It comes after the UK saw record numbers of daily Covid cases
Ministers have been tasked with developing "robust contingency plans" for workplace absences, as the government warned rising cases could see up to a quarter of staff off work.
The prime minister had asked ministers working with their respective sectors to test preparations and contingency plans to limit disruption, it explained. Some have called for a US-style self-isolation system to be introduced, where people only have to quarantine for five days, but the UK Health Security Agency said doing so would be counterproductive and could actually worsen staff shortages if it led to more people being infected., it said the two systems were not like-for-like. In the UK, the self-isolation "clock" begins when the person experiences symptoms or receives a positive test - whichever is first.
"The amount of people requiring care in the first place means that you're generally run off your feet," Mr Wilson told the BBC. "As soon as you start losing staff [because of Omicron], it gets really, really awkward."
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