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 Britain was the first country to limit international travel over the
Omicron variant, raising alarm bells about its mutations, and in
December introduced work at home advice, more mask-wearing and
vaccine passes to slow its spread.
But while cases soared to record highs, hospitalisations and deaths
have not risen by the same extent, in part due to Britain's booster
rollout and the variant's lesser severity.
Johnson's approach to avoid lockdowns and live with the virus
contrasts with a zero tolerance approach to COVID-19 in China and
Hong Kong, and tougher restrictions in many other European
countries.
He will hope his approach has been vindicated as health minister
Sajid Javid said on Tuesday Britain had likely already reached the
peak in both cases and hospitalisations.
"I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll be able to substantially
reduce measures next week," Javid said in parliament, referring to
when the so-called Plan B measures are formally due for review.
Johnson has faced criticism for his handling of the pandemic
overall, and Britain has reported 152,513 deaths, the seventh
highest total globally. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have
followed their own anti-coronavirus measures, generally with tougher
restrictions.
He will address parliament on Wednesday on next steps for Plan B and
hopes to reset his agenda following furore over the lockdown
gatherings at his office, which has some in his party plotting to
remove him.
Johnson admitted he attended a party in the garden of his Downing
Street office and residence in May 2020 while social mixing was
banned.
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 The lifting of Plan B measures,
along with Johnson's navigation of Omicron
without resorting to stringent lockdown, could
help him appease vocal opponents of restrictions
in his own party amid the party unrest.
"Decisions on the next steps remain finely
balanced," a government spokesperson said.
"The Omicron variant continues to pose a
significant threat and the pandemic is not over. Infections remain
high but the latest data is encouraging, with cases beginning to
fall."
Javid said that a third of Britain's 15 million cases had been
reported since the onset of Omicron. By contrast, Britain has
reported 5% of its COVID deaths since Omicron was identified in late
November.
"The idea was by really trying to put a lot of impetus on the
booster programme, it would be possible ride it out without the most
coercive methods," Professor Francois Balloux of University College
London's Genetics Institute, told Reuters.
"In terms of morbidity and mortality, I think it could be seen as
probably the right decision."
(Reporting by Alistair Smout, additional reporting by Andrew
MacAskill; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Angus MacSwan)
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