Chris Whitty sends clear message on festive parties as Omicron surges

This afternoon's No 10 press conference was a gloomy affair.

The increase in the Omicron variant that we'd barely heard of a fortnight ago is so steep it was almost a straight line on one of Prof Chris Whitty's famous graphs.

The number of Covid cases reported on Wednesday was the highest yet during the pandemic. You read that right: the highest ever during these tough two years.

While there is so much we don't yet know about the severity of the Omicron variant itself, and it's impossible to be clear about its precise effect, the sheer number of cases is mind-boggling to contemplate.

Even if, crossing every finger, the number of deaths remains low because of vaccinations, we are looking at a likely period of serious disruption to much of our lives.

And the message from England's top doctor was clear. He was at pains to repeat it several times: in the run-up to Christmas, stay at home unless it really matters.

His language about "prioritising" or "de-prioritising" events might have been less blunt. But under repeated questioning that was the clear implication.

That's not, though, a message the prime minister was willing, or perhaps able, to repeat.

The political pressure on him not to introduce more restrictions is intense after 100 of his backbenchers stuck two fingers up at him on Tuesday night by voting against part of his pandemic plan.

But Prof Whitty's message will likely be heard loud and clear: what we all do in the next few days and weeks will make a difference to how fast the pandemic spreads.

His call is already alarming the hospitality industry.

Without official closures or limits there won't be extra financial help, at least not at this stage. But the message from the press conference is bound to lead to empty tables, and less custom.

MPs will inevitably start to question the fairness of that.

Once again, Number 10 is in the grip of a fast-moving crisis with consequences not just for the country's health but for the economy, and the nation's wealth too.