Johnson needs to follow lead of Sturgeon & Drakeford to beat Omicron variant

TSSA today backed the calls by Scotland and Wales’ First Ministers for travellers to the UK to isolate for eight days to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant.

The transport and travel union also called for employers to support homeworking wherever possible as the most effective method to stop transmission. The union's calls for greater preventative measures to protect against covid infection follow successful calls for face masks to be made mandatory on public transport, in shops and other public settings. But the union, which represents thousands of transport and travel industry workers, wants Boris Johnson to go further to protect people ahead of Christmas.

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: “If 2020 taught us anything it is that when Johnson chickens out of taking tough action quickly on Coronavirus, we all suffer.

“I’m glad to see Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford take the decision now to isolate travellers from overseas for eight days in order to identify people with the Omicron variant before it can further spread into the community. Now they need to follow it up with a funding package for travel trade businesses which are only just starting to return to 'business as usual'.

“There’s much we still don’t know about the Omicron variant, but we do know how to reduce transmission. That’s why we need a return to homeworking where possible across the UK along with much greater vigilance on face coverings, hygiene and social distancing.

“Johnson’s big announcement was a return to mask wearing in shops and public transport, but a one-line policy isn’t enough. We need details and plans for enforcement. Sound-bites won’t beat coronavirus!”