Online jokers made fun of the new coronavirus restrictions that are being placed on England by what the Government calls ‘Plan B.
Twitter users noted that these planned actions share their names with Plan B, a 38 year-old actor from London and rapper Benjamin Paul Ballance Drew.
One user on social media posted a photo showing Harry Brown, and one joked about how ‘who in the world would believe it was possible for this man to free us from Covid?
Other people suggested it was time for the NHS Covid app to be ‘dust’ amid Omicron’s rise, calling for Plan P = Party. Party. Party.
One other posted a picture of wine and cheese. It stated: “Just getting mine in, ready to go for Plan B, should they come knocking.”
This is a reference for footage last night that showed senior No 10 aides laughing at a Downing Street Christmas party last December during Tier 3 restrictions.
One aide can be heard saying, “It wasn’t a party. It was wine and cheese.” And another replied: ‘Is cheese and wine all right? The meeting was business-related.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, said that the Cabinet will be consulted prior to any new restrictions being imposed as a result of increasing Covid-19 cases.
According to reports, he is considering measures such as guidance on working from home and introduction of domestic vaccination passports to large events or venues.
Sources at Downing Street insist that ‘no decisions’ have been taken, but there are widespread rumors suggesting that additional measures may be in the offing.
The timing of this is under suspicion at Westminster. It comes as the Prime Minster was made to apologise for footage that showed senior aides laughing about a Downing Street Christmas party in December last year.
This was referred to by a Twitter user who asked “Do Plan B rules include a party in No 10, Boris?” Another said, “Sorry love. You’ve lost the whole room.”
Senior Tory William Wragg, a Tory Tory, challenged Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions about claims that the Cabinet meeting and conference had been planned to ‘initiate Covid winter plan B’.
According to the chairman of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, the PM was told by him that he believed few would be convinced by the diversionary tactics.
According to the Prime Minister, ‘No decision will be made without consulting with Cabinet.
A member prominent of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies(Sage) stated that a UK-wide lockdown is possible to address the Omicron strain threat, but it remains uncertain what the future threat will be.
So far, the Government insists that it’s not the right time to activate Plan B. These are the limitations which would be put in place to stop the NHS from becoming overwhelmed in winter.
Omicron could have altered those calculations at Downing Street. Johnson told the Cabinet Tuesday that there were early indications that Omicron was transmissible more than the Delta strain.
In order to give the booster jab vaccine campaign more time to develop, restrictions may be necessary to slow the spread.
Sage member Prof. Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London said that the variant was concerning, but its effects on severe diseases are still unclear.
Omicron’s rapid spread means that Omicron could soon be used to tell people to work at home. It is also expected to overtake the Delta strain in time for Christmas.
After footage of Allegra Stratton, his former spokeswoman, laughing about the December 2020 party during a mock press conference several days following the incident, Johnson apologized at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary to the President of the United States was ordered to investigate.
However, he maintained his belief that he’d been repeatedly assured that since the accusations were made that there had been no party or that Covid rules have not been violated that there would be no party.