Fears are growing that Christmas could be derailed by another pingdemic, as new rules aimed at limiting the spread of the omicron variant come into force today.

       Among the various measures, people who come into contact with someone who tests positive for the strain will have to isolate - prompting concerns that it could lead to a rerun of the situation this summer, in which thousands of people were forced to quarantine.

       Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group, who is expected to be among a handful of Tory MPs to rebel at today's vote in the Commons, said: "Forcing more contacts of positive Covid cases to self-isolate than needs be risks taking a huge number of people out of the economy, society and our education system and would be a massive own goal."

       Gillian Keegan, the health minister, admitted the change in rules could see a spike in the numbers of people having to stay at home. "You could be self isolating over Christmas, you could be," she told Sky News.

       But she insisted Christmas was currently "on track" and the new measures would buy the scientists time to establish how serious the variant is as we "deal with this unknown".

       She added: "We very much hope we'll have a Christmas this year, after the awful experience last year. It is unfortunate timing [but] you should keep your Christmas plans in place."

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       Mark Harper has said he will be "asking the Government questions" about exactly when the new restrictions will end during today's debate in the Commons.

       The former chief whip and chairman of the Covid Recovery Group said: "Ministers assure us that these new Covid measures will only last three weeks.

       "The regulations on self-isolation, which herald another pingdemic, don't expire until 24 March 2022 though... which is it?"

       Tis the season. Advent calendars waiting on mantelpieces. The jingle-jangle of sleigh bells on an endless muzak loop. A portly man promising a season of goodwill only for a grisly Covid variant to change everything and No 10’s advice to slip from ho-ho-ho to no-no-no.

       The crackdown’s first edict is already here. Today, like some unwelcome rehash of a movie you didn’t like the first time round, is Mask Day 2. At 4am today, the new regime dawned, replacing the do-as-you-see-fit attitude that followed “Freedom Day” on July 19 with an order to mask up in shops and on public transport.

       It had to be masks. There are a host of so-called non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) able to dent Covid, from handwashing and work-from-home directives to full national lockdown. But, of all the options on the menu, none is so divisive in Britain as the wearing of masks.

       Read more from Harry de Quetteville here

       Labour MP Lisa Nandy has said the party is moving North, not centre-right, following a reshuffle which saw the return of Blairite former minister Yvette Cooper.

       Ms Cooper, who has been the chairman of the home affairs committee, was yesterday made shadow home secretary while David Lammy was named shadow foreign secretary and Wes Streeting was promoted to shadow health secretary. Rachel Reeves remains in her role as shadow chancellor.

       Asked if Labour is moving to the centre-right politically, Ms Nandy told Sky News: "We're moving North; left or right, you can keep that debate. We're going out into the country and we're going to start delivering for people in towns, villages and cities that have been completely and utterly abandoned by the political system.

       "You go to Grimsby, you go to Barnsley, you go to Aberdeen, you will find proud communities that have a contribution to make. But so often they are held back, not by the skills of their young people, not by the abilities in those communities, not by their own ambition, but by a national Government that isn't investing in the infrastructure that would bring good jobs."

       Boris Johnson has insisted the return of new Covid measures are "proportionate and responsible, and will buy us time in the face of this new variant".

       The Prime Minister is due to give a press conference later today, as the Government looks to turbo charge the booster programme amid concerns over the new omicron variant.

       Lisa Nandy has not spoken to Labour's deputy leader since the party's reshuffle was announced as she played down the impact of yesterday's "circus".

       Monday morning was overshadowed by an apparent chaotic row with Angela Rayner, who had not been briefed about Sir Keir Starmer's planned reshuffle, which began during her long-planned speech on sleaze.

       Ms Nandy, who was moved from foreign secretary to levelling up secretary, told BBC Breakfast: "I have not spoken to Angela since the reshuffle was announced. I have been too busy getting a team together and putting a plan together."

       She added: "I have been through a lot of reshuffles over the past 11 years - I think that the leader makes the decisions, the gaffer picks the team, that's how it goes and that's how it has always gone.

       "Frankly, I couldn't care less about the circus of who's in, and who's out, who's up, who's down, who knew, who didn't."

       Labour's Lisa Nandy said her role change in yesterday's reshuffle "felt a little like coming home".

       The frontbencher told BBC Breakfast the job title - which is shadow levelling up, housing, communities, and local government secretary - was "a very long title that Michael Gove has concocted for himself," but the responsibility was "to deliver on the broken promises of the last 11 years".

       The Wigan MP added that it's "a big agenda" with "a hell of a lot to do".

       Asked if her new job felt like a demotion, the frontbencher said: "It felt a little like coming home, to be honest."

       She added: "I am going to make it my mission to bring Labour home to people and to deliver on promises that the Government simply isn't capable of doing."

       A minister has said the return of mandatory mask wearing will be largely down to the "good sense of the British public", amid concerns that shop workers will have to enforce the rule again.

       This morning Richard Walker, the managing director of Iceland, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he would not be asking his staff to order customers to wear coverings when in store, amid concerns that it puts them at risk of verbal and even physical abuse.

       Asked how the Government planned to enforce the new rule, which came in at 4am this morning, Gillian Keegan said: "Well, largely through the good sense of the British public who will listen to the rules and do what they can to protect each other."

       She added: "The police do have powers to enforce."

       Boris Johnson will give a Covid press conference this afternoon, Downing Street has confirmed.

       The Prime Minister is expected to set out plans to double the Government's booster programme, in a bid to bolster the so-called "wall of defence" provided by the vaccines.

       Currently around 2.5m boosters are being given every week, but Mr Johnson is expected to confirm plans to turbo charge that by a further million a week in light of the emergence of the omicron variant.

       Working from home advice could return if the omicron variant starts to spiral, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

       Dr Jenny Harries told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Sage advice suggested working from home would be a "key" measure to reintroduce "if we have significant surges in Covid cases".

       She added: "But it's probably worth just thinking through at the moment; although I'm sure we will have more cases announced, we do only have five confirmed cases (of the new Omicron variant in England) and 10 highly probable at the moment.

       "So it's a very early stage for this, I think, but certainly, if we see surges, then working from home will be a good thing to do."

       A Labour frontbencher has said saving Christmas is "in the Government's gift", but claimed the current situation was "shambolic".

       Lisa Nandy, who was yesterday made shadow housing and communities secretary in Sir Keir Starmer's reshuffle, told Sky News: "The vast majority of people are doing what is asked of them - wearing masks, getting the booster jab, social distancing.

       "My little boy's school has got its doors and windows open, trying to increase ventilation, even in the cold.

       "People are trying their best, but there are some big holes in the Government's plans, particularly around travel.

       "The experience of coming back - as somebody who has just served as shadow foreign secretary I know this well - and taking a day two PCR test is very shambolic for a lot of people. The Government isn't even checking up."

       Families should be able to attend school nativity plays despite the new variant of coronavirus, a health minister has said.

       Asked on LBC about such events, amid reports some had been cancelled or restricted, Gillian Keegan said: "Well, yes, I think we've said 'go about your plans'.

       "I mean, obviously, you know, wear a mask, be cautious, you know, all the other... all the things that people usually put in place. To be honest, I think most people are being... have been sensible all along.

       "But we're not saying to people cancel your plans. And you know, I'm sure it'd be lovely to go to a nativity play right now."

       A Sage member has said people should not "worry too much" about the prospects of Christmas being cancelled this year - but said the public must follow new measures to ensure "a good chance of gaining some control here".

       Professor Paul Moss, from the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham, told Sky News: "The two ways that we're adopting to try and control this are: one, in behavioural change to reduce transmission: the travel restrictions; more lateral flows; masking.

       "And the second big factor is the immunity and we know that we may lose some immunity with this virus. So what is happening is we are boosting our immune levels to super-high levels with the plans that were introduced yesterday, and that should retain some protection."

       Scientists need three weeks to assess the omicron variant, saying "we will know a lot more before Christmas".

       Nine cases of the omicron variant of coronavirus have now been identified in Scotland, the country's health secretary Humza Yousaf has said.

       Mr Yousaf said there are now five cases in the Lanarkshire area and four in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, up from the six across the two areas announced on Monday.

       Asked if there was any connection between Cop26 or a recent South Africa rugby match, he told BBC Good Morning Scotland: "There's nothing that links these cases or indeed the variant back to Cop26 or indeed the rugby match."

       He added: "There's nothing that indicates these cases or this new variant has come via the rugby or Cop26 but that work of course is still ongoing ."

       The Government is seeking to strike the right balance between keeping the country going and dampening down the spread of the new omicron variant, a minister has said.

       Gillian Keegan admitted it was "difficult" to get the balance right, but stressed: "I would rather overreact than under-react at this stage"

       She told Sky News: "We have been here before... we don't underestimate the seriousness of this [but] we're trying to get that balance and proportion and it is difficult because it's unknown."

       The health minister added: "We have put some more countries on the red list but we are not doing things that would shut travel down altogether - we are very much trying to keep things going."

       The booster programme can reach the numbers required to fend off the threat of the new omicron variant, a minister has insisted.

       Gillian Keegan, the health minster, told Sky News the systems would be up and running "in the next couple of days", with the programme being staggered by age as before.

       She added: "But within the next couple of months... we are pretty good at this, standing up these operations, so we do know what to do but we just need to give the NHS a bit of time to operationalise... because we're doubling the eligible people, more or less, who are due a booster now."

       "We do have the facilities, we do have the vaccine and we do have the people."

       Face masks will be legally required in hairdressers from today after the Government extended the list of settings at which they will be mandatory.

       Guidance published on Monday night said coverings would be needed in personal care and beauty salons, as well as tattoo parlours.

       They will be required at takeaways, estate agents, solicitors, loan providers and veterinary clinics and in taxis, private hire vehicles and driving instruction cars or vans.

       The Government described the rules as "targeted measures" to prevent the spread of the omicron variant and a "precaution", while more data is gathered on its transmissibility and potential resistance to vaccines.

       Ministers are scrambling to get on the front foot, as the Omicron variant threatens to disrupt Christmas.

       We are expecting to hear from the Prime Minister later today about the stepping up of the booster programme. We will also hear from Health Secretary Sajid Javid, as MPs vote on the reintroduction of new measures aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.

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