Covid update 'will come sooner than 18 December'

The Sun quotes insiders saying Boris Johnson will bring forward his update on the Omicron variant from the original 18 December date to reassure the nation about plans for Christmas.

The newspaper says ministers are worried the public will lose trust if they have to make another last-minute change to Christmas celebrations and will break the cycle of three-week updates to reassure the country.

The announcement will centre on the Christmas break but looks certain to include mention of the latest travel restrictions.

The Sun quotes one Downing Street source as saying: “The hope is we won’t have to introduce anything new and the current measures - testing at the border and mask wearing - are not too much of an impingement.”