COVID-19 Cases Soar In England, Queen Elizabeth II Cancels Tradition Of Lunch Before Christmas

Queen Elizabeth II. (Wikimedia Commons/Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)

JAKARTA - Queen Elizabeth II is canceling the traditional pre-Christmas lunch with the British Royal family, as a precaution as COVID-19 cases soar in Britain, Buckingham Palace sources said.

"The decision was a precautionary measure as it was felt it put too many people at risk if it continued," the source quoted Reuters as saying December 16.

"While there is regret that it was canceled, there is a belief it was the right thing to do for all," the source continued.

As previously reported, Queen Elizabeth II is set to continue with her Christmas plans this year, the first time without her husband, and amid a surge in cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in the UK.

According to the Mirror, on December 14, the Queen will hold a family gathering at the castle, before traveling to Sandringham Palace, Norflok for Christmas this year.

A source told The Sun, "Plans are on the way but obviously they will be reviewed until the last minute." The party has reportedly been moved from Buckingham Palace to Windsor where the Queen currently resides.

Last month, the Queen told her family she was well enough to host Christmas at Sandringham after recovering from a back sprain.

Meanwhile, Express is believed Queen Elizabeth II will travel to the Norfolk residence on or around Friday, December 17.

Separately, the UK's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Wednesday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus posed a very serious threat, and what health officials already knew was 'bad'.

"This is a very serious threat right now. How big the threat is, there are some things we don't know, but everything we know is bad," Whitty said at a press conference.

"And the principle is the speed at which this is moving, it's moving at an absolutely phenomenal speed."

"We have a few things going for us right now the most important of which is the presence of an effective vaccine and the ability to accelerate at this stage."