Any new legal restrictions would require parliament to be recalled and for MPs to vote measures through.

Racecourses in England have not faced capacity restrictions since the final stage of the government's roadmap was initiated on July 19.

The Racecourse Association did not wish to be drawn on speculation and its potential implications for racecourses when it was approached over the weekend.

The BHA said it would "continue to monitor and await guidance from the various governments regarding any further developments".

Other sports have been impacted by the rise in Covid-19 cases, although on Monday it was announced Premier League clubs would fulfil festive fixtures after six of ten top-flight matches were postponed last weekend.

'There are no guarantees' – Sajid Javid refuses to rule out further restrictions

A total of 91,743 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the UK on Monday, higher than Sunday's tally but lower than Friday's record of 93,045 cases.

On Sunday the Omicron variant was responsible for around 80 per cent of infections in London and 60 per cent in England, according to Javid.

In Ireland new restrictions began on Monday, although there was some relief after Leopardstownconfirmed it was able to honour all ticket-holders for its four-day Christmas festival, starting on Sunday.

Read more on this subject:

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