The health minister failed to deny circuit-breaker lockdown rumours as she urged people to "be cautious".

Conservative MP Gillian Keegan said the Government's warning is not just to those who may now be eligible to leave isolation earlier than day 10, but anyone gathering together.

It comes after the Government advised people who leave self-isolation on day seven to minimise social contact.

Asked why social contact should be limited, Ms Keegan told Sky News: “We’re saying that for everybody.

“We are saying to everybody, ‘Look be cautious if you’re going somewhere … make sure you go to somewhere that’s well ventilated’. Be cautious, we’re saying that to everybody.

“Be cautious to enjoy your Christmas."

She said the advice was that there is “equivalent” risk between negative tests on day six and seven and waiting to 10 days.

Will there be a circuit breaker lockdown in the UK?

Health minister Gillian Keegan said the Government will not hesitate to take further measures to tackle Covid-19 “if it’s required to keep people safe”.

The MP also did not rule out a rumoured so-called circuit-breaker after Christmas during her Sky News interview.

Asked if further restrictions are a question of when and not if, Ms Keegan said: “We’ve said we have to keep that option open because you know we are looking at cases that are going up at the moment and we are looking at hospitalisation, which is going up.”

She said: “We do have to reserve that option and we won’t hesitate … if it’s required to keep people safe. But right now the balanced and proportionate response is, we believe, the one that we’ve put in place.”

Asked if there is any chance of a circuit-breaker lockdown in light of Omicron cases, Ms Keegan said: “We are waiting for data on the severity, we’ll still have to wait to see where we land on that, but we can’t really say, you know.

“What we’ve said is up to Christmas we’re fine looking at the data, looking at the numbers we have at the moment, but, of course, we have to look at where this virus goes, where this variant goes, so we have to look at that data.

“I can’t tell you in advance of getting that data, but you should be cheerful because we’re doing a lot more than we could last year. We’re able to see our families.”

Should people make New Year's Eve plans?

During her media interview rounds, the health minister told LBC there is “uncertainty” around people making New Year’s Eve plans.

Asked about going ahead with a gathering or party on New Year's Eve, the MP said: “There is uncertainty. So, if you can’t change your plans quickly, then maybe think about it.

“There is uncertainty. We can’t predict what the data is going to tell us before we’ve got the data.

“We are trying to take a balanced and proportionate approach so that people can see their families over Christmas to try and plan some stuff.

“But of course it is difficult to anticipate.”

She said the uncertainty in the data is “particularly” around severity.

How many people are in hospital with Omicron?

There were 129 people in hospital with Omicron on Tuesday, December 21, the health minister said.

Asked about the potential issues with IT reporting, Ms Keegan said there are “some lags in certain bits of the data”, but the current data shows “129 people (in hospital) as of yesterday and 14 deaths with Omicron”.